Dashboard Blues...

[Spacenut]

So, after 5 years of continuous use, with just the odd hiatus, I finally stripped out my old dashboard in June 2012. It's something I had been meaning to do for a long time, but the scale of the disruption put me off. Then the Nova club, celebrating its fortieth anniversary, was invited to participate in Chris Evans' Carfest at the end of August. Entry for Nova plus occupants was free for all three days, and with Laverstoke Park Farm virtually on my doorstep I was all set to go!

Except for one small thing... my poorly finished interior. I know I shouldn't take these things to heart, but when you enter and exit a car through a hydraulic lifting canopy, everybody wants to see it with the roof up, revealing a piece of wonky aluminium sheet metal, dotted with wonky instruments, cables hanging down underneath and unfinished edges. A comment on Flickr, superimposed on a picture of my dashboard and taken at Auto Italia summed it up for me; “typical kit car interior”.

I had to do something about it, preferably before Carfest. I had just over 2 months...

I failed. In fact, the car hasn't turned a wheel under its own power since! What I (and I suspect many others before me) failed to appreciate was just how difficult it is to reconcile the conflicting needs of aesthetics, ergonomics and practicality, in what is, let's face it, a pretty small space.

But I am getting ahead of myself. First, you have to go back, baaaack, baaaaaaaaaack in tiiiiime...

...It started about 20 years ago; the Green Machine had yet to turn a wheel under its own power, and the interior was largely non-existent. Undeterred (ahh, the eternal optimism of youth) I went to the autojumble at Popham and bought the 1979 Automobile Year Book of Dream Cars, now one of the most treasured books in my automotive library. In it I found the inspiration for my dashboard. OK, it was clearly completely non-functional, and in many respects it was ergonomically unsound, but the 1975 Alfa Romeo Eagle concept interior captured my imagination like no other (sad I know).



Trouble was, the more I looked at this picture, and the more I looked at my old dashboard, the more difficult it became to imagine how the Eagle dash could be made to fit into the confines of the Nova cockpit...





Still, I wasn't going to let a lack of cockpit width and shallow footwells put me off, it was time to get started. First, I took my secondhand Mk4 Nova dashboard as a starting point...





...And cut out the centre section, until only the surround was left...





Trial fit, with the telecam monitor placed in the driver's line of sight...



I bonded low density foam into the surround and started carving the new shape...





...And constructed a bargraph tachometer and display module to complement the existing blue VFD instruments.

More to come!

Lauren

[Spacenut]

Completed tachometer and instruments, attached to a fibreglass baseboard. From left to right - speed/odometer, coolant temperature, oil pressure, fuel level and voltmeter...



Looks good at night, although still a long way from being finished. Here's the proof that it works...

http://youtu.be/7OllV5QLd0o



I bought a brand new Rover SD1 steering wheel (I have already stripped off the grey leather covering on the rim, and removed the polished aluminium strip beneath the crash pad)



Size comparison with my old 13” Mountney – got some trimming to do!



I think you can see where this is going...



At last, work starts on a proper steering column shroud... and the steering wheel nears completion.



New Nova logo reverse printed on laserjet film, then PVA glued onto the polished alloy strip. Where did the font come from, I hear you ask? Would you believe, the Continental version of the Lada 1200 is called the Nova? Would you believe the badge uses this font???



I also constructed a new heater unit out of fibreglass, using parts salvaged from my old heater, plus a new, lightweight aluminium matrix. The unit sits on top of a cold air plenum built into the forward part of the centre tunnel...





Yet more to come!

Lauren

[Spacenut]

Then it was time to mock-up the whole dashboard assembly to check for visibility of the instruments, telecam monitor, accessibility of switches and heater controls and reflections in the windscreen. I used thick cardboard and lashings of gaffer tape, together with blackboard paint to give it a realistic feel...







Montage of warning light display and bench-test image shown previously. Alfasud Series 3 face vents are mounted vertically on the extreme right and between the main instrument cluster and telecam monitor. They are fed by a cold air feed from the heater fan. The ducting is laid into a recess milled out of the foam and back-filled with a 2-part foam mix (the stuff used to make racing seat inserts).



