Dash "Clamp Strip" & What are these for

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bavbob

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Part 1 of this post:

See #11. Like so many, mine has erosion at most of the screw locations such that the hole is too large for the screw now. These screws are counter sunk and sit flush and so using a washer just does not seem to be an option. Any alternatives (yes you can drill holes where the alum is intact but then have to make new holes in the dash wood too). Part is NLA.

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Part 2:

These are from where???

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Chances are the wood "thread" or bite is just as bad as the metal holes. I recommend new holes, pre-drill the wood with small bit (pay close attention to drill angle, you don't want to poke through your nice veneers.
I would not recommend going with bigger screws to compensate, the wood is only 1/2" thick and you stand a good chance of breakthrough.
 
Not sure what those rubber things are, they resemble size and shape of the door jamb stops.
 
Wood holes are fine and if not, plenty of tricks there like filling with a mixture of sawdust and wood glue. The beveled aluminum holes for the screws have erosion/decay so they are larger now than the screw head. In all honesty, the system is over-engineered anyway, just need a few of the screws in both pieces of wood and the aluminum strip attaches to the car itself and all those holes are fine.

I have to say, I believe Murphy was the first to restore one of these cars and that's where his rule came from.
 
bavbob said:
Wood holes are fine and if not, plenty of tricks there like filling with a mixture of sawdust and wood glue. The beveled aluminum holes for the screws have erosion/decay so they are larger now than the screw head. In all honesty, the system is over-engineered anyway, just need a few of the screws in both pieces of wood and the aluminum strip attaches to the car itself and all those holes are fine.

I have to say, I believe Murphy was the first to restore one of these cars and that's where his rule came from.
Click to expand...

Ahh! You can use thin strips of aluminum bonded to the existing aluminum. They will countersink themselves by bending. You could probably use a soda can.
 
I would probably fill the old holes, however...I like round toothpix/kabob stix/other. This will stabilize, and help alleviate the chance that when you drill the new holes and screw into them, a crack will not run in the plies...assuming the holes will be close to the old holes...Carefully drill new holes in the #11 piece..I would slightly undersize the holes, mark the new wood holes, and center punch/ream to create the new counter-sink, rather than cutting more metal.
Markos' idea of small pieces of aluminum would work, and the rotten countersink holes are hidden by the wood anyway..after filling the existing holes.
As you said, its not really very structural, but you're only in there once.
 
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