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MG MGA - Gap between Dashboard Panel and Crash Rail

Never really noticed before but on my Roadster, converted LHD to RHD in the 90's sometime, there is a gap between the metal of the dashboard panel and the crash rail. Is this normally just hidden with piping, if so how is this attached and is there a proper colour convention e.g. black to match the interior or red to match the remainder of the piping?
K Garner

Yes there should be piping between the dashboard and crash rail, attached to the dash with those little black metal clips. This is matched to the other piping except I believe on pvc covered dashboards where it is the same colour as the dash. I am sure someone will be happy to confirm!
Neil McGurk

Yes, Neil has it right. Clausager indicates that roadsters' dashboard piping (or "fascia trim rolls," as he terms it) match the colour of all other such piping.

In installing this piping, it's helpful to leave an extra inch of vinyl sheathing beyond the interior tubing at each end, which should then be flattened and fastened with "piping-to-dash clips" to make a neat termination.
Ken Korey

Thanks for the guidance, parts ordered. Just wondered if the piping can be fitted with everything in situ or is a dismantle called for, also is there any alignment possible between the dash and rail or are we looking at a fixed location between the two parts, it just seems that I may have more of a gap one side than the other.
K Garner

The piping between the dash and the crash pad is different from the piping in other places. The color and the fabric matches the other piping as Ken states. But the material in the middle is larger in diameter. The picture below shows original material on the right and the material I used on the left. Both are about 1/4" out side diameter. I used 3/32" vacuum line. As you can see the hole in the middle of the original material was larger but the OD is about the same.

R J Brown

I piped up so quickly because I'd just spent the better part of the morning pulling the dash so I could reinstall said piping myself. (My roadster's DPO had used a mastic to bond it to the dash, and it was progressively working out.) You really need to detach the dash unless you have astonishing dexterity, because the half-moon fasteners are somewhat difficult to clip over the two layers of vinyl and the flange without (1) seeing the work and (2) manipulating it with both hands. You can use the opportunity to balance the gaps between the dash and scuttle, since a limited amount of repositioning is attainable merely by loosening, adjusting, and retightening the mounting bolts. It may even be conceivable that your front rail is misaligned on the scuttle, so this would be the perfect opportunity to adjust it if required. Good luck!
Ken Korey

Thanks for the help and advice, it looks like another project to keep me entertained, just as well as winter is drawing in.
K Garner

This thread was discussed between 02/11/2009 and 03/11/2009

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