Need hard to find dash backing plate.

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zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Need hard to find dash backing plate.

Postby zachmac » Sun Apr 02, 2017 7:49 am

In addition to the center cover plate for a mid-year dash I am seeking in parts needed, I need the metal plate that pop rivets behind the dash in the center section for an early car. The PO chopped a good part of the center of my dash out to put gauges there and I am trying to put it back to stock. But the PO's chop job left me with not a lot of dash in the middle to work with. Fiat made two versions of a metal backing plate that was attached behind the middle of the dash and that had holes that the wiper speed switch and dimmer switch passed through allowing the cover plate to then be held in place by the big threaded nuts on the front of the switches.

I haven't been able to find one of the early large backing plates through any of the normal sources. I got one of the later smaller ones from Midwest Bayless but the spacing for the switch holes is different on later cars to accommodate the three versus two rectangular lights and the smaller backing plate lands mostly on air due to the PO cutting the dash up so I can't attach it well either. The earlier backing plate was much larger extending down and attaching to the dash much lower, so that is the piece I need to find.

This is the one I have, not the one I need. I'll try to find a picture of the one I need:

Image
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

klweimer
Posts: 550
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:45 am
Your car is a: 1982 Spider 2000
Location: Arvada, Colorado

Re: Need hard to find dash backing plate.

Postby klweimer » Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:07 am

Hi Jeff,

Have you checked with Mathews Foreign Car Parts in Birmingham, AL. ? They sell lots of things on ebay but have a whole yard of Fiat stuff (apparently).

Kirk

zachmac
Posts: 1278
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 am
Your car is a: 1978 Spider [1979 2 ltr engine]
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: Need hard to find dash backing plate.

Postby zachmac » Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:49 am

klweimer wrote:Hi Jeff,

Have you checked with Mathews Foreign Car Parts in Birmingham, AL. ? They sell lots of things on ebay but have a whole yard of Fiat stuff (apparently).

Kirk


I am aware of them and just so happens my wife will be passing through Birmingham this week to go look at BAMA with my son so I'll be calling Matthews first thing tomorrow! :D
Jeff Klein, Aiken, SC
1980 FI Spider, Veridian with Tan (sold about a year ago), in the market for another project
1989 Spider, sold
2008 Mercedes SL65
2008 S600 Mercedes V12

klweimer
Posts: 550
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:45 am
Your car is a: 1982 Spider 2000
Location: Arvada, Colorado

Re: Need hard to find dash backing plate.

Postby klweimer » Sun Apr 02, 2017 10:04 am

Sweet!


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