I use the mdf for the basic shape, then I will use bondo/filler/primer and losts of sanding and waxing later.....then take a mold. this time I want to skip painting the mockups because I had a lot of problems with the (automotive) paints I have used so far...still learning to make a perfect mold I guess...
[This message has been edited by Fie Ro (edited 01-28-2005).]
I use the mdf for the basic shape, then I will use bondo/filler/primer and losts of sanding and waxing later.....this time I want to skip painting because I had a lot of problems with the (automotive) paints I have used so far...still learning to make a perfect mold I guess...
Still looks good, you need to finish already , what do you do for a living anyways? Ohh and you missed the... I OWN PAGE 4 remark .. just a thought
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04:22 PM
mr.tourismo Member
Posts: 48 From: Ottawa, Ont, Canada Registered: May 2004
I will mold the venthousing seperately so I can make two identical parts for both sides of the dash....a mockup to check the mods on the passengerside part:
this is a bit distorted pic because of the wideangle...all vertical lines match up in real life :
[This message has been edited by Fie Ro (edited 01-29-2005).]
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12:17 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Well, so far all I can say is WOW. Btw that tapered piece will look very cool when everything is bondoed smooth. I thought you were an engineer or maybe just real anal. Lol. Seriously though your work is nothing short of incredible. I look forward to reading this thread. Oh almost forgot. I have a friend in the Netherlands....he lives in Wormerveer and has NEVER owned a car.
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07:12 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Lol, I have no aspirations into being anal....brr A few lessons I have learned from doing my bodywork is you have to make many changes and improvise many times....with this dashbuildup approach I am still able to stick to "a" plan and having room for adjustments where needed...Plus the detailing will be important in the end too...oh well I guess this wont work
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07:34 PM
Jan 30th, 2005
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
All your sweet mockup ideas are making me think of the possibilities of taking the MDF parts and PVC and copying them in fine wood and carbon fiber tubes. Skeletonizing the layers of wood so you would actually assemble it in the vehicle in layers with cloth and foam on the surfaces you want soft. It sure wouldn't be light, but the design work you've done is so rich looking that I think it would look amazing actually done like concept high end furniture.
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06:11 PM
Jan 31st, 2005
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Thanks for thinking along...! you're right about the importance choosing the right materials...you made me collect some pics and do some thinking Heres a collage of the materials I gathered so far:
I still need some paint close to the Mrmike seats.....but I am triggered right now..hmm, this would be cool in wood...a photoshop I did earlier:
hmmm...
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04:39 PM
PFF
System Bot
bryson Member
Posts: 737 From: Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA Registered: Sep 2002
bored? the only time I can get bored is when i am stuck at work (oh yeah forgot to mention you could just use the spring loaded cabinet hinges that keep it open or closed..)
Kohburn - that "cheap" $2 latch works just as well as the $3 latch you posted. If you're so smart, why didn't you step up before instead of slamming my stuff ...
Fie-ro: yeah, it was part of the standard package that ships with the dash kit, so it's used by A LOT of people. It works just fine. Your interior is really impressive the way it's coming along - hope you plan on making some molds and offering a kit down the line cause I think you'll have a lot of customers.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 02-03-2005).]
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11:55 PM
Feb 3rd, 2005
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
I still need some paint close to the Mrmike seats.....but I am triggered right now..hmm, this would be cool in wood...a photoshop I did earlier:
hmmm...
Man I wish I could photoshop... I might just have to steal a chunk of that console design and build something totally custom using that concept with the shifter ring and layered look going back to the storage box. I think I have a neighbor that could help me construct something based on what your doing if I could convince him I'm not nuts :-) He's a master woodworker that builds custom furniture/cabinets etc from scratch for a living.
Kohburn - that "cheap" $2 latch works just as well as the $3 latch you posted. If you're so smart, why didn't you step up before instead of slamming my stuff ...
Fie-ro: yeah, it was part of the standard package that ships with the dash kit, so it's used by A LOT of people. It works just fine. Your interior is really impressive the way it's coming along - hope you plan on making some molds and offering a kit down the line cause I think you'll have a lot of customers.
slamming your stuff? never slammed anything just offered some other inexpensive options. but it well never perform as well - as for costing $2 you can get them at lowes or homedepot for about $0.40 ( http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=4535 ) - and personally i think they feel like junk. If you took some major offense to me calling that type of latch cheap then I'm sorry but it is and theres not reason that should be insulting to you. As for stepping up before.. maybe its because I hadn't read the thread in a while. You really need to relax.
