MTFCA Forum

I like to use the original sound wood where possible.

This is the back of the dash. It was broken in four places with one piece of wood missing of the four. I made that piece and glued it all back together.

The two bolts are too long but they were all I could scramble together.

I need to find a Stewart model 160 speedometer to go in that square hole.

I am glad I am not the only crazy person that does that!
On my '15 runabout, the original wood was in really bad condition. about half of it was completely gone, most of the rest was rotted to barely if at all patterns. On the sides of the body, under the upholstery, just forward of the top irons/brackets, were round top pieces of wood about four inches long. All they did was cap the top of the sides of the body under the upholstery and help give it some shape. The one on the right was nearly gone, the left one was in marginally decent condition, but missing a chunk on one side that had split off years before. Since the wood piece is NOT structural, I decided to trim a scrap of wood to fit in the split-off spot. After the epoxy had fully set, I band sawed the general size. Then, hand filed the round top to match the original curve.
Now, hidden by new upholstery, it may seem ridiculous. However, when I hopefully drive the car down the road in not-to-distant years. I can rest my arm on the side panel upholstery and know, that underneath my elbow, is a hundred-plus year old piece of wood.

Ya done good!

Just today, I found the broken piece I was missing on the dash that I made. If I had just dug deeper in the pile.