Very nice. Thanks for the details, Rufus!

 

Nice job on the pics and documentation!

 

So Jackie Treehorn let you you borrow the flex head extension - Dis Karl Hungus fix the cable?

Anyway, it looks great. I especially like how you took the time to line up all the weird angles on the dash end cap heater control cover. This part looks so bad when the screws are all in crooked and the panels don't line up.

 

And a big Thank you to Kevin88RRC who gave me a replacement dash light bulb holder - way way too kind of him.
These pics took a little while to put together, but if it helps someone out, than its the least I could do since D90 Source folks have been so good to me through the years.

 

Very nice writeup. Two questions:
1) how long from start-to-finish did it take?
2) do you not have to disconnect the instrument panel/gauges/speedo? it *seems* from some of the photos you did not...so I'm wondering if you can just slide the new cowl in from the top (which admittedly is not something I realized and is one of the reasons I've always put it off).

 

------ Follow up post added March 18th, 2015 09:01 PM ------



Thanks - I appreciate the comments.
1) How long it took - its really hard to say...because I started and gave up because it was numbingly cold out....then started again the next weekend after getting the heater fired up in the barn. I figured it out as I went and taking the pics slowed everything as well. With these pics and the right tools, you could finish in a couple hrs is my guess
2) I didn't disconnect anything to keep it simple. Yes you slide the old cowl out and slide the new one in.
Its a great upgrade - everything is solid

 

Wow. Great job!

 

Kinda dusty....

 

Kinda?!?....lol...

 

Thanks for the write up. I'm about to replace mine with the Raptor Engineering binnacle mount too. Waiting on their metal binnacle first.

 

You replaced the binnacle holder without disconnecting anything ?
Wow. That's akin to changing socks without ever un-tying your shoes.

 

FYI - post install and the speedo doesn't work...... looks like disconnecting would have been a good idea....
others looking to do this take note.
you live and learn....

 

I did mention that removing the steering wheel and dropping the column would have given you better access.
Hopefully it's just disconnected, not pinched.


I've got some small mirrors w/ flexible extensions if you want to get a peak behind there to see what's going on, but you may want to wait until next weekend (it's gonna be cold again)

 

------ Follow up post added March 19th, 2015 05:37 PM ------



Thanks Jackie Treehorn but unfortunately it never disconnected from the binnacle end.....

"Cowboy Neal at the wheel of the bus to never ever land"

 

So excellent! I disassembled my dash after a 6th or 7th beer a few years ago and kinda thew everything in a Tupperware bin. Rebuild starts soon and this post is great help.

Also that aluminum cowl is a must. Thanks!

 

Bryan and I did a write up when we worked at Safari HP. I think we made it a Facebook album though.

 

Okay thanks. I'll check their FB Photo albums

 

Working on this now and man was getting the cowl out a PITA!

Time to clean some things up and put it back together.

Wish me luck.

and FYI just taking the cowl out took me an hour+... Some very tight spaces to work with

 

This should be considered an essential upgrade for basically any defender. I just finished installing one last weekend and the difference is remarkable. Not only does it look better, but it provides a stable mount for your heater controls which makes them work much easier and without the feeling that you're ripping the dash apart when you try to move the settings.

 

Jim we're glad you appreciate the dash cowl. We've now sold nearly 600 units world wide and have never had a complaint.

Thanks for the plug man.

 

No thanks necessary. You've been selling them forever and I've always been like "who breaks that? This problem doesn't need solving." But then I spent more time thinking about the fact that I'm never happy with the alignment of all the dashes I've seen and mounting everything to a plastic base is not a good start. When I someday get back to the states, my other two rovers are getting these.

 

I finally did this late last year. Do not understand why I waited so long. This and a VDO temp gauge.

 

Corky - sorry! I'm months late getting back to you because I'm just seeing your questions now...when I dug up this old thread....(to shoot to a buddy who is going to to this install - his OEM plastic cowl broke and he is going to order one up from Stephen at Safari HP)

happy to help, if you still need it

Yes - I was at Fenway last summer

"Been talking alot about less and less"..

.

 

Damn... to dificult for me..