Well, I had to take a break from retirement to get up to date on my build log. Had I known I would be this busy post retirement I might have stayed working!
About a month ago I told Lonnie I would post some pics of my OEM instrument cluster that I married to the dash panel. Instead of high jacking his build log I will post it here on mine.
So the problem was how to fit a concave instrument cluster to a flat panel and make it look like it's Locost build OEM fitment.
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Many here have done it, amazing workmanship, this is just the way I've done it in the past 2 builds and on this one, it's not perfect but it does the job, and it saves incredible time using the OEM wiring harness.
I use 1/4" aircraft grade ply for my dash panels. I cut a construction paper template of the instrument cluster to decide fitment on the panel. Once decided I cut the hole and using spruce blocks epoxyed to the ply and filed to shape I fit the cluster to the panel. I then put weather strip on the panel to fill in the concave space to the flat dash. I also use balsa stick to fill any gaps around the instrument cluster to the dash.
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These are pics of the cluster screwed down to the panel. I'm sure that if you use an aluminum panel you can epoxy wood filler to the aluminum in the same manner.
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This is the front view of the cluster. There is weather strip and balsa wood filler. Blends in fairly well.
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Here's a pic of the rest of the controls. From left to right - heater switch, choke, lighter, power point, power point. You will also notice that because this is a new vehicle that I zero'd the odometer, I've put on 14 klicks dicking around in it. Once I keyed the ignition the tach went from infinity to zero.
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Some pics of the dash panel installed in 7. I used the OEM light switch and dimmer switch.
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Now try videoing, steering, shifting, and braking. Of course to evade harassment on this site,
, here's the video of the instrument cluster at work.
https://youtu.be/Eu8uotrswfMThese cars are just plain fun.