dash swap
 

ok i have a problem with the dash in my 86 fc. i have no desire to try to find a good used dash and hope that one lasts... I would like to swap the dash and door panels for one out of another car entirely. has anyone done this? if so what dash and door panels would work? I was thinking S13/240sx

I highly doubt there are any other dashboards that would come remotely close to fitting.

An 82 International

you would find NOTHING that would fit,
think about it, the gauge cluster is a unique shape,
the cluster suround and turn signals are all unique shapes,
heater controls wont fit in another dash,
besides lengths and widths being off too im sure.
the fc has a unique door shape as well.

options iether find a used dash? well u said ud ont want to do that one...

so maybe custom recover the stock dash? with some material of your liking?

You would have to custom build it from fiberglass or carbon fiber. Also, the only way to remove the stock dash is to remove the windshield first. there are four mounts on top that you will not be able to remove with the windshield installed.
but why would you want to put in another dash? mazda did a really good job designing one that is both ergonomic and attractive.

hmmm thats funny, because im pretty sure iv removed several FC dashes without having to remove the windsheild. If things get tight, swivel jointed tools work wonders and are not expensive from any local hardware or auto store.

I have removed a dashboard without removing the windshield. It can be done and it's not that hard.

IIRC the S13 dashes are prone to cracking in the middle.

This is complete nonsense-please ignore.

Seems to me I've seen pics of FC's with alternate dashboards...finding one that will sit in the car is one thing, actually attaching it and making everything functional is another.
Your stock doorpanels- at least the underpinnings- would probably have to be used and suitably modified to meet the dash end.

Depending on your donor vehicle, wiring in the gauge cluster would probably be fairly simple but since most newer cars use an electronic speedo, you'd have that to deal with.

The dash is one of the most concentrated/complex assemblies in the whole car...swapping in a different one would be quite an undertaking but doable, I should think.

I wasn't aware FC dashes were that low quality. Both of my gray dashes were perfect in my two FC's until I broke each of them because I was a moron. I don't think it is going to be harder to find a good condition FC dash within a few hours of you than it will be trying to retrofit something else into your car. What's to say you'll find a 240 dash closer to you than an FC dash?? Sounds to me like someone local to you has a 240 that they'll give the interior away from, and your hoping someone on the forum will say

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...9&d=1260631606

Not going to happen. If you just absolutely do not want an FC dash, why not build a dash out of sheet metal, like in a race car? Actually, That'd be kind of badass come to think of it.


Admins: PLEASE fix the reply button!!!!

lol if its cracked or peeling u can do what i did in my race car peel the covering off,leavng you with a black plastic frame, some of the glue might stay stuck but u can get that off also

Attachment 711033
Attachment 711034

The stock dashboard plastic (the stuff that all the various parts attach to) gets really brittle and starts to break apart as it ages. Pretty typical mid-80's Mazda.

I'd rather just spend the bucks on a new dashboard than try to retrofit something from another car. They're not THAT expensive.

^How much is a new dash?

+1

All the plastic bits disintegrate, but the main dash is pretty durable. Go down to the Mazda dealer or register for Mazda Motorsports and buy all the broken stuff. For around $100 you can replace most of the trim pieces.

You're not gonna find anything else that bolts in.

$500 from Mazda Motorsports for just the main dash pad.

S13 dash fits pretty easily. I did a test fit a few weeks ago:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/...fe5971d290.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2618/...248ae3f9e4.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/...4e5345f629.jpg

There may be no "direct fit" installation of a dash but it's worth a try if you have one lying around.

i think its interesting how this fits. was this just testing it just to do it? or has this progressed onto completing the swap?

makes me wonder what other dash would fit.

:)

wow didn't think the s13 dash would just shoehorn in like that. Gives the fc interior a very interesting look. wonder if it works the other way around

Why the vehemence?
We routinely swap in parts from other cars (even domestics, gasp!) to either improve performance ( Taurus efan/alternator, anybody?) or looks (wheels from a multitude of cars)...do you object to all of that also?

Although the pics of the s-13 dash aren't good enough to really evaluate how good the fit is, from what is shown it's a lot closer than I would have guessed.
With the totally bare interior It's also tough to decide how well the swoopier styling would fit with the harder edged/more formal styling of the rest of the car, but it's still intriguing.

It should also be noted that simply bolting in the dash carcass is probably the easiest part of such a conversion.
Integrating the subsystems behind it (heat/AC/defrost vents, for instance) to achieve functionality would be hellish, not to mention dealing with our very unique and heavily integrated switchgear...I can't even begin to imagine how that would be done.

That said, I'd be interested to see such a swap done well...the ingenuity- if nothing else- would be laudable.

