Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Traditional Morgan Dashboards [Photos]

Stunning...is that solid wood or veneer?

That looks fabulous.

Sadly you are correct - the steering wheel is the wrong colour now.

I sense another fantastic DIY solution .......

It looks great! TBH I think the steering wheel matches somehow with the interior trim and perhaps one could leave it as is.

+1

I don't dislike the contrast between the colour of the steering wheel and the dash at all.

I have yet to make/buy/design a proper dash for My +8 Bitsa. I am using a Vinyl covered dash from a '87 +8 that beyond the beyond.

Last Fall when returning from "Flog Mog" on the Northern California Coast We stopped at Myrtlewood Art Shop. The Art shop was an item itself. Lots of "Whimsey" here. This was at a burg called "Cave Junction" near the "Oregon Caves" in Southern Oregon. Myrtlewood is a common wood here. It is a decorative wood, the grain runs all over the place, depending how it is cut. Worm holes abound. We were advised to put the wood into the microwave to kill the bugs. It is reddish color when varnished, rather a deep red. I keep asking myself if it is suitable for a Morgan Dash. I don't think so. Maybe for My Bentley "R"(now sold) but not a Morgan. But I keep coming back to it.

This was once started to be a foto-thread.

Hi guys.

First of all thanks for the nice comments

But sorry, the veneer work were done by a company that builds wooden parts for the automotive sector (VW, BMW, Jaguar, etc.)
So the biggest job were done by them to bring the veneer and the paint on the dashboard.

I only made the basics with the dashboard, the cover of the glove box and the assembly.

I have a good contact to a guy in the prototype shop of them. Together with him we looked for a nice veneer.
And the "Zirikote" veneer is perfect for a roadster, because it doesn't change the colour under the sun over the years.
And it has a chaotic structure witch looks so nice and individual.

And yes, it's veneer not solid wood. But Morgan did nearly the same with the dashboard in the 4/4 80th edition.

And because of the Moto Lita, maybe you were right Heinz and Giles. Maybe I have to drive for some miles to make a final
decision.

Oliver

Would anyone have a photo of a black dashboard with white dials (from the 2003-2007 era)?
I'm curious of the look it would have...

Thanks!

Stainless Dash made by Cain (Wolf Performance) and fitted by Williams. Suggestions that it may blind the driver have proved unfounded.

27c in London today, hood off, shades on
Cool.

After one year from the start of the project my new dashboard in elm with a recovered Moto-Lita steering wheel in elm and magnolia faced instruments is finally in place.

The dashboard is the fruit of my ideas crossed with a design that Borghi has for the GDI Plus 4. I had the 4 new small instruments made to my face design and the faces of the original speedo and tacho were also changed.

I also had Borghi make a new rim in matching elm for my Moto-Lita steering wheel. It is thicker than the original to give a better feel.

I wanted a different layout of the warning lights and also a switch for the front fog/driving lights. I found a Chinese supplier of LED warning lights who, provided I ordered 100, would make the warning lights to my design.

Smiths (Caerbont Automotive Instruments Ltd) were very willing but sometimes slow to complete the order. There were also a couple of small problems with colours of the LEDs and slip rings (the inner bezel which hides a direct view of the illumination) not all being the same. Also I had erroneously thought that there was a problem with the calibration but it turned out that there was a small resistance in the new wiring and perhaps a problem with the fuel gauge sender in the fuel tank that caused incorrect readings. Certainly the delays were not all their fault.

It has been a project completed with some difficulties encountered but in the end I am happy with the result.

Here are a few photos:

The original dash and steering wheel in walnut


I made this rough design to get an idea of what my concept could look like.


The final design from Caerbont Automotive Instruments Ltd (Smiths)


The new Smiths instruments with magnolia faces and the new faces for the original speedo and tacho.


New dashboard in elm with magnolia faced instruments at Borghi's ready to install.


New Dashboard installed




Driver's view.


Passenger's view.