Sunbeam Specialties Dashboard Cubby Box

[Alpine 1789]

I bought a replacement cubby box from SS a couple of years ago for the wooden Tiger dash (IP78T, which is listed as being "FOR WOOD DASH. ALPINE III-V, TIGER") and I am only now trying to install it. It has just been sitting in my basement since I bought it, but I was in for a surprise when I tried to attach it to the dashboard: it is about an inch short and probably an inch wide too. The cubby from my old plastic dash fits perfectly, although the mounting tabs are wrong and it is pretty beat. I'll call Rick in the morning and talk to him, but I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem or if there were two different sizes and I simply ordered the wrong one.

Thanks.

 

[alpine_64]

jim,

Is the dash a wooden one from SS? I can imagine people having slightly different profiles for the opening from manufacturer to manufacturer, so if the dash is from another supplier..

Also the GT cubby box mounts in a different way to the ST one with the surround.. Still 1 inch is a big difference in size of the opening.

 

[Alpine 1789]

jim,

Is the dash a wooden one from SS?

No. It is a stock Tiger/Alpine GT dash I bought a few years ago and refinished.

Interestingly, I just found another replacement cubby that came with my S3. This one is for the plastic dashboard and appears to be the same as the SS one, other than the different tabs for a plastic dash (so it would be IP78A in the SS catalog). It is the same size as the one I bought and is also smaller than the OEM one I just removed.

 

[RootesRich]

Hi Jim,
I recall having a conversation about cubby boxes a couple of years ago when I changed from plastic to wood dashboards. Rick told me to go with the SI/II box and it fit perfectly.

I have no idea why the IP78T cubby wouldn't fit a GT dashboard though. Very strange.

 

[Alpine 1789]

I just got off the phone with SS. Rick was out, but the guy I talked to told me that this was a common problem and that they really do fit, you just have to follow a specific sequence when attaching them. He is going to fax me a sheet with the directions. (Why they don't send the sheet along with the box is a good question to ask, but they might do that now; this has been sitting in my basement for a couple of years.) I'll report back after I've worked through the proper procedure.

 

[RootesRich]

Sounds like you have to mold the cubby to the shape you need by pressing in the sides that are too wide thus elongating the short ends.

Does your cubby have the cut out for the grab handle?

 

[Alpine 1789]

Sounds like you have to mold the cubby to the shape you need by pressing in the sides that are too wide thus elongating the short ends.

Exactly. The page SS sent me give specific instructions as to the order to put the screws in, in order to be able to stretch it to fit. It does work, although several additional screws are required in order really make it fit.

Does your cubby have the cut out for the grab handle?

Yes it does. It is in now installed and while not perfect, it is far better than the original, weather worn one that it replaced. I had heard before that the repros were not as nice as the original and will do a little further tweaking on it to make it attach better to the dash in a couple of places, but I'm satisfied with the result.

Just make sure you ask for the instructions if you order one.

 

[jack Bacon]

Hi Jim,

Did your new cubby box from SS come with the small angle brackets or did you swap them from your old box? I did notice when the box is flattened out a little bit it will match the width of the old one. I didn't care much for the silver staples holding it together so thought about swapping them out for black rivets

Jack

 

[Alpine 1789]

Hi Jim,

Did your new cubby box from SS come with the small angle brackets or did you swap them from your old box? I did notice when the box is flattened out a little bit it will match the width of the old one. I didn't care much for the silver staples holding it together so thought about swapping them out for black rivets

Jack

The boxes for the wooden and plastic dashboards are slightly different. The wooden dash doesn't have the angle brackets on it. Instead, the cardboard ends form tabs that are screwed directly onto the back of the wood. However, I also have a replacement box for a plastic dash and it is identical, other than the tabs. It does have the angle brackets riveted on. I didn't buy this one, but assume they came from SS that way. It seems to me that it would be harder to stretch it to fit with just the tabs, but I could be wrong and Rick probably has instructions for these too.

As for the staples looking bad, I agree with you and just put a dab of black paint on each one. Switching to rivets seemed like too much trouble, plus it would leave lots of little holes behind.

 

[Series3Scott]

Has anyone tried the plastic ones available from Alpine West Midlands? I'm going to need a RHD one for my Sebring project and wondered how those fit.

http://www.sunbeam-alpine.co.uk/images/glovebox.jpg

 

[puff4]

As for the staples looking bad, I agree with you and just put a dab of black paint on each one. Switching to rivets seemed like too much trouble, plus it would leave lots of little holes behind.

I just use a fine-point Sharpie marker for little black touch-ups like that. Works pretty well.

 

[Alpine 1789]

Has anyone tried the plastic ones available from Alpine West Midlands? I'm going to need a RHD one for my Sebring project and wondered how those fit.

I wish I'd known about them when I bought mine from Rick. While I suspect the SS ones look a little more accurate, I think the plastic ones would be a lot better and easier to install, especially on a wood dash.

 

[Mark B]

Is there a chance someone could post the instructions here? Thanks

Mark B

 

[Alpine 1789]

I can try, but you need the photograph that came with them, as the holes are numbered non-sequentially and the instructions won't work without the picture. SS was happy to fax me the page. Did you buy the box from them? If so, you'd be better off calling and asking them to fax or mail you one too. Also, please note that the instructions would be different from the box designed for the plastic dash, as it has different mounting points and methods.

 

[P. Scofield]

Installing these takes a damp towel around the box overnight before installing.

P