Centre console, from top – Nav computer keyboard, Nav display (blue VFD, to match the instrument cluster), heater controls (hot/cold, up/down, fan 0, 1, 2, 3), secondary switchgear, Nav computer memory (MEM), Nav computer ON/OFF, telecam night driving mode (NGT) and telecam ON/OFF (CAM). Switches are modified industrial process switches, with flush-fit inserts. Legend text is backlit, with red LED light bars for status indication...



All the backlighting is connected to a common PWM control board on the instrument cluster, so flicking the sidelights on simultaneously dims the tachometer display, all of the instruments, Nav display, switch legends and status indicators.



Dashpod overhang ensures no distracting reflections in the windscreen, and the asymmetric shape is a nod to the original Eagle concept.



Shortened indicator and wiper control stalks complement the smaller steering wheel – dimensions are now 14” wide by 12.5” tall. Classic 1970s “quartic” style is really nice to look at, I'm going to enjoy this view!



Forgot to mention, the demister ducts are fabricated out of fibreglass sheet and backfilled into the dash with foam...



Finally, just to show how sad I am, I pressed the little white plastic bits out of my heater control knobs and inserted diffusers made out of spare parts left over from the industrial process switches. This way I can backlight the controls so I can see their positions at night...









So now you are up to date. More news as it happens!

Lauren

[Kermit]

Those pics are FAR TO BIG
Nice to see so much going on, can't be easy completely re designing the interior let alone all those electronics
Just for interest what colour green in the green machine
Keep up the good work and the pics (small ones are just as good LOL)
H

[Spacenut]

Sorry H! The pictures link to my Photobucket account, so are not limited in size by the site. On my screen they seem to be quite nicely scaled, but I guess if you are browsing on an iphone or something...

Short of re-scaling the images at source (which would be a rather lengthy process), I'm not sure what I can do about it...

The actual colour is a bit of a mystery - I originally asked for Ford Signal Green, thinking it was the colour used on a drag racing Firenza called Limelight some many moons ago. Fortunately the paint guy didn't use Signal Green which is far too pepperminty for my liking; it is basically mixed up specially. Plus, it has faded a bit in the last 15 years. I need to get the car re-sprayed because I wiped the nose off about 6 years ago and the colour doesn't quite match. My new canopy is finished in a red gelcoat so I will fit it and then have the car sprayed one colour.

Lauren

[Kermit]

Sorry H! The pictures link to my Photobucket account, so are not limited in size by the site. On my screen they seem to be quite nicely scaled, but I guess if you are browsing on an iphone or something...

Short of re-scaling the images at source (which would be a rather lengthy process), I'm not sure what I can do about it...

The actual colour is a bit of a mystery - I originally asked for Ford Signal Green, thinking it was the colour used on a drag racing Firenza called Limelight some many moons ago. Fortunately the paint guy didn't use Signal Green which is far too pepperminty for my liking; it is basically mixed up specially. Plus, it has faded a bit in the last 15 years. I need to get the car re-sprayed because I wiped the nose off about 6 years ago and the colour doesn't quite match. My new canopy is finished in a red gelcoat so I will fit it and then have the car sprayed one colour.

Lauren

FORD
Skywalker - don't go to to the darkside

Got to be Green though
H

[Johnboy]

Hi lauren

Love the dash great attention to detail as always ,can't wait to see this in the flesh

[Spacenut]

FORD
Skywalker - don't go to to the darkside

I didn't - like I said, it isn't a Ford colour.

These days all the paint shops do is use a spectrometer to work out what the original colour mix is, whether factory of custom, and just mix it up...

Lauren

[Spacenut]

Hi lauren

Love the dash great attention to detail as always ,can't wait to see this in the flesh

Thanks John - after nearly two years of work, I can't wait either

[Alfasixnut]

I love your attention to detail Lauren and am looking forward to seeing the revamped Green Machine in the flesh again.

