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MG MGB Technical - Steel Dash Conversion Question

I'm in the middle of a V8 conversion on my 70 mgb roadster and I want to use the earlier steel dash. I want to retain the both the turn signal and wiper stalks. Does anyone know of a steering cowl that had a place for both stalks? Would the 70's UK/European steering cowls work with the earlier steel dashes?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Ken
Ken Biermann

Can't answer your question directly, but I'll give you my experience. I changed the dash on my 68. If you haven't started. You will need an old cowl from a 67 or older. The dashes from 68 forward have a different flange than the older ones. I cut the cowl off my car and welded in the older one. I looked at keeping the 68 steering column. (colapsable) but I decided to go with the 67 column. It fits better. I read here that somebody used the colaspable column and they had to cut the hole in the dash larger. When I tried to fit the other column, it did not fit. I compared the two covers and decided that I liked the look of the 67 better. That drove a large amount of rewiring and additional switches to make all of the items work. Now, it looks great.

The 68 cover wass too big and just looked wrong for the older dash. IMHO

Cris
Cris DeYoung

Ken, I'm sure we could make something but, I would have to agree with the Chris about how it would look. Since you have the metal dash, why don't you just use the hole already supplied in the dash for the w/s wiper switch and go with the steel dash turn signal stalk??
john

I have a 78B which used to be a US one that was converted to RHD. For that they used a really awful fibreglass dash. No idea if that is a standard one or an aftermarket replacement. I managed to get a dash from a later RHD B. This is the steel dash but with the plastic front that takes the later column. I have put this in my car (well in the process of).

I had to weld in an extension to the cowl as Cris mentioned. That was because the later dash has more curve to it. There are pics here: http://asciimation.co.nz/pics/page2.html

I also modified the steel dash I have. I welded up the square holes and drilled holes to take the earlier round style toggles (which I rescue from junk yard cars everytime I see them). I am also fitting non standard gauges so I had to weld up and move holes in the dash about too. Now the stalk is an interesting problem. I am using a switch on the dash for the wipers like in the early cars and just using one stalk for the blinkers. I am also using the later column but without the huge later steering cowl. I welded a flat plat on the front of the steel dash to fill in around that space. I took the original stalk mechanism which had the blinkers on the left and wipers on the right and removed the wiper part and turned it all upside down so the blinkers are now on the right.

I also fitted a non standard Momo steering wheel.

For the cowl I am going to make a custom one like the earlier sort out of fibreglass. I haven't sorted out the details of that fully yet though.

I am taking the dash to be powder coated this weekend. I've tried the wrinkle paint a number of times and just can't get a nice, even finish that way so I will get it powder coated instead. Not original but if you look at my site you'll see I am not huge on originality anyway :)

I can send better pics if you like.

Simon
Simon Jansen

This thread was discussed between 07/04/2005 and 13/04/2005

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