IF YOU HAVE EVEN THE REMOTEST INTEREST IN TR DASHBOARDS, please read...
feedback is appreciated.
I was mentioning a plan of mine to possibly offer up a wood-dashboard
"blank" for racers and do-it-yourselfers for the TR 4A and related
TRs... (Maybe other TR's in the future.)
Many of you dismissed the idea because of fire concerns... noting that
aluminum was the choice of racers.
Personally... I just think that nothing beats a wood dash in a vintage
car, so I am not so quick to dismiss the possibilities. What's really
impressive to me... is when I see a vintage race car that has a
well-thought-out custom wood dash... living up to the period that the
car was produced, of course. (Lucas switches, period equipment, etc.)
This has led me to the discovery of flame-safe plywood...
Here is the company's description:
Our fire retardant actually interferes with the
chemistry of the fire process. The compounds
automatically react in the presence of heat or flame
to convert combustible gases and tars to
non-combustible carbon char, nitrogen and carbon
dioxide. The substantial increase in carbon char helps
to keep the fire from regeneration. Nitrogen produced
as a by-product displaces oxygen, smothering the
fire. This chemical reaction also separates the fuel
from the source of ignition. With this "double
protection", our fire retardant dramatically
outperforms others. Our line of treated wood will not
burn, and it retards the propagation of the fire,(flame
spread). Significantly, smoke development is reduced
by 50% or more, and that is very important,
considering that smoke inhalation causes more
deaths than fire.
If I were to come up with a blank... with various alternative
flame-resistant finishes... on their specially treated fire-safe wood...
Would THIS interest anyone?
I am truly trying to put something together here that is reasonably
priced... and is defnitely a "kit"... for the racer to finish... but
it seems to me... that the time to find the proper materials and produce
the blank shape... is the part that discourages weekend-hobbyists...
If I could provide a blank with the correct shape and bevels... to fit
the car... leaving you to put in the guage and switch holes, etc...
(something that can be done with a drill press and even hand power
tools... it seems to me... that this could be a kit that would truly
be a joy for many of you. Am I wrong? (I might also offer to put in
specific existing holes, such as glove compartment, speedo, etc... for
an additional per-hole cost.)
Your feedback is appreciated.
--Justin Wagner
jmwagnersales.com
P.S. I know I should be concentrating on gaskets for the other TR's,
but this is the kind of project that I can squeeze in and might help me
break new ground and the momentum could help get other TR related
projects off the drawing board. I know this is a small venture that
might mean only a handful of dashboards a year... but if the interest is
there... I think it could be a fun project... that's worth my time.
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