13 replies to this topic

[Evercloud]

Dear Mini friends,
I’ve recently bought an MPI wooden dashboard with all mountings, glovebox and vanilla clock and gauges and I’m planning for it to replace my Rover Cooper SPI stock “cloth” and plastic dashboard with black/green gauges.
I am not being able to find a good guide on how-to disassembly/reassembly and, more important, about mounts/screws/cabling/sensors compatibility
I am setting up a minispares order and, as I live in Italy, careful planning in order not to forget any crucial element would be great.
Could you please address me to some online / printed in-depth guide or, if I may, share your experience?
Thank you!! :)

Edited by Evercloud, 13 July 2023 - 06:58 PM.

[Evercloud]

no one?  

[cal844]

There is a fair amount of wiring work needed for the additional guages (I can't help with wiring as the cars I have additional guages in came with the car).

What I do know is that you'll need to trim the two tubes that the indicator bulbs sit into for your main binnacle, the black plug won't need any butchering

[Chris1275gt]

Do a search on YouTube with ;— “Fitting a classic mini dashboard” and it comes up with quite a few videos.

I don’t know what an Spi cloth and plastic dash looks like or how it’s fitted so can’t advise you on removing that.

[nicklouse]

Never seen a SPi plastic dash.

[madazv8]

My SPI was originally a plastic dash model,  and is now fitted with an MPI dash.  I didn't do it but I have had it out recently and here is what I can tell from that. (mine is a JDM spec,  so air con vents,  not extra gauges).

 

• You need to drill 2 holes behind the lower dash rail - at the sides - to suit the side mounts for the MPI dash.

• Ideally you should take out the metal frame that houses the original clocks. Mine wasn't,  but I just did that and the dash fits much better now.  The nuts are a pig to get too as they are in the engine side of the firewall, behind the foam pad. Find them by feel,  then cut a slit to get a 7/16 socket onto the bolts.  You may have to re-locate the flasher unit.  No big deal there.

• Your plastic dash car does not have the center mounting post for the middle bracket.  If you fit it without the dash is a bit loose in the middle.  You really want to fabricate something up to attach between the bottom dash rail and the bottom of the dash.  The stepped blocks on the top of the dash work as intended,  you don't need to touch them.

Have fun !

[madazv8]

Never seen a SPi plastic dash.

 

Here is a 92 JDM spec plastic dash SPI - as mine was originally. Also a later format dash (fitted to a non SPI).  I believe there were Euro style also which looked like the typical 80's 3 clock mini.

Attached Files

•  SPI_plastic.jpg   44.07K   6 downloads
•  SPI_plastic2.jpg   349.94K   5 downloads

Edited by madazv8, 14 July 2023 - 12:29 PM.

[Evercloud]

Many thanks to all of you for your help!


@Chris1275gt @nicklouse
I have been watching a few videos on youtube, but I feel like there's a fair amount of details I am not getting, please be patient.
First of all, maybe my english is not good enough, I am attaching a picture of my stock dash:
 photo_2023-07-14 19.19.41.jpeg   59.21K   4 downloads



I have a wrecked mpi dashboard with one central gauge (complete with mounts, glovebox, etc)
 2023-07-14 19.55.46.jpg   36.11K   4 downloads  photo_2023-07-14 20.20.05.jpeg   47.89K   3 downloads  photo_2023-07-14 20.20.08.jpeg   52.24K   1 downloads


And I also bought a "reconditioned" wood dashboard with three central holes and chrome details (no pictures unfortunately).

@madazv8
your advices are pure gold! So, unfortunately, red circled objects (particularly 16-17) will not fit without adaptation? (pictures again!)
 Screenshot 2023-07-14 alle 19.36.27.png   169.52K   1 downloads



The upper and lower parts (red arrows) can be left alone (=> not removed) ?

 Screenshot 2023-07-14 alle 19.36.13.png   243.26K   0 downloads


My main goal is to understand the swap process at least to a point where the car will not be unusable for months because of missing parts or me breaking something... please advice :)
Thank you!!

Edited by Evercloud, 14 July 2023 - 07:33 PM.

[Quinlan minor]

14,15 and 17 are the parts you will need to create fixings for.

Dashboards can be reveneered, mine was.

Attached Files

•  Mini Burr Elm Dash 1 (small).jpg   26.33K   2 downloads

Edited by Quinlan minor, 14 July 2023 - 07:02 PM.

[Evercloud]

14,15 and 17 are the parts you will need to create fixings for.
Dashboards can be reveneered, mine was.

Yay, looks like new! My other one is reveenered but it’s not as good as yours… actually I’m starting to think about making it red like the mini seven. But this is off-topic

Excuse me, when you say “create fixings” you mean wielding/drilling holes or more like creating C-shaped metal brackets like visible in many third party dashboards? Can I swap dashes without removing the upper and lower black pieces?

[Quinlan minor]

 

Excuse me, when you say “create fixings” you mean wielding/drilling holes or more like creating C-shaped metal brackets like visible in many third party dashboards? Can I swap dashes without removing the upper and lower black pieces?

 

You'll need to drill holes for 14 and 15 to bolt to and longish bolt for 17. The brackets are already on the back of your dashboard.
 

[Evercloud]

Ok!! Thank you! That clears up my biggest concern. I’ll keep you updated on the final result! :)

[madazv8]

Seems you are on track now.  Item 17 is the central mount you need to make something to attach to.  Mine does not have this mount fitted and the dash is a little loose in the center as a result.  You don't need to do anything for item 16. Yes,  you need to drill holes for #15.  You do not need to remove or do anything to the upper and lower black pieces.

 

Attached a pic of mine.  The wood was de-laminating on mine so I wrapped it in carbon and painted the instrument cluster. Not to everybody's  taste probably.  Just need to find some black door cards now.

Attached Files

•  dash.jpg   69.34K   9 downloads

Edited by madazv8, 15 July 2023 - 09:12 AM.

[Evercloud]

Ok!! Thank you!!
Great result with your dash, by the way!

OT: about door cards, in my experience stock vinyl cards are terrible, maybe minispares ones are better but, to be honest, I would ask a local professional to re-cover your cards with quality faux leather ;)