GT6 Mk2 dashboard renovation / replacement

[rulloyd]

Hi all

I need to renovate my dashboard.  At the very least I will need to relace to the passenger side panel which has rotted due to a leak.

Surprisingly when I took a close look I recon my dash has no veneer.  The ply is simply laquered (a very good job) and there is absolutely no grain pattern except those you may expect to see if you laquer ply.

I had assumed that all dashes were veneered.  Was this actually the case? (obviously this would mean that mine has had the veneer removed and then laquered)

I'm not happy making my own section and have two alternatives:

1.  There is a guy on ebay selling new presision made dashboards from an original template (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-GT6-Mk2-dashboard-dash-fascia-panel/183622630842?hash=item2ac0c2fdba:g:grEAAOSwqkRb-GLw:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true )   Yes, he makes them the other way around too!

I could buy one of these (£71seems pretty good) and laquer it directly.  I actually don't like all the swirls and stuff.

2. I could buy only the one section and have the whole thing veneered.  I have no idea how much veneering costs.

Does anyone have any experience of these remanufactured dashboards from this ebay seller? 

What would you do?

Thanks for any advice.

Rich

 

[rulloyd]

Obvioulsy the other alternative is to buy one from Rimmer @ £240

[rulloyd]

Bit more research and I see that pretty much everyone adds veneer, but most do it themselves for around £20.  I should probably just buy a new 3rd section and give it a go.

Current finish here.  Looks very plain to be a Veneer to me  😕😕

 

[thescrapman]

That looks likeTriumph veneer to me.

[NonMember]

Yep, as Scrapman says, that's what the correct, original veneer looks like. The "burr walnut" type veneers are an after-market affectation spread about by they popularity on high-end cars of the 1990s. The base plywood isn't quite as nice as the proper veneer but doesn't look too bad if well finished.

[Clive]

I thought they were all veneered in "American Walnut" which looks like the above? Or is it a different veneer? (just checked the Irish chappies listings, elsewhere he states american long-grain walnut is the original veneer)

 

I had a go at re-veneering a mk3 dash. Looked great for a while, but over the winter it has somehow (no idea how) absorbed water despite many coats of spray varnish.I don't think getting a great finish is as easy as people make out!

I bought a new burr walnut dash off ebay. Finish is pretty good (though not perfection) but £60 to my door. Should smarten the interior up nicely.And that is just over half Rimmers delivered price.

Buying a birch ply dash sounds nice, but I have no idea what colour it would be if just varnished. 

 

[dougbgt6]

Rich,

Here's a blurry photo of part of my MK3 dash, looks like the same stuff to me. My veneer has lost it's varnish to the right of the fuel gauge and in the corners. In the flesh it's barely noticeable and renovation is not high on my list of priorities, but I think it could be made good without re-veneering.  If the piece you've photo'd is the bit you're unhappy with I would say that also looks like it could be returned to original condition with some sanding and polishing, certainly in better condition than mine. 

I have walnut in my Jag, it's SO shiny and perfect it loos like plastic  I prefer the plain GT6 dash but whatever you fancy. 

Doug

[Anglefire]

I'm going to get my Dad to make me a new dash for my Spitfire before he is too old to do it (He's only 81 now..........) he was a teacher and cabinet maker and has a selection of veneers I can pick from. I have found a LHD template on the net - just needs flipping and checking........

[NonMember]

4 hours ago, clive said:

I thought they were all veneered in "American Walnut" which looks like the above?

Yes, I think so. The point is that it's "crown" walnut, cut from the smooth parts of the tree in such a way as to get nearly parallel grain. The "burr" walnut is deliberately cut from knobbly bits to get the interesting patterns.

[rulloyd]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.  The section I show in my photo has rotted on the far left side (out of picture)  so is unusable.  The rest is probably recoverable.

Yes, it looks like my dash IS veneered then - just very plain (which I quite like)

Discussing with a furnature repairer, he suggests that lacquering the birch ply of a new dash directly is a good option as the colour is neutral and can be stained first, assuming no 'swirls' required..  He advises using an industrial lacquer however (pre catalyst lacquer or bar lacquer), rather than a polyurethane job that is susceptible to heat.  So about 100 squid plus lacquer.

Either that or the ebay fellow will provide me with the single section (not sure how much yet) and I veneer the whole thing.  Sounds like an interesting project.  About £40 I guess plus hassle of restoring the original two sections..

The other option is a new, veneered dash complete from Rimmers (around £250 😖😖 ).

[Badwolf]

Veneering a dash isn't too difficult. I got hold of a scrap wooden dash years ago and had a contact who like A/F's Dad was a cabinate maker. He got me the veneer (mahogany I think) and gave me instructions on how to apply it. He suggested finshing it with Danish oil as it was easy to apply (rub in on soft cloth) several coats. It sets to a nice finish, but the trick is to rub it down between coats with wire wool, using finer grades as you progress. Mine still looks good after 20 odd years and the beauty of this stuff is that you can give it a wipe over with more oil at any time plus a couple of coats of wax polish and its wonderful.