^ that is the point i was trying to make, he says it cost to much to get a new fc dash. yet he wants to retrofit the wrong dash because its cheaper :scratch:

id say if he has to ask advice on how to do it, it will never get done. thus he should spend money on something every fc needs.......... like paint :icon_tup:

Everyone has different tastes, obviously. But IMHO, that dash is ugly and the time/money could be spent on one of the 23 year old parts that need replacing.

edit: ugly on the FC I mean...

ive seen one person that i can remember that fit the fd dash into the fc. I think it was dragon that did it

found the thread..
https://www.rx7club.com/20b-forum-95/my-new-n-side-port-20b-fc-460102/

All that I was asking is if there was another dash that roughly fit in the hole and if anybody else had done this. My original dash was completely shot. The foam was toast, I removed th viyl and foam and glue and the underlying plastic is all cracked. All of the plastic trim pieces crumbled as soon as I touched them. I have no radio bezel and I don't plan on getting rid of the car for a long time and I don't want to have this problem again in a couple of years. Also there are no available dashes in my area, or any other parts for this car for that matter. I called my local mazda dealership and they no longer offer parts for this car. The possibility exists for covering the old dash with felt and fiberglass resin, however all of the vents would need to be redone, including where th dash meets the door. This is not my area of expertise. the car is in great mechanical shape, the body is good, less a couple of small dents that I can repair easily and quickly and paint is not an issue I have the skills and tools to give the car an excellent paint job. I am , however waiting untill I find the right body kit and good Turbo II hood before I do any of that. I just need to figure out an economical and acctractive solution for the dash. I have had 2 91 240SX's and I liked the dash and the emergency brek location is somewhat correct and there are many donor cars in the local junkyards to get goor parts from cheap. I appreciate those of you that didi offer some advice, especially the pics of the s13 dash in place, that gives me the confidence to take this part of the project on soon. I will post pics and ppossibly video of this workin when it's done in a couple weeks.

No dealership is going to keep much stock for a 20+ year old car on hand, but they should be able to order parts for you. You might try downloading the original parts fiches, looking up the part numbers, then giving those numbers to the parts department when you call. Many of the dash trim pieces are still available, though if you start buying them brand new, they do add up pretty quickly in cost. For example, I ordered a brand new radio/dash vent bezel recently and it was about $90 I think. But it's nearly impossible to find an uncracked S4 bezel...

What about looking in the Classified section of this forum to see who's parting out a car?

When I called the dealer they said they could no longer get the parts at all. And as I said I don't want to put in another rotten, crakcing, crumbling, 20+ year old dash in the car. While I know an s13 is nearly as old, they are not prone to falling apart. I have only sen a couple of severly neglected examples with any cracking on the dash at all.

All I know is when i tried to take the dash out of the car, all I did was break plastic. I stripped a second car after removing the windshield, I didn't break anything. Both were 1986. No windshield= no breakage.

It's not hard to take the glass out either. 15 minutes with piano wire or the $15 kit from Harbor Freight. $15 for the windshield epoxy. done.
Or you can wrestle with wobble bits and drivers for an hour trying to get to bolts, breaking everything in the process.

it's too bad I didn't have room to keep that last dash. One one of the upper mounts were broken. everything else was good. i would have given it to you for free. Not to make you feel bad, just saying it's too bad. That's why I don't like throwing anything away. i always need it later.

If your dealership says they can't get parts for your car just go buy them on the internet.

I haven't tried to order one, but Mazdacomp shows the dash is available. It's $560. Given the time and energy you'd have to put into putting a 240SX dash in the car (those pictures show the dash in the car, but I wonder how many of the mounting points are used, how the electrics hook up, how the vents hook up) you could have a brand new factory Mazda dash.

As for having to remove the windshield, I removed the dash from my '87 when I was 18 and didn't know jack about working on cars. It isn't that hard if you take the seats out first.

you seriously do not get how complicated it is to pull this off and have it work correctly and look right.

wiring
HVAC
Gauge cluster
Service light cluster
Venting
Door panels
steering column
Shifter surround
Armrest
A-pillars
Window levers
Door handles
Clearance between the seats and the door
Dash bezel

all of this has to line up and operate correctly or your just gonna own a crappy second rate FC that looks like someone shoved the wrong junk yard dashboard inside and called it "custom".

i dont know what you have heard, but s13 dashboards are just as big a piece of shit as FC dash boards. their honestly not any better or stronger than FC's in any way. and yes they crack in the center!

this is gonna cost so much, and its not gonna give you much in return.

as you said its a 20+ year old car, they need more prudent attention then a dash board from another car.

just find another fc dash, or fix yours, it will cost you 1/8th the price.

bump for the fd dash, shitz would be sweet

The FD interior is total crap compared to the FC's.
Granted, the styling is OK, but the quality absolutely sucks...look at it wrong and shit starts breaking, just about the flimsiest interior I've ever dealt with.

well ive yet to deal with the FD:( just a couple fc's. so note to self FD interior looks stylish but = craplastic
..at least the exterior is still sexy:nod: even if the insides are fallin apart. That's what carbon fiber or carbon kevlar copies are for. Right? dunno just put a piece of sheet metal across the dash eh

:uhh:

lol
 

how bout of piece of tread/diamond plate :score: might be more like 4x4ish, more for like a jeep but just a thought. who doesn't want to be diff

+1 my I.Q. dropped 10 points.