Very little progress to report. The weather wasn't good enough to paint so I wired in an Alero ignition switch I picked up on Ebay. It fits perfect and will fill the hole next to the radio on the radio bezel. I have most of it wired in (Thanx Tony aka Darknight for the GAGT diagrams), but I was loosing patience with the large gage wires, so I quit before something got broken. I did come up with a neat little tool to help when soldering large gage wires that can't easily be twisted together. It's a pair of large alligator clips that are connected together in a c-shape with a 2" piece of coat hanger. What this thing does is hold both wires together tightly so they can be soldered together. It worked better than I thought it would. I'll get a pic when I return to the garage.

I also decided to go with Firebird door panels. I know these can be made to fit and look damned good. The GA ones were questionable on how close they are to the Fiero door size. I didn't want to spend the money and find they wouldn't fit. I've purchased the driver's side door panel (don't ask what happened to the passenger side !$#$@$!@) and a pair of Firebird inner door handles. I think my plan will be to finish the dash installation first. Then move to the engine. Then I'll come back and finish the doors and the console (and seats and headliner). That should be plenty of work for the next 5 years.

til next time...

[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 05-03-2004).]

If your coat hanger starts bending and not holding especially on the larger guage wires that may need a little force to hold them, try using two clips screwed and glued to a piece of a ruler or other suitable wood. That's what I use and it makes it a breeze!

And to answer your next question NO I HAVEN'T STARTED YET. I've been wiring a 4.9 Caddy install and Looking into CLOSING IN my Carport into a garage. Then I can start on y 240SX. Working on the caddy motor has boosted my confidence in my wiring capabilities. shh. don't tell Wholf or Xracer.

Good idea Stuart. I figured I wasn't breaking new ground here I'm anxious to see yours complete, but I'm enjoying all the work you're doing on everybody elses car, too. I have an idea, why don't you come up to Detroit for a drink, and you can finish my car, too. Heck, I'd even take you over to Hooters for some hot wings

later...

[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 05-04-2004).]

quote Originally posted by stuartlowery: Working on the caddy motor has boosted my confidence in my wiring capabilities. shh. don't tell Wholf or Xracer.

Hey I heard that

Another "Bump" for you Bob, and the outstanding job you are doing on your conversion. Sorry I can't give you anymore +'s........

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Photo Gallery
Harold
308 Rebody on 85GT Chassis
Custom 2000 Firebird Interior
3800SC 3.4 Pulley w/WCF Headers & Reprogrammed PCM
Complete Suspension & Brake Upgrade

[This message has been edited by Wholf (edited 05-14-2004).]

Ok, I've been promising pics of what I've been doing, so I rattled a few off this morning. The first pic is of the cd changer installed with the dash installed. This shows the relationship of the air bag opening to the changer opening. I would have liked to put it back further, but it's obvious that would be difficult with the airbox taking up so much space.

The next image is of the piece that will cover the opening between the dash and changer. It's in rough form right now, undergoing it's first bit of sanding.

Here it is in position in the dash:

and here:

This shot shows the third rev air bag cover over the whole thing. It hides everything real well.

This last pic shows how the cover will flip up (with imaginary hinges) and reveal the changer.

I love your custom fiberglass work. It is a thing of beauty. The only comment I'll make is that with space at such a premium in the fiero I wouldn't take up all that space with a CD changer. In my opinion it's ancient technology and you can fit a lot more music on an MP3 or DVD player that will fit in a single DIN spot. That's what I'm using in all my Fieros.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: I wouldn't take up all that space with a CD changer. In my opinion it's ancient technology and you can fit a lot more music on an MP3 or DVD player that will fit in a single DIN spot. That's what I'm using in all my Fieros.

lol, I love how cd changers are already considered ancient

I like the idea of the changer going in where the air bag was. It's a nice stealth install

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*~ Out In The West Coast Shownin' Off My Bad Habits ~*

Jon, I hear ya. But I'm doing this on a budget, if you can believe that. That's why I was going to use a stock cd/cass head unit. I just couldn't justify the extra expense. Especially with the extra mouth to feed. I'll just have to slum it with a 10 disk changer.

Thought of one other thing. I'm an old timer I listen to old music (Queensryche, Savatage, Ozzy, Dream Theater, Dokken, etc...) all of my music is on cds.

[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 05-15-2004).]

LOL at Slumming it! That is funny. Keep up the good work.

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A coward dies a thousand deaths..................A soldier dies but once.

Red 86 SE
Yellow 87 GT
Gold 86 SE (wrecked)
Red 84 2.5 Coupe

quote Originally posted by RCR: Thought of one other thing. I'm an old timer I listen to old music (Queensryche, Savatage, Ozzy, Dream Theater, Dokken, etc...) all of my music is on cds.

