Haven't seen this one yet, but I am sure it is a staple into each owner of a second hand vehicle ...
These are some of the horrors I've met when taking apart stuff that was not working, or not part of the vehicle originally ... this topic is meant to amuse the experienced, to scare the unwary, and in general to promote despising those creating such works of art ...

Attempt at solving battery drain with rallye style on-off switch

by making a hole into the pillar

bodge job on the windscreen washer

just a little bit of dirt ...

you can always evaluate the level of dedication of the diligent P38 owner by forensic examination of the remains of the scuttle panel filter ....

I've never understood what was the purpose of this ...

and finally .... aaah! a classic from one of my favorite characters: the LPG installer! Together with the audio "pro" and the alarm "wizard", the typical LPG installer completes a fantastic trio whose aim in life seems to be only to ruin classic car posterity ... in this particular case, what was the need to drill thru this ... oh well. By the way, using the same cable from the switch I've moved it from "there" to inside the ashtray, without trouble. Despicable people ...

Well, I got more, but now is your turn to delight the crowds! :-)

There you go, fixed! In any case before drilling I wait to see if I can get suitable senders!

Next in line: transmission temperatures!

I've noticed both gearbox and transfer box are fitted with temp switches, which conveniently provide the BeCM temp data of some sort, which conveniently is not provided to the driver except by the "OVERHEAT" message and associated dings and dongs.
Now looking at the ETM from the transfer gearbox comes out from switch X174 the signal, and from the oil cooler is the gearbox temp signal. Both go only to the BeCM and instrument panel. I am thinking both are useless to hijack it since probably are dumb off-on switches, but since SPA design offers a twin temp gauge which looks made to match the green on black LEDs in the P38, why not get both data in.
Now, I haven't, but has anyone else seen an auto temp gauge on a P38? Am I going to be the first one? :-)

I also have dash and HeVAC out and haven't found anything of the sort, which means:

• I have not come across it, or;
• I have not broken it or broken anything that contains it, or
• Somebody else before me has messed around and lost it, or forgot to put it where it goes.
  All three options are likely ... sorry can't be of help :-)

I like this thread! I hope I do NOT have anything to contribute ever! lol! :-)

Not bad! Not bad!
The "leather" has a similar texture to the original one, this is good. If you kept the gaps aligned it will look like it belongs there.
Now you got me to try to make my photo gallery work properly ... so I can post some photos as well

Do as I did ... take your sensor and go around BMW breakers (if any specialized in that in your area), if they know their biz they will recognize it and just snip the cables with the plug. Should cost you next to nothing, nobody wants or needs such parts :-)

Mine has the orangish britpart it was hard-ish but acceptable ... they were leaking tho.
I've fitted the Boge (I did find all fours, you just need more ...luck browsing around) and I fitted but I do not like them (made maybe 500km with them), the ride is very soft and comfy but for towing and my driving I need to go back to something firmer. So they will go.
I got a box with some Terrafirmas (standard) but have not fitted them yet.
Wish I had found Monroes ... Bilstein we use them in our Ur-S projects and they are really the best of the bunch, always.

Great! Now shows us this atrocity! lol!

Some photos I managed to make to show what I am trying to figure out for the instrument's placement ...

And this is the "inner" part or underside of the dash, where it meets the heater box.

And the heater box ...

EDIT: I manage to make the quick links work directly as images! I knew was not (so) dumb!

Good job! Bravo! I see this in my future ... ugh

... One thing he did suggest was using a hot weather thermostat and pipework from a Discovery 2 as this lowers the running temperature of the engine slightly.
Would you expand on that? Just out of curiosity ... like I've posted elsewhere, once I got water pump thermostat and radiator new, my temp has rarely exceeded 90 deg ...

I'm also pondering the idea of trying to fit an aftermarket oil temperature and coolant temperature gauge so I can see what's going on rather then relying on the temperature gauge. Someone recently posted a video of the temperature gauge on Facebook and it didn't go off the scale until the engine was getting very hot.
The temp gauge start to woobble towards the warm side after 117deg (checked with the nano and the scangauge), shoots towards the red at 120 and the light goes on at 122-123. At 120 the A/C will not turn on (engine overrides hevac) but sometimes the fan will not go anyway. Piss-poor design.
I was made aware the temp gauge in the instrument cluster has a "pot" that can be "trimmed" (sounds like a gardening course). I wait to have the chance to get the cluster on my hands and see how that goes.
For the aftermarket gauges, as I've mentioned here https://rangerovers.pub/topic/1699-ideas-and-options-for-auxiliary-instruments I got a MadMan EMS3 which I will try to fit in a pod in the dash. Offering oil and temp inputs, coolant level and temp, among other things, I think is a nice package even considering its price (around 200).
To fit a sender though, I think the space is very limited, so maybe a 'hose kit' will be needed. I need to dig inside the engine bay to see ... but you got the engine right in front of you lol :-)

