Mismatched top dash panel?

[Carlos Fandango]

I'm looking at a G car that has a different colour dash upper panel than the rest of the interior. The instrument pod is the same colour as the upper panel but although I've seen lots with a different pod colour to the rest of the dash I've not noticed the dash top being different before.

A quick trawl through images on the web showed another one with a different colour top panel so is this a normal (although unusual) option on the cars or is it a sign that some of the interior has been changed out but the harder to get out dash top has been left as was?

[Bibs]

The darken colour is less reflective in the screen. If my (black) binnacle matched my (magnolia) interior I'd never see where I was going unless it was nighttime!

[Carlos Fandango]

Thanks.

The one I'm looking at has cream leather with red binnacle and top rail so is fairly similar to yours Buddsy.

[Carlos Fandango]

It is the one on ebay but I don't think it's been custom done as the colours seem fairly standard. Other than that bit I couldn't see anything else that looked like it had been customised. I'll get a better idea when I go to view it.

Those are Guernsey plates not Isle of Man so maybe it's a different one? If it is the same one can you remember how much it was up for?

[matk]

If you read the description it actually needs a load more doing to it than appears at first site. Windscreen, manifold............

[Carlos Fandango]

I can't get into Ebay at work so can't check what's on there.

I did speak to the seller earlier this week and there's some additional work been done which is documented including the manifold apparently. I think I just need to give it a good going over.

Really daft question time - where is the chassis number?

[Carlos Fandango]

I did look on LEW and tried a search on here but couldn't find anything even though I was sure I would. I'll have another look on LEW.

[Carlos Fandango]

Thanks.

It's not just you. I spent an hour looking and gave up.

[Paul C]

I had an early Esprit with full mag leather dash and instrument cowl,

on a sunny day or at night it reflected so bad i used the shadow of the

black demister vent as my 'letterbox' of vision.

Later cars all had the top dash and cowl in black regardless if interior colour.

VERY, VERY wise move. Think about it, at night would you lay a sheet of white

A4 paper on the dash just in front of you? Reflecting up onto the screen?

Course not. You can live with it (i did for five years!) but you really can't beat

being able to see where you are going!!!

[dave lowe]

I foound out the advantages of a black binnacle and top dash in my S2 when the good lady put her flat handbag there one day over here in sunny GUERNSEY and not wanting to be seen out on my own with said item dyed both areas black and opened up a whole new visual experience ! Dave lowe.

[hilly]

Even having a dark instrument cowl doesn't always help.

Mine used to be black leather, but the sheen from the leather surface used to cause horrendous reflections in sun light and even worse with street lamps at night.

I changed to black Alcantara and the difference is amazing, no vision problems at all.

Hilly

[Carlos Fandango]

That Autotrader one is a different car. It's an 85 C whilst the one I looked at is an 86 D plate and has been removed for a very good reason - watch this space......