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Harrington LeMans Dash Restoration

John W

Bronze Level Sponsor
That is one beautiful dash, John Prittie. Simply outstanding. Harrington dash "material" seems different to me from anything else I've seen.
 

napa 1

Donation Time
Thanks. It's getting there. Dash face is the original Formica carefully restored. I used leather on that panel, crash roll and upper dash...and everywhere else. Napa has a great leather outlet where you can hand pick leather by the hide or 1/2 hide...so it's leather throughout for this HLM. I'll post some more shots soon when I complete the interior. Almost done with that part. Thanks for the encouragement
 

alpineclive

Diamond Level Sponsor
65beam said "finding a formica to match the original harrington dash is next to impossible here in the states." Does that mean it can be found elsewhere e.g. UK? If so does anyone know where and what the pattern is called?


BTW Nice dash John!

Best regards
Clive
 

jdoclogan

Platinum Level Sponsor
The photos show an absolutely mint original Harrington Le Mans (HLM) dash with before an after owner interior restoration. Note: the photos are from one (my moonstone white HLM on the cover of Car and Driver April, 1962) of two known promotional cars. Seat inserts and a few other aspects are different than the production HLMs. However, the dashes on the production and promotional HLMs are the same except Harrington badges were not attached to the glove box door on the promotional HLMs. Also the original condition of my HLM's dash incorporated an aftermarket choke cable and cigar lighter. Restored version has correct choke cable and no cigar lighter.

John, excellent work on your dash. Fortunately mine was in mint condition and needed no restoration.
 

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puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
65beam said "finding a formica to match the original harrington dash is next to impossible here in the states." Does that mean it can be found elsewhere e.g. UK? If so does anyone know where and what the pattern is called?


BTW Nice dash John!

Best regards
Clive

Clive, that plastic laminate on the 'mint' dash appears to be a replica of curly (or quilted) maple veneer. Not sure who makes that product - lots of suppliers out there... Wilsonart, Formica, etc., as well as folks who will make custom laminates.

Curly%20Maple.jpg

Curly Maple
 

napa 1

Donation Time
John, excellent work on your dash. Fortunately mine was in mint condition and needed no restoration.

Your steering wheel turnings look excellent. Did you have that re done? My wheel was in rough condition so in order to restore the aluminum, the turnings were buffed away. I'd like to add the turnings back, What process did you use? Someone once posted that you can use machine turning tool purchased a gun shop for use on guns.
 

jdoclogan

Platinum Level Sponsor
I do all of my own work on my projects except some engine and any overdrive rebuild.
Ian Spencer had some stainless steel laser duplicates made from an original aluminum spoke. I took the stainless steel piece he kindly gave me and used 1/2" medium grit Cratex stick from Nolan Supply in Syracuse, NY.

(http://www.nolansupply.com/bysubcat...Blocks+and+Sticks &type=False&specs=True).

You might want to get extra fine through coarse to allow for experimentation. I simply placed a half stick of material in my drill press chuck and began to replicate the faint pattern on my original, albeit broken, aluminum spokes with a low speed setting. Being very patient is the key and essentially you are placing one circle half way into the previous swirl. Some craftsman will mark off the center points to provide a guide. I'm doing the same process with a custom aluminum dash for my 1967 Lyrad project.
 
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