I have mine to install when the weather loosens up a little.
Tank part number 17111712641, sensor part number 61311384739, and I got a plug for the sensor from a breaker.
Will make photos :-)

How much of a gap are we talking? If is only to fit the DVD where the VHS is, then "weld" with a solder some plastic until you get a narrower hole, then just trim/sand it until you get an adequate shape. If you have skilled hands or catch the angle right, you are ready for finishing directly
Me, I don't have the touch of my colleague and always end up misshapen, so I need to use the filler to level

Remember, a VERY good source of quality ABS pastic are old car parts! For example, a discarded door card ... better an older car that had fairly "straight" cards. Also an old plastic box, or tray, are suitable donors. An old flat shovel ... just look around you! I rarely buy new stuff for these works ... rummaging around your junk you might find unexpected surprises! :-)
Once I've used the "bed" of a broken toy dump truck ....

Not so easy to visualize (this reminds me need to load up pics myself!) ... so your console should (have been) be like this:

https://i2.wp.com/www.landmag.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/rr_autobiography_gen-2-vhs_105363.jpg
(photo is biig!)

If by "face plate" you mean the portion where the VHS player is located in the photo, once you have built the "frame" (wood is fine) you can use a sheet of plastic and make a cutout for the DVD player face itself. After sanding you can paint it in black (matt always, looks better) or wrap it together with the upper portion in leather, etc.

If instead what you need to do is "remake" the top section (the one above the player in the photo, where the headphones jack is), then you can use body filler to add material as desired, once cured (dry) you can use sandpaper of various dimensions to trim and shape the filler until you are satisfied.
We do this process fairly often in our workshop when we are adapting aftermarket or custom solutions for our projects (example: additional light fixtures in the car's ceiling, or a radio of a different shape/size).

A simpler options - messier as well - is to use the spray foam for insulation, again once you have made the proper frame and base spray the can (shake well, use gloves and remember the sticky mess gets messier by the minute lol!).
Once it had dried - will grow in size dramatically, so be careful when spraying) you can use a sharp knife to cut the biggest chunks, and then again take the sandpaper and play around.

Compliments to want to restore a rare accessory!

They say you do choose your ride, but sometimes your ride chooses you. This certainly applies in this case!!!
Nice introduction, happy you have found your love-for-life (at least until some new ecoterrorism takes place)!
Cheers

i'm still "dash off" too... on the indentation on the top of the dash - there's the soft skin - and a layer of ABS straight under which would take a self tapper. If you drill it and self-tap it there's no reason why you should have an air leak (any more than every other join in the ducting), but you cd add some RTV if it was a concern. However the windscreen edge is a lot clearer than the cabin edge if you're drilling blind. I think i'd be tempted to use a good double-sided tape. The wires can come up through the centre vent, and follow the same route as the alarm/ sun sensor wiring

Not so much worried about drilling or air leaks, problem seems to be that the heater box with its dreaded motorized flaps sits right under the indentation ... if the instrument pod is fitted offside no problems, but the way it is ... I need to bring them close and make a few measurements, once the snow melts. The windscreen end is too far away, the MadMan uses buttons to switch through the inputs ....
Wires from the centre vent! From the top of the dash! Horror! lol :-) I avoid cables on sight whenever possible ;-)

Sorry I made a mess in the post above tried to fix it couple time but I am making more mess ... well read more carefully, sorry! :-)

For oil pressure you could use something like this
I like it! Will get one and fiddle with it! I already have the two sensors just need to fit them. Next oil change ... cool!

You are aware that you can adjust the reading on the temperature gauge aren't you?
No, I was not aware of this and I would have not even imagined such thing possible except with physical adjustment or electronic calibration with sophisticated equipment ... this is very interesting. I will fish the instrument panel from the rubble in the garage and will open it up - I want chrome 'bling' surrounds on the instruments, can't help myself lol :-) - and will check for that ... if you drop a line or two on how to make it it would be great!

Which BMW header tank do people use.
I do not know for what model exactly, my mates in Italy use for the D2 the tank BMW part no. 17111712641, same dimensions as the LR one. It fits perfectly, but have been told you need to fiddle a bit with the lower pipe or put some spray grease to help it fit in. I have bought it (new, don't want to risk a secondhand one) for around 50 euro.
The level sensor is BMW 61311384739, I got a Febi/Bilstein for like 10 euro.
If you are good with electrical/wiring you can make your own connector, I just went to a guy I know that breaks BMWs with the sensor, and he cut me the appropriate plug from one derelict 5er. I like clean looks ...

