For those of you that have been following, (calling JScott1, and DJdraggin ) here are some sneak peeks at what my door panels are turning into. It has been in the upholstery shop for the last five weeks(originally quoted two weeks) and this is the progress that has been made so far. They are going to try and get it finished up enough by the end of this week/first of next week so Loyde of FastFieros can come and get it. Apparently something happened to the wiring harness and it won't start. Loyde has been meaning to replace it for a while, but I think we were both just waiting to see how long it would last. By the time Loyde get finished with it I will have one smooth, sharp looking ride. Anyway here are the pictures. I will post more when progress is made. Thanks for looking....
how much did these run you . if they can do it again .. mabee i will have them make mine .
Don't choke... $500.00 for both. They had to do some work on the doors to make them sit flush, plus they are making some caps for the ends of my dash. All the plastic was capped and covered to go with the rest of the interior. If you click on the photo gallery in my sig you will see the difference between my attempt and what they have done. I doubt you would want to bring your car all the way to Texas to have them done, but you can always print off pictures of mine and take them to a custom upholstery shop. My guy only had what I told him I wanted to go off of.
Awesome job Wholf. The upholstery make a huge difference.
I am in the process of redoing my door panels as we speak. They should look better than the duct tape I had on there last year, but how much better remains to be seen. I have a custom uphostery shop interested in re-doing mine, but I have to get the car back on the road first before I can get it down there. You should be able to get a look at them in San Antonio next month.
- Jonathan
------------------ If you find my advice useful, then please give me a positive rating, thanks... 1988 GT (Firebird Interior),1988 Coupe (Daily Driver), 1985 SE (Project Car), 1985 Coupe (parts car), Firebird Interior Installation Website
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12:21 AM
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
Awesome job Wholf. The upholstery make a huge difference.
I am in the process of redoing my door panels as we speak. They should look better than the duct tape I had on there last year, but how much better remains to be seen. I have a custom uphostery shop interested in re-doing mine, but I have to get the car back on the road first before I can get it down there. You should be able to get a look at them in San Antonio next month.
- Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan,,,, The shop that did mine said it would of been easier if I would have kept the ends that I cut off. That way he could of grafted them back together to the right dimensions, and then recover them. Instead he had to go to some salvage yards to find pieces that would work. Just a hint for those thinking about doing it this way.
VERY NICE! The $500 is a little *cough* tough to choke down but you can't complain about the end result. I'm looking forward to seeing completed pictures.
VERY NICE! The $500 is a little *cough* tough to choke down but you can't complain about the end result. I'm looking forward to seeing completed pictures.
Tell me about it!! However, as good as the rest of the interior was coming along, I just couldn't keep the door panels the way I did them. Believe it or not the panels look much better in person, so there is no regret in the money spent. I am also planning on the speaker and tweater grills being red, which should really set it off. If Loyde gets finished with her in time I am going to try and make it down to SanAntonio next month and hook up with JScott1. I am also planning on trying to making it to WheatStock in June... Are you attending any of these?
WOW man thats realllly sharp looking.. better then it even sounded while we talked!!! Give the guy a pat on the back for me (even if it took longer then planned, can't rush a good thing!) And I guess you saw but I'm now working on my 3800 swap!!! Looks as if things will go really well. The guy thats going to help with the install was blown away by the who thing. I can't wait to have it all finished! And Pats clip looks killer! Its going on this week.
Shame to hear about the wiring. Hope its something easy to fix and will be Incorporated into the later harnesses. It wont be so easy for me to drop off my car to have it looked over..LOL Looking good bud!!!
------------------ Ferrari 308 GTB rebody on a modified 86SE chasis Soon to have a highly hooped up 3800SC..Ohh yeah baby!! Contacts _ AIM / Zildjianfx _ Yahoo / djdraggin Remember, always brush your milk, drink your teeth, dont do sleep and get eight hours of drugs.
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04:55 AM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
Thanks Dj... I would like to give the guy more then a pat on the back. More like a pat on the head I went by there yesterday and nothing has been done on it since last Thursday. The guy is good, but Daaammmnnn he is so slooooow. As soon as I get some more pictures I will post them. Good luck on your car, and I hope to be able to see it when it is done.
... I am also planning on trying to making it to WheatStock in June... Are you attending any of these?
Man, I wish I could but I doubt it. Too many other commitments. I would like to hook up with you if you ever make it to B&B Spyder. And, pictures never do "our" interiors justice .
Roy
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08:56 AM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
Man, I wish I could but I doubt it. Too many other commitments. I would like to hook up with you if you ever make it to B&B Spyder. And, pictures never do "our" interiors justice .
Roy
Roy It is a shame that you can't make it. As far as I know, John is going to be there, and if I have to tow my car.... I will be there also! I know what you mean about the pictures! When I get mine out of the shop and the interior put back together, I am going to make a short movie clip and see how it turns out. Take care and we will eventually get to hook up some day.
