Motec C127 Dash

Hi all,

This is really a question for Andre. I know you have the motec CDL3 fitted into your Toyota 86. I was wondering what mounting points you had used and if you had any photos of the bracket? I've purchased their new C127 display (tight squeeze but it fits) which is fantastic, their pictures don't do it justice. I'm designing and fabricating a mount at the moment and I could use some guidance. The back of the ECU is easy, I'm designing a mount to be either milled out aluminium or printed similar to the below. I am using a flush bezel to mount the display in a piece of carbon fibre sheet which I can shape to the dash outline and fit the control buttons to. But I need some assistance to figure out the best spot to attach it to the car.

Any advice or pictures of your CDL3 mount would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Sorry new here and the photos didn't attach. Stay with me...

Hi JD86,

I have had a look and I think I still have detailed photos of the mount I made. I've attached a pic of it from the front which may help a little. I had a steel plate laser cut that filled in the entire dash area, and the CDL3 fits into this. I welded a couple of tabs onto the back of this that extend back and get sandwiched between the steering column and the chassis. The brackets have a holes in them so to fit the dash I need to drop the steering column down, slide the dash mount in and then do up the column.

The idea for me was that none of the original dash was cut or removed. I can remove the CDL3 dash in about 10 minutes and the car is back to 100% stock. Well except for the turbo kit, ECU, suspension, brakes, exhaust, LSD... you get the idea ;)

Richard Moss at Motorsport Electronics in Auckland (MSEL on here) has a neat mounting kit for the C125 as he did the NZ TR86 series over here. I'm not sure if this could be tweaked to suit the C127 though. I've attached a pic of his solution from the Speedhunters article on the Synergy V8 powered 86 he developed.

Thanks Andre,

That's really helpful as I was thinking something similar. To fit the C127 in there I have to drop the steering column almost all the way down as it's a really snug fit. The photos that I posted are with the column lifted back up slightly to wedge it in there. I went for a quick drive with it like that without any bracket and it didn't move, but the last thing I want is for me to be cornering hard on the track and it to get knocked out. I'm pretty sure I can get something similar to yours

I had actually found some photos of the Synergy V8 car with the C125 in there earlier this week. Fantastic solution, just not sure it will fit the 127. I also didn't think you could remove the stock cluster on our cars. Last time I had it out the car wouldn't even start. That was before I had the M150 installed though. Or has he left the cluster in and just removed the instrument face and covered the elctronics with a carbon sheet?

Side bar, that car is amazing. I love the sound of that V8, and if I had a spark $100k there would be another yellow synergy V86 in the world.

We have 3D printed face panels which enable you to use either a C125 or CDL/SDL/ADL product instead of the replacement binnacle. The photos from the Speedhunters article show what we have done. We use the original factory binnacle surround (modified) and the original clear plastic cover which goes over the OEM instruments.

We also have an adapter loom to go between the factory instrument cluster connector on the OEM wiring loom to the Motec connector. This saves cutting off the original connector so it is easy to install the original OEM instrument cluster again in the future.

Unfortunately we cannot get the C127 or C187 dash to fit in the space. We have tried but they are unfortunately just a little bit too big.

Hi Richard,

As it happens I had a spare instrument cluster from a wreck sitting around my office. I disassembled it and came to the same conclusion as you about the 127/187 being too big to mount there. It's a shame because it's only just too big by a few mm in each direction. Even if I was to cut away the rings neatly the LED's would be half hidden and I think I'd have to remove some of the base of the binnacle.

If I could squeeze it in there I'd look at getting your adapter loom, that sounds like a neat solution. But I'm doing up a design for something similar to Andre's CDL3 mount that will squeeze between the column and the dash and will just connect to the spare canbus spots on the ecu.

Thank you both for your help, it's been greatly appreciated. I'll let you know how I go.

-Jordan

Post up a pic of your finished result. I'm interested to see how it turns out.

Hey Jordan,

Are you a Sandgroper?

Will do Andre, printing the prototype next week as long as work doesn't get too busy.

Mr BlackRex I am indeed from the Western side of Australia.

Okay, I believe that I know who you are now, I have spoken to you a number of times.

I'll be honest I have no idea who you are and don't recognise your car! Sorry mate!

I believe that I may have just replied to an email from you regarding CAN bus wiring, for this dash, otherwise there are two Jordan's with modified 86's that have M1's and C127 displays in Perth!

Haha Hi Stephen, there's now four 86s in perth with M1's that I'm aware of. I'm the only one with the C127 at this point though.

First draft. The aim is eventually to intergrate the C127 flush mount bezel with a waterjet cut carbon fiber sheet to shield the stock cluster and mount my buttons and a rotary switch in. But I want to get the mount secured first. Looking at the size of backing needed to cover the bolts on the 127 and gap that I'm putting it into it might be just as easy to have the bracket squeezed between the hood of the instrument cluster and steering column as it will be under the cluster.

It's probably a little on the large side, but I'd rather have the first draft printed a little large and be able to shave it down then and measure the fitted piece have it under sized.

Thanks to Motec for posting detailed enough drawings that I didn't have to measure anything on the unit!

My OCD got the better of me when I finished my work for my clients this week. I now have two prototype designs being printed next week and a draft of the final design done up. Just want to see which of the prototype bases works the best first.

I like your style! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Little bit of a necro on this thread... Apologies for the delay I've been in and out of the country more than 50% of the time on work trips since last I updated this.

However I'm almost done... With a few helpful suggestions from Richard Moss I've gone for a complete cluster replacement. I'm printing a hanging mount for the back now that bolts into the same spots as the stock cluster. With a jumper harness from MSEL from their C125 unit it's about a ten minute job to swap between this cluster and the original factory one (and the buttons on the right of the dash now control the dash which is awesome).

Ignore the fact that the carbon fibre is 1x1 and the pattern is slightly out of line, I was just using some spare sheeting I had to make up templates.

Looks good! That's a big display to fit in the 86 cluster. Well done.

Great result - surprised you could get the 7" display in there.

Cheers Richard,

Couldn't have done it without your helpful hints. I'll send you through some photos of the back to give you an idea of what I trimmed from the cluster to get it in there once I've done my last mock up. It's actually a really good fit if you're careful with the trimming (it took me three attempts to get one I'm happy with). The curve on the top of the 86 matches the curve of the shift lights and it squeezes in tight to the point that I considered not running any additional supports and just double sided taping it in for security. I changed my mind on that though and have printed off a bracket to test fit tomorrow. Happy to share some designs and ideas with you if you want to offer the larger unit to your customers in the future..

if you could shoot the photos it would be great. We are just looking at what the next steps in our project car are and we are looking at doing a bit with Display Creator.