Interior revamp

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Hey all,

I'm working on plans improve the interior of my Spyder, and phase 1 will be building a countoured center console for my car. I figured I should post it on here - you might learn something and you can bug me for updates, which will make me keep working on it. Here's what I'm starting with:



I plan on following the basics in this guide, with the exception of creating an additional coverpiece or worrying too much about paint. For example:








I want to upholster the final product, preferrably with either leather or alcantara but that'll depend on how flat I can get those materials to lay. I know with alcantara there is some formability with the use of heat guns; I don't expect to get much play with leather so it'll probably be alcantara or 4-way stretch vinyl.

My plans are to create a cockpit feeling around the driver, so that the center console creates a wrap-around impression. That'll mean more buildup on the passenger side. I'd also like to incorporate an elbow pad for the driver, possibly built onto a flip-up storage area.

Anyways, that's the plan. I'll post pictures in a few weeks as I start to get the framework together with some 1/2" mdf and glue. This will be my first real experiment working with fiberglass (other than cutting the holes in my body required for part installations) and I've got an order to place with fiberglast.com. In phase 2 I plan on adding some fiberglass touchups to my dash and reupholstering it with whatever material I use on the center console, plus I'll be incorporating some brushed aluminum inserts. Phase 3 will be upgrading the carpet to some Bently (aka Bentley) or Essex high-quality all-weather stuff and phase 4 will be reupholstering the seats.

[cheap]

I mocked up my planned console tonight with some craft paper I picked up at the local lumber store. First, here's my initial sketch for my idea.



The square area w/ the engine start button and the three switches would be a flat panel portion of the console that would stick out a little bit, possibly edged and would face the driver. I think instead of putting the battery cutoff switch in the center like I depicted I would put the VIN plate there instead, and I have an awesome idea for doing that. But first, here's the pictures of my mockup (nevermind the accessories used to get the paper where I wanted it):







I think I'm going to get a small soccer ball (like a #2) and wax it up real nice so that I can press it into the resin-soaked fleece while it dries to get a real uniform curve. I'm thinking of also glueing a block of wood slightly larger than the VIN plate to the soccer ball so I get a nice recessed area right in the center for the plate to sit, sorta frenched in. I may fasten a round piece of wood on the bottom of the ball to create the same effect for a cupholder spot as well, but that remains to be seen.

I bought a sheet of 1/2" MDF and the fleece I'll need this last weekend, so I'm ready to take my paper template and start cutting out my wood forms to attach them to my existing aluminum center panel. I still need to order my fiberglass supplies but I'm glad I've held off until now - I think I'll need a curved roller to get the resin in the recessed areas well and press out all the air bubbles. I also received swatches for some upholstery material from Gulffabrics.com - I got a sample of Ultraleather, some marine-grade 4-way stretch vinyl, and Alcantara (a synthetic suede). I really like the feel of the Alcantara but I'm concerned with the effect dust and dirt will have on it. It's cleanable with soap and water but I'd like to know how nasty it looks dirty and in the sun, so I've got all three samples sitting on a windowsill in the kitchen for a little while.

Stay tuned for updates.

[Black Wishbone]

i'm stuck on why you need a lazy susan in your car. Or is it a big compass so you don't get lost?

I really like the arm rest/storage I put in mine.

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I have a built-in compass. It's too bad, though, that all the metal in my head throws it off.

I used my templates to cut up some wood today, so you can kinda see what I'm thinking with in-car pictures now. I am really excited about using that soccer ball for some great curves, I just hope it doesn't screw my novice upholstery job too much!







I think I'm gonna hold here for a week or so - there's a vintage race and car show I want to attend this weekend and I don't want to go there with a torn-up interior. I need to order my fiberglass supplies and find my staple gun anyways.

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Well I did some work (as you can see) but I'm not really happy with the results. The shape is pretty much what I envisioned with the exception of the flat panel area, but the fleece doesn't flow as well as I expected to the flat part of the panel. I never stapled the fleece tight to the aluminum underpanel but I did stretch it and decided it wasn't going to work. So, I'll be going back to the drawing board for subframe structure - I've got lots of MDF left so it'll just be a matter of time. Meanwhile, I think I'm going to put the interior back together - the weather is too nice to not be driving the car during the summer months.

[JayP]

Thought you were selling it??????