Original VDO gauges in an IM-dahboard.

Hello,
Is there somebody who has any experience with mounting original VDO gauges to an IM-dasboard? As you might know, the gauges IM uses are the 'bigger' (diameter) VDO Brasil replica's which need a bigger opening than the original VDO's. What's the best and nicest way to reduce the wholes? To get an 'invisible' result in the end.
(I've seen rubber rings around the gauges of older IM's, but that's not an option for me.)
Like to hear from you.
Mart.

JJR will be installing the repro gauges in his CMC; he'll be fiberglassing the holes, recutting them and then painting the whole dash since his gauge layout is totally different than the one (three 914 gauges) on the early Intermecs, etc. Somehow I suspect you'll need to do the same to maintain the original look.

Plan "B"
While not the best, but is ness expensive...
pull the old gauges, fasten one piece of aluminum over the old holes rebore the new gauge holes and cover the entire dash area with matching vinyl.

My 78 IM had the problem of using 914 gauges originally. I had to glass the dash and body fill then paint. No seamless way around it.

I'm faced with same problem on my CMC - it came with their "Vintage" white faced gauges which I didn't like. I have replacement VDO Night Design (the white needle actually lights up) which are 1/8" all around smaller for the Speedo and Tach. (Wish they were still made as I need an Oil Temperature gauge to fill the extra hole I'm using both a volt and an AMP guage). The CMC's are color gelcoat from factory (not painted) so really don't want to paint dash. I've toyed with ideal of covering dash with vinyl, burlwood formica, 1/8" Mahogany or even tooled/turned aluminium. Its rather a pain to fill in for such a small amount since you have to grind to taper the existing fiberglass on both sides (front and back) and then apply several layers of cloth or matting and then fill and sand.

I'd think re-glassing the dash would be the only sure way for a no-tell job. Probably a lot like patching a hole in sheetrock. Placing a substrate piece cut to size in each hole, securing it from behind, overlapping the overall diameter, then applying the finish coat all along the front..or maybe line off a 'cut-off point' at or near where the cluster tapers down and create a little contour of sorts if you don't want to glass clear over to where the dash narrows.

Have you got a 'clean slate' to work with? Like are all the switches and knobs out of the way or are you trying to do the job with as little disassembly as possible? That's the rub.

Well, I think re-glassing is indeed the best option. A total make over of the dash in a way. Anyway. I want to recreate a Carrera dash. I bought a very nice (!) 8000RPM-tachometer at Palo Alto. They will rebuild an original 200km/u speedometer into a 240 km/u (yes, talking europe here). The right combi gauge was easily found on Ebay. Ignition switches are simular to the wiper/washer knobs. See this picture.

Didn't some car have a started button either over or under the ignition key? I'd consider that as part of my overhaul of a dashboard.

A pix says more than a thousand words... Im no expert, yet I got reasonably good results glassing dash, it wasnt too hard either... matching paintjob is next, let me know if I can help you with some of the details - cheers - JJ

Look for the completed & painted dash in JJr's files. Looks good!

Does anybody have an original mask/drawing wich points exactly the positions and size of the three wholes for original VDO gauges for the 356A Speedster dash?

Hi Mart,
I have a template drawing I made with CAD, I compared it to my friend Ricardo's VS and match is practically the same. Size is for the repro gauges which are 1/8 to 1/4 inch larger in diameter than stock VDOs. Let me know if you need it and I can email it to you, greetings - jJ

JJ; do you think you can email that if it's in Autocad? Maybe it'd be a better idea to print it in 1:1 scale and mail it....

JJ, send me your drawing anyway. Thanks!

JJ, these are the original gauges in an original dash.

Hi Mart,
Will send you the drawing in pdf format and also in dwg. Ricardo, I can "plot" in pdf generating a graphic file... ok