[Mick O'Malley]

Life got in the way of the build for a few days but yesterday I managed a couple of hours play

I decided to address the problem of the top steering column mounting which I knew would impact on the position of the dash. My first job was to suspend the column from a roof beam of the cave with paracord, having manoeuvred the car into a suitable position. I'd tried wedging it from below but this made sitting in too difficult. Once I was happy that it sat perfectly, I made a rough cardboard screen as the top edge of my ally dash will need to be trimmed to match it. This I cut down whilst sitting in to ensure a decent sight line for driving.



I then made a cardboard dash blank and marked and cut out the area which mates with the column. After a bit of jiggling and snipping I was able to get it into a semblance of its final position. When the real thing is fitted the back of the dash, which I will set out a little, will be visible through the screen. Tidy wiring will be essential!



The outer column has a handy welded on bracket at right angles, i.e. across the footwell, with two mounting holes. Pondering how to attach it, and discarding the idea of a full car width bar, I hit on the idea of a scuttle brace, as in the donor. By joining the bottom of the dash to the tunnel, and supporting the LH end of the column brace, which will run to the RH skin, it will provide the necessary rigidity. Scratching around in my metal pile I found an early 3mm thick dash blank which, when adapted, will be perfect. It will be a broad U section with ears each side of the very sturdy Monaco transmission tunnel (which has been manufactured strong enough to take both the handbrake and remote gear levers). I bend thinner ally and narrow strips myself but making a tidy 'in full view' job of this I baulked at. My welding friend has an hydraulic folder (he did the A352 tunnel for me) so I marked it out ready for taking to him when I collect the modified fuel tank. Once it's been formed I can cut the bottom to sit astride the tunnel and the top to underlap the dash slightly.

That was it for the day

Regards, Mick