Originally posted by mrfixit58: Man, I wish I could but I doubt it. Too many other commitments. I would like to hook up with you if you ever make it to B&B Spyder. And, pictures never do "our" interiors justice .
Roy
Sorry to hear that too...I am planning on Wheatstock as the national debut of my Firebird interior 100% complete. I was looking forward to seeing you again. I can only attend one major show a year and Kansas is actually closer than Florida.
I am two weeks away from getting the car back on the road after major upgrades... to be previewed in San Antonio. It will only be about 90% complete but improved since it was seen last.
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02:08 PM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
Sorry to hear that too...I am planning on Wheatstock as the national debut of my Firebird interior 100% complete.
John those are my intentions also, because as it stands right now, it does not look like I will make it to SanAntonio. It is still in the shop and I still have to find out where the short is at in the ignition.
Here are some more pictures.... I finally got her back to my garage Friday evening with the help of fellow PFF member and good friend Will-Martin. I was a little dissapointed because even after reconfiguring some things on the door, he still had to use screws to hold them in tight. I also had them do some work on the center console, and use an extra Ferrari badge I had for the middle. I haven't had time to do anything to her yet due to prior commitments, but I am hopeing to get out there this afternoon and start tearing her apart to find the short.
I will post more pictures after I get her put back together, and cleaned up....
I was a little dissapointed because even after reconfiguring some things on the door, he still had to use screws to hold them in tight.
Your door panels look great!! even with the screws. I know how frustrating these panels can be. After getting mine all put back together I forgot to account for the thickness of the trim and now they are too tight. I have to go back and shave off a little bit. I'm so sick of these things. I'm beginning to wish I have gone the route of MrFixit58 and built custom panels on top of the Fiero panels like he did.
Sorry it looks like you won't be at the Round up 8. I will be there one way or the other. I'm prepared to tow my car there if it's not running right.
- Jonathan
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03:23 PM
PFF
System Bot
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
I'm so sick of these things. I'm beginning to wish I have gone the route of MrFixit58 and built custom panels on top of the Fiero panels like he did.
Sorry it looks like you won't be at the Round up 8. I will be there one way or the other. I'm prepared to tow my car there if it's not running right.
- Jonathan
Amen John.... It wouldn't be so bad if it was a one time deal, but this crap of going back and redoing stuff is getting old real quick! I was originally going to do an interior like Curly did using the existing dash, but after seeing yours and MrFixit's, I had to have it. As they say we live and learn something new each day.
Great job Wholf. The whole car looks great. Hopefully someday mine will look at least 1/2 as nice as yours.
[QUOTE]It wouldn't be so bad if it was a one time deal, but this crap of going back and redoing stuff is getting old real quick!
I hear ya... I'm on my third revision air bag cover. No wonder it's taken me over 4 months. [/QUOTE]
Thanks for the compliment RCR.... Exactly what are you doing to your air bag cover to be on the third try? I was originally going to make mine another glove box, but after everything else, I decided against it. Remember pictures are nice..... hehehe
I'm doing a 2001 Grand Am dash. So far it has required a lot of fabrication. Here's the link to the build, https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/043545.html , but to make a long story short, I needed an airbag cover, so I was making my own. For ease of access, I built it on the dash outside the car. Once I put the dash back in, the cover no longer fit, due to a slight twisting of the dash when it was on my stand. #1. So, I started over in the car, built the thing up. With the bottom made and the foam in and cut down, I took it out to fiberglass the top. Once the glass was set, I put it in. Did not fit. #2. Third time was the charm, I built the whole thing in the car. Quite a feat since I can't open the passenger door due to room in the garage. #3
Keep up the good work. Gives me something else to shoot for. (besides Roy's, Jon's and PBJ's)
Bob
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07:47 AM
mrfixit58 Member
Posts: 3330 From: Seffner, Fl, USA Registered: Jul 99
.... I was a little dissapointed because even after reconfiguring some things on the door, he still had to use screws to hold them in tight. ...
OUCH! I think I would have cried. But, upholstery screws will help hid them a bit. Would it be possible to use some sort of a cap that you could pop over the screw head? You knoe, kinda like the screw covers for license plates?
Even so, your interior looks great! I'll bet the car feels totally different to you now.
Roy
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08:18 AM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
OUCH! I think I would have cried. But, upholstery screws will help hid them a bit. Would it be possible to use some sort of a cap that you could pop over the screw head? You knoe, kinda like the screw covers for license plates?
Even so, your interior looks great! I'll bet the car feels totally different to you now.
Roy
Good idea Roy, except I think caps would stick out to far and eventually get knocked off. I am going to pull the screws and replace/paint them to better match the material. What would be nice is some caps like you get in pre-fabbed furniture that stick in the screw head and sit flush. Might have to go buy a cheap book case just to get them and see if they work . I found the short in my ignition and it is in the bundle of wires that slide up and down the steering column for the tilt wheel. Apparently two wires were almost fused together, or at least that is what it looks like to me. Got to get that cleaned up and go shopping for some stereo components and get her put back together. Will-Martin and I are going to still try to make it to the SanAntonio get together this coming weekend and hopefully hook up with John(JScott1) and compare notes. We will probably trailer her down their, since she isn't completed.
