Pulled the dash out to redo

davidbrooks

Pandemic project 5 or 6. At this point i lost track.  I am pulling the dash out to make some modifications and paint. I know i am going darker but not sure whether im doing paint or gelcoat. 

LaRea

You and I think on the same wavelength.  If that doesn't worry you, it should.  

rasbury

Looks like you opened pandoras box to me...

davidbrooks

@LaRea that is high praise i aspire to your level of OCD...i mean workmanship and attention to detail. @rasbury i think it looks worse than it is really. I labeled all wires and switches and then taped them in groups. The only thing i wish did was take a pic of the throttle cable connections before i disconnected them. 

LaRea

What holds the helm panel in place?  I see two screws at the bottom.  More screws at the top?

Also, did you find a ground bus in that tangle of wires?  In my helm, I found a 12-volt bus wrapped in electrical tape and hanging loose in the tangle.  I never found a ground bus.  

YYZRC

This is awesome.  The throttle/shift cables aren't too difficult to trace.  Just disconnect them one by one at the engine and give a pull.  Honestly, if you haven't done so recently, I would replace them.  Easy to do and a huge difference.  Also not too expensive in boat terms - I picked up replacement Xtreme cables on Amazon for around $200 for 4.

davidbrooks

It is held on by three screws up top and three bolts on the bottom. Only two came out cleanly though. I am going to have to install something like a jack nut or hollow wall fitting when i put it back together. Even without the screws it wasnt going anywhere. It has caulk (4200?) all the way around you have to carefully peal away. I used several wide pry bars and knives to break the seal. I was surprised that it was lighter than i was expecting. It will take two though to set it in place and not scratch it. 

davidbrooks

Oh. No ground bus either.

Grahamu

What caused the black area in the last picture.

davidbrooks

@Grahamu it was yours truly and a can of black spray paint.

Grahamu

When you installed the 2 Garmin screens where the gauges would be normally did you post any details. Thinking of using 1 or 2 tablets but keeping the gauges. 

davidbrooks

I did a post on it. Not a lot of detail on the two screen layout but my goal was to get rid of the guages. To be honest there just isnt a lot of real estate there. What i did was to cut out a cardboard template of the area then downloaded pdfs of the various mounting templates. It really took laying out mockups for me to make up my mind.

Dream_Inn

Can't wait to see the before and after pics.  Looks like a great project! Maybe an idea is to add some snaps for a cover to keep it all nice and protected from UV.

davidbrooks

@Dream_Inn i have been thinking about doing that. I wouldnt need snaps though. Most of the time i have the mooring cover on.

LaRea

I asked about the ground bus because this was the 12V bus hanging loose in my helm.  One wire in, four wires out and a wad of tape. 

YYZRC

Mine was the same mess; I have both a negative and positive bus at the helm.

RiverRat232

I am considering a redo of my helm by covering up the woodgrain with a faux carbon fiber wrap and changing the steering wheel. When done correctly it looks very nice.

davidbrooks

@RiverRat232 i did a wrap on several dash pieces a few years ago. It looked great but didnt hold up. Wraps are great on large flat surfaces but some of the edges on a dash as well as screw holes are troublesome.  I would just get a sheet of carbon fiber and cut out a new one. 

Aqua_Aura

Any update on your progress of the dash?

davidbrooks

It is supposed to be fully primed tomorrow to give me a sand this weekend.  I wish it was going faster but i am at the mercy of someone else so i am doing my best to be patient.

davidbrooks

I got it back on Sat and by Sun evening i had a mostly functioning boat. Still have a few items to replace but i am pretty happy. Not 100% happy with the color but it looks ok. He forgot to paint the door i made for the glove box so still have that to install. Have to order a new trim tab switch and fire suppression indicator. 

Aqua_Aura

Looks great and if you need it you still have a good spot for expansion on the area to the left you closed in 👍

LaRea

Wow, that looks like a boatbuilder's promo photos.  Nice work.

davidbrooks

@Aqua_Aura the plan is to put a wired stereo remote there after i save a few $$$.

Aqua_Aura

Yes perfect location!!!

Handymans342

Nice work!

Dream_Inn

Looks great!  Time to enjoy!  Gonna be a hot one this weekend.

Liberty44140

Wow, came out really nice!!

YYZRC

Looks great @davidbrooks!

mattie

Gonna add some bucks at resale. Nothing dates a boat more than the dash.

Love the new Garmin covers. Cool looking....subtle.

raybo3

Awesome job looks great