burlwood gauge cluster fascia
Discussion
last week, i discovered my hazard lights were only blinking on one side. i eventually traced this to a broken nylon rocker plate in the oem lucas switch. gasping at the price of this ugly and inherently fragile item, i decided to finally commit the time and upgrade the whole gauge console face. i'll be using smaller better quality switches for the facelift. the first major piece was finished today. it is the center gauge fascia plate. it's identical in shape to the original vacuum formed plastic part, including every curve. done in maple burlwood. it will be much darker once oiled, and match the heater control panel i made years ago.
Edited by teigan on Friday 18th July 02:55
Edited by teigan on Friday 18th July 02:57
Edited by teigan on Friday 18th July 02:57
if you look at your own dashboard, you'll see that the gauges sit well behind the fascia, because they are flush to a flat plane. lotus probably started with a flat panel, and giugiaro decided that didn't go well with the overall binnacle design. in my wooden retrofit, there are some unseen areas carved out of the back to accomodate existing hardware and mounting surfaces. i did away with the screw holes, so the part snugs into place and is held by friction alone.
the side panels are actually easier. they are not curved but merely a single angle bend. the conical part that dips in will be milled from a solid chunk and glued onto the flat pieces. i'll post a photo when done.
for your carbon fiber project, i suggest you temporarily back up the original part with some plaster. once dry you can wetlay one layer of carbon cloth over the assembly face then use a vacuum bag to clamp. the surface finish won't be perfect, but an hour of sanding will make it pretty.
for your carbon fiber project, i suggest you temporarily back up the original part with some plaster. once dry you can wetlay one layer of carbon cloth over the assembly face then use a vacuum bag to clamp. the surface finish won't be perfect, but an hour of sanding will make it pretty.
i agree wood looks most appropriate in a leather interior car. there's a ton of carbon fibre on my car, but only in hidden places. for example, the undersides of the binnacle are finished in carbon fibre.
with my '84 car, those recessed areas for the side gauges are perfect cones. push some clay into yours, and measure to confirm. you could use either a lathe or mill to cut that portion out of a solid chunk of wood. i'm using basswood, which has a similar color and grain to maple. you could also choose to veneer a cone made from whatever material.
best of luck. it's worth the effort. remember, you'll be staring at the gauges as often as the road ahead.
with my '84 car, those recessed areas for the side gauges are perfect cones. push some clay into yours, and measure to confirm. you could use either a lathe or mill to cut that portion out of a solid chunk of wood. i'm using basswood, which has a similar color and grain to maple. you could also choose to veneer a cone made from whatever material.
best of luck. it's worth the effort. remember, you'll be staring at the gauges as often as the road ahead.
still working on one of the side pieces. i've CNC milled the initial fitting part from basswood. still need to do some detailed carving by hand to make it go in. i intentionally cut the part slightly large, since the original lotus part left exposed seams. my finished part will fit snug and as a bonus require no mounting hardware. center piece is already fitted sans screws.
i'll try to get new photos up soon. i got the sidetracked working on a rebody for a corvette z06. that project won't wrap until october, but i'll keep hobbying on the esprit as time permits.
i'll try to get new photos up soon. i got the sidetracked working on a rebody for a corvette z06. that project won't wrap until october, but i'll keep hobbying on the esprit as time permits.
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