Front Dash borad

[Guy W Johnson]

How do I remove the front dashboard and front pillars?

Guy

[x6gas]

With difficulty.

I did this on my 88 car to refinish the leather and it took yonks.

The A pillar trims just pull off. The instrument binancle unbolts from underneath, you need to remove the tunnel trim and then there are a bunch of impossible to get to bolts holding the dash to the bulkhead...

I had to yank the dash out breaking the glass fibre dash around the embedded nuts and then repair it.

If you really, really want / need to do this then PM me and I'll see if I can provide further insight!

Ian

[RichardN]

Hi Ian,

Not that I'm going to do this myself but, having spent many an (un)happy hour with my hands inside the dash trying to sort out wiring and suchlike I would be interested in seeing any pics you might have taken of the car with the dash removed.

One job I did recently involved replacing the speedo cable which was relatively simple until I found that the cable runs under one of the dash mounting points (just behind the heater/ac control panel). At this point I got stuck as removing the bolt that held it down made no difference to being able to lift the dash far enough to get the cable out (and the new one in). I ended up having to cut the end off the old one so I could slide it out and leaving the new one running over the top of the mount instead of below where it was nice and secure.

I know after nearly 20 years keeping the car as originally built isn't always possible but it always annoys me when I have to "bodge" something because Lotus made the cars so hard to work on.

Ah well, I should have bought a kit car instead

Richard

[Guy W Johnson]

Hi x6gas, can you be a little more specific.

The reason I am doing this is so I can get to the Wiper motor and inspect the air conditioning.

Guy

[matk]

Hi

On "G" cars the wiper motor is in the footwell under the dash and the gearbox that drives the wiper also under the dash. Both are easily accessible by removing the drivers seat (UK RHD car) and lying in the footwell looking up under the dash. I have no idea if the same on Stevens cars but if so you don't have to remove the dash. Any comments from "S" car owners?

Regards

Mat Kutub

1979 S2

[Guy W Johnson]

The problem is that the motor/gearbox is on the passenger side, and the wiper is on the driver side. We believe that we bent the rods going to the wiper, and we do not no how to get them out.

Guy

[x6gas]

Here are some pics of my X180 with the dash off. There are four mounting bolts you can kind of see the bulkhead holes.

Will post a pic arrowing them when I get some time. I'd say that removing the dash would be a last resort to sort your problem...

[Jonathan]

Hehe - looks like one of those jobs where it starts only needing to replace the gear stick gaiter......

Nice photos.

[RichardN]

Thanks for the pics Ian,

Looking at that I would definately look for any other solution than removing the dash. All of a sudden my solution of cutting the speedo cable looks very sensible.

Richard

[Guy W Johnson]

Hi x6gas,

Do you have any pictures that are bigger?

I am trying to get an idea on how the dash comes apart.

Guy

[bramble111s]

I really admire people who can tackle that kind of job, if I ever owned a car that looked like that I'd cry... I am sure I could make it look like that, shortly before running for the hills and calling a garage!

Well done that man!

[CNH]

The 88 dash is little different from the later models but there is a fast and easy way to inspect things behind the dash and stereo/heater, A/C pod on the passengers side.

The inspection point we use is via the glove box.

This is how we do it on 89's a later non air bag cars but should also work on the 88's

The remove glove box cover, it is held on by 3 phillips head screws. On either side of the striker there should be 3 sometimes 4 of the same type of screws remove them and the liner will be loose and just hanging. Some owners say to remove the striker but on others the strikers are mounted independent of the liner. Grab the left and right side of the liner and carefully fold sides of the liner inwards a bit and drop it out the bottom into the footwell.

I use this technique to access the rear of the of the stereo, heater/AC vac lines, plunger actuated vac valves, contorl cams, wiper components.

Sorry I could not be of more help as all my hands on experience has been with the SE/S4 car in total state of disassembly. If you are really going to remove the dash you reall need the parts book which show exploded diagrams with mount points and the order of how everything is put together. Anyone near this person have a parts book he can take a look at?

Calvin

[Guy W Johnson]

What is the striker?

guy

[x6gas]

What is the striker?

guy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess he's referring to the glovebox latch mechanism...

Click on the pictures above to make them bigger. I have hi res versions too but they are too large to post on the forum - PM you e-mail address and I'll send them over...

Ian

[x6gas]

I really admire people who can tackle that kind of job, if I ever owned a car that looked like that I'd cry... I am sure I could make it look like that, shortly before running for the hills and calling a garage!

Well done that man!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had no choice - the interior was burgundy on a yellow car (!) and in a pretty poor state. I was pretty glad to get it back together, but then I bought my S4 and haven't done much more since...

Before and after pics below (the blue thing in the middle of the steering wheel is a carrier for the centre badge...)

[Guy W Johnson]

Hi Ian,

The Attached thumbnails do not seem to be working.

Guy

[Kato]

LEW's guide is here:

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EGuides/EM...e/Binnacle.html

[CNH]

What is the striker?

guy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The striker is what we in the USA refer to as the stationary part of the latch or lock. In this case it is the part mounted on the glove box opening that the glove box cover latching mechinism hooks onto.

[Guy W Johnson]

Does anybody have big pictures with the dashboard off.

Guy

[x6gas]

Does anybody have big pictures with the dashboard off.

Guy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Guy - PM me your e-mail address and I'll mail them over - they are too large for the forum.

Ian