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MG MGA - Extra dashboard and instruments

I have designed and fitted some extra instruments, clock and ammeter, below the dashboard and hanging from the dashboard stays. The dash panel also has a cubby for mobile phone/Iplayer and wallet. The cubby cannot be seen when in the driving position.

The assembly was made by a local company in aluminium and was not too expensive.

I'm sure some will mention the merits of voltmeter versus ammeter but I like to see the current , it moves more and I'm upgrading what I fitted in the 70's.

I can provide the design drawings if anyone is interested.


John Francis

Picture shows cubby and new fuse box mounted on the stay above the ammeter as well. The heater cables all clear the box


John Francis

That's quite slick John. Is it positioned far enough back that you don't rap your knuckles on it when changing gears?
Andy Bounsall

Hi Andy

Thanks. Yes plenty of room for gear changing and on RH drive car nough room to let your clutch leg flop against the tunnel without knocking into it even with tall driver. I'm 6'2" . That wouldn't be a problem on LH drive cars since I guess right leg will be on the throttle most of the time!
John Francis

I think it looks great John, it fits in really well with the standard dashboard and if you didnt know, you would think it was original equipment.

Like Andy I thought at first that it would be really close to the gearlever knob, my 5 speed is already so near that I have had to put some padding onto the heater control to prevent skinning my knuckles.
But when I saw the 2nd pic I realised that it is actually set back far enough to be well clear.

I wondered what the extra switch was for though!

I have read that you can tell more about your charging system from a voltmeter than from an ammeter but back in the 60s you would more likely seen ammeter in an MGA.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

John..that is a great looking natural addition and well positioned. I have bought a Judson Supercharger and will use your design for mounting the press/vac. gauge rather thsn drilling a hole in the dash. Would appreciate the drawings ...
Neil Ferguson

Good looking fitting John - I have a Smiths ammeter (which was fitted to my midget in the 60s complete with supplementary bracket) fitted to my MGA - was thinking of substituting it for the Smiths voltmeter I have recently acquired .
Cam Cunningham

John, it looks so good I'm tempted myself. I used to have an ammeter fitted below the dash but it wasn't very useful but a voltmeter may be a different matter. Is it a smiths clock? As Neil has said a quick sketch with dims would be useful. Whats it fixed to?
J H Cole

Neil et al. My home email address is jh.francis@btinternet.com. If you send me an email I will send the drawing over on a pdf. Its quite a tricky assembly with the box and curved edge and was welded up in aluminium.
John Francis

Okay. John Francis sent me the drawing in PDF format, and I have posted it on my web page for all to use, See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/dash/dt210.htm
Barney Gaylord

This thread was discussed between 14/06/2011 and 19/06/2011

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