The Peerless & Warwick Discussion Forum

Date: Aug 3, 2009

Inside a Peerless dashboard

Date: Aug 4, 2009

Dashboard? Cabrio Hooding from Woolies was the closest I could find
http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1080-cabrio-vinyl-hooding.aspx
although Nigel got a rather better match from some Rover-sourced fabric
(That doesn't mean he sent the dog for it....)

As far as I know Peerless Dashboards were GRP, although I have heard of Ali ones.

Yes, wheelboxes behind the dash, so that any leaks will run down the wiring and on to your knees.

When you rewire the dash, adding in a long loop of cable will allow you to heave it out and sit it on your lap to debug all the spurious shorts you get when the wheelboxes leak all over it.

And the fuel gauge needs an earth to the instrument body, not shown on the wiring diagram, because it's a differential coil instrument.

FF

Date: Aug 4, 2009

Flash Frank wrote:

Dashboard? Cabrio Hooding from Woolies was the closest I could find
http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1080-cabrio-vinyl-hooding.aspx
although Nigel got a rather better match from some Rover-sourced fabric
(That doesn't mean he sent the dog for it....)

Cool, got some from Woolies - thanks!

Flash Frank wrote:

As far as I know Peerless Dashboards were GRP, although I have heard of Ali ones.

The main dashboard is grp, but the panel with the instruments is metal, painted with crackle black stuff like MGs *shudder* Should that panel be GRP too? I've got a spare dashboard which is metal, just to thicken the plot.... There's no obvious way of holding either one in place though

Flash Frank wrote:
Yes, wheelboxes behind the dash, so that any leaks will run down the wiring and on to your knees.

When you rewire the dash, adding in a long loop of cable will allow you to heave it out and sit it on your lap to debug all the spurious shorts you get when the wheelboxes leak all over it.

Excellent, I must remember to wear my wellies so they can fill up in heavy rain!

I've left some spare cable so I can work on the dash, at the moment the choke cable is the thing that's keeping it from pulling out.

Flash Frank wrote:
And the fuel gauge needs an earth to the instrument body, not shown on the wiring diagram, because it's a differential coil instrument.

FF

Ah, fiendish. Thank you! I was pleasantly surprised that the horn and indicators worked after I rewired them so the Good Electricity Pixies are obviously helping me out.

The wiper motor is a Lucas part, and when I took the cover off it had 90° marked on the gear. Does this mean the wipers will make a 90° arc, and is this enough? Is a 120° mechanism available?

Date: Aug 9, 2009

I covered the dashboard and it took ages! Ordered it from Woolies Trim as per Frank's suggestion and got some foam as well to pad it out a bit. Glueing the foam on took a fair while but that was nothing compared to putting the vinyl on, it stretches ok but figuring out where to start and where to pull and where to have the fold (no stitched seams because I didn't fancy sewing) took a loooong time.

I also put the glass in over this weekend and it was fairly straightforward, Woolies Trim do the rubber seal and chrome filler and I spend the twenty quid on their tool to put the chrome in. If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know. While it's a very handy thing to have, twenty pounds is taking the mickey.

It's funny how you get used to a car, and I'd got used to the Peerless having no glass in. It looks a lot better with the windows in place!

Next, to build the dash back up.... I've got the original panel which is fibreglass and crackle black paint, but also a replacement panel which is pressed aluminum. I've cleaned it up and it looks good. Visible progress at last!