Help! V8 Wood effect dash - Can I Change It?

[Parf7]

The 97 V8 Esprit has a wooden surround around the dials and I hate it is there any alternatives out there? Does any other Lotus (GT3 maybe?) have the same dial layout with a different colour surround (black, would be great) that I can fit? - Cheers

[dictys]

Check out
www.black89lotus.com/eighth.html

Tony's stripped down the dash and added a carbon fibre effect.

I know that his car is an earlier model but I expect the same or simliar can be done to yours.

The site is also good for those wishing to update pre 93 bodywork. (his car looks really good)

>> Edited by dictys on Wednesday 12th March 16:42

[rob.ellis]

The 97 GT3 had the same square dash shape in black but i'm not sure if it had the same dials as a 97 v8. Sorry.

[NLJdH]

The dashes on pre '98 cars are the same instrument layout from the '95 S4S. The V8 merely used the S4S wood effect dash since the interior was unchanged. The later '97 GT3 used the same layout but not in wood. Therefore you should be able to swap your wood dash for the later GT3 senotex finish instead.

There are three pieces you need. The centre part, the left flank, and the right flank. I think these are the part no. for the GT3 senotex finish:

Centre section: P691.1407.002AP
RH section: P691.1407.003AP
LH section: P691.1407.004AP

Hope that helps you out.

Regards,
Nicholas

[superdave]

I don't whether the V8's have boost gauges as someone the forum said that they didn't. I wonder if it'd the same as my 1990 turbo, I could take a picture and e-mail it to you if you like. If it's the same I would be willing to swap and pay for the carriage both ways, but it's probably not.


Cheers,




Dave Walters

[rob.ellis]

superdave said: I don't whether the V8's have boost gauges as someone the forum said that they didn't.

Dave - the 97 DOES have a boost gauge, but the later 98 on cars with the round binnacle do not have the gauge. Although most people (me included) see the 98 on dash as a great improvement over the earlier square dash in terms of aesthetics, you lose the gauge AND you also lose the ability to fill the car from either side. :-)

Rob

[kylie]

So your after are more sporting look than a classic finish? If you are prepared to have a go at making something yourself, the "real carbon fibre" look is nice. But a little tricky all the same. I am trying to make something myself. I have a 89 so not much help to you in terms of shape.
Spray painting over the wood finish would be a shame too, but a last possible option.

[karlfranz]

I went a little crazy with the (real) carbon fibre because I love the look and I thought the wood (albeit pretty) was inappropriate in the interior of my Esprit. Here are some pics:





Before you ask, these were custom built. It took about 5 months to get them completed and no more will be built. I show them here so you can get an idea of what they can look like. The interior picture doesn't show the door trim pieces but these are also in CF and look VERY good.

Cheers,

Karl-Franz
www.espritfactfile.com

[kylie]

Karl-Franz.........Very very nice The hardest part with carbon is that the weave moves around once wet and easily loses it pattern, I see from the pics the fabricator did a nice even job. I thought I might redo the engine cover and side panels as well, when I get a chance

Well done!!