Modernizing Vintage Panels?

[cctsurf]

50 minutes ago, MCDsiena said:

I did this myself with the total cost probably under $100 bucks including the powdercoat.

BEAUTIFUL!  I would love to have a panel that nice!  Honestly, on some of these upgrades to glass, I'd love to have the panel they started with.

If I can ask some questions, have you read Jonathan Paul's description of the work necessary behind the panel?  http://www.jonathanpaul.org/pdf/NewPanel.pdf  He claims that he had to cut out a lot of structure behind there for the gauges to fit.  Doing yours, did you feel as though you had to cut a lot out?  I'm very diy and would love to do as you have done.

Second question, I read a lot about people taking out the bottom shock mounting to get the bottom of the panel to be vertical.  Is that what you did?  I know people say that it's not a problem, but my IA is a bit skeptical.

I have a lot to do on my mooney, but if I could get a 6-pack for the investment of time and $100, I'd be all over it.

Thanks!

[carusoam]

Jonathan Paul covered a few things in that paper...

Including the wording to be used...  Some words that are only understood by mechanics...

'cutting out a lot of structure' leaves something important out....

Make sure you are working closely with your mechanic on what you are going to do before spending huge sums of money putting it all back.

Doing it right can save huge sums of money while producing great results.  Doing it on your own and Cutting out a simple piece of 'structure' could get incredibly expensive.  

The old instrument panels used shock mounts.  Mostly because the old instruments required them.  Make sure your instruments don't require or benefit from the little rubber bits.

PP ideas, not from a mechanic or instrument guy...

Best regards,

-a-

 

[steingar]

I'll be the fly in the ointment today.  if its your airplane you get used to the layout pretty quick.  Unless you're renting the thing out why do you care?  If you're going to upgrade to glass then it starts to make sense, but to spend 5 AMUs just to move some instruments around sounds like lunacy to me.  If its that important to the next guy he can spend the cash.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, hish747 said:

Is that a Comanche 400?

I'm not allowed to say which type it is.  I don't want to be banished to some remote island.  Lets just say that it's not a Mooney.

Clarence

 

[Marauder]

4 hours ago, hish747 said: Is that a Comanche 400?

I'm not allowed to say which type it is.  I don't want to be banished to some remote island.  Lets just say that it's not a Mooney.

Clarence

 

By acknowledging that it's not a Mooney you should be banished :-)

Off to the island of fat women you go!

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[Guest]

Just now, Marauder said:

By acknowledging that it's not a Mooney you should be banished :-)

Off to the island of fat women you go!

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Any pictures of the islands inhabitants in suitable attire?  If I lower the fuel load to less than 100 gallons I can carry their snacks.

Clarence

[Marauder]

Just now, Marauder said: By acknowledging that it's not a Mooney you should be banished :-)

Off to the island of fat women you go!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Any pictures of the islands inhabitants in suitable attire?  If I lower the fuel load to less than 100 gallons I can carry their snacks.

Clarence

Here is one you met. Remember her?

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[Guest]

Just now, Marauder said:

Here is one you met. Remember her?

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Ah yes I do, but she was wearing a grass shirt and a pair of coconuts.  I think she may have lost weight too.

Clarence

[Marauder]

Just now, Marauder said: Here is one you met. Remember her?

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Ah yes I do, but she was wearing a grass shirt and a pair of coconuts.  I think she may have lost weight too.

Clarence

She has lost some weight just for YOU! Personally I think it was because she knew a Comanche couldn't hold you, her and her daily rations. I applaud her effort.

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[FloridaMan]

On 5/28/2016 at 8:33 AM, glafaille said:

I researched the panel issue during my recent Mooney M20C search.  The answer you are looking for is this:  About $2000 to modify just the left side of the panel using a Lake Aero manufactured replacement panel.  To modify both sides and center with an entirely new panel figure $5,000.  

The problem is; while you have it all a part what else will you do to run the price up?  Some of us are good at limiting expenses, some are not.

That's a bit on the high side, but I guess it's the value of your time. You could send your DXF files to Discount Steel out of Texas and have your aluminum panels cut out by them and I wouldn't expect it to be more than a couple hundred dollars. For prototyping this sort of thing, I used to use my vinyl cutter before I got my laser. 

