Manntis

Ever notice how domestic cars just can't seem to make a decent interior? And that's where you spend all your time in a car!

The new corvette looks nice on the outside, and has nice seats, but what a monstrosity of a dash. Camaros are worse, and it's all downhill from there.

Newer Audis have great interiors, and the fit and finish of Hondas, along with intuitive ergonomics, set industry standards IMHO.

What I'm especially impressed by is the North American 84-85 dash in our Rexes. I mean, such a great layout came about a decade before the industry even had 'ergonomics' in it's vocabulary. The controls are all at one's fingertips, the two stalks easy to use and logically group switches together - even the dash dimmer and headlight up/down switch (for cleaning) are on the same side of the steering wheel and in the same general location.

Added to which, the dash shape itself, while having the faux-stitching so popular in the 80's, still looks contemporary. It's got the silver strip in the middle so en vogue now, copied in the new Infiniti 2+2 and a ton of other cars wanting that 'mettalic look' console.

Even painted black and clearcoat, as mine is, it looks like thickly laquered Japanese wood - absolutely correct for this car - and coincidentally similar to the color of the RX-8 console.



The mirror/overhead lighting is nicely grouped, the shifter within easy reach (no Mustang reach or weird Civic dog-leg shifters here!) the seats comfortable (though they do seem an inch or two misaligned with the controls - farther outboard, for some reason)

The best thing I think I've come to appreciate about Pamela, my '85 SE, is her visibility. Not the envious looks she incites among passersby (or those being passed, wink wink nudge nudge) but the view out of the cockpit is superb. Nowadays sportscars seem to have high sides and narrow, bunkerlike visibility whereas the ReX seems so open with tiny blindspots and a huge greenhouse.

For these reasons, along with the song of the engine and feel of maneuverability, slipping into this 18 year old car feels as right and comfortable as slipping into the arms of Sandra Bullock.

I've not had this sense of attachment with my Z car, my Audi, or any other personal chariot I've owned to date.

Pedestrian X

i always thoguh of it as sora slkipping in the the cockpit of a jet fighter.. all snug like the car just envelopes you adn you become on ewith it.. no where nere as touching as what you wrote but just to get the idea across thats sorta how i feel too :]

FB II

I HEAR THAT! i have the exact same interior as you. the burgandy cloth and my stereo surround is white though to match my door panels. i have white leather strip. but other than that, it's so functional and easy to get to everything, especially the shifter. my civic friends LOVE IT and so badly want to drive her (Roxy is her name) but i won't let them! hahaha

iyaseven

well i'll say spring is here, and so is 7 fever!!

rotary forever!

gamble302

dude everything is at my fingertips, its so small its hard for controls not to be. my windsheild molding started rattling and just reached out the passenger window and popped it back in place, while driving of course.

RX7ven

wow... my 7... shebi7ch is her name... has caused me a weeks worth of hassles.. but which bi7ch hasnt... she treats me like i treat her... i pound her...n she makes me go fast... and rev her, and she screams really fast.. sexy bugger yes she is... ohhh shebi7ch..i really do luv her!.. hehe...

82transam

iTrader: (18)

hehe, here i go starting trouble, the series 2 interior is much better looking IMO, I was never a fan of the S3 interiors. *puts on flame suit*

Keaponlaffen

It's all about the '79 interior... the retro round vents, coin holders, ash tray in the middle of the console....

gamble302

haha 79 interior, dont forget to mention the pimpin speaker in the middle of the dash

EL PAALO

I like the round vents in the series 2, but everything else is better looking/made in the series 3 imho.

Manntis? Are you sure you meant Sandra Bullock?

Pedestrian X

yea.. how about Rosie `O Donnel??

pratch

How about your mom?

gamble302

i knew i had seen that face in his avatar before. he said he works in hollywood, didnt say anything about vegas though...
(ms paint owns joo)
this is gonna be like 18 posts if any of the billions of times ive tried to post this turn out to work except the last time....

gamble302

ok uploadin wont work, i'll just host it mahself grrrrrrr

Cody

haha!

Brothers, separated at birth?

TheTwinTurboRX-7

ba ha ha

Suparslinc

I would disagree with the shifter position, and the steering column sorround.
The shifter is too high and the throw is too far.
The steering column sorround has given me a few bruised knee caps trying to hop into my car.

The cool thing about the RX-7 interior is that it's just a little bit sophisticated.

EL PAALO

shifter problem solved with the nintendo joystick.

bruised knees, can't agree more.

Manntis

I'm 6'1", 230 lbs - with the seat properly adjusted my knees never touch the column or wheel

And yes, I meant Sandra. She's extremely down to earth, not falling for the usual I'm-famous snobbery rampant amongst A-list talent in the 'wood

Suparslinc

I'm still not getting this whole thing about Sandra. As in Bullock?
So Manntis you met her?

Pedestrian X

any of you guys ever end up shutting the door and have the top corner of it hit you across the ribs?? you knwo what i mean if its happened to you.. its haappneed to me twice and another oen of my buddies once.. just wondering how much of a common occurance it was.. if common at al :]

SoRRoW

Sandra=The Hood Rat

Gregs

ive hit my head numerous times while getting in/out of my rex while im in a hurry.... i just yell GOD DAMNIT THAT F*CKING HURT and go on as i was.... hehe

ive never had the rib or kneecap problem.... hmm i have hit my leg on the dashboard where it comes down to the shifter.. but never been "injured" by it..

-greg

purple82

I agree, I've had both an 82 and 85. I much prefer the design of the 82. I don't like the "pods" on the side of the instruments, it clutters the look. I don't like the fake stitching in the dash.

That silver plastic in the center console is CHEAP LOOKING. It didn't work for me in 85 and it doesn't work for me now. The dashboards on the new Nissans are really crappy. They feel like they are made from the same polystyrene as a peanut butter jar.

Granted, the 85 has the nice simple HVAC control dials (instead of the flimsy rod and small cheap **** that the 82 used) and the ventilation is much better in the later cars, but to me, the 82 dash is timeless. The fact that they've been using it in the Miata for over ten years attests to that.

jutny

I HATE it when that happens

yeah, i know what you mean, that **** HURTS.