Dashboard, centre console and interior

So following on from the last update on the dashboard, I took the centre console from the MR2 and looked to adapt it to fit, so first of all the gear surround hole had to be made much larger as the shifter is further back from the dash.

Once id done this I could see the top cover isnt really quite wide enough to cover the centre and 2x 9mm MDF, so one side has MDF and the other side has plastic, the reason for this is on the drivers side I have put the handbrake down by the side of the seat so by doing it like this its easier to use the handbrake as well.

I then started to make up the side panels for the MDF piece on the tunnel.

By doing it the way I mentioned you can see I have managed to incorporate the storage boxes at the back as well so this will give somewhere to put little bits, as the dash itself wont have many cubby holes.

When fitting the dash I had to tilt it a bit down to get the centre console and the dash to meet well and even then I had to add some body filler as shown in the picture above to make the meeting area a bit nicer. When doing this it was important to confirm that the dials would still fit.

Once I was happy with that it was time to take it all off and finish the wiring for good, my last piece to get done was the brake light switch, so with help from family a bracket was fabricated and a simple switch placed so when the brake pedal is pushed the circuit is broken. what's good is if the switch fails at any point its very easy to change.

With that done I went around securing all wiring and checking my gaps (maximum 300mm securing points) so all the front wiring is now secured, all cabin and the rear up until the ECU / Engine loom as that will need some specific brackets made. I secured the loom by using Self tapping screws and tie plates with zip ties. All the wiring will sit under the carpet and not be seen.

It is important the fuseboard is protected so I created a vanity footwell which will shield the fusebox, although I have no photos of this yet it will give a slightly smaller footwell but there's plenty of space anyway. Now the wiring was secure and placement decided I started to work on the venting for the dashboard, I learnt at this point an inch lower on the aircon would of made 10x easier! But ill work with what I've got and route the pipes.

I bought some air vents and cloth to cover the dash and centre console. I have weighed up getting it done professionally and in the end decided it wasn't worth it at this stage. From looking at most kit cars the dashs get modified further before people are happy, so ill do it myself and then once on the road and happy with how it looks ill get the console, dash and storage boxes done professionally. I managed to cover the storage box so far and I don't think it looks too bad although not perfect!

The next stage is fitting velcro around the edge of the floor to fit the carpet, I'm using Velcro so I can easily take it up when needed. Once I've put the velcro down I will then put the additional layer of sound proofing in as well around the velcro so the carpet fits snug and tight.