I do already have the Scangauge taking stuff from the ODB port to give me a number of readings available from the Motronic, that would be Intake Air Temp, Engine Coolant Temp, Timing, Throttle/Engine Load (with calculated Horse Power and Torque Request, I assume this is part of the data exchanged between engine and gearbox), some consumption calculations (instant and average, liters per hour, etc.), fuel loop (lambda control), MAP, RPM, km/h, TPS position, and that is it.
What I am after is info not provided as part of the "standard" package, or that the Scangauge can't read/obtain. Does the Torque app offers more on the P38? I have a mate that use it with great satisfaction, I could ask him to plug it in ... but it is very basic.
I will go along other data in later posts ... one thing at the time!

Nice indeed ... rare find! For those who want one!

Talking about strange stuff, I've seen one door cards with the mid-speaker (the cloth grill one) surround in chrome (plastic). Unfortunately was not a complete set. Anyone has seen that at all?

Other weird things are the window blinds for rear doors and tailgate. I've seen couple cars for sale with the rear door ones, never the tailgate. We are talking obviously about impossible to find items.

Same as the load retention hooks in the luggage area. From the accessories' catalogue, they look suspiciously similar to the Free1 models ... luckily under the carpet the boot floor has threaded holes you can attach any form of bolt/shackle/hook arrangement.

More about mysterious stuff? :-)

Mentioned somewhere my mistrust and disaffection for OE instruments, geared to provide minimal relief to unwary drivers, and in the case of the P38's ECT, downright scary - having the Nano reach 117 and the needle isn't moving because it moves after 120 is worthy of distateful words for whoever designed it that way.
I always thought of getting some extra info, I reutilized my old Scangauge and fitted it where the front ashtray is, and use it to monitor IAT and ECT more precisely (at least I know better when I am going to blow!), along with fuel calculations for trip computer, VLT, etc. But this is not enough.

I have a battery of old school VDO gauges I was going to fit to my HZJ laying around inutilized, but they barely match the clean shapes of the P38 cockpit, so I decided to settle for a more sober look and just put something small where the rubber mat sits in the dashboard, and just fit up to three gauges. Now is where the fun starts.

1) has anyone ever installed or seen anything installed there? Having the dashboard out (all peeled off, I had a lot of fun with the glue!), I would like to drill and run all cables while everything is accessible. I've noticed the dash center indentation where the mat goes fits fairly well a mini MudPod, which does fit three gauges and has a similar "grain" finish to the top of the dash, ok, but the underside is taken by the ducts of the HeVAC, there is not much room to manouver. Any opinion before I drill carelessly? :-)

2) to minimize the mess but maximize the info I found that the Madman EMS is a nice pretty package, recommend you look at it. Price is hefty, but has a lot of inputs. Unfortunately, the EMS2 is out of production, its black/green dial was perfect to match the rest of the dashboard. The new EMS3 is full color like those Japanese aftermarket radios, but that is what it is. Inputs are VLT, EGT (I guess don't need this on the V8 at the time, unless I go S/C), CLD (Coolant level), ECT (Coolant temp), Oil pressure (or Boost), Oil temp, and up to 2 outputs where via relay you can activate something else, for example the condenser fans.

3) Now, I got all the wiring for the MadMan and I am wondering where to attach myself to. I will run all wires to the engine bay, but leave the EGT disconnected at the time. My plan was to wire:
a) Oil pressure - what to use? there is like no place to fit one around the filter, maybe one of these "sandwitch flanges" that fit in between filter and block?
b) Oil temp - not sure yet usually the suggestion is a plug in the sump, either drilling, or replace the sump plug with one with the sensor. I do not like any of these ideas, so I thought the following: the gearbox cooler has a temp sensor on the side (more on this later), what if I fit one to the engine oil cooler and monitor from there? I am planning to take the gearbox cooler sensor out of my donor Rangie and run it with a tester to see what response it provides ....
c) Coolant temp is fairly easy, I will select the hottest point - I think is the top hose - to have a separate reading from the sensor that feeds the Motronic (and the Nano or the Scangauge in my case). 2 readings is better than one!
d) Coolant level is also easy, I had a mate in Italy done in his D2, using BMW expansion tank with provision for a sensor and a sensor itself, wired accordingly
e) back in the day where every hot day was a dat of terror, I've spliced into the switch for the condenser fans to have the possibility to activate them manually. I will now wire this switch to the MadMan relayed output, to have the gauge directly activate the fans once a worrisome temp is detected.

Since I am not a master in electrics, anyone that wants to throw a suggestion on this ... be welcome - even a "why are you bothering?" but I have already passed that stage :-)))

Will write later about the other auxiliary gauges I am planning ...

They are the same as fitted to trucks but cut to shape. It's these https://www.truckware.co.uk/acatalog/Anti-Spray_Mudflaps_-_Manufactured_by_Clearpass.html

Now you broke the magic lol! I was expecting some fancy unique LRSV item, not a banal truck accessory! Just joking! I will check them out, I already have heavy rubber mudflaps which need to be 'cut to size' but I've not fitted them yet. For a later stage ... thanks!