Original Glove Box

[GWL]

I want to duplicate the original glove box shape and the way it was originally made for my Mk4 Factory Five.

I believe the door is hinged with a piano hinge at the lower edge between the ends of the beading that is attached to the door. In addition, it looks like the glove box doors are somewhat padded or the edges rounded off.

Questions:

Does anyone have detailed pictures of the original glove box door with details of the beading and how it is attached?

How thick is the door? My guess is it is made of plywood.

How is the door edge and dash opening shaped? Almost looks like padding under the material but that is not shown under the gauges and switches.

What is the actual shape of the door and where on the dash is it located? See my notes below regarding an AC’s door compared to a 289 and 427 street car.

What is the lock/latch style? Anyone have detailed pictures and a source for it?

The following are pictures of a ’58 AC I took this summer. I’ve sent an email to the owner but have not received any word back from him.

The glove box here is longer/wider than what I’ve seen in pictures of 289 cars and the street 427’s. Note that this one is nearly to the center of the car over the shift lever. I believe a 289’s is a bit shorter and the 427’s is even shorter and goes only to about the transmission tunnel. Please correct me if I’m wrong.


Here it looks like there is no padding under the gauges. However, the outside edge of the glove box has a rounded edge. Thin padding or is it shaped like that? Note the same on the glove box doors edge. Also look at the dash mounting screw at the top of the picture. Looks like it is padded under it. ??




As I study this last picture, the box opening is rounded until it gets to the hinge area where the opening becomes more squared off making me think there is no padding. As I'm writing this I'm thinking there might be a plywood ring around the back side of the dash that the aluminum was shaped onto. Just a guess. Any other thoughts?


Any construction details and pictures would be appreciated. PM me if you have a bunch of pictures you would rather send in an email.

Thanks, George

[1985 CCX]

Latch is off a Nash, hard to find........

[Rick Parker]

Close........

[1985 CCX]

Nice catch Rick, you are correct.....

[HealeyRick]

Hi George,

Hope this picture of the "Dirtbag" 289 is of some help:



Rick

[dcdoug]

Have you checked out csxinfo.net? Lots of pics.....

[mickmate]

If you send/bring me your dash I'll hammer the correct size shape and location glove into it.

[GWL]

Originally Posted by mickmate

If you send/bring me your dash I'll hammer the correct size shape and location glove into it.

Well, at least I know the answer is out there. Thanks for the offer Mick but if I can figure it out and do it myself that's is what I want to do. But, who knows, you may hear from me in the future.

Also thanks to those who have given me ideas with pictures. However, I have a file full of dash boards including the 'Dirtbag'.

What I am looking for are the details. How they are built and what the original shape was for the different cars. I believe this part of the dash boards are a work of art. The right shape, placed in the right spot, with the right details. Really not for originally but because I really like the look.

Thanks again, George

[mickmate]

You're on the right track, anything looks better than that square ended thing that's on the aftermarket. Here's a pic of the glovebox edge.

[GWL]

Wow, great picture Mick. Thanks

The FF dashes are .040", 6061. My thoughts are this is going to be hard to bend/hammer into that shape without splitting. What thickness and alloy metal is used in that dash?

I understand you can anneal the aluminum by heating it up with an acetylene torch (blackening with a rich mixture), burning off the soot with a neutral torch and then quickly cooling it in water. But, will I still be able to shape 6061 into this shape?

The door could be made out of a good quality Birch plywood to the shape because the fabric and beading has to be stapled/nailed onto the edge of the door. Aluminum shaped around the plywood would not work for the door.

Thanks again, George

[mickmate]

Hey George how is your glove coming along. I use 0.050 3003 H14 typically and it forms well without annealing or cracking. I just did a door for a glove.

Also a dash in leather.

[jon@harrison.ne]

You didn't say whether you want a 289 or 427 glove box. My 289 street (not FIA) replica has a dead on dash traced and measured from an original and checked against an original owner's car (he bought it new and still has it so I know it hasn't been altered). The door is cut from 3/8" Baltic or Russian birch plywood. The latch is from a Nash Metropolitan but I turned one out on my lathe from a template of the original. The opening in the dash has a lip about one inch wide that is about 45 deg bent in all around except at the bottom where the hinge lays and there it is horizontal. There is a strap about 3/8-1/2 inch wide and is screwed to the door 2" from the top and 2 1/2" in from the right hand edge and goes to the top and inside the dash (to hold the door level). The 289 dash has no padding under the leather but the glovebox has a very thin ( maybe 1/8") of a fine horsehair pad to give it a subtle curved shape. See my car in my gallery if you can figure out how-I never seem to be able to.

[GWL]

Nick,

Great job on that glove box and thanks for the update and pictures.

I really haven't been working much on my car since I visited your shop last summer. But I have been studying and thinking about that glove box.

Other stuff in life has been getting in the way. Getting our house ready to sell in the spring???. Have bought a small cottage, built in 1908, and I'm in the middle of leveling the first floor........replacing a wall and more. It is balloon framed.

When I get back to my car build in a couple of weeks and get to the glove box I will document how I put it together. Visiting Nicks shop last summer really gave me some good ideas. He is a great guy willing to share ideas and thoughts about Cobras.

Still haven't put my hands on a real glove box to see how it is put together yet.

Jon,

Thanks for the details. I'll read them over again and right now I'm going to try to find your pictures. I am leaning toward the larger 289 glove box but may make it smaller because I'll have a 427 street gauge layout.

Thanks guys, George

Edit: Jon, found your pictures. I just clicked on the camera below your name on the post above mine.

[Rick Parker]

And then you have to ask yourself, now really how important is an authentic lock mechanism.....you know, do I REALLY have to have one. Well do ya?

Austin Healey 3000 Aston Martin DB4 DB5 AC Aceca Metropolitan glove box lock** | eBay

[GWL]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

And then you have to ask yourself, now really how important is an authentic lock mechanism.....you know, do I REALLY have to have one. Well do ya?

Rick,

Not at that price. $389.95. But others here might be. I'm sure someone restoring an original would not hesitate though. If stuff like that sells for that price parting out an old Austin-Healey can be quite lucrative. I have checked Moss Motors and others but it is no longer available, as has been mentioned.

I'm not as concerned about the lock as I am the general look of the glove box itself. I'll come up with something similar.

Thanks for the input, George

[jon@harrison.ne]

That latch was about $200 when I built my car so for about $10 in materials plus chroming I had one that was very close.

[LMH]

Doesn't Cobra Restorers sell a 289 knob for the glove box? Not sure if its the whole latch or just the knob but I seem to remember seeing one on their site.
Larry

[MAStuart]

Larry You beat me to It. They have one listed but pic and discription is not good. Mark

[GWL]

Originally Posted by MAStuart

Larry You beat me to It. They have one listed but pic and description is not good. Mark

I just spoke with Cobra Restorers and that glove box knob is just that, a glove box knob without any working mechanism or key.

George

[jolsen42]

Cobra Restorers is the route that I took. Pic is a little dark.



John O