Kevin, I have one already. Ben has it at the moment. I also have that picture in the front of the U.C workshop instruction book (Chillwell 63/63)
Kevin; Yes the AOP MkIIIW is a U.C. BTW.thank you for the offer.
Richard: that cut out may have been to clear the frame of a riveted hull (and so may be for earlier AOPs. Nigel Wards AOP MkII might be like these?
Ben; yes it does come down lower, but only by about 20mm. I think the manufacturers had a modicum of user friendliness in mind, by putting the oil pressure gauge, and temperature gauge in front of the driver.(the things you need to watch) Because the individual switches had been eliminated, the CAV switch was raised a bit. With the smaller ammeter under it there was room for the start button, without the flimsy, awkward to make, under slung extention. A production improvement?( The things you tend to only check once) that the British adopted, while the Canadians continued with their current production.
I'm sure there would be more to this. My dash has four CAV type fibre fuses in a block while the earlier carriers had only 1 fuse in a separate fuse box. The early carriers having the extra c/sunk holes in the front armour to take the mounting screws for it.