Old-timer?....... Hah!...... I can remember record players........ in cars yet! Still do vinyl (in the house), use a turntable now though!

Burn LPs to CD..... MP3....Nah!.... too lossy!

Old tech or not, I think your cd changer install idea is very creative nice job!!!
Richey

quote Originally posted by RCR: Jon, I hear ya. But I'm doing this on a budget, if you can believe that. That's why I was going to use a stock cd/cass head unit. I just couldn't justify the extra expense. Especially with the extra mouth to feed. I'll just have to slum it with a 10 disk changer. Thought of one other thing. I'm an old timer I listen to old music (Queensryche, Savatage, Ozzy, Dream Theater, Dokken, etc...) all of my music is on cds.

I had a 10 disc changer in my 1994 truck, they are so 90s The CD format dates back to 1982 so it's older than the Fiero.

But here's what I did, I spent about a week and copied all my CDs into my computer. Just about any average computer today has anough room to hold even the largest CD collection, (1000s of CDs). Anyway, I burn what I want to hear, (150 or so songs) onto a single MP3 CD. The vast majority of CD head units these days will play MP3s and they will fit in less than the space of the stock Fiero unit, (single DIN). Assuming you already have the computer, all you need is the head unit which are barely over $100. Just a thought...

- Jonathan

Ps -In my GT I have Cassette for listening to my 80s music that was actually recorded in the 80s, and DVD for the modern movies and MP3s. For listening in the car I doubt that you are going to notice any losses in the MP3 format...amazingly enough MP3 discards about 90% of the data and still sounds almost just as good!

[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 05-16-2004).]

Please, don't get me wrong here....The head unit has a cassette, too. It's behind the face

Over two weeks since last report....
The changer cover is moving along nicely. I think I got the last coat of primer on it before final sanding and finish. Once thats done, I'll need to finish the cover so that the bottom looks nice, and so that it opens. Not sure how I'm going to hinge it. I need to make a trip to Home Depot and check out their cabinet hinges. Any ideas out there???

Once done, then I'll be nearing the home stretch (unless something else pops up--- Almost bought a 512TR body kit, but it got away.)

peace.... Go Pistons...(or as they call themselves, the Pitons j/k).

quote Originally posted by RCR: ... Once thats done, I'll need to finish the cover so that the bottom looks nice, and so that it opens. Not sure how I'm going to hinge it. I need to make a trip to Home Depot and check out their cabinet hinges. Any ideas out there??? peace.... Go Pistons...(or as they call themselves, the Pitons j/k).

For my airbag door, I used an old glove box door from a late 80's GM mid size car. I fastened it to the lid using two part rigid plastic adheasive. It's a piano type hinge but a little more heavy duty than the hardware store variety. Your's looks like it may be more of a challenge.

Good luck and keep posting,
Roy

Hey Roy, thanx for popping in. I was hoping to use something as simple as that, but I don't think it will work due to the odd shape of the cover. It almost needs to lift up and out to clear the back edge and keep it from being visible when closed. The airbox is right underneath, so it doesn't give me a lot of room. Hmmm?????

I'm really stuck on this darned hinge. I'm almost tempted to use magnets to hold it down. I'm still looking for idea, though.... In the mean time I'm working on the engine. Still plenty to do, with no time to do it.

Any luck on those hindges? I just started my engine too. RCR I think the engine side job keeps me from getting too overwhelmed with that pain in the but interior job. I did your pop rivit idea and I learned I am to pushy for the drill I have about 6 holes in vinyl to fix..grr

How about some sort of "J" shaped hinges? Hard to describe without a picture.. Something like a current-day car trunk hinge I guess, where the pivot is at the bottom of the "J", a way back from the edge of the opening.. Kind of like: or Just have to make them from some 1/8" or so metal, and have 2 slots in your fiberglass filler piece, then have the pivot part attach to the underside of the dash... Just an idea! Seems to work well for trunk lids not hitting the car though...

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Bob Williams
Multi-colored '87 Mutt, a work in progress! (3800SC installation in super-super-ssuuppeerr-slow-motion progress... Done for Kansas? Riiiiiiiight....)

Fierodog: That's what I've been doing the last few weeks. I finished the shifter bracket on the trans, and modified the shifter. Way back when I started, I noticed the shifter was kind of close to the dash when it was in park. I also don't like how hi it is. So last week, I chopped 1.5" off the shifter arm. That came out well, and I think it will satistfy both needs.

