MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
I'm thinking of changing the dashboard on my '71 B to the '73/74 dash to get rid of the 'Abingdon Pillow' and have a glove box.
The instrumentation area looks to be the same on both and I know the later version has the face level vents. In theory I think it should work. Has anybody tried the change or have any info?
I think that Tony Barnhill is doing something similar, that is addind face level vents right now. Might be on his website http://www.theautoist.com/
When you buy the dashboard, be sure to get the fresh air tubes (NA) and the black plate they go into included in the deal.
because the fresh air tubes are NLA (NO LONGER AVAILABLE)...its not a hard swap but its also not just bolt off, bolt on...dash mounting points are different, heater control cables are different, instrument location points are different, some wiring changes...get ready....
I just compared a 71 and a 72 dash from my cars. The only difference between the two are the lack of holes for the glovebox and the face level vents. The glovebox started with the 72 model. Considering the fact that the instruments are also in the same locations and the same types I would suspect that the harness may be the same as well. No extra wiring needed for the vent and glovebox. If the face level vent hoses you find are not complete or broken, you may be able to buy some 2" a/c hose from the aftermarket people and just replace the hose part of the factory set up, providing the square end of the factory hose is still usable. The ones that I have seen fail break half-way down the hose. I did this when I added a/c discharge vents to my 71BGT. I used face level vents turned side to side installed in the console where the radio normally fits. Worked like a charm
OK, so now Tony's saying that it can be done but things don't quite line up and Gerry's thinking the same as me in that apart from the glove box and face vents, everything should be pretty much a go. So I guess I will just have to try it and see, but not until the fall. Having too much fun right now!
Thanks anyway guys.
Tony's thinking about his conversion I'd bet. It's an earlier dash in a later BGT or maybe his RB V8. RB cars used a different dash setup with the heater controls on the console and different instrument arrangement. You will have to cut the holes in the fresh air box, though, just like his site shows
I kinda like mine. Maybe I just got used to it, or maybe I'm just nuts. Regardless, that Abington pillow is part of my car and I just don't see the need to change it. I do, however, wish that the factory had left the steel dashes in place because I think they are the nicest thing about the early cars
Yup, I'm with Gerry. I don't think there's too many significant differences between the pillow and the 72-76. They sure look pretty much identical. Like Abingdon just looked at the pillow dash and remembered the stuff they forgot to put in back in 68.
Being a complete and total idiot, I think I'm going to attempt to put a 77-on dash (sort of) in my 70. We'll see how that goes. Must remember to keep the pillow in good shape in case this experiment goes awry. But I've got to thank Chuck for the dash! Thanks!
Baxter, you better go ahead and buy another wiring harness as well. By the time you put RB instruments in a CB the old harness will be beyond repair. Better yet, just let British Wiring make you a custom harness for the swap
Oh no, I have crazy ideas.... I'm keeping ALL the 70 guages, except MAYBE the square oil pressure. Haven't decided on that one yet, and I'm going to keep them at least more or less in the same spot. Haven't figured out the heater controls. May move them. Dunno yet. And it's going to be a flat dash... at least if everything goes according to plan.... as it progresses, I'll throw a web page up. Doing this to a 77-on dash may be among the dumbest things I've ever done with a B. It would be MILES easier on a 72-76, but Chuck gave me the dash, I'm grateful, and the experiment begins. The wiring and guages will be a cakewalk compared to some of the other stuff I have to figure out.... more details to come.
I'm puting a '67 dash in a '70 GT....lots of differences...maybe as Gerry said, it'll be easy on yours...however, I know the later instruments are different size from the mid-ones so they'll not interchange....
Ken, this is another possibility. This car belongs to another member of our family, Peter Cummings. He simply removed the dash cover and all padding, prepped for and sprayed it to match his car. Came out mighty fine in my eyes! 
or if the pic does not come up <http://community.webshots.com/sym/image5/1/16/1/63711601fZoMrC_ph.jpg>
Just a quick rundown, for clarity's sake, as this thread is becoming a mite confusing...
Early dash in mid-era car... this is what Tony's doing. It's harder than you'd think, and he's detailed it well on his site.
Pillow dash and 72-76 SHOULD be pretty much interchangable, allowing for some hassle with face-level vents.
Peter Cummings stripped the pillow dash for a faux early dash. No problems at all.
I am (foolishly) attempting to convert a late (77 on) dash to flat style, which I will then attempt to put in a 70. This is plain idiocy. Late dashes are NOT flat under the padding, and the guages, switches and pretty much everything else are different sizes. Since the late dashes are both attractive and probably the best ergonomically of any B dashes, this is really a bad idea. But I've often displayed bouts of denseness.
