The Wonderful World Of The Dash

fatbob93 · Post by **fatbob93** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:01 am

hey all

been having a few ideas of some mods for the dash and wondered what everyone else has done. i`m thinking of build up the door cards and building a fibre glass extention to the drivers side making it meet the door card. with the door car i was thinking of fitting some gauges just like the drivers door card in the jag xj220. with the extention on the dash i will fit the re-routed heating vents and move the gauges over by about 1-2 inchs and then making the selfish dash a bit more selfish. i also know of a place that does metal gauges which look ace, they do start at around Â£65 but you can spend hunderds on the custom gauges goto www.metalmonkey.com and take a look. well hit me bck with your dash ideas or pictures of dash mods that have been done.

cheers people

Brian

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:32 am

Sounds complicated

- interested to see if you pull this off though...

Only dash mods I've done have been adapting a vacuum gauge from a 440/460 to fit the 480 gauge pod and illuminating the info centre selector switch.

No pics yet, but will have a go at getting some soon.

Anton_K · Post by **Anton_K** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:50 pm

Only dash mods I've done have been adapting a vacuum gauge from a 440/460 to fit the 480 gauge pod

Oh you have done it, nice! IÂ´m still looking for that gauge.. Could you take a pic also where you connected it?

I have some plans to cover the plastic floor console(one with auto/gear selector) with leather, black and grey like the seats.
Someone did it in black leather and I kind of liked the idea.

Anyway good luck Brian if you go for it, would be intresting to see something different!

fatbob93 · Post by **fatbob93** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:51 pm

ace anton, i fancy padding the back of the back seats. the reason for this is that i do knock the back seats down lot and sit in the back, fair play apart from the hardness of the back of the back seat it's a really cool place to chill out. and with that idea was the plan to but a flip down monitor face towards the front of the car and put a gamecube or playstation2 in the rear center console. has anyone else done roof mounted monitor's? i have the ideas for my 480 just getting the time and money to do it.

cheers for the replies people

Brian

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:14 pm

Here's a couple of night pics of my dash...

To modify the vacuum (econ) gauge requires both a perspex light guide and a needle from a 480 gauge as they are different sizes. You also need to print a new dial face, and I did this for all three gauges so that the faces match. To connect the vacuum gauge to the inlet manifold you just need 4 - 5 ft of 4mm vacuum hose and route it through a grommet in the bulkhead. It connects to the inlet manifold on the spare connection where the MAP sensor and fuel pressure regulator connect in.

The illuminated info centre selector switch is modded by drilling 1.6mm holes at the inner edge of the white markers, inserting a green gel inside the switch housing, and a single bulb wired into the lighting feed to the clock. At some point I'll take it apart and post a little 'how to' topic if anyone is interested. The markers are a little brighter at the top because of the location of the bulb but Sally has a Mk2 version which has a little bit of white paper over the top three markers to dim them down a bit, and it looks pretty good - I just have never got round to doing this to mine.

Dan the 480 Man · Post by **Dan the 480 Man** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:18 pm

I'm quite liking the info centre markers glowing up-i think a little 'how to' would be a good idea-even if no-body else is interested, i am!

I like the 480 dash layout-it looks very 'gadgety' if you know what i mean. Again, like the exterior, the interior doesn't really require much modification 'cos it's been well thought and well applied. And it looks kinda retro in a away-all the green and orange-makes it feel a bit like i'm in control of somesort of spaceship

I suppose it all depends on what you have in mind. I had a 440, and as boring as that was, it didn't need much doing to it. The only real addition was the oil pressure/ammeter gauge in the old ash tray position and the iPod holder in the centre console. I thought that that was enough, didn't need it to become cluttered.

Got any sketches or drawings on what you have in mind?

Anton_K · Post by **Anton_K** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:15 pm

Thanks Ally for the comprehensive information about the econ gauge, was just what I needed. But IÂ´m curious to know if you used an econ gauge from a facelift 440/460 or not. The facelifts should have a separate(slightly wider) econ gauge and in 90-92 models I think itÂ´s in combination with oil pressure. I just thought the older econ should fit without having to print a new dial face or anything, but if thats what has to be done, I will do it

It looks great!

I'm quite liking the info centre markers glowing up-i think a little 'how to' would be a good idea-even if no-body else is interested, i am!

2 intrested then

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:45 am

Anton wrote:in 90-92 models I think itÂ´s in combination with oil pressure

That must be the one I got then. I didn't realise the earlier ones were the same size as the 480's. That would make life much easier!

piper1st · Post by **piper1st** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:49 am

Anton_K wrote:
I'm quite liking the info centre markers glowing up-i think a little 'how to' would be a good idea-even if no-body else is interested, i am!
2 intrested then

Make that 3!!

Oh, and by the way Ally ... you've a bulb out

i'm still fighting to get all my interior bulbs to work ... AT THE SAME FECKIN' TIME!!

ah well ... everyone's gotta have a hobby!

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:53 am

piper1st wrote:Oh, and by the way Ally ... you've a bulb out

Which one?

Roo · Post by **Roo** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:01 am

Ally wrote:
piper1st wrote:Oh, and by the way Ally ... you've a bulb out
Which one?

think he means you haven't pressed the brake pedal when you took the pics.

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:03 am

Ah! OK, yeah, all bulbs working as far as I know...

Roo · Post by **Roo** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:04 am

Here's mine, still work in progress but hopefully you get the idea...

piper1st · Post by **piper1st** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:32 am

Roo wrote:
Ally wrote:
piper1st wrote:Oh, and by the way Ally ... you've a bulb out
Which one?
think he means you haven't pressed the brake pedal when you took the pics.

thanks Roo ... that's what i ment!

martinholmesuk · Post by **martinholmesuk** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:04 pm

piper1st wrote:
Anton_K wrote:
I'm quite liking the info centre markers glowing up-i think a little 'how to' would be a good idea-even if no-body else is interested, i am!
2 intrested then
Make that 3!!

Oh, and by the way Ally ... you've a bulb out

i'm still fighting to get all my interior bulbs to work ... AT THE SAME FECKIN' TIME!! ah well ... everyone's gotta have a hobby!

I'd also like to mod the switch

Ally · Post by **Ally** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:44 pm

Decided I'd post it as a new topic...

http://volvo480.northernscum.org.uk/for ... 4955#84955

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:39 pm

Here's mine, still work in progress but hopefully you get the idea...

ooo, double DIN!!!
nice trainers too

Dan the 480 Man · Post by **Dan the 480 Man** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:06 pm

Thats an interesting setup Roo...i presume the bottom one is a CD unit or is it an Equaliser?

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:31 pm

top unit is a casette or CD player i think, bottom is an equaliser.

Anton_K · Post by **Anton_K** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:30 pm

That must be the one I got then. I didn't realise the earlier ones were the same size as the 480's. That would make life much easier!

Right, I will post here when I get hold of one 90-92 gauge.

Intresting setup indeed Roo, reminds me it would be possible to fit under the volvo sr-701 radio(radio&equalizer) a volvo tp-7045 cd, with casette and cd,(designed for 760 and 960) as itÂ´s same size as the radio(I think)..but then the auxillary gauges would need a new place..and I have the cassette holder and a separate casette player were you put yours.