Complete Kit Car – September 2019

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tell all about building their cars at home in their garages. Follow their progress every

other issue... and maybe even be inspired to get in the garage yourself this weekend...

RUNNING REPORTS

92 September 2019 http://www.completekitcar.co.uk

Andy’s latest project has been to shape the dashboard

and make a new, more comfortable centre tunnel.

DASH AND TUNNEL

I

n my last report I said something like the last 10 percent

of the build takes 90 percent of the time. While I certainly

hope it’s not going to be the case, it isn’t going to be a quick

dash to the  nish line!

 e to-do list includes  tting the loom, the instrument

panel, lights, sorting the interior, making an exhaust cover, siting

the mirrors and applying the paint. However, before the body

comes o for painting I need to make and  t the instrument panel.

 is will be attached to the chassis and not the body, which in

theory makes everything more accessible. After that I can  t my

new set of ETB instruments and lay out the loom I bought from

the current owners of the Merlin project.

Wood is my go-to material for making templates and formers,

mainly because I rescued about 60 sheets of 8ft by 1ft plywood

from a skip so I have loads and it’s easy to cut on the band-saw.

Like any ‘blank canvas’ project there are many options, so the

instrument panel can be made from  breglass and covered in

leather or vinyl, or sprayed in gelcoat or I could even make it using

aluminium, which could then be polished or brushed or covered...

or a combination of both.  ere was a lot to consider.

After much deliberation, aluminium won the day and, with a

little trial and error, following the best IVA practise, I managed to

radius the bottom edge of the panel. I mentioned some time back

that I treated myself to a sturdy metal folder, and boy did it come

in handy for making the new centre console! I will now be able to

reach the switches that will soon be mounted there.

Next up, I needed to design and make a propshaft tunnel cover.

Over the years I have learnt not to be too hasty when it comes

to throwing things away, even something as basic as cardboard

templates.  ese templates came in very handy when forming the

base for the moulds for the cover.

Cardboard becomes MDF, that and a little bit of  ller to hold

it all together. What prompted the need for the cover was my left

elbow – I had nowhere to rest it as the aluminium was too low.

Rather than make just an armrest, I decided to go the whole hog

and make a completely new shape.  e bonus was that I can run

the loom front to back between the aluminium and the  breglass.

First plywood template for the dashboard. Experimenting with a moulded centre section. In the end, Andy went with an aluminium dash.

Centre console made in MDF. Hot glue and foam used to form shape... ...which is then covered in  ow coat.

ANDY

WESTGATE

Project:

Merlin 2+2

Age: 63

Occupation:

Fibreglass Repair

and Design

Project Start Date:

August 2015

Centre console made in MDF.

“THIS BUILD

ISN’T GOING TO BE A

QUICK DASH TO THE

FINISH LINE!”

092 Running Reports.indd 92 01/08/2019 12:50 pm