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I recently picked up an unfinished early 90’s CMC Speedster-C widebody on a ‘69 bus chassis (with the entire interior etc., in sealed original bags and boxes).  One problem I am facing as I assemble it is that the fiberglass of the dash is so thick that I am unable to get my VW switches (designed for sheet metal mounting) to fit.  So stock VW hazard switch, wiper switch, and headlight switch don’t have long enough threads to span that thick fiberglass.  What have members of this group done about this?  Do I really have to grind down the back of the dash to thin it out?  Thanks in advance for your help.  -Mitch


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If you decide to use the later style VW switches you'll have to go very thin with the FG. Use a 3" wheel on a drill and work it slowly on the back side to reduce the FG thickness. BTW I run a shop vac nearby it pulls a lot of the dust away.  Me, I have used aftermarket switches that have longer threaded shaft along with relays. Then I switched over to these earlier year VW switches that have a slightly longer threaded shaft . They are HD and can handle normal circuits without having to use a replay.    VW Bug Bus Ghia T3 Headlight Switch 311941531A Made In Brazil | eBay

Last edited by Alan Merklin

I had the same problem, so I counter-sunk from the back of the dash an area wide enough for the switch or whatever to clear, and deep enough (from the rear) to leave 1/8" - 3/16" thickness for the switch.  It's been a while, but I believe that I used a rasp bit in a Dremel with the Dremel attachment used for setting depth for removing grout from ceramic tile.  Get your depth set, draw a circle around the hole with a Sharpie as a guide and have at it.

@WOLFGANG posted:

Long sleeve shirt and googles, CUZ:

Measles' make you mumpy and mumps' will make you lumpy
And Chicken pox will make you jump and twitch
The common cold will fool you
And whooping cough will cool you
But sanding fiberglass Lord will make you itch

Your gonna need an ocean
Of calamine lotion
You'll be scratchin' like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

And a good respirator. The powdered resin from grinding/sanding fiberglass  is really toxic.

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