I'm doing a 2001 Grand Am dash. So far it has required a lot of fabrication. Here's the link to the build, https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/043545.html Keep up the good work. Gives me something else to shoot for. (besides Roy's, Jon's and PBJ's)
Bob
Bob, I have read your post and you are doing an absolute outstanding job. It appears you are having even more fun then the rest of us did. I really like your gap covers for the end of the dash. I may try doing something like that down the road on mine. Keep up the good work, it is a well documented thread for all to follow.
I like the look and the configuration of everything looks great. One thing that I might comment on is the bracket that you made to hold the steering collumn. I see that you eliminated the slide mounts from the support. Those are there so that in the event of a collision the collumn will colapse and the inner shaft will not pierce into your lungs and kill you before anyone can stop the bleeding. I realize the plan is to just avoid accidents but sometimes it is good to be ready if it does happen.
You got a + from me.
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02:14 PM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
I see that you eliminated the slide mounts from the support. Those are there so that in the event of a collision the collumn will colapse and the inner shaft will not pierce into your lungs and kill you before anyone can stop the bleeding.
Thanks for the plus, and thanks for the information on the possible piercing of my lungs in an accident On a serious note, I , and I am sure the rest of us doing these conversions were not aware of this. Maybe this will encourage those with airbag steering wheels, to actually make them functional.
I see that you eliminated the slide mounts from the support.
What slide mounts? If you're refering to the 3/4" to 1" slides on the top support bracket that bolts to the hoop, those are probably not for collision collapsing. The steering column itself does that. Those slides are probably there for variation in the column lengths and hoop[ position so it can be manufactured. If the column still collapses, you're good to go.
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03:54 PM
Electrathon Member
Posts: 5241 From: Gresham, OR USA Registered: Dec 2002
Here is a pic of the slides. They are glued in place with something similar to hot glue. Their purpose is to allow the collumn to shorten in the event of an accident. If you have ever pulled an inner shaft, it is similarly glued in place. When the impact of the driver slams into the steering wheel the collum housing will shorten as the slides allow it to move. The inner shaft shortens at the same time. This feature is one of the reasons that a driver is more likely to survive a collision than the passanger, it sort of catches the person and slows their the forward momentom. Older cars did not have this feature and would often kill the driver due to lumg/heart perforations.
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04:13 PM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
Here is a pic of the slides. They are glued in place with something similar to hot glue. Their purpose is to allow the collumn to shorten in the event of an accident. If you have ever pulled an inner shaft, it is similarly glued in place. When the impact of the driver slams into the steering wheel the collum housing will shorten as the slides allow it to move. The inner shaft shortens at the same time. This feature is one of the reasons that a driver is more likely to survive a collision than the passanger, it sort of catches the person and slows their the forward momentom. Older cars did not have this feature and would often kill the driver due to lumg/heart perforations.
Hey RCR!!! Didn't you already compress your column to make it fit nicer??? Man, if so you got the double wammy going to happen to you in a head on accident.... Seriously lets hope and pray none of us have to find out the hard way about any of this..
Here is a pic of the slides. They are glued in place with something similar to hot glue When the impact of the driver slams into the steering wheel the column housing will shorten as the slides allow it to move.
Okay I had to edit my post again because I now see how the slide mounts work. I went and pulled the drawings for my bracket and I have the slide mounts in there and they are going in the right direction. MrFixit58 (Roy) has got his in the opposite way. When I copied his bracket I reversed it to make it look the same way it was in the car. Unknowingly I preserved the function of the slide mounts, (even though I didn't know how they worked at the time)
But I still don't think the driver should be slamming into the steering wheel, but just in case...at least my uninflated airbag is nice and cushy, less likely to perforate my heart/lungs
Thanks.
- Jonathan
[This message has been edited by jscott1 (edited 04-13-2004).]
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07:33 PM
RCR Member
Posts: 4416 From: Shelby Twp Mi Registered: Sep 2002
I stand corrected. That's a good picture, showing how it would work. And yes, I shortend the shaft, so now it's further away I guess I'm also trusting in the seat belts and that they should work. Safety precautions are wonderful and all, and beleave me, with my young family, I have a lot to live for, but if you look at all the things that might go wrong, I might as well not leave my house. And then that won't protect me either, because when He wants me, He'll take me. :shrug: What are you going to do???
Thanx for the insight, though....
Bob
[This message has been edited by RCR (edited 04-12-2004).]
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09:45 PM
Wholf Member
Posts: 379 From: Cleburne, Texas Registered: Mar 2003
I guess I'm also trusting in the seat belts and that they should work. Safety precautions are wonderful and all, and beleave me, with my young family, I have a lot to live for, but if you look at all the things that might go wrong, I might as well not leave my house. And then that won't protect me either, because when He wants me, He'll take me. :shrug: What are you going to do???
) here are some sneak peeks at what my door panels are turning into.
.
