Volvo P1800ES...kinda

I'm at this point in my 1800 build too; selecting AC bits.. Hopefully you'll be able to make the Miata bits work as planned, but if in sorting you find they don't, the aftermarket stuff is worth a look for sure (in my case I'm using Vintage Air stuff).. I'm working with a stock 1800 dash, so our needs are different, but in my quest for parts that fit (particularly around that low-hanging OEM Volvo wiper motor {evaporator part #68000-VUZ-A easily clears the wiper motor/linkage}), I'm really impressed with the variety of choices depending on your needs.. I'm still several months from start up and seeing if it all works, but these aftermarket guys have really got this 'plug and play' stuff down for custom needs like yours..

**speaking of your wiper clearance issues.. looking at mine, I'm thinking if you had to, you could reclock the motor up to about the 9-o'clock position and help get it out of the way?? I thought I was going to have to do this, and as it turns out I don't need to, maybe an option for your build?..

I'm waiting to see what your dash plans are.

Crackers wrote: I'm waiting to see what your dash plans are.

Me to!

Actually, the Minion is a Graphics Designer and quite good at doodling up designs. As soon as I stop disagreeing with the designs he produces, I will post it up!

The two extremes of what I dont want:

Cant be recognizable as a Miata control center

Cant look like an old wooden boat.

LOL, I feel you there. I really want to fabricate a dash for Uncle Ben, but I don't want "race car" and most of my ideas require extensive English Wheel use. (And I don't have an e-wheel or the desire to do it by hand lol)

For now the dash is tabled until I can mock up the HVAC box and do some measuring.

Steel with a bit of shaping and vinyl over top should be suitable for the Volvo's look. Make it body color and it's a design element!

Googling "metal dashboard" brought up a lot of food for thought.

I do have an e wheel along with other tools that need to earn a living.

The dash can definitely be a challenge. I want something that at first glance won't look drastically different from the original dash, but if the two were put side by side, would obviously be totally different. I'm hoping to figure out how to integrate HVAC vents into the dash rather than them being stuck underneath (plus defrost vents pointed at the door glass), but a clean solution as eluded me so far.

My car will likely have the added complication of an aftermarket electric power steering kit that puts the motor under the dash, adding to the congestion.

The hard-point that I am working around is the Miata dash-bar; it is currently in the way of the Volvo assembly dropping down in to place. I do want to keep the lower dash ledge that frames the cheesy fake wood. If I can fabricate a new dashtop that is just deeper than the original, (pushing the wood face towards the driver) it might bring me back far enough to clear the crossbar and drop down in place.

The instrument binnacle hump will be shaped to take the Miata cluster if for no other reason than the fact that I will be using the Miata wiring harness and things will plug in. I also don't have the patience for antique gauges that work on the same schedule as a British factory worker in the 70's

Where this might go wrong is that the three gauges in the middle of the dash go away because the Miata pod handles the functions. The radio also goes away because it will be in the Tombstone. Similarly, the lower wood panel will also lose most of its switches, cigarette lighter and knobs since the Miata column and console host these functions. The "Holy E36 M3" handle stays right where it is.

Hiding behind this will be as much as possible of the unaltered Miata plastic air ducting for HVAC delivery. Will take some slicing and dicing, but is pretty workable.

The picture looks wrong because the dash needs to come down two inches to be in position, and I expect the steering column needs to come up an inch to meet the dash in its landed position and look right.

How to finish the underside is not yet been determined. Have to wait till I get there next summer. PS glove compartments are always nice.

Other than that, I have not given any thought to the dash.

On the three center gauge holes- why not use the outer two for HVAC vents and put a clock or something in the center one?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: On the three center gauge holes- why not use the outer two for HVAC vents and put a clock or something in the center one?

+1!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: On the three center gauge holes- why not use the outer two for HVAC vents and put a clock or something in the center one?

That's not a bad idea. It looks like the three gauges are more or less centered in the car, so a clock flanked by two HVAC vents could look good.

A quick search turned up some neat A/C controls beyond just knobs.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dak-dcc2400hcb?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google--shopping--srese1-_-dakota-digital&gclid=CI-O3o6FvdECFRuHswodd_gN6w

http://www.restomodair.com/shopproducts/atmosphere-apple-ios-app/

In reply to Wall-e:

It depends on the car. Many of the hot rod interiors these are meant for have very modern controls and digital gauges. Depends on what the designer is going for. In those cases, a digital HVAC control would look good. If going for a more traditional look, those controls might really look out of place.

Using a phone-app for control is something I see working well for a show car where the design intent is to keep the dash as clean and minimal as possible. I don't see it being practical for a car that is driven regularly. When I'm leaving for work at 5AM, having to open an app on my phone to turn the heater on in the car would lose its novelty real quick.

