Now in 2010 we do not  have a JBA Factory producing any vehicle that has been evaluated in any articles in the various Kit Car Press magazines or approved by VOSA BIVA testing.

Please note these are the old build pages from 1999 to 2004 when we had a JBA Factory in full production from 1982 that was regularly featured in the Kit Car Press and complied with regulations including passing UK Vosa SVA/BIVA tests and TUV tests in the EU.
A 2004 JBA Engineering Ltd Sports SR kit has passed the new BIVA test in June 2009.

Spanner Sizes
Spanner Sizes fits on the head of a bolt. 8mm spanner fits M5 bolt, 10mm......M6, 13mm......M8, 17mm......M10. 

Options
Various Dashboard Veneers or Coverings

What You Will Need 
Trimming Material, Foam Rubber, Glue, Instruments, Switches, Warning Lamps.

New regulations came into force in December 2002 and require the dashboard to have a radius of 19mm at the bottom on the lower edge. 
The rounded lip covered in foam or piping round the bottom of the dashboard as in photo above would now fail the SVA Test, as would all the dashboards shown in the photos below. 
They are used here to show you possible instrument layouts.
JBA have now introduced a new dashboard to comply with this new regulation. No photo as yet.

This is very important to builders who are building at present and have the previous style of dashboard as in photo above. This would have to be altered at the bottom, contact JBA for advice.

Where To Start

The first task is to look at various dash boards layouts in Falcons and other cars including modern saloons and get an idea of what you want in your car. You may want it traditional looking or ultra modern complete with center consul. I chose the traditional type I don't even have a radio installed. If I were to build another one I would go for the latter if I were to use the car on long trips or all year round. 

This is a lovely layout in Burman Parker's V8 Falcon with Walnut dash, just wished I had a better photo of it.

Instruments & Switches

First decide on which size and type of gauges you want and how many e.g. Speedo: Rev Counter: usually in two sizes 80mm. and 100mm. Then Fuel: Volts: Water: Oil: Clock  etc. 
These gauges come in a variety of styles and faces of many different colours, from various suppliers. ETB and Greengauges are manufactures of high quality gauges, in traditional form or SVA Approved and supply direct to the individual.
You can even have your own initials or JBA put on the face of them. 
Decide on how many switches that you are going to use including heater controls and Spot/Fog lamps, Rear Fog, Radiator Fan, Interior Lights etc.

You will have to use modern rocker type switches for the SVA test. The amount of warning lamps you want, some are compulsory for the SVA test and must have the correct symbols. A variety of illuminated rocker switches and consuls are available from SVC. 

Warning Lights 
Are required for Low Brake Fluid Level, must be red and display the brake symbol, Direction Indicators, Rear Fog Lamps, Headlamps Main beam.

Other Items

Radio/Cassette/CD player, Map Light, Cigar Lighter. (even if you don't smoke) Handy for coupling hand lamp, electric tyre inflator, mobile phone cable and anything else you can think of. 
Jot all these down on a note pad so that you don't forget something.

Glove Box 
John Skillen used a Tupperware plastic box painted on the outside and lined with a baize material on the inside.

Follow the instructions in the Build Manual. Trim the dash panel and temporary fit to the CBU. 
The dash panel has a recess for fitting the heater controls, these can be fitted within the recess, if they stick out more than 3.2mm and that's just a fraction, your car will fail the SVA test. 
In the photo below Doug has fitted a veneered panel covering the recess and sited his heater controls on the drivers side of the centre consul using round knobs. Other owners have used round heater controls recessed into the dashboard.

VI SVA Manual 
Pay attention to the exempt area behind the steering wheel for fitting items that are more than 3.2mm. 
The exempt area at the present time June 2003 adds another 127mm round the radius of the fitted steering wheel.

Next make cardboard cut outs of circles and oblongs representing your gauges and switches. I made mine from round and square beer mats. Move these around on your dash panel to achieve the design that pleases you and stick them down with a spot of "Blue Tack" which is like non sticky plastacine. Available from W.H. Smith. 

1993 Sports Photo Old Type Dash Template

Place the drivers seat temporary in the car and fit the Steering Wheel in place as some of your gauges and  switches could be obscured by the wheel or hard to reach, make sure the front wheels are straight. 
The wooden type steering wheel is not SVA approved and would fail the test, use the Sierra one instead. If you intend fitting a wooden one, or even a smaller wheel, check the instrument positions with both steering wheels, before you cut holes in the dash panel.

1993 Sports Photo

Have a look under the dash and check that the depth of the instruments will not foul anything behind the dashboard. You can guess at this or you can drill a tiny pilot hole through the centre of the beer mats and into the dash, stick another beer mat onto the drill at the other side of the dash and this will give you a better idea. Remember the beer mats or cardboard have to be the same size as the front of your instruments and switches. 
Once we had our gauges and everything was to our liking, we made a start drilling the holes the same size as the rear part of the instruments and switches. Remember these have a narrower diameter or size on the rear and need a tight fit.      

Now decide what you are going to add to the center consul and do a template for this area. 
Take a while designing your Dashboard. It is very satisfying. It is individual to you.  

Veneer Panels

These are sheet panels or rolls with a manufactured veneer like surface. Available from Europa.  

Veneer

Real veneer comes in one or more pieces and fits to the dash like two pages in a book mirroring one another depending on the type of veneer you buy as seen in photo above and on the two photos below. At the time I was building Mike and Keith were building also, we purchased the veneer from Art Veneers in Mildenhall, Suffolk. 

It is glued onto the dashboard by applying the glue and weighing it down, however as it is real veneer it breathes, so you have to be careful and not lift it off or tear it with whatever you used to weigh it down, as the glue can seep through the veneer and glue both together. Mike Cushley veneered my dash for me. Instructions with your order.

Demisters 
Slots are cut into the top of the dashboard panel and fitted with chrome demister vents. 
In the photo below Doug is having a go at fitting the fish tails, but they are fouling when dashboard is mounted in position.

However Doug tried a different angle and there was plenty of room. He fibre glassed small sort of trays onto the flange on the CBU and married them up to the top of the dash and fitted the fish tails in a horizontal position, as in photo below.

Here you can see them next to the wiper wheel boxes with the hose travelling down to the heater unit.

The Demisters are part of the SVA Test. 

The next page deals with the Interior. 

   Photos Courtesy Of Doug Philp: Robbie Gibson: Steve Taylor-SVC:

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