Sunday I put the maindash back in place, hooked up only a few connectors..lol.. and took it for a drive. The vent does reflect some but it is very low on the windshield and not in the direct line of sight and it is not disturbing. I bet a painted fiberglass dash will reflect a lot more...and I try to stay in style Got the speakergrills recovered too. Before mounting the dash there was some (re)wiring to tackle, wired the sidemirror blinkers but they didnt work at the first test (and the battery was low) will check that later, also did the "pegging temperature gauge" rewire.....not sure if it did anything because the gauge was dead to start with. Mounted and tiewrapped the crossovers and speakerwires.....I have pushed them behind the dash for years and they kept falling down once in a while...done now! Down to the midconsole, I have a shifter rebuild kit from Rodney sitting and this is the time to do it The shifter assembly wasnt worn much but after the rebuild it feels a lot better. Routed the vacuum line of the vac/boost(!) gauge and an always hot + for the 7-led gauges, so they remember the setting instead of giving the colorcycle lightshow every time I start the fiero..hehe. more coming
IP: Logged
03:02 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
next is to hookup the window relays. Started with the passenger side in case I screw up Woohoo, I made something electrical and it works! Other side works fine too. I have been looking at several spots in the midconsole to fit these relays and wiring, best option is in front of the shifter; theres a lot of empty space there. Figured where to mount the relays to the existing bracket, 3 from this side and one here. It also cleanes up the old mirror wiring around the shifter this way.. ...hmm some tweaking..?
I am so impressed with your skill and attention to detail, seriously way to go man. Can't wait to see more pics, any chance of some full desklid shots, I wanna see how all the vents and grills look together.
IP: Logged
04:38 PM
Apr 20th, 2006
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
^ sorry I discovered I dont have many pics of these vents together... this shows how it works with the rearend... and heres some pre-fitting of the passenger side dash...I guess it will make sense when everything is done, painted or upholstered
IP: Logged
07:01 PM
doublec4 Member
Posts: 8289 From: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2003
Thanks cc4 My goal still is to make it look like some evolution Fiero dash....and maybe some bling in the details...
Ive been trying several glue-methods to get the vinyl stick and stay in shape. The regular carpetglue I used for the main dash is kind of brittle when its dried up and it still smells bad in the car, tried some professional spray on glue on an other part, it sticks well but doesnt hold stretched vinyl. Hot glue gun was the answer....Here I used the spray glue on the top and hot glue at the back to get a nice fit
Trying out one other idea to see how it will match with the TT vent...I call it the "Streak" I am not starting to buildup the doorpanels yet but just wanted to see how it lines up its just a cheap piece 8mm diameter aluminium tubing, it will snap right into your doorpanel, could do some hidden mounting but I just used 3 bolts now hmmmm...what if....yes a 5mm led is just a drop in! might have to get some red leds now....lol..funny how these things pop up...
IP: Logged
03:12 PM
Apr 27th, 2006
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
dusted off the rear midconsole plug (aka subwoofer housing) and started to do some more smoothing and prepping for taking a mold hopefully in the next weeks
...got the right frame ready for the last coat of primer and some paint. It needs another layer and some clear but it starts to look like this:
damn its coming along great!!! Question, interior only, how much is this project cost?? What is your approximate cost for your completed interior? Just to give me an idea. Thanks!
damn its coming along great!!! Question, interior only, how much is this project cost?? What is your approximate cost for your completed interior? Just to give me an idea. Thanks!
with or without the time invested...
your car is amazing. keep great work.
IP: Logged
01:31 AM
May 12th, 2006
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Its hard to quote the costs.. Its not killing my "budget" for shure...I am not really keeping a record of the costs and what do you count in? The material costs only are not that high.....off course labour is the biggest bill if someone gets paid for it lol From my body buildup I learned some better planning and testing but it still takes many hours. The basic materials dont have to be costly....I guess the supplies of fiberglass/bondo/primer/paint etc maybe $200 so far, used TT parts (vents/shiftring/cluster) eehm total $200....3 aftermarket aux gauges shipped from the usa about $180, I bought the mrmike seats and the stereo setup more then 5 years ago...many of these costs are spread over past years And it comes down to your personal taste what you spend where... So in short a basic custom dash buildup can be done without many costs but needs ideas and a lot of work to get it done nicely...all the bells and whistles are the big variable in such a project...