[PETROLHEAD]

incredible Lauren!

Top top work, and of course, I echo the former posters in hoping to see the finished article in the flesh sometime.

I'm guessing a damn good flocking or wrapping in suede is on the cards!

What will be the closest to the Eagle concept finish?

Finally, where do get your modelling foam from Lauren? I think that wouls be the way forward for my trofeo spolier mock up and mould.

[Spacenut]

Thanks Shrew - the large foam block I got from a company called Easy Composites http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/ but the 10mm foam sheet I got from my favourite bulk GRP supplier CFS in Cornwall... http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/

You can get various thicknesses - they are used to make surfboards. Glue the sheets together, carve out the shape and then layup resin over the top. Smooth it off, and presto! A surfboard.

Or a rear spoiler

[Markgq4]

like they all said excellent job, great work!

its also really different to read your thread ...........




instead of welding up another rusty old alfa romeo!




joking

[Spacenut]

Thanks Mark - I've had to do my fair share of welding on the Green Machine, but not so much repairs as re-design and re-configuring!

Lauren

[PETROLHEAD]

Having seen the space you work with at times Lauren, im not sure whos got the thin end of that one really!
Lol!

[Spacenut]

Right, where did we leave things? Ah yes, modified heater control knobs... OK, next on the list of things to do was a centre console to accommodate the heater controls, secondary switchgear and nav computer keyboard and display. I laid up a sheet of flat fibreglass and cut two sides, and then used cardboard formers to bond them together with the required taper...



Here is the resulting blank moulding, sitting on the old cardboard tunnel. Heater controls next...



The strips above and below the control knobs are LED striplights. These provide back-lighting for the graphics, while white LEDs in each of the control knobs illuminate the position markers. I needed a small PCB to accommodate the bias resistors and pigtail connectors. I bonded some stripboard under the bracket for this purpose...



All connected up, this is what it looked like...



I used matt black wrap to cover this switch panel test piece...



It's the stuff they put on the outside of cars. I bought a 2m roll of the stuff for doing these panels. Status indicator LEDs shine through the windows cut in the wrap. Substrate is 2mm clear polycarbonate sheet.



Switch panel, nav computer unit and keyboard in place, together with a cardboard heater control mask to test the back-lighting...



Which as you can see works pretty well, even with laser jet printed symbols on clear acetate...



Detail of nav computer, keyboard and heater control module installation.

Next up – the light at the end of the tunnel!

[Spacenut]

I began by taking the cardboard mock-up and reinforcing it with cardboard spacers so that it retained its shape, then covered it with resin-proof tape and laid up matt and resin over it...



This is what resulted...



The top of the tunnel moulding is a couple of inches above the chassis rails, so I glassed in a spacer and filled the gap with expanding foam to make it more rigid. You can see the lighter colour foam through the moulding...



...And with extensions added to surround the handbrake mechanism, rebates for the seat belt anchorages, and flanges added at the front and around the gear lever, this is the result!



Tunnel in place. The solid metal tangs of the seat belt mountings are bolted into welded captive nuts through the fibreglass.



M8 bolts clamp the flange and gear lever mechanism onto the centre chassis frame.



Gear lever gate was a bit of fun really – I rollered 5mm of matt and resin into a shallow mould to make the plate, then used a round file to cut the fingers. Because the gear lever is so short, the 1-2 and 5-R slots are cut on a slant. It works surprisingly well, and is a lot lighter than the alloy plate I was planning to use!

You can also see the Mk2 switch plate on the console – this plate covers not only the switches and status indicator LEDs but also the heater controls. You can see the knobs sit flush with the surface. Should look good when I finish the graphics – at the moment it is just a blank window.



Complex, multi-plane moulding supports the left hand end of the instrument binnacle from the top of the console. All removable for servicing...



All instruments clearly visible. From left to right – telecam monitor, speed/odometer, then under the tachometer, water temperature, oil pressure, fuel and voltmeter. Warning lights will be located in a strip between the tacho and the secondary displays below, connect via the 15-way high-density Cannon connector on the right hand end. The LED strip is bonded to a polycarbonate display window...