[Raptor05121]

That sounds like so much fun.

[Bob_Belville]

My avionics shop says our modern, no vacuum tubes, avionics do not need the shock mounts. If fact a little vibration is a good thing in certain respects.

[drapo]

On ‎2016‎-‎05‎-‎30 at 0:38 PM, cctsurf said:

BEAUTIFUL!  I would love to have a panel that nice!  Honestly, on some of these upgrades to glass, I'd love to have the panel they started with.

If I can ask some questions, have you read Jonathan Paul's description of the work necessary behind the panel?  http://www.jonathanpaul.org/pdf/NewPanel.pdf  He claims that he had to cut out a lot of structure behind there for the gauges to fit.  Doing yours, did you feel as though you had to cut a lot out?  I'm very diy and would love to do as you have done.

Second question, I read a lot about people taking out the bottom shock mounting to get the bottom of the panel to be vertical.  Is that what you did?  I know people say that it's not a problem, but my IA is a bit skeptical.

I have a lot to do on my mooney, but if I could get a 6-pack for the investment of time and $100, I'd be all over it.

Thanks!

One thing to remember is that Mr Paul was installing the 9 hole panel, which is more troublesome. If you stick with the 8 hole panel, apart from a few cuts, nothing major, it is pretty feasible. But I always rely on my A&P for those special things. It costs some more money for labor, but he does in a few hours what I would do in a couple of  weeks...

[MCDsiena]

I had to do some minor trimming of the interior lip to fit the annunciator for the 300XL like Daver said above, very easily done with a die grinder. Everything else fit nicely, I didn't have to cut anything structural and if I didn't have the annunciator for the GPS I wouldn't of had to trim anything.  

The panel is vertical and I did this by using the original shock mounts on the bottom and mounting the top shock mounts on small aluminum spacers I turned on the lathe, I don't recall the length but less than an inch.  This extra spacing on top kept the panel vertical and allowed a little extra room for the AI indicator and gear lights.  

The right panel I simply removed the plastic overlay copied it in aluminum, mounted the intercom in the giant space where the ADF used to be, powder coated and put it back on covering the existing panel just like the plastic overlay previously did. 

[0TreeLemur]

David, thank you for posting this photo set.  Simultaneously inspirational and scary (the last one).   You have definitely got me thinking.

[cctsurf]

Those of you who have done the lasar panel upgrade, can you speak to what they use for shock mounts?  I hear regularly on here that they are not necessary, however, my understanding is that Lasar provides new shock mounts and does not just hard mount the panel to the bottom.  Is that correct?  I think if I can get that information, I would be willing to make one DIY, I don't really want my expensive instruments dying prematurely because of a hard-mounted panel.

@David Herman, you said that you contacted Lasar about the shock mounts, does that mean that you bought their panel or just asked them questions for your own panel?  Do you remember what mounts you used?

Those of you who have hard-mounted the panel, have you had problems with your gyros?

THANKS!

Edited December 4, 2017 by cctsurf

[Jstickler76]

Here is the panel going in my 65.. nothing to fancy just a simple refresh. 

[cctsurf]

12 hours ago, Jstickler76 said:

Here is the panel going in my 65.. nothing to fancy just a simple refresh. 

Looks beautiful, that's the final product I'd like to have.

Are you doing this with your A&P, or are you having someone else do it?  What are you doing for mounting?

I'm thinking about replacing the whole of my left side panel, down below the switches and control cables, however, it seems to me that I would have to disconnect all of the cables and then reinstall them to do the job, I'm not certain I want to go to that work...

[Jstickler76]

I have been doing most the work myself in my spare time. And my A&P goes behind and checks my work. 

[MBDiagMan]

Contact Don Maxwell.  He has a great sheet metal guy that built the panel for the F I am buying.  I expect that he could build one and send it to you for installation.

[Jstickler76]

Here is the current state of the panel!  It’s been taking awhile due to my schedule but making progress. 

[powder_hounder]

Your panel looks similar to my 67F panel, but my panel still has the old simulated wood plastic trim, etc. I would be interested in learning more about your panel upgrade if you have the time to chat.