Oww, I owe an update on the subwoofer housing, next post
IP: Logged
02:01 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
from right to left: my old subbox, plug of the new one and a rough mold of it...and still no product lol. I have long arms so when I built my first subbox I tried to build a small but efficient box...in the new design the sub is moved upwards so its even more ergonomic...time for layup tweeked the front ring and the sub fits fine I am cutting some corners because I want to finish it soon...I have to make 3 seperate pieces from one mold and extent some edges afterward so they fit well together
IP: Logged
03:21 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Took out the midconsole parts off the Fiero yesterday.....one reason: by accident (or luck) I used a slighty different paint # on the right dash part...but it looks much better with both the interior and exterior colors so I want to repaint the already finished midconsole pieces with the new color. Second or main reason is to make it easier to mockup the new parts for testfitting, modelling, testfitting modelling and testfitting so thats the first job starting here the start of completing this piece,,,cant wait to cover it. ... right now I have to hotwire every startup without having my usual switches! lol
thanks magot how is your project going? I have a meeting tomorrow so thats some nice deadline to get some stuff done....did a lot today cleaned up the interior lol stripped most of the finished panels, wetsanded them with 400grit and did a repaint and clear. this one is just before paint putting some of it together again want to get that midconsole piece done... hot glue, a nife and some vinyl....yeah I burned and cut my fingers a few times but damn its starting to look good!
IP: Logged
04:46 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Your skills are really coming together, if you dont mind my asking how old are you? You should get out and let people see your work so you can get the chance to share it with the world. Thanks for taking the time and letting us see your work. Jake
[This message has been edited by Jake_Dragon (edited 05-13-2006).]
Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: Your skills are really coming together, if you dont mind my asking how old are you? You should get out and let people see your work so you can get the chance to share it with the world. Thanks for taking the time and letting us see your work. Jake
Jake, I am 35, maybe young enough to have crazy ideas and old enough to have patience to get it done.. I put the finished and unfinished stuff in for the meeting...heres a few I snapped afterwards Its gonna flow nice when its done... Here are a few pics of todays meeting, parked next to Stan (my-fiero) later in the day 7 more fiero's About 500 american cars and classics attended today, I have a lot more pics but may post them in a seperate thread if you would like to see them..
Yeah I am pretty happy how it turns out, also the subbox doesnt interfere while shifting so form and function work well so far
Uhm youre right about the doors.... Ive been working on some ideas though Here are the latest sketches: analog digi still needs some tweeking and sorting but its coming closer to a startoff point for a buildup....
IP: Logged
05:25 PM
87_FieroGT Member
Posts: 698 From: Mill Creek, WA USA Registered: Jul 2005
You're my newest hero! You've inspired me to go above and beyond what I was thinking of doing with my car and your choice of materials is awesome. I've been having some trouble trying to think of something to use as my head liner and the perf vinyl idea with subtle perf vinyl accents to tie it together seems like a great idea. Thank you so much again for sharing everything you've done and the thought process behind your work.
IP: Logged
04:30 PM
ducattiman Member
Posts: 674 From: TheNetherlands Registered: Mar 2003
Ok, on to the doorpanels! I spent quite some time planning and looking how to mount the pieces and make them line up with the original panel because I will be reusing all of the original panel minus the map pockets. I like the way RCR (thanks Bob!) did his midconsole, basicly a frame with polyester cloth stretched to get the shapes, so I will try something simmilar because it could work nice for the armrest/pocket piece. First another photoshop to get the whole picture in my head: I dropped the idea of an open pocket because it will be hard to reach for stuff with a shallow opening so it will get 'doors'....also did some mockup with cardboard to get an idea how to build it. Back to the drawing board....to draw on the board..lol cut pieces and a mockup I never bothered about the original pockets but its kind of funny after all the tweeking to find it could fit like this too, its pretty close.. but that isnt the plan.......!
IP: Logged
11:36 AM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
The trick I am trying to do is to make a setup to make one side first and use the same wooden shapes in a setup mirrored to get the other side...will be using these pieces (bevel is the same on both sides), tape and saran wrap before cloth and fiberglass I am only using hot glue for mounting and the cloth, its strong enough and still easy to take it apart later.
Another project is to start working on the shape for the CF insert
IP: Logged
12:01 PM
PFF
System Bot
RCR Member
Posts: 4409 From: Shelby Twp Mi Registered: Sep 2002
lol, thanks! I learned something else today, before popping a product it needs some fiberglass to make it stiff enough, but you will lose detail...still need to do that even when I want to reinforce it from the back....the thing I learned is to choose the right fiberglass Heres a comparison of one piece covered with a couple layers of fiberglass and one with woven fiberglass the latter keeps the shape much better and the other needs a little more sanding now. rough testfit, it needs finishing and more trimming but its going to look ok.
IP: Logged
02:23 PM
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Thanks for the nice words... I appreciate them everytime ...it keeps me going with this crazy stuff.....! havent done much for backup though lately....lol This is a sketch of the armrest and pocket door... Some random pics rightside dash (wideangle) outside today's outside view
IP: Logged
07:20 PM
Jun 12th, 2006
HI-TECH Member
Posts: 1697 From: manteca, california Registered: Jul 2005
Any chance you could post side by side, or on top of one another, shots of the computer generated concept you first came up with versus the nearly finished product ?
I think it would be an amazing comparison, and tribute to your workmanship.
Thanks.
Tony
[This message has been edited by exoticse (edited 06-12-2006).]
Been to busy, but I plan on starting it back up soon. here is a rough draft, it looks better in my head. 
