Vitesse dashboard switch recesses

[daverclasper]

Hi, I have a spare one stashed to restore at sometime. It's stored away from where I live at the moment, though from memory.

Some of the switch recesses at rear of board are quite thin material between the bottom and the dash face which has the smaller holes for the switch stalks, from memory about 2mm.

Haven't looked at dash for a while, so this is from memory.

if you understand what I mean, is this thinness normal?.

Thanks, Dave

[Colin Lindsay]

I know that in Heralds some dashes were 'overdashes' which were meant to simply sit over the existing grey fibreboard setup so the switch holes are quite large, compared to later dashboards where the switches screwed direct to the dashboard wood. Early Heralds also had metal reinforcing behind the dash to add support to pull switches, so they weren't pulled right out of the dash. It's the backing fibreboard that really gives support, and to be honest 'flick' switches shouldn't need that much force to operate - it's the pull switches and cables that need more force hence the metal brackets around the ashtray at the lower front centre.

[daverclasper]

Thanks Colin. Will have a detailed look at the dash

[Colin Lindsay]

If you excuse the dust(!) on this one, this is the early Herald dash reinforcement panel - you can still see the shape cut out on the rear of some dashboard surrounds. I'm debating having one made for the 1200 Estate, simple enough bar that curve around the ashtray area - it means the ashtray panel sits further forward. I don't know why it would be needed on later cars; if the rest of the panel sits further back this would hold the switches slightly away from the wooden dashboard - are they long enough to still sit correctly in the bezels? Possibly a completely flat panel would work on later dashboards. Must experiment!