Late Series 2 OTS here…I have just recovered my center console with a kit from BAS international.
I have a long piece of piping left over…
I used the short piping around the shift dome and the longer piece around the ski slope. Recovering the shift dome was a PITA BTW. Not sure if they sent me an extra piping piece or if It goes somewhere else?
Any ideas?
Thanks!
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I have done 2 of them and what you have looks correct to me. The late series 1 radio consoles have some piping around the face so they might have included it as a dual purpose kit.
Did you recover it without a seam? I tried about 3 times, unsuccessfully, gave up and did it with a seam. Got the seam almost invisible, but after about a year the vinyl must shrink with temperature changes, and the seam opens up.
Rod
I just did mine using a kit from BAS UK and yes, I also got an extra length of piping. I see no place for it.
Rod, I did mine with one piece, I mounted the shroud to a board which I screwed to my bench so it was completely hanghing over the edge. Applied the contact cement and used lots of heat and stretch to force it down over the shroud. I used a plastic scraper to force out any wrinkles or folds.
It came out fine and looks factory.
I also used the same process on the hinge and latch covers on my coupe.
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does the little chrome piping around the opening come in the kit? Is it some kind of flexible plastic?
Bill
Yes the chrome strip comes in the kit. It does require spreading and heat to get it to fit over the thicker vinyl they supplied. The original material was a thinner unbacked plastic of some kind
Great job! That area around the handbrake is very tricky also and it came out great. I think that extra length of bead goes between the radio console and the center console. I omitted it. It looks just as good that way and causes less interference when opening the fuse panel.
One other thing I did which solved a massive nuisance was to create a small frame to fit over, or in this case under the handbrake gasket. Mine was continually breaking free along the driver’s side because there is almost no gluing area for it, just a sliver of metal to glue to. I made a frame out of thin brass that outlines the seal and screws up into the console on each corner. It sandwiches the gasket tightly and it has never come loose since.
What I did to overcome this issue (for recovering the dash pieces but same problem) was to remove the cotton/fabric backing from the vinyl front surface which just left the much thinner/more ductile vinyl. I did this by spraying a thin layer of acetone (used an airbrush) onto the fabric backing and within a couple seconds could peel the fabric off of the vinyl. Had to do small sections at a time as the acetone is very volatile and disappears quickly. Moved slowly and carefully and got it done. The acetone did not damage the vinyl. NOTE: Acetone is flammable and an inhalation hazard in high concentrations. No flames in the area and well ventilated!
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In both these photos I see a pair of screw heads on the forward face of the cubby box. My 69 S2 lacks these and I recall no holes there in the underlying metal box. What is their function?
The screws hold the wood block on the inside that holds the latch clip.
Aha – I do not think they used a latch clip in early 69… just a plastic block that aligned the lid side to side as it closed. Possibly the clip was yet another safety feature.
Interesting. On my 68 there is no clip. Just a block on the inside of the lid that keeps it in position from left to right, but no clip.
You can see the block in front of the cubby box frame and the 2 screws sitting in the frame. There is a pin screwed into the bottom of the padded cover that snaps into the latch on top of the block. Very effective arrangement.
While on the subject, this I suspect was the original leather shift boot.
I used the cone one all the usual suspects sell.
Does anyone know a source for the one shown?
Thanks
That explains the hole in the Masonite lid bottom that was upholstered over.
Does anyone know a source for the one shown?
Try K & H Upholstery in LA area. I’ve used them for several cars. https://www.khupholstery.com/
That is one complex boot - could be original but unlike what came on mine.
The usual cone version does not have to ‘stand tell’ - it can be scrunched down and the leather will wrinkle and crease in use giving it a more natural look:
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New to e-types but not leather. I wonder what many warm treatments of leatherique rejuvinator>clean, rejuvinator>clean, ad infinitum would do with yours - considering it is potentially original. I’ve seen some good results over the years.
Denis - If you do not have the finishing clip for where the ends meet on the ‘chrome’ shifter boot trim… I made mine from a piece cut from a Coca Cola can.
Just make it like a small version of a windscreen chrome finisher.