Cardboard mask holds the diffuser so the warning symbols are evenly illuminated...



The additional LEDs below the warning light strip are the symbol illumination for each of the secondary instruments – backlit symbols showing a fuel pump, battery, oil can and thermometer. The symbols were made by sending PDFs to http://www.digitalslides.co.uk/, who print them onto 35mm slide film. I can fit 4 symbols onto each slide, and the quality is first-class.



Dash top still needs some work, but is so light I have to be careful it doesn't blow away!



Telecam monitor in total shadow – mission accomplished!

Right, you're up to date now.

Lauren

[Johnboy]

All very cool lauren

[PETROLHEAD]

brilliant lauren!


cant wait for more, such a great bespoke build, awesome!




cant believe the recline on the drivers seat though Lauren, is that a working in the cockpit thing or are they really like that?

[Spacenut]

cant believe the recline on the drivers seat though Lauren, is that a working in the cockpit thing or are they really like that?

Yes, that really is the recline on the seat. Because of the custom chassis there is more room in my Nova than any other, but the car still measures around 39" to the top of the canopy (when closed), so vertical headroom is quite limited!

Not the lowest closed coupe ever, but certainly pushing the limit for everyday driving

The seats are very comfortable. In spite of the induction racket behind his ears, a work colleague actually fell asleep on the way to a meeting

Lauren

[Johnboy]

Lower than a gt40

[Spacenut]

OK, time for another update.



Heater controls, second iteration. Still not perfect, but looking good in the dark at least



I am going to have to paint the inside of the console flat black to stop the light from the LED strips showing through...





So, here we are, making progress! As you can see, I have bonded foam strips across the back of the top cover, glassed over with tissue matt and resin, then mixed up a thin scrim of catalysed resin and nitrogen-filled microsphere filler powder (it's so fine it's like pouring smoke). Here's the result – light enough to blow away in the wind, but still completely rigid.



I'm having a crisis of conscience regarding the passenger side air vent. Originally it was vertical, like the other two, but the deep recess caused by the chamfered front of the dash made it difficult to operate. So I tried fitting it horizontally instead. It works better, but I need to make a deep chamfer under the vent to stop it looking lost... then I will decide whether it goes horizontal or vertical.





I've removed the canopy hinges altogether while I work on the car. Without any glass the canopy frame just lifts off the body. I've been working on the wiper motor mountings, including the location for the Alfasud Series 3 rear hatch wiper contact plate (less wiring, less weight).



I was once told that red and green should only be seen on a beauty queen or a sex machine. I think this ticks the majority of those boxes...

I have also nearly finished the instrument panel and centre console wiring loom. I am using wire with thinwall insulation to save some precious grams of weight. With the exception of a poorly wetted-out solder joint in the switch panel connector, I am pleased to report that pretty much everything is working now, although you still need a bit of imagination to see where I am going with this...





Daytime running mode...





Night-running mode. Telecam and night mode is engaged by the switches on the right of the control panel. Nav and memory switches are located at the other end, as they will be used less frequently. The Nav keyboard also has back-lit keys for night driving, but isn't connected up yet.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the results so far!

Lauren

PS - I've decided. Vertical

[Johnboy]

Love it, that is so cool

[Kegsti66]

Hi Lauren,
I am new to this site but have been on it all day
Liked your introduction and looking at your handy work.
What a project you have there. I saw you in the Nova a few years ago at Stanford Hall, and remember seeing Nova kits for sale in the 80's.
Looking forward to seeing you at a gig some day.
I was talking to a guy two months ago at a show in Northants with a red one, you may know of him? but he had the "German boxer" in his. Had to smile as he tried to imply it was "a Porsche designed engine", without saying it was a beetle engine.
Keep up the good work
Keith.

