Rebody BEACHCOMBER'S ZED-CARS

I checked your build threads re: the Fiat 500 handle. Looks good. That's the way I'll go, thanx. Do you have a link for the handles, not coming up in my searches. The original 4 spoke wheel is pretty ugly. I am seriously looking at revamping the dash - just checking out what others have done. Fortunately ny build buddy is an ace auto electrician, me, I loathe electrical work ! Thanx to everyone on this site for sharing your knowledge.
 
Dashboards. The tribute ferrari-look-a-likes can get a 250 style dashboard but for the 507 there is nothing unless you make it yourself. You could fit the 250 style dash which looks nothing like a real 507 but probably better than the Z3 dash.

Or you can make your own. I dont know of anyone except me that has done that for the tribute 507.
 
Found the handles, thank you - like a muppet I was searching " rear number plate lights"! Dash. I would originate my own. Origination, patternmaking. POC work was my bread and butter for over 50 years in the replica car industry. Cobras, Jags D and C Type and various Porsche. and Merc replicas - we had to originate the parts ourselves, so that side of the build isn't problem, and as stated I have a tame auto electrician to handle the devil's own work. If you don't mind I'll take a good look att your dash for inspiration.
 
Thanx due. Managed to score an OEM Fiat 500 handle with excellent chrome (?) for £40.00. The release button is temperamental- no biggy. Just need to sort out the P1800 lamp housings now. New lens kits readily available. The quality of the currently available repro units seems a bit questionable, so it's off to my machine shop guy next week for quotes.
 
A couple of dashboards we developed from scratch. And the spaceframe chassis I designed and developed for my Porsche 550A Spyder replica. Pity I don't have the faclities that I had back in those days !
 

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Has anyone got a rough / unusable P1800 lamp base I could borrow ( I'll pay postage ) to take to my machine shop guy to check the viability of getting some decent quality bases made ?
 
My Fiat 500 handle arrived today - the plasticised chrome effect is unblemished so I'm going to play around with a laser cut "507" logo to cover the original 500 indent. It would appear the "temperamental " release just needed cleaning out with a blast of GT85.!
 
Initial thoughts are to relieve the area of the 500 indent and replace with a lazer cut out "507" plate with a red light lens behind. Reflector material or maybe illuminated.
 
beachcomber said:
Initial thoughts are to relieve the area of the 500 indent and replace with a lazer cut out "507" plate with a red light lens behind. Reflector material or maybe illuminated.
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Oh. That'll look jazzy. Add some more jazzy stuff then I can sell you my JAZ507 registration number for a jazzy amount of money.
 
Tempting, but I've got a couple of plates on retention ! I'm hoping the mock up will be as good as it is in my head!😉 Don't want it to look like a juke box refugee. For that reason I'm thinking just a reflector . We'll see. Snagged a spare dash today to investigate the "flat dash" look. I've found a period radio speaker grille that will go in the same place as the original, but with heater vents behind Early days, I need to see what we have to repackaged to make it work. Also found a metal front glove box assembly from some obscure old car !! As ever I applaud you guys for unselfish sharing your knowledge.
 
beachcomber said:
Tempting, but I've got a couple of plates on retention ! I'm hoping the mock up will be as good as it is in my head!😉 Don't want it to look like a juke box refugee. For that reason I'm thinking just a reflector . We'll see. Snagged a spare dash today to investigate the "flat dash" look. I've found a period radio speaker grille that will go in the same place as the original, but with heater vents behind Early days, I need to see what we have to repackaged to make it work. Also found a metal front glove box assembly from some obscure old car !! As ever I applaud you guys for unselfish sharing your knowledge.
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I got a jag/healey speaker grill but I haven't used it yet. Might be a bit too big for my dash.

My plan is to have a fake speaker grill as a flip down lid covering an LCD with a Raspberry Pi behind that which I want to program to connect to the diagnostics bus to display live data as well as read fault codes.

My dash has the original z3 box under the dash for all the junk although I might put a small lid on the panel with just a small box behind just to break up that flatness. Also want to do something with the binnacle but no hurry. Would put a period wheel on if ever I showed the car but that one with airbag was bought for me so of course I like it.
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Aiming for something like this - without that fugly steering wheel ! It's the transition from the dash base to the OEM console that might be a step too far to radically change.
 

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beachcomber said:
Aiming for something like this - without that fugly steering wheel ! It's the transition from the dash base to the OEM console that might be a step too far to radically change.
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The 507 dash is very tall. If you made a dash that tall in the Z3 you wouldnt get your legs under it. The base of the windscreen is also miles away so the shape changes there too. But looking at your old Porsche and Merc dashes you'll know what you're up against so I'm looking forward to seeing what you do there.
 
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