mk3 dash fitting

[marks-gte]

Now chaps and chapettes, I was just wondering if anyone has put a mk3 dash and centre console in an 8v shell before? I've obviously seen/owned one in a 16v. I've never realised just how different the 8 and 16v are at the trans tunnel as I wanted to fit the gear selector but I never realised the tunnel was lower. I'm now thinking that the centre console won't fit due to the height. Anyone shed any light on the idea?

[RallyMarshal]

Ive done the dashboard but not the centre console in the rallycar I built last year into an 8v shell.

Bit of a nightmare really - need to modify the heater area to fit the Mk3 header / dash unit, fit mk3 support brackets and the heater pipes dont fit easily either..

Looks awesome now its it but was a LOT of work..

Paul..

[marks-gte]

Yeah, I had a read through of that Paul and saw you used the mk3 heater box. I know most just make the mk2 heater work with the 3 dash. As I say, the bit I'm most concerned about is the centre console. I don't suppose you know how much lower the trans tunnel is on the 8v?

[RallyMarshal]

The problem is that the Mk2 controls wont work the Mk3 heater properly and the Mk3 dash wont take the Mk2 controls so as far as Im am concerned they need to be both done together..

Lower than what - Mk2 16v? Mk3? Bottom of dash?

Paul..

[marks-gte]

I managed to get the mk3 controls to work with the mk2 heater (pretty much) using a mixture of cables from mk2, mk3 and a corsa. I made a bracket from an old dip stick and flipping one of the levers. Took me weeks of faffing and had both mk2 and mk3 heater controls and heater boxes nailed to my work bench.

Sorry, how much lower the trans tunnel is on the 8v compared with the 16v?

[cookie1984]

can confirm they did work perfect then I bought your car and ripped them out LOL

[marks-gte]

Right, I've hit a stumbling block already with this. To all those who've fitted the mk3 dash, how did you go about bolting it to the bulkhead? The bolts are in the wrong place and seem to short? Am I missing something obvious or do I just need to drill new holes for them?

[cookie1984]

I know when I took the mk3 out silky it wasn't bolted through the bulkhead mark, Jst onto the sides where the original mk2 dash would fit, Quite suprising but it was solid.

[marks-gte]

I know when I took the mk3 out silky it wasn't bolted through the bulkhead mark, Jst onto the sides where the original mk2 dash would fit, Quite suprising but it was solid.

Ah, that explains a lot, cheers bud.

[marks-gte]

Need a favor from anyone who has a mk3 dash fitted in their mk2. I'd like a couple of pictures of how the dash sits in the corners against the windscreen please and thanks. Can't seem to get mine to sit right and want to know if it's just me doing something wrong or if thats just how they sit.

Cheers in advance.

[astra216]

i remember reading a thread somewhere on here, or migweb, that did a mk3 into mk2 dash conversion, and i was gonna forward the link to you, as i had a feeling you would need the info, but i forgot to do it.

i cant find it again, but i remember the guy saying he made 2 adapter plates up, to extend the bolt mounts farther out.

[marks-gte]

Thanks for the info bud, but the bolts side of things I think I can sort. The problem I've got is when the dash is in its tight against the windscreen in the middle but there's gaps at either end. I was just wondering if this is because it's a different shape or if there's something I'm missing.

[cookie1984]

looking when the dash came out of silky theside were trimmed down mark. the windscreen from left to right fitted perfect no gaps so would it help trimming the sides down , Dunno mate very hard to say as I didn't fit it

[RallyMarshal]

I extended the bolts on the dashboard by welding some nuts onto another mount and screwing that onto the existing captive bolts. I also trimmed the shape of the dash to fit the Mk2 shape as the windscreen shape is different.

Paul..