Perm mount an iPad or some Android tablet in the dash. No mucking with your phone or whatever.

I don't personally like the idea, as I like tactile feedback and such, but it's interesting to see this option out on the market. I think I'd just try to recycle the MX-5 HVAC control head.

Wall-e wrote: A quick search turned up some neat A/C controls beyond just knobs. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dak-dcc2400hcb?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-dakota-digital&gclid=CI-O3o6FvdECFRuHswodd_gN6w http://www.restomodair.com/shopproducts/atmosphere-apple-ios-app/

Cute controls, but missing the point of this project.

There is a Miata HVAC system siting behind the dash that works perfectly with this HVAC control mounted in this location. Two out of four eye-ball vents located. Why would I want to give this up unless I had to?

Agreed that if I went to a complete Vintage Air set-up I would change the controls. To whatever came with the kit.

As to the clock in the middle of the dash, that would be great except I have an aversion to clocks in general.

In reply to NOHOME:

Maybe take that console, cut it off just above the HVAC controls, and mount the vents in the dash in place of two of the gauges. Maybe add a volt or amp meter in the 3rd hole.

My internet-eyeball estimation thinks it would fit between the bottom of the Volvo dash and the tunnel. Sort of kill two birds with one stone.

... an aversion to clocks in general? Curious.

Wondering if some different looking lever ends would smarten that heater control panel up, like big toggles instead of black plastic ends, and maybe remove the recirc function from the panel and the HVAC system entirely.

You need to get out some cardboard and tape and markers and build something solid to see how it actually fills the space. I would try really hard to not have a center stack. The open under the dash look is part of what makes old cars feel old.

Ian F wrote: In reply to NOHOME: Maybe take that console, cut it off just above the HVAC controls, and mount the vents in the dash in place of two of the gauges. Maybe add a volt or amp meter in the 3rd hole. My internet-eyeball estimation thinks it would fit between the bottom of the Volvo dash and the tunnel. Sort of kill two birds with one stone.

As you know so well Ian...nothing changes in isolation. The eyeball vents on the waterfall are integrated directly into a spot on the Miata HVAC system that sits behind the waterfall. Leaving them means they are plumbed in by default. Moving them would mean going to an aftermarket HVAC system that relies on dryer hose to deliver the air to where you want to locate the vents.

Don't worry, I will succumb to reality when faced with it, but it is no friend of mine in the meanwhile.

I missed how ac became a debate. Isn't this thing the interior (ac included) of a Miata?

The controls cable drive the flaps and screw into the dash. They look like they could be moved up or down fairly easily.

Back to work....

Painted the underside of the front clip. Note that the front is not painted.

Now that I have cut out all the bad metal on the front clip, it is time to cut some good non-rusty metal out of the nose of the Volvo. Knowing how rusty most of them get up in the nose area, I almost felt guilty cutting this lot out:

Course that leaves me with a nice big hole up front:

And that big hole is good for stuffing these parts in place. and before anyone ask, I did put the roll bar in place to make sure it was going to fit; clears the rad and the lower rad inlet. I will take luck any-time.

And I made a decision on the AC condenser. Going with the Miata unit since size-wise it pretty much matched what vintage air recommends for their application.

So time to dream up an elegant mounting scheme for this lot.

Not sure if happy or sad after last night.

Happy that my original re-chromed bumpers and brackets showed up and they are as nice as expected. Off to the bling storage space with these bits.

But then I got into the task of the evening: Rebuilding the rear calipers. Unfortunately, I ran into one part that is NOT shiny and should be:

Even though the bore looks good, too much pitting in that piston in my estimation, so that caliper is toast. The piston in the other caliper was fine. Mazda wants $375 for a new caliper, methinks not.

Quick question cause you never know: The front pistons aren't the same diameter by any chance? Cause I have a few extra of those.

The other good news is that the "box of bones" exhaust kit arrived so I can get started on the exhaust system. Kinda getting into an analysis paralysis mode with too many things to do and trying to decide the order of operations.

Front pistons are not the same diameter, but rebuilt calipers are about $80.

As for the dash, don't let the Miata dash bar be a problem. Make your own. Heck, it's mostly just there to locate the steering column. If you don't like clocks, then pick something else for the center gauge, like a voltmeter or exterior temp or whatever. I'm assuming you're doing custom gauge faces from Revlimiter on the Miata gauges, match those to whatever gauge you put in that spot. Or use it as a spot for a switch. Heck, make it a volume knob and hide the rest of the stereo

I

Keith said:

rebuilt calipers are about $80.

I gotta move back to the states if I want to play this hobby.