Riceburner: Thanx for the ideas. As a matter of fact, that's kind of what I'm doing. One problem I have is room. As you can see from the pics, the pivot point for the hinge has to be behind the edge that is lifting. With this airbag door, I don't have room to move the hinge back, at least near the airbox. I am using this J-shape idea, though, but with only one hinge in the middle. I've got about 8 hours of cutting, bending, tapping and welding into this thing, plus another hole in the dash, and it might not work. But I've got to try something. I have to weld one more piece on, and modify the cover to accept it, then I will know whether it will work or not. I am a glutton for punishment, though. I'm already tossing ideas around in my head on how I can make it motorized. Push a button and itt goes up. Push another and it goes down. That'd be slick, but first I need a hinge that works....

I'll post more when I know more.

PS, speaking of glutton for punishment. It looks like my other plan for this car may be a go. I have a Hamann style Ferrari 512 TR kit lined up for possible purchase, so this interior needs to be finished. The wife and kids are going to miss Daddy

RCR is yours an automatic? I have to shorten my shifter to but I have a 5speed But the way it is set up if i mod it like everyone else i will lose that little bend that actually bends backward. This would give me even less clearance so I'll have to chop about 2inches and then rethread the end...by the way anyone know what size thread that is on the manual shifter arm??

Fierodog: Have you looked at JScott's firebird build? He had to do a custom manual shifter also. Oh, yes, mine is an auto.

Another short update. ..

A couple of more hours into the hinge (about 9 total). I welded the piece to mount to the cover. Then I put it together to verify it all worked. No problem. I cut the cover so the mount would recess into it to hide it better. Put it a togeher again to verify the fit and voila'. Garbage....It doesn't work. It won't swing open with the cover in place...I scrapped the whole idea. I came up with a new brain storm that should work better, but compromises the look a bit. More later once I work out the details...

What a lousy night....There's always tomorrow

quote Originally posted by RCR: ... What a lousy night....There's always tomorrow

Been there, done that... Keep at it.

Roy

Almost a month since the last post. Believe it or not, I am still working on it. It just takes a lot of time, especially when I'm averaging about 4 hours a week. I have a bunch of pics that I'll have to post later, but the new design for the cover is working out pretty good. I still have some body work to do, but I hope to have it done soon (ie in the next month or so:rolleyes

till next time...

Well, it's not quite done, but I did put it all together....So, where so I start....

First off, I re-did the center vent section. I figured that I would use the filler piece over the column for extra gauges, so I could use all three vents. This first image shows the modifications to the box. Note the repair work that filled the old exit hole I made.

This next shot shows the finished center section in the dash. This will butt up against the airbox, providing a nice air-tight fit.

This is the airbox in, with foam to seal the edges.

I have been following this thread since the beginning. Excellent craftsmanship! I can hardly wait to see what you do with the doors and center console.

Does the in-dash ignition work?

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1988 Aero 88 coupe.. 2.8l v6.. more mods to come.
Photo Gallery - Fiero Links - WebShop

I'm still watching. Great job.

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Roy

double-click on this link to follow my interior build-up https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/023174.html

Blue 87 GT w/ 4th generation Firebird interior.
Suncoast Fieros

Judged "Best Custom Interior" at the 20th Anniversary Show @ Pontiac, Mich - 7/2003
Judged "Best Custom Interior" at the 8th Annual Fiero Fun Weekend @ Daytona - 3/2004

DotTC: Yes the ignition switch works. It does not lock the column, but it runs the electrical.

Thanx for tuning in Roy...Topcat...

It's been a fun project. I've learned a lot.

[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 09-06-2004).]

Looks great... a lot of work. I've got an entire 1998 Lumina LTZ. I want to use it's steering wheel/column because of the radio controls, I wonder just how bad trying to mount that column will be. I saw someones thread doing the Firebird interior, I think they used it's column somehow.

Good Job so far... but your tempting me to start another project that I probably wouldn't complete... yikes!

Wish you'd figured out a way to not cut up the air bag cover, would be completely stealth then.

[This message has been edited by Scott-Wa (edited 09-06-2004).]

this looks great i am wanting to put a new dash in my car the exterior looks great on mine but interior looks ancient im waiting for my engine to show up probablky wont be fro a while so i need something to occupy my time i like the look of your dash and all the custome stuff i was looking nto a trans am dash but now i dont know but deffinantly want trans am door panels keep up the work man i love it

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Scott-Wa:
The only other way I could think of was to hold it down with magnets or velcro, but I didn't want the cover removeable and floating around if I want to change disks. I think this worked out well, and it isn't that noticeable to the casual onlooker.

Thanx for the comments....

It's been a month since your last post. How 'bout some updates?? That's some awesome work!!

Dave

Monkeyman....

Nothing really to update. I've been working on the engine swap (3800SC). I'm going through some wiring problems, but it's close to starting. (I hope). Once the engine is running, I'll get back to the interior.

Thanx for looking.

Bob