Instrument panels (Dash boards)

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, I don't know the answer. I just noticed two different numbers on the one panel. Maybe an earlier one is modified to a later number?
Another number on it has been cancelled.
Kevin 79 welded Armoured O.Ps (MkIIIw) came to N.Z., 40 of which were later sent to Tonga. Apart from my one, there is one runner here in N.Z, and two bare rebuildable hulls, that I know of.
The only other AOPs that I know of are Nigel Wards MkII here in Australia featured in Nigel Watsons 3rd book (he told me of another Australian MkII) and a late MkIIIw in France also in Nigel Watsons last book.
Your panel has a cut out in the left lower corner. I assume these panels are from the later AOPs like the French one. It IS just my assumption.
So many un answered questions.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Your panel has a cut out in the left lower corner. I assume these panels are from the later AOPs like the French one. It IS just my assumption.
So many un answered questions.

I assume the cut out is to clear a weld where the vertical hull plate meets the horizontal?

[Ben]

On the later panels the left hand side is lower than the standard MK1 panel, this explains why the right hand section doesn't have the seperate drop down section. The notch is to clear the Frame rail that the armour is riveted to.

Kevin could you offer that panel up against a MK1 type to see if the overall height is the same please? this may help in knowing if the left side drops to the height of the MK1 or the right hand side is shorter, or perhaps a bit of both.

That style looks a lot easier to make, I assume that's why it change.

[kevin powles]

Originally Posted by Ben

On the later panels the left hand side is lower than the standard MK1 panel, this explains why the right hand section doesn't have the seperate drop down section. The notch is to clear the Frame rail that the armour is riveted to.

Kevin could you offer that panel up against a MK1 type to see if the overall height is the same please? this may help in nowing if the left side drops to the height of the MK1 or the right hand side is shorter, or perhaps a bit of both.

That style looks a lot easier to make, I assume that's why it change.

Here we go.

[kevin powles]

Lynn, her is a picture from the A.O.P manual, I have two of these manuals, so if someone needs one its for sale/trade.

Kevin.

[Lynn Eades]

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.

[Lynn Eades]

dash panels and parts from.

[kevin powles]

Andrew, I need 9 of those switches if they are available.

Thanks Kevin.

[Lynn Eades]

Dragging this to the front for Colin Jones.