Hey guys... now that i'm on holidays and just completed my uni course (Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design) I've got some time to design the new dash that i want for my mini.

I have some questions that will help me if i decide to make multiples that i could sell to those that also want a fancy dashboard for their cars.

- What guages do you guys have or want to have for your dash? At the moment I have water temp, oil pressure, vacuum, and a larger tacho.

- Should there be a place for a stereo in the dash or should the stereo be under the dash or not present at all? Seeing that most stereos these days have remotes i was thinking the stereo could reside on the left in front of the passenger.

- What colour combinations do people want or have in their minis?

- Would there be a market for a cool dash or should i be aiming to make just one for myself?

- What would those that are interested be willing to spend if i came up with something reasonably good?

The idea is to make a one piece fibreglass moulding that is new/retro sort of like the new mini but slightly more retro than that. It will use the standard speedo in the centre and i'm planning to use my Smiths guages for the rest. When i get around to doing some measurements i'll do a few sketches of possible ideas or designs and post them up.

Any other suggestions?

If you have pics of other custom jobs that i should try to emulate then post them up. It's quite hard to find pics of other people's designs, google is useless and so is the search feature of the forum.

Thanks, Simon Molina.

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- Simon -

im running all auto meter in altra lite series gages...and there in a custom wood look dash witch i built.looks ok...but i realy wanted the lunar type gages from autometer...the ones witch light up like an indiglow watch...kinda like a bluey greenie colour...there basicaly
the same as ultralite but the lite up better....only problem is they cost a dam furtune.
my next plan is to get a proper wood dash from northern minis and fit my gages to it...just need to work out if my tv will fit into it..

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started a new project...there goes all my free time....

Have been researching the posibilities for a custom dash for some time now, and I have collected quite a collection of pics. PM me an email address and I'll send you a dozen or so varied designs in Glass or Carbon.

Cheers Dat

These guages you speak of, are they all the same diameter? i mean if there is a standard sized hole size then the brand of guage has no effect on the design of the dash.


Thanks Dat, PM sent.

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- Simon -

email sent

Dat,
A few of those pics were very similar to what i envisaged as the type of dash i was going to make.

It seems that there's a lot of people who've made custom dashes (aside from the usual flat MDF home jobs). To your knowledge are any of them sold commercially or are they one-offs?

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- Simon -

You have to remember that the mini has been around for 45 years and some of those pictures are not "recent" There has been plenty of time for people to have a go, start up a business, sell a few and move on.

I have not many exact details on those shots - but if I see something in my travels I grab it for the album of ideas. I was always thinking I'd have to end up making my own eventually because what I have in mind is not available commercially at the moment

Some of the dashes in the pics were commercially available once but back in the 70's and are no longer in production as far as I know. Some of them [like the blue LHD one were definately one offs for a show car.

The only one that I know of that is in production still is the yellow one with the matching console - but it is a UK small manufacturer who does not post outside UK.

Bottom line - there is an upsurge in isterest in the mini of late. There are many more people getting back into them. That means a larger market here in Oz and an increased demand for custom parts. If nothing else I'm very keen to see what you come up with, and am prepared to buy if it is to my liking.

Good luck with the project
Cheers Dat

I'm not much of a fan of either the blue one or the yellow one that you mention... I'll post up a couple of pics that are similar to what i like.


I like this one but would look better wiith less corners and a little more organic shape. This is the one out of all the pics that seems closest to what i am thinking of making. Obviously not the same but in the same sort of concept (ie: one piece moulding, little guage pods, smooth, clean, painted).


This is not too bad although i don't like the glovebox and it seems aesthetically very heavy despite quite possibly not weighing much.

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- Simon -

I would suggest that the orange one there is just the yellow one covered in vinyl - and agree a bit too heavy for my taste as well

But the black pods - well that's my preferred style as well - so get cracking, see what you can come up with

I think it would look best fitted with retro Smiths gauges but that is just my taste. [and I have been collecting a full set of em LOL]

i would certainly be interested in getting one of you for the right price,one that was clubby friendly

I want an old school Smiths voltmeter if anyone has one for sale.

What's the difference between Morris and Leyland dash structures? I would assume that if everything was taken back to metal then they are the same. Is that correct?

[vommit] This is what i have at the moment. [/vommit]

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- Simon -

Simon....I'm baffled...an Industrial Designer and you need ideas for building a dash??!!

For shame, for shame.....

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Wayne Hadfield, Graduate 1997 Bachelor of Technology (Industrial Design), Monash University

Industrial Designers came up with the P76 and the Hoden Piazza
They do need guidance from the real world sometimes

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Too many cars, and too little time.

You fool... it's called RESEARCH. Specifically market research.

I'm finding out what is in existence already as well as what people want. So STFU!

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- Simon -

I was thinking of making my own dash aswell and I also have the picture of the orange dash. I was going to mimic that so to speak with some foam in where the dash is and mould it how I see fit.

Pat

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Team MADMAN/Pat Rogers