[Spacenut]

Hi Keith - welcome to the CAF! Thanks for your kind comment, I have to thank Shrew for giving me my own lounge, it's just a shame there aren't a few more Alfa kits in here, 'cos CAF is a great forum as I am sure you have discovered by now

I have met a few Nova owners over the years, but with the majority of cars being red (and quite a few based in the midlands), I couldn't be sure that I know the guy you met. The desire to cover the Novas humble (German) origins is fairly universal however! Fortunately I don't have that problem, but people will still insist on walking past without a second glance, dismissing my Nova as "Volkswagen sh*t". I could cover it in Alfa Romeo badges but they would still just assume it was an engine conversion on a Beetle floorpan...

It seems like a long way away, but I am hoping to get back on the road next year.

Lauren

[Spacenut]

All the contrasting colours of the previous paint, expanding foam and microsphere filler were giving me a headache, so last week I made merry with the blackboard paint again. Then I started snapping... first in the gloom of the garage, for extra atmosphere...







The value of the uniform colour is already evident here – I hadn't noticed the rippling along the bottom of the offside demister aperture before. Then I moved outside...



Dash top is all odd asymmetry in this view, but I suppose it can't look brilliant from every angle...



Vertical passenger vent, as promised. I'm just wondering about the slight angle from longitudinal, when viewed from above...





I suppose it will be OK if I don't embellish the dash face with any vertical features.



Top view shows both driver vents (10 points if you said Alfasud Series 3). I'm using an old column switch plate to support the shrouds while I work on the indicator wiring.



Tidied-up corners and lower edge of the telecam monitor aperture. The aspect ratio is now shorter than the air vent, which is a little awkward, but I will make the look work...



Almost driver's eye view shows that visibility of all instruments is maintained...



Detail around RH air vent. Still a bit messy-looking, but getting there.



Oblique view of the passenger air vent...

I removed the canopy altogether to reveal the whole dash assembly...



Depression is for the offset mounted windscreen wiper motor. Alfasud Series 3 tailgate contact plate will be mounted on the flat portion immediately in front of the motor.

10 more points if you recognised the top of the Alfasud pedal box projecting through the panel (the Nova was never designed to house pendant pedals...)



Driver's side view of the dash top. Convoluted pipe at the ends of the dash is the side window demister feed, although conveniently the RH dash vent can also be used to direct cold air onto the side window as well (passenger side vent can also work like this as well, which is a bonus).



I needed the dash to be a uniform colour so I could figure out where the lumps and bumps were. Trouble is, I won't want to start sanding now because it will ruin the look!

More news as it happens...

Lauren

[PETROLHEAD]

brilliant lauren,

now stop faffing and get sanding!

[Johnboy]

Yep agree , get sanding, this needs to be on the road

[Spacenut]

That's me told then

I haven't even shown you my home-made heater box yet.... OK, I'll get sanding

[Spacenut]

Before I start sanding again I couldn't resist laying-in the instrument harness and connecting up the various bits of hardware. After all, I have to do something to encourage myself, otherwise I start daydreaming about French microcars with motorbike engine conversions...



Here's the instrument board. The SGI-5 speed sensor adapter is on the left. The tachometer interface board is above the display driver board and the PWM controller and transistor drivers are on the right. 20-way ribbon cable connects the display segments.



Here's what it looks like with all the bits in place. Telecam monitor is at the bottom, with the left hand driver's air vent next to it, then the instrument board and finally the ducting for the right hand driver's air vent. Height and reach adjustable column fits into cut-outs in the dash lower panel.



Almost driver's eye view...



Centre console, this time with the Nav computer keyboard illumination working (needed a separate earth return from the steel housing). I've painted the inside of the console matt black to stop the light leakage from the heater control LED strip lights. Seems to be working OK.



Over-the-shoulder view – once the privacy film is in place there will be a lot less light coming in from this axis, which should give the displays more contrast.



View through the open sunroof...



My favourite angle. Shame that the image came out all blurred, I should have used a tripod (not that there is any room to set one up in my densely-packed garage...).



I like the way this shot subtly hints at the rakish angle of the centre console...



...this one reveals more...



...and now all is revealed.

So tomorrow I will take it all apart and start sanding again...

Lauren