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When I Brought my Griffith I new that the dash would have to be re-covered as it was chipping away at the usual spot. This is between the left hand vent and the left hand edge of the dash as it is a very thin piece and is the first part of the dash that flexes when Removing.
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I like the wood veneer but in this car with alot of black leather and yellow dials I thought perhaps the Carbon Fibre look would look Better. I had seen that some people had attempted this themselves with great success so thought I would give it ago myself.
This is how I went about changing my Wood Veneer Dash into a Carbon Fibre one. This is on a 96 Griffith so if you attempt to follow my Instructions please be aware that some things may differ.
Firstly I ordered some Carbon Fibre from this company
www.fibre-lyte.co.uk
Its 900mm x 300mm and 1.4mm thick. Its called CSC which means it has
a glass fibre core sandwiched between two layers of carbon. Cost for
me at the time was £90. It is probably cheaper than that now as
that was in April 2002.
OK, to Start with you have to undo the two steering column Bolts. This are Under the steering Wheel Console down in the footwell. There where 4 Washers, 2 on each bolt that sit either side of where the bolt bolts through. This tend to fall down as you undo the bolts so be aware if your head is under here. Also these bolts can come loose and damage the Bulkhead bearing so this is an ideal time to check how tight they where and to remember that its a good idea too check these occasionally. You now know where they are. The Steering console should drop down now, I supported mine with a piece of wood so not to put any/too much stress on it.
At this point I covered the Console and the Center Console with some old sheets to protect them.
I then removed the stereo as per the installation instructions. They normally slide out using special keys and then you have to disconnect the wiring. The metal cage that the radio slides into can be taken out later when the whole dash is out, as its easier it bend the metal tags back
Then there where two Pozidrive screws that are positioned just below the Speedo and Rev Meter and just above the where the console was positioned. Undo these and keep safe.
Pull out the two Vents either side of the radio, mine came out pretty easy just using a small screwdriver to prise them out. Behind the left hand vent if you feel into the aperture to the left you should find a WingNut. Undo this and take the washer off that may be on the bolt too, and keep safe.
The dash should now be loose in the Console. Before trying to take out I recommend using something like Vaseline to put on the leather around where the dash will be coming out. This does two jobs, it aids the dash coming out and also protects the leather from being damaged.
At this point I gently took the dash out by Easing it out at the Left hand Vent end first flexing it gentle to help it to come out. Working your way to the right hand side. This is where you have to be really careful and be patient so not to damage the leather. It takes a bit of wiggling here and there to gentle take out. As it comes out and it wont come out to fare with all the dials etc. still connected a gently tipped the top of the dash towards me and rested the bottom on the Center Console and the Steering Console.
You should now be in position to undo all the dials and light/switch panels. I personally would take each dial out one at a time. You have to undo the bracket that holds the dial in place, 2 nuts that are normally finger tight. Then I made a quick note of where each wire to on the dial went too, undone them pulled the dial out through the front of the dash and then put the wire straight back on. This to me saved any later problems with finding notes etc. and lessens the chances of putting the wires back in the wrong places.
The LEDS on mine between the Speedo and Revometer were only Glued in and where prised out quit easily using a small screwdriver and getting under the glue and prising out.
The main Display Panel that houses the Lights to tell you the lights/indicators etc. are on is removed by undoing the two nuts and sliding off the back of the dash, The Black cover should just slide out. Also the two button panel and one LED above are taken off by undoing the two Nuts holding that on and sliding off.
The dash should now be completely free from everything and can now be taken out.
With the dash now out the next job is to take the veneer off. On mine it was very easy as I think there was a national shortage of glue when they done mine. Starting where it had chipped off already I used a wall paper scraper to get under the veneer and literally lever off. I would advise wearing some eye protection at this point a the veneer can fly of in little splinters here there and everywhere.
Once this is all off including the glue you can use the steel backing as a template to put on the Carbon Faber (CF). I covered the CF sheet with masking tape for two reasons, 1, to protect it from damage and 2, so I could draw the shape from the steel Backing onto it.
A note here, with my CF it was a different design on each side, So make sure you Draw on the side you want to stick the Steel backing to. The steel backing can only be laid on the CF one way due to rear bolts on it.
I clamped the Steel to the CF and then drew the outline of the dash onto it and then also all of the apertures for the dials/switches etc. I must add that this is the ideal opportunity to change any positions of dial, switches, LED's. But you will also have to cut the steel backing too.
Once this has been marked out the it can be unclamped. I then used a Scroll Saw to cut the outermost shape out. I done this just a few mm OVERSIZE. I also used the Scroll saw to cut out the Vent holes, Radio hole, and Light display hole UNDERSIZE. I have also been advised that a Router is a good tool to use for this.
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As for the Circular holes,I went a little smaller ( UNDERSIZE ) than I had marked. I used a Metal drill bit to drill a pilot hole then I used a Wood Bit for the smaller switch holes, a normal metal drill for led holes and a strange instrument for the Large Dial holes. For these I used a tool that is used for cutting circular holes in Ceramic dials, It consists of a cage around what looks like a small Lathe cutting tool that fits into a drill. It worked very well but I am sure a router may of worked better.
Once this is done its time to prepare to join the the steel backing to the CF. The steel was Wire Brushed and roughened up using abrasive wheels in a drill and then degreased. With the Carbon Fibre, take the masking tape of the side that is going to be glued to the steel backing. OFFER UP and double check you have the right side, no going back after this point. Roughen up the CF the same as you did with the Steel not forgetting to degrease afterwards.
They are both ready to join together now. I used a UHU Glue from a local DIY store and now nearly two years later its still holding. I followed the Instructions spreading the Glue evenly over both surfaces and leaving for a few minutes. I then Joined them together using a vice and many G Claps to hold it together and left for a good 24 hours, of course checking now and again to check it hadn't moved in the clamps.
After the 24 hours a then took the clamps off and the dash out of the vice. You should remember that early I said I had oversized the Carbon Outer edge and undersized the holes and internal apertures. This was so I could use some small files and file the CF so it meets the size of the Steel backing perfectly. The CF is quite soft at the edges and this didn't take long at all. One important note is for the Black cover for the light Display. You should trial this frequently as you file it out as this is held in by friction and a small amount of glue so a nice snug fit is ideal.
Remove the masking tape from the Front.
The Dash should now be ready to refit. This is basically a reverse of the removal procedures. So I wont repeat that. The dial holes haven't got to be perfect as the bezel of the dial will cover the edges. Just make sure the outer edge of the CF is smooth and there is plenty of Vaseline on the leather, and take your time.
Aluminum buttons and Vent surround by LevenTechnology, Handbrake and steering column paddle switches by Zertec.
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Andy Youles e-mailed me last year for some tips on replacing
his dash with carbon "Thanks for all the info it turned out really well. Cheers Andy Think you'll agree Andy has done a great job and the different layout looks excellent. Andy is happy to help if anyone has any questions, mail me through the contacts page and I will pass the message on.
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