Cutting out the Dashboard

Time to cut the holes in the dashboard. Now there are some moulded marks on the dash for the instruments but I found them to be off centre relative to the centreline of the car and also not spaced exactly correct. So I drew the ensemble out on CAD and used the plot to line up the gauges relative to the centreline of the car and then marked through the paper for the centres of the gauges and lights:With the centres marked the holes for the gauges were scribed allowing 1.5mm (on the diameter) for the leather:

The bulk of the material was then removed with a hole cutter:

The remaining material was removed with a sanding drum on the Dremel until the scribed line was removed:

The dashboard is to be fixed as per the GD method - drill some 3.3mm holes and screw some M4 button head bolts in. I added some Araldite on the threads just before they were screwed fully in. On the back will be an M4 penny washer, spring washer & wing nut.

The button head will not show through the foam padding (I've already checked this on a couple of factory cars when I was last at GD).

You could use countersunk bolts but as the holes are very close to the edge of the dash there will be a danger of the dash splitting. I used six bolts and when in place you will have to trim a little off the areas of the body that encroach into the top of the holes. When determining the dash fixing holes in the body you will have to make an allowance for the dash leather and piping:

Job Done..........for now.