342 replies to this topic

[Tiny]

Thanks Heath and Harve!

I was really surprised at how well it came up with the surround and everything fitted.. I just wish i had cut out a bit more dash from behind the fascia to give the wiring/guages more room!

Oh well.. Mark II will be better

[Tiny]

Thanks Herne!

I'm considering making blanks so that people can drill their own holes for their preferred guage layout and guages they have!

Now that i've got the outline and position of all the fixed stuff (If theyre keeping the stuff like i did - cigar lighter, wipers, heater and vent), then i can quite easily cut a blank fascia!

It's something i'd like to do for the toranas too, I think it would look trick, but i've got to investigate the mounting/positioning/fitment and safety of the fascia! Luckily the HQ was "flat" even though i needed to bend tabs and give myself room for the guages to mount back in the original spot!

Cheers!

[J-Rod]

Looking sensational Rob. Top work.

Would you be looking at making a full width Torana facia? If so i think you might have dramas matching the facia to the lower dash panels. Neither of my lower dashes were flat across their tops and my perspex facia actually has a curve across the bottom.

[Heath]

The only way to do a good LH/LX one is to do very complex work (and end up replacing the glovebox lid etc too), I would not consider doing off-the-shelf jobs. They would be either ugly/tacky or very difficult to produce and therefore expensive to buy, and no matter what you did with a Torana, it would be so different to the original that only some people would like it. With the Kingswood dash (much the same as a UC Torana dash when you think about it), the flat metal surface is just a simple, traditional kind of design that appeals to a broad spectrum of the audience.

Tiny, if I were you, I would sell some blanks at least, you can use a pic of your completed one to show how well they can come up (and once it's all finished and put together, get some really good photos of your dash & surrounding interior. Whether that is a mate with a digital slr or a prof. photographer you can get your hands on, it will really aid with marketting, trust me!)

Edited by Heath, 21 January 2009 - 09:40 PM.

[Tiny]

Gday J-Rod, Thanks for the kind words mate!

Are you sure the Torana dashes have a curve to them? I can machine anything that can be made from a flat sheet of material ( aluminium primarily) so i can do radius corners, curves and bevels in the 2D plane (X and Y Axis) as long as there is no curving in the depth - Z Axis!

TO get the HQ dash to sit, I actually made 4 tabs that extended down from the fascia, Bent them at 90 degrees to the fascia (backward), then 10mm down, bent them back to be paralell with the fascia again. Luckily all that is hidden by the lower dash panel!
The HQ Dash also has a slightly curved top line where it meets with the infill panel too. that took a few goes to get right but it seems to have worked pretty well!

It would be something i would have to look in to, Really have to take appart the torry dash and see what i can do!

(Did anyone see Joshua's thread on his flat Aluminium Fascia? - That would be something i can reproduce!)

Heath: Thanks too for your thoughts and opinions, I understand exactly wehre you are coming from! I know a lot of people who will kill me for butchering a GTS monaro dash too
If i were to display these for sale I've got some great friends who i'm sure would be happy to photograph them for me! Thanks again for the tips!

Why-psi - Cheers as well mate! It's good when something comes together
I have never seen an LC/LJ dash apart, but again if people are willing to sacrifice the depressed guage and have their giages sit flush with the fascia then anything is possible with this machine!

Thanks again guys!

[Heath]

Are you sure the Torana dashes have a curve to them? I can machine anything that can be made from a flat sheet of material ( aluminium primarily) so i can do radius corners, curves and bevels in the 2D plane (X and Y Axis) as long as there is no curving in the depth - Z Axis!

LC/LJ is a continuous curve back as you go down. Best off the shelf setup for LC/LJ would be plastic or fibreglass. Best custom would be complex sheetmetal with bog etc

LH/LX is flat but sunk down. You can make a flat sheet metal replacement of the cluster but it will be seperated into three, very limiting, identical sections. Room for one proper guage in each... not worth making off the shelf for it because everyone would want it slightly different and mounting would not be super simple AFAIK. For custom you can replace the whole upper panel, or add panels into the fascia, either can look okay, but you can't design and produce anything that will work that way. Maybe a handmade run of a few but not 'mass-produced'. It is just too massive a project and there is no demand... who would want to go and buy half a dash for their car that is aftermarket but it looks the same as 2/3 of the other custom dashes in that model of car?

UC is same as HQ. You could do that, many people have made them themselves. Normally they look quite nice but crowding is often an issue that arises as there isn't heaps of room to work with, and people always seem to want to squeaze a few more components in hehe. UC has little demand.

Put simply, I wouldn't look at it for any Torana. Definately Kingswood. Potentially certain Commodores and stuff like that. I think Gemini have a dash that would favour this style but not much demand there either. Other than GMH vehicles? Dunno

[Litre8]

When I made my replacement dash for L8 I found there is indeed a slight curve or arc, no more than maybe 0.125" in the centre.