[This message has been edited by Kohburn (edited 02-03-2005).]
Profile? In 20 years... Auto Detailing, Auto Body, Classic & Antique Restorations, Mechanic, Engine Performance Specialist, Porsche-Jaguar Tech, Wholesaler, Sales, Independent Full Service Repair Shop, Vehicle Vinyl Graphic Design and hard-core auto / aviation enthusiast... now searching for a new career. What a ride!
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02:16 AM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Thanks, here is some progress in ideas and buildup...: playing with the vent setup:
photochop :
me thinks this would be nice...! It means skipping of a part of already done work but hey that comes with the job....!
Several parts are close to getting their final shape for molding. That means lots of sanding, bondo, sanding, primer, sanding....but taking some extra time really pays off in the detailing....
..after these pics they already got 2 more bondo/sanding sessions....
Those look great, just like I would make I really like the center console you created, I want to make something like it but using a more square theme. I have always been very impressed with your fabrication. Cant wait to see your first mold you pull off of these.
Are you still thinking about using some wood in your project? I have always liked white maple, it is a very hard wood and I think it would hold up well in this application. Its not cheap but a nice laminate would probably look just as good. The heat is my only worry about using wood, if it gets wet the temperature changes would warp it pretty bad. Using solid maple would probably hold up better if it was sealed properly.
Keep up the good work, I wish you could work faster I cant wait to see it finished
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12:52 PM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
I am thinking about using wood maybe later.....I am getting closer to the final midconsole shape so I will mold that anyway, and it wont be too hard to replace that piece later for a wood-version. Right now the challenge is to make all the main pieces work together ok...
One of the typical jobs that pop up these days: To make the passenger side dash part more "mold friendly" I had to add a curve to the mockup. NOTE: the part is upside down in all these pics
will be glued in place something like this:
sanding bondo sanding
halfway
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01:37 PM
David DeVoe Member
Posts: 1358 From: Grand Blanc, MI US Registered: Jul 2001
Like many others I just sit here and shake my head,,,,,,,blown away. I can't wait to see these separate pieces brought together. I think you have retained the "modular" aspect of the original dash very well. I eagerly await each update.
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05:22 PM
Feb 6th, 2005
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
You are doing some amazing work - already, we can see that your interior is going to rank up there with the Eddie Saanaw's & the Plazma! Can hardly wait to see more of it together!
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10:42 AM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
Originally posted by Scott-Wa: Would that location for a speaker be firing directly into your thigh? Making great progress
yeah could be, but it would be an "additional" midrange speaker anyways...if it appears to be in a wrong location I will simply skip it....
quote
Originally posted by MinnGreenGT: You are doing some amazing work - already, we can see that your interior is going to rank up there with the Eddie Saanaw's & the Plazma! Can hardly wait to see more of it together!
Thanks, I hope you're right In fact I whitnessed some bits of Eddie's impressive build-up and result.....at that time I wouldnt have thought I would do something similar several years later!
Now I bought something today that will help to determine the dimensions of the instrument cluster.....I will post an example tonight
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11:01 AM
Fie Ro Member
Posts: 3735 From: Soest, The Netherlands Registered: Sep 2001
I hope to get something like this in the mail one of these days:
heres the story, I have been looking for an aftermarket tach+speedo for ages...But most tach's are mounted seperately or centrally and I was looking for equal sized gauges to kinda match the stock fiero setup. That quite narrows the search.. What was left was either way expensive or just not the right look... Then I found some audi TT clusters for sale and I emailed a guy with a rediculous offer and got some nice info and response...! Many of the clusters have a socalled CAN bus, some digital interface. no way I could make that work with the fiero! But he said he also had a cluster which could be wired directly, he also has schematics how to wire it to a golf 3 so that could be a nice source already...I would be happy already to get the tach and speedo working, so I might need some expert advice sometime
I am still looking for 2 vents and the shifter ring+boot, it is really hard to find these parts nowadays because TT interior swaps are really hot for Volkswagen tuners....!!
Now that would be an excellent gauge pod for the fiero! Nice find. Please keep us posted and provide lots of info on the install. It will look awesome!
just saw this thread. allway liked the stock dash concept way better than anything ive seen swapped into it. but this is the stock concept up a notch! keep up the good work. it is worth some serious coin!!!