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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Dashboard woes Frogeye sprite

Learned Gentlemen,
can anyone assist me with a couple of issues in refitting the dashboard correctly in my Frogeye.
I inherited this vehicle from my son in a dismantled state, unfortunately he adopted the rip it apart we'll figure out how to put it together approach to dismantling!
Having progressively restored the car when I come to fitting the dashboard I have encountered a couple of problems:
(1) The exact location of the stay rods between the dashboard panel and the body.
(2) The steering column dasboard boss when located on the dashboard is dramatically out of square to the column, thus there is no way that the horn slip ring will ever make proper rotational sliding contact with the steering wheel horn pencil.
Im thinking that if I position the dash board stays correctly this may tilt the dashboard and go some way to correcting the issue.
Does anyone out there have information or even photographs of the correct location of the dashboard stays please?
Thank you in anticipation
Bob
R C Skerritt

Here are some photos of the column boss issue


R C Skerritt

Hers the boss


R C Skerritt

Heres the boss through the dashboard


R C Skerritt

Had a look this morning, Bob. First, here's where the stays are on my car. Either corner of the tunnel/heater box. Difficult to see how they can be adjustable, unless they're slotted.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

This is the resulting angle of the dash to the scuttle, and the orientation of the boss.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

And just how centred the column is.

Though I don't use the centre horn push; I prefer a dashboard switch, just at the steering wheel rim.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Rc skerritt

When you bolted the steering rack in position did you shim the steering rack? I'm sure on mine it was the drivers side that was shimmed this then turns the column outward which would help centralise the column in the dashboard aperture.

Good luck
Dave Pratt

THanks so much guys thats all a big help. I'll check the rack and let you know what I find. I'll be fitting the dashboard stays now I know where they go, I can see the apprpriate mounting holes. I was indecisive because there were a number of extraneous holes in the dash to choose from. Many thanks.
I had been wondering if somehow I had a hold of a LHD boss, without a known RHD one its dificult to tell!
Thanks again
Bob Skerritt
R C Skerritt

Just to show you what ive got!
This cone / boss has been restored by myself. It originally had a crack and a small segment missing, this was repaired using fibre glass and Isopon resins, then repainted. Great care was taken not to alter the shape of the part. The red material inside the cone is a plastic putty ive used to reinforce the structure. I also made the slip ring fron thin copper sheet.


R C Skerritt

Another


R C Skerritt

And another


R C Skerritt

From the photos, can anyone definatively identify it as RHD or LHD?
R C Skerritt

Message to Dave Pratt.
You win the coconut!!! There should be a shim under the RH steering rack bracket. I had fitted one that I had with the car years ago, forgotten completely about it, and its obviously the wrong thickness. As soon as I removed it, the column centralised in the dash aperture. Just got to determine the correct thickness by experimentation and jobs a goodun.
I still think my boss / cone is wrong though!
Ace Dave, thanks
Bob


R C Skerritt

Of course, I should have checked my BMC parts manual!!!


R C Skerritt

Hello Nick
Have fitted the brackets having located the correct holes....Thank you. I am puzzled though, your heater arrangement is different to mine. My heater is under the bonnet and feeds hot air through a hole in the battery tray in front of the battery. Yours seems to have a significant protrusion beyond the bulkhead, Im intrigued!
Bob
R C Skerritt

Hi Bob

I too am restoring a Frogeye and I couldn't help noticing your ammeter and its position. I'm fitting a voltmeter in my dash and thought long and hard where to put it. I decided to place it left of centre i.e. so it matches the oil/ temp gauge in terms of symmetry which meant moving the screen washer control. Not mounted yet so no picture. Glad you sorted out the column angle although I'm surprised the steering column didn't bind on the bracket top of footwell.

Bill
W Bretherton

Hello Bill
thought you might like to see the full dash mocked up.
regards
Bob


R C Skerritt

Looks good Bob. Is the car a 948cc with a mechanical tachometer and 4.2 diff? I ask as the speedo and tach are Frogeye original. Also, what is the dash coated with? Are you leaving the upper dash,/ cockpit trim in bare aluminium?

Bill
W Bretherton

Bill,
Its 1380cc, ribcase box, 3:7 diff, front discs, wires, electric fuel pump,electronic ignition, alternator electrics.
The dash is crackle black finish, the instruments are Frogeye but converted to electronic. All of the aluminium parts have been mirror polished and will remain that way. The seats and trim are conolly jag green and the car is Jag BRG. The body is all steel.


R C Skerritt

That's a great looking car Bob. Very impressive specification. Mine will be BRG but there's a long way to go yet.
W Bretherton

Ten 10 Ten Years!!!!
Though I have been restoring a Lotus Elan Sprint Simultaneously.
R C Skerritt

Ha ha. That's the radio speaker box. In this shot you can just see it, with the map-reading lamp on the left side and its switch on the right. Below that is the reversing light switch.

Even better is the glove box, sitting on top of the tunnel. It hinges at the rear, and has a nifty ashtray at the front. Not just useful for bits and pieces, but really comfortable for the elbow. All this is by the first owner, and was fitted in the sixties.

Glad you got to the bottom of your problem, Bob.


Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nifty cup-holder too in the passenger footwell :-)
Graeme Williams

This thread was discussed between 01/07/2016 and 05/07/2016

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