[Heath]

Yes, that is true and I forgot about that, but you can sand the back face of the fascia 'cups' to be flat if you are keen on getting it flush

[Tiny]

Thanks guys!

It's not a business thing i want to start or anything ( but hey.. if i can make a few bux why not! LOL! need to support my addiction somehow!) but i'll defintiely look at other options down the track for other cars!

I can tell you that if i had to charge for my time at even a reasonable rate.. it would be around $500 worth of work!

Cheers!

[Tiny]

Well... I havent had the car out of the shed in at least 4 weeks... So when i heard there was a Saturday Street meeting on today.. I jumped at the chance!!

I washed the car, Changed the tyres and shot out to WSID for the 2:00pm start... and what a day!!
It was slightly warm at around 2Pm, and i got my first run about 2:30 running a pretty typical 12.9 @ 113Mph...

Then things started to get interesting! I lined up again... and had a run - Didnt FEEL anything super special, but when i got to time cards, the lady asked if i had my ANDRA SS/T licence!? I said - Nope!
She said well You've run under 11.9 and that she would have to let the ANDRA officials know!! - "UNDER 11.9?" I asked... 11.78 @ 114 Mph!!!!

I Was STOKED!!

So anyway.. i let the car cool off a bit, and as the sun went down i went out for a few more runs and ran 3 passes at 11.8, and then three more 11.7s!

My best for the day, (And best ever!) was 11.73 @ 115.45Mph!

I am a VERY happy camper!

[mitchg]

But you got beaten in that run

Congratulations on the time Tiny! I got an SMS from WSID and I wanted to head out, but didnt have the money and the car wasnt ready. How many cars were out there?

Did you end up getting then ANDRA licence?

[Tiny]

Actually there were heaps of cars out there!!

It was great though, It gave yo heaps of time to have a run, let the car cool, or make some changes if you needed to before heading back out.

I got beaten because i got paired up with my mate who's car run mid 10s all day long!!!! Not fair!! WAAAAAa!!!!

But no.. i was just SUPER stoked to have run 11.7s!!

And no.. no ANDRA officials there today to give me the licence, but i think i'll have to before next meeting!


Thanks TJ!

[antelopeslr5000]

11.7s, very impressive !!!

Must have something to do with that light weight dash fascia you're running...

[LXCHEV]

Tiny you bloody mongrel!!!!!!! You've beaten my 11.77 running your 11.73 HAHAHA!!!!! TOP JOB mate, well done!! That is awesome news. I am really rapt to hear that mate, it's well deserved.

PS. Loving that new dash too, custom work like that is HOT!

Now we are Chev brothers, and 11.7 Brothers!!

[Tiny]

Thanks heaps guys

Halil: Have to catch up some time mate!! Hope the family is well

Antelope: Could well be mate! I havent changed or touched anything since then... so you might be onto something

Brett: Thanks my Brother!! It was a GREAT feeling, and i was completely amazed when the young lady at time cards said "Ahem - Have you got your ANDRA licence?..... Cause youve run UNDER 11.9"! Oh well! Looking forward to getting the licence! Thanks again mate!

Cheers Rob!

Harvey, Thanks mate!
Last time i weighed the car it was 1608 Kgs with 1/2 a tank of fuel and NO driver.... Bearing in mind i weigh just over 150Kgs... that starts to add up!

I really put yesterday's effort down to a VERY good track surface, it had massive ammounts of bite and i even got to run the ET street radials at about 26Psi and still got 100% traction!!
The weather was the winner though, the day was warm and sunny so the track got to pick up lots of heat, and there were quite a few cars and some really tough cars out too, so the heat stayed even though the air temp dropped off bigtime as the sun went away!

I think the combo of good traction and cool dense air was really what made it for me, And also the fact that i got to get into the groove having more than 3 runs available, and nice fast turnaround times!
The first few passes ( even though it was against the pro-tree... and i was still TRYING for a good RT!) were a bit nerve wracking, but i got a good feel for the car, i actually felt it nose over for the first time on this new engine - somewhere about 6500RPM, so i played with the shifts a little around the point but found 6500RPM to be the sweet spot.
Just having those extra runs was the best thing allowing me to practice my launches and shifts and really nail it on the head!

I've got a bit more to play with i think too, with diff gears, and exhaust options being the most part that i'll try for now... but i'm absolutely stoked!

Thanks again

[fatslr]

Great work Tiny

[ToRunYa]

WOOHOOO! good stuff!

[Tiny]

Gday Kingy - Crossing the line at 6000Rpm! So there is a little room to move with the rear end gearing / tyre sizing i think!


Thanks Garth! I'm spewing i couldnt race when you were here mate... you *MAY* have seen an 11.7 out of the old girl!!

Thanks EM