Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: Runningwild on Monday,July 09, 2018, 02:33:27 PM
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I’m making a new dash. Any thing you see wrong or if I forgot something please let me know.
No side air inlets. Air comes in where heater core used to be and splits between feet and windshield.
5 toggleswitches. Fuel pump. - running lights. - wiper. - interior fan. - backup camera
Window switches stay where they are. Did I forget anything. Thanks. Tom
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Pictures
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One thing I would comment on. I made my dash with the tach and speedometer flush like yours. I noticed that they cast an annoying glare on the windshield at night. Since I almost never drive it at night it wasn't really a big problem for me.
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I don't know a lot about the S2 dashboard but I would make three comments. First, I think an instrument binnacle is a useful addition as it will help keep the glare of the speedo and tach off the windshield. I've seen where some people dispense with it so I guess it's a personal choice. Second, since you seem to be finishing your own dash, I would advise you to finish all the edges and the back as well. The polyurethane will help keep moisture from migrating into the wood. Thirdly, you don't seem to have a glove box. Certainly a personal preference, but I've found mine very useful. Mine also has a door with a magnetic latch which I also find very handy.
I like the plan for a backup camera. I have one in my radio that I find useful, though I wish it were bigger. The funny thing is that when I was building my car, I was looking for something jazzy to put there but GPSs and backup cameras and stuff like that were not that available in 1998 so I had to settle for a clock. It's a good clock but it is just a clock! :)
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As already mentioned it very important to finish it the same on all sides. Most people that do lots of veneering also advise veneering both sides. I have a left over piece of oak that I plan to put on the back.g
This will help to keep it flat.
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Thanks guys. Very helpful. As it’s a 68 S2 non federal car I kind of wanted to with out the binnacle
Of course it won’t look stock anyway. Something to think about.
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I have an S1 and it has an upside-down, heads-up-display at night. Unsurprisingly, it's not particularly helpful. You tend to run with the instruments as dim as possible.
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What brand of back up camera are you going with? I will be adding that option as well and deleting the ashtray.
Dakazman
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If you sell the ashtray you could buy a backup camera with the money and have enough left over for something else.
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Not sure of the camera brand yet. Only have half an ash tray. But I have a twin cam bell housing that will pay for a few things!
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I fit a stereo with a back-up camera. Worked well, as a back-up camera, but a Europa is just to noisy at speed to bother with a stereo. I removed it and fit extra gauges, a rally comm system and a GPS with a back-up camera. On long drives, my last was 6 hours at 4K rpm, I wear a headset with a mike. I can hear enough but not too much and I can listen to my phone and take calls as well.
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JB , LOL 😃
I have never driven my or any other lotus and can’t wait to go thru your driving experience .
Dakazman
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JB , LOL 😃
I have never driven my or any other lotus and can’t wait to go thru your driving experience .
Dakazman
Same!!
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Probably too late to change things for you but on my S2s I've always hated having the ignition switch located in the middle of the dash. I much prefer the location on the TCSs.
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I also am interested in what you decide on for the back-up camera. My ideal would be something that plugs into an iPhone, since I already have an iPhone mount where the radio should be. Seems redundant to have separate LCD screens for GPS, music and back-up cam.
I am considering one of those set-ups that attach to the rear-view mirror with integrated dash-cam and a screen for a license plate mounted back-up camera, but I feel like every time I go over a bump the extra weight would throw my mirror out of adjustment. Has anyone had any experience with this type of system?
I am also reticent to drill any new holes in the dash, or anywhere for that matter, for electronics. The cars are timeless, but the electronics will be obsolete in 3 years.
Tom
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The sun visor is another place you could put a screen for a back-up camera. It's relatively inconspicuous too.
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I was thinking of the one that attaches to the rear license plate and requires no wires. I’ll have a toggle switch to turn it on and off
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I agree with Tom.
I would not want to add any additional holes in the wood.
Found a great magnetic mount on the interweb. It uses 3m tape
Allowing me to add a bluetooth amp controller and phone mount where the radio went.
There are plenty of bluetooth enabled rear cameras out there that will pair with most smartphones.
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Have you considered a small dash cam with back up cam? there are some with 1080p, and about the size of a pack of smokes.
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One source I read recommended wiring the back-up camera power to your reverse lights. Another source said not to do that because it takes a few seconds to power up and you would have to wait before backing up.
BTW, I love your leather work with the red stitching Europa73! Did you fab that shift boot yourself or can one buy that out of a catalog somewhere?
Tom
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I have a JVC radio with bluetooth and a backup camera (I actually can here the music!). The backup camera is triggered by the reverse tail light and is pretty instantaneous. It takes a little while for the radio to boot up but the camera seems to be independent of that so it will work before the radio is up. Just a guess - you might have to wait a bit for a wireless camera to find it's screen and establish communications so it can give you a picture. Judging from how mine works, I would think that any decent wired screen/camera setup would be pretty much instantaneous, too. The camera was just one I got from Amazon. There are lots of them in all sizes.
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I don't know about you guys but 50 years of driving without a backup camera and with my first new car in 20 years equipped with a backup camera, I find out that I still am not fully comfortable using it exclusively in backing up. I still find myself using the mirrors more than trusting the camera. If I do invest in a camera, it will be a supplement to my passenger side mirror for the blind side. In my opinion, more useful.
Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca
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Yup, the back up camera only supplements the normal complement of three mirrors. I fit wide-angle, racing mirrors to mine and have virtually no blind-spots now.