EXU Dashboard

[George Arber]

Hi all, I am near to finalising a longterm restoration of a 1949 TC EXU and the dash. that I removed earlier was made from solid walnut . It had been correctly rebated on the rear side and looked like an original. I appreciate that it could have come off an earlier TC or just replaced because a previous owner preferred it. Whilst I am aware that Abingdon replaced the walnut dash with a rexine / PVC covering on later TC's in a colour to match the interior of the car , were any EXU's shipped to the USA with the earlier type of walnut dash. ? Evidently only around 460 EXU's were produced for the USA and perhaps a few had a walnut dashboard. Does anybody know ? Maybe the fitters found a few pieces of walnut under their benches ! George.......TC EXU 7548

[sculptart@aol.com]

George, According to records, the walnut dash with black instrument panel was replaced in favor of the rexine dash with bronze instrument panel at or about car No. 5380. The EX-U cars started at or about car No. 7380. It seems highly unlikely to have had an odd walnut dash at the works find it's way into a car over 2000 units later into production...not to say anything is possible, just unlikely. As you have car No. EX-U 7548, I think you have a car that was fitted with a walnut dash by a previous owner. Unless you are planning on returning the car to original condition (an exercise fraught with pitfalls). Maybe you should enjoy the car as you have it right now and understand this to be part of it's interesting past. I have been told, looking at the back of the walnut, on the passengers side, you will find the last 2 digits of the car number if the dash is original. My best, Ben Cordsen, TC 4260...Walnut dash

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

In a message dated 8/16/01 7:56:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time, sculptart@aol.com writes: > Ben, back in the 60's I owned TC5007 and it had a rexine dash and I believe a black instrument panel. At this point the only thing I'm sure of is the rexine! Terry

[Chip Old]

On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 taterry@aol.com wrote:

> was replaced in favor of the rexine dash with bronze instrument panel > at or about car No. 5380. >> > > Ben, back in the 60's I owned TC5007 and it had a rexine dash and I > believe a black instrument panel. At this point the only thing I'm > sure of is the rexine! Terry

Back when I was doing originality articles for TSO, I spent a lot of time gathering info from long-time owners about the walnut/Rexine and black/bronze cutover numbers. I don't have any of that in front of me, but the evidence as it was available at the time painted a very fuzzy picture. The only conclusion I could draw was that the change to a Rexine-covered dash occurred before the change from black instrument panel to bronze. Car number 5380 sounds about right as a rough dividing line, but I found apparently original examples of Rexine dashes before that number and walnut dashes after that number. I also found apparently original examples of black instrument panels on Rexine-covered dashes. Note I was carefull to say "apparently original examples". That was around 1980, and only a very few of the cars were still in the original owners' hands. However "fuzzy" dividing lines for production changes are common for all the T-Types. (Anyone who insists on nice neat irrefutable dates/car numbers/whatever for production changes needs to switch to some other make of car.) Even allowing for the fact that some of the cars in my survey were probably altered by previous owners, it's pretty safe to assume that some Rexine-dashed TCs did leave the factory with black instrument panels. I suppose it's also possible that there were some walnut-dashed TCs with bronze panels, but that's more of a stretch. My TC 6710 has a Rexine dash and a black instrument panel. TC 6710 is well after the apparent change point, so I doubt that's how it left the factory. However that's the way it was in 1969 when I bought it, and that's the way I like it. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net

[sculptart@aol.com]

To all, I defer to Chip Old, Craig Seabrook, et al. regarding the walnut (laminated) and rexine dashboards...I only reflect their excellent research. Wouldn't the fellows that built our cars 50+ years ago have a good laugh at our efforts this day in age to pin down details like this? I agree, the changeover point was not a neat date or number, and just like a lot of other parts in our cars it seems as if the TC was in continual research and development. But, fall is coming...lets get out on the roads and drive these fun undocumented cars! Best to all...Ben Cordsen

[tonygoodall]

George I totally agree with Ben, history does not end at the point the car left the factory. If you like the dashboard and it is well made and in the spirit of MG then use it, after all it's probably only important to you yourself. Regards Tony TC 9825

> From: sculptart@aol.com > Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 10:54:15 EDT > To: george.arber@virgin.net, mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] EXU Dashboard > > George, > According to records, the walnut dash with black instrument panel was > replaced in favor of the rexine dash with bronze instrument panel at or about > car No. 5380. > > The EX-U cars started at or about car No. 7380. > > It seems highly unlikely to have had an odd walnut dash at the works find > it's way into a car over 2000 units later into production...not to say > anything is possible, just unlikely. > > As you have car No. EX-U 7548, I think you have a car that was fitted > with a walnut dash by a previous owner. Unless you are planning on returning > the car to original condition (an exercise fraught with pitfalls). Maybe you > should enjoy the car as you have it right now and understand this to be part > of it's interesting past. > > I have been told, looking at the back of the walnut, on the passengers > side, you will find the last 2 digits of the car number if the dash is > original. > > My best, Ben Cordsen, TC 4260...Walnut dash > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

[David Lodge]

My old girl,TC 1704, has/had a rexine dash with black centre panel as well. So there! David Lodge taterry@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 8/16/01 7:56:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > sculptart@aol.com writes: > > replaced in favor of the rexine dash with bronze instrument panel at or > about > car No. 5380. >> > > Ben, back in the 60's I owned TC5007 and it had a rexine dash and I believe a > black instrument panel. At this point the only thing I'm sure of is the > rexine! > Terry > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Paul Huck]

Seems the original dealer for TC 9912 did not like the rexine, so he replaced with the metal 'engine turned dash' available as a period accessory before the car was sold new. Still there, I like it. I have thought about walnut, but noting wrong with the shiny metal looks good to me. See Gallery. Paul Huck TC 9912

----- Original Message ----- From: David Lodge wargs@Mac.com> To: taterry@aol.com> Cc: SCULPTART@aol.com>; george.arber@virgin.net>; mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 8:29 PM Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] EXU Dashboard > My old girl,TC 1704, has/had a rexine dash with black centre panel as well. So > there! > David Lodge > > taterry@aol.com wrote: > > > In a message dated 8/16/01 7:56:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time, > > sculptart@aol.com writes: > > > > > replaced in favor of the rexine dash with bronze instrument panel at or > > about > > car No. 5380. >> > > > > Ben, back in the 60's I owned TC5007 and it had a rexine dash and I believe a > > black instrument panel. At this point the only thing I'm sure of is the > > rexine! > > Terry > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >