Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

So our cars are damn sexy. We all know this. The exterior styling is still great even now, still gets looks.

But when you get into the car... its sorta a different story. Our cars CLEARLY show their age with the interior.

Does it ever kinda "get to you" that you have this great car, but the interior is just LACKING. Espicially when you see a newer vehicle... and the interiors are alot nicer...

I'm what 1987RX7Guy refers to as a ricer, because I want my car to look good. IN STOCK FASHION.... It's not like our exterior where we can slop on a body kit and make it look crazy... there isnt really an "easy" and affordable way of swapping interiors.


So am I the ONLY one that feels this way?



Man, If I feel like this with a FC... wonder how some of the FB guys must feel like :eek:

(and IMO the FD guy's dont really have to worry about it, theirs still look nice.. when it's not squeeking and clicking. :D )

when the interior of an FC is clean and in good condition, i do not think it looks bad at all. You must remember it is an 80's sports car.

But, heh, for instance, my interior right now, sucks. and yes, i will have to do something about it.

but I never really minded the '83 volvo 240 turbo i had, and its interior looked old. And I still don't mind the '63 Benz's interior.

I'm very happy with mine! The S5 GXL interior is awesome. They got rid of a lot of the weird stuff like the molded in stiching, curtainy things on the doors. I have nice leather seats, and all that.
There are a lot of restyled parts, like the entire door panels... restyled dashboard, I love it.
I have a flush mounted S-AFC as well as a full colour spectrum analyzer, which really makes things look better. I've also made nice leather boots for the shifter and ebrake.

I know what it feels like to drive an FB with a crappy interior. I had a sweet FB with a body kit, it was absolutely beatiful, but the interior sucked ass. No getting around it. It looked like a bad 70's kitchen.

Nope, I love my S4 interior. :)

The interior is a non-issue for me, I like it just fine.

I liked my old SA's interior too, except for that damn 85mph speedo.

I don't mind the interior... just compare it to the same vintage 300zx, the 7 is miles ahead.

i love my 91's black leather interior, sure it doesnt have modern styling but these cars are what they are. 80's sports cars.

Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

No, because I don't have unrealistic expectations of a 15yo affordable Japanese car.

Honestly... it's alot more luxurious than my stupid AE86....

the interior is not that bad. the thing that gets me is how it held up. I gutted the car since it was ratty inside, had cracked plastic every where and is only driven for fun. no need for creature comforts when you drive it maybe 4 times a month.

Re: Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

Whoa! Chill there buddy, not making any unrealistic expectations.... LOL.. I am VERY "grateful" for this great car, never said I wasn't. Just wondering if any of you ever SORTA wished you had a more modern interior... wether that meaning making a custom interior.. or modifying your own.

I'm not THAT upset about it.. geeze... I'm almost willing to bet you're the one that voted "STFU"

Here's a pic of mine, it's in pretty good condition.. this was taken the day I got it, without cleaning it at all. I still need to scrub the rubber floor mats good.

I think it looks great for being a 80's sports car. With some work, it can look great IMO. I like my interior although it's stock. I think aftermarket steering wheel, shift knob, and aluminum/CF pedals will brighten it up nicely :D (which I will do very soon... just gotta save up and get a steering wheel now... :p: )

I love the interior myself...but Im a sucker for 80s cars :p: Only thing im changing is getting a nice set of racing seats, and a 4 point rollbar. Here is my interior....stock-o-licious. (seat belt pads are now gone btw...just put them in to see what they felt like. Now in garbage ;) )
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...a/fc6321b5.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...a/fc6321b3.jpg

theres something wrong with the stock interior? i've always loved it.. my 88 TII right now, the center trim piece around the stereo/climate control/vents, is S5, other than that i have stock S4 interior... and love it

Re: Re: Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

Neither am I, and I never vote in polls. ;)

STFU :-D Just enjoy man.

Santiago ;)

Take a good look at your 15 year old interior, then go look at the interior of almost any old or new GM car.

I think you will come back happy that your car looks so good.

I do however wish I could find a good way to clean the carpet moulded into the doors.

Re: Re: Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

Actually, I was the first person to take the STFU option if it matters. :D

i got a s5 and i love my interior its black and it still looks brand new, i keep it clean and armoraled, looks like it jst rolled off the showroom floor
not a big fan of the s4 int. friends got one and when im in it it feels like a diffrent car, not to mention he doesnt keep his shit clean so that doesnt help

The styling, interior and exterior, made the RX7 what it was and is. An exceptional car. I bought a new GTU in '90 and loved it then cuz there was nothing really like it. 3 years ago bought a '90 GXL in exceptional condition and love it. The only fault with them is the incredably cheap, brittle plastics. I've spend hundreds on OEM replacement plastic and worth every penny.

Now to the point of the poll. I went to the Detroit Auto Show last Sunday and sat in any number of new sports cars. Yes the interiors are nice if chrome trim is your thing. The only one that comes close to the same interior ambience as my 7 was the 350Z. I prefer it to the RX8.

In about 10 years some of our cars will be approaching antique satus. It is that interior and exterior styling and uniqueness that will set their value on the market. I get conflicted when I see folks on this forum mod, update, and rice interiors. Why? because in one respect they are potentially increasing the value of mine. 10 years from now. There will be fewer bone stock "antiques". They will be the ones in demand not the moded ones. On the other hand, I hate to see great cars changed simply to look cool in the eyes of the owner at the expense of preserving what will soon me a classic vehicle. Conflict.. WAB!

its a lot nicer than any 80's toyota ive owned before,i have an 86 base that is aging,and it stil feels like acadilac to me

i actualy have always thought the interior was one of the strong points of the fc. granteed i do have an s5 with leather trim but the dash realy compares favorably to anyhting else of the era. its has a very clean and straightforward layout. no bs and none of that wraparound shit like in supras. its clean and symetricsl with good materials, fit and finish. grated, mazda used sub-par welding on all the electronics but that doesnt affect the appearance.

i like it. and dont really see whats wrong with it.

come on some one point out (accept for the ftp lenses) something that is estheticaly gratuitus on an fc. thats why i love them so much. the design is so clean and efficient without being taky or sparse. i couldnt have done better myself is i was in hiroshima back in the '80s

Ya and they were still glowing in the dark back then ;) ;)

ive always wondered about the radiation level of my car. i mean afterall it came out of a nuclear wasteland:crzyeye: :crzyeye: :crzyeye: :crazy:

My main complaint with the FC interiors is the cheap-ass plastics they used. The other day i was trying to adjust the heater vent and serveral of the fins just snapped off in my hand. I think the interior is pretty well designed, they just used some cheap parts in places. Sure, its not as good looking as some nice, new car, but they're still leaps an bounds ahead of most cheap entry-level cars. Just look at most of the low priced cars today, like Kias or Chevys, and you'll gain a new appreciation for the interior of our beloved cars.

The plastics in the S5 interior actually hold up pretty well over time. I'm amazed at how good mine still looks after 14 years and many temperature extremes.

Aside from the molded-in fake stitching around the glove box and across the passenger side of the dash, the layout is very simple and classy. Sure, some of the plastic textures don't really match (ash tray lid compared with its surround; tops of door compared with surface of dash), but it is better than a lot of 80s competition.

My friend's 1991 Talon TSi had a much crappier interior in terms of quality of materials and layout. Plus the AWD system bit the dust in 1996 so he traded it, and I still have my 7.

i really like my s5 burgundy interior

Nah, I hatez my interior. Gonna git me somes carbon fiber cover ups fo that shitty dash. Nize 2tone steering wheel with tha little red glowing horn buttonz hooked up ta mah nazzz. That'll be mad tight yo!!!

:gotrice::dragster::bling:


No, really. I have the 91 with leather and I love it. Just need to replace the brittle ass plastic. Only thing I have a complaint on is that for a big guy (6'2@220#) the seat doesn't adjust enough for the steering wheel to be comfortable. Thinking about getting one of the smaller diameter ones. Any body know a good style that looks like OEM but a little smaller?

Thats a good point. I'm also 6'2, and the way I have to sit can be very tiring on long trips, especially since I don't have cruise control. If you fingure something out that helps, let me know.

A. I love my interior, I have had some of the problems arise such as briddle fins breaking and when I installed my cd player the bloody middle console cracked, but all of that was solved by mazda parts and service, got them all brand new so that is no worry.
B. I'm 6'5 and the seven is incredibly comfertable to me, I actually scoot the seat up 4-5 cms cause im too far back, Ill try to get some pics up, but I agree with the previous poster, that now they are approaching antique status, and I have actually gotten compliments on how clean my car was on the inside, never once a "dated comment"
just my 4 cents
All the Best,
Stu

Re: Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

This is great...I just checked back in and the top banner is for one of those carbon fiber dash kit places.
:hah::hah:

I love the interioir on my car. It looks better than most current cars!

My best example is Chevy. Almost anything Chevy has hideous interior. Take a look at a F body and you'll instantly know what I mean(especially 91 style).

there is no option to say that you like the interior. I was forced to vote, STFU.

There's nothing about my TII that I don't love aesthetically. The car looks great even with my chipped up shitty paint. The interior is timeless. Its like you're in a cockpit. Everything is just there to function its best... except the plastic...

I don't mind it till i get into my 2002 protege.

Re: Re: Does our dated interiors ever get to you?
 

amen

I like the interior and the exterior, it isnt flashy or dull. very erganomic(sp)

It's a hell of a lot better than my beater 87 grand am...

I LIKE the 2nd gen interior.

It's got a lot of nice touches (like the lighted storage compartments), but it leaves out some of the annoyances you get on a modern car.
Ex:
I think the "all red" lighting scheme is great. Red is the best color for not @#$ing up your night vision. Blue LEDs may look cool, but red makes more sense.

I just wish it had a cupholder :)

sure it does!! wedge that sucker between the passenger seat and the center tunnel. besides what place does a cupholder have in a sports car?

I'm perfectly happy with the interior, but to spruse it up a bit i painted some of the black plastic pieces gunmetal which seems to blend in with the grey parts better

When you open up the glove box, don't the two circle thingys on the inside of the door serve as cupholders?? :D

Anyway i love my s4's interior. Its very practical..and once i get my souvenir hawaiian hula doll in there, its gonna KICK ASS!!

I can't remember where I saw it... but there was a guy who took a cupholder assembly out of a mid 90s ford (according to him, alot came with them) that is made to fit inside the bottom stereo section. I'm currently searching my ass off trying to find it, but as he put it... it works REALLY well, and FOLDS INSIDE :D



Oh, and just to clear it up... I DO NOT hate my interior. It is in very good condition for its age, nothing has broke yet... I don't even get the slightest bit envious when I see a newer car's interior... it was just some girl I had over yesterday... saw the car in the driveway... and she loved it... she sits in it, and sees the interior... and well... no more positive comments ;) Only thing that made me think about it :p:

The interior means absolutely nothing to me. All I need is a driver's seat,pedals,shifter,e-brake,lights,wipers and instruments. I hate maroon/burgundy/red interiors in ALL cars. But guess what? My FC has a maroon interior. Do I care? Hell no. I paid $1500 for the car and it's almost like new. It's an RX7. It's what I've always wanted. I would drive the car if it were hot pink and had "I am gay" stickers plastered all over it. Function over form is all that matters. If it does it's intended function(s) well,then I am happy with it. Actually,to be honest with you,I don't really even like the colour combo on my car. The car looks like a rolling turd with gold rims. But I don't care. I will win races. Why am I babbling on about how the car drives and looks when we're talking about the interior?

back on track...

The interior is fine. The only thing I don't like is how the gauges glow red. Never been a fan of red. A set of blue indiglo gauges will fix that problem. Presto. problem solved. Hooray,now we're all happy.

I've got an '87 TII w/ red interior and cloth seats. The interior is actually in pretty amazing condition compared to other FC's that I've seen, especially S4s. I replaced one of the vents on the door, because it was broken. Other than that though, I haven't replaced anything on it and nothing is broken. All of the electronics work great except for the clock. When I first got the car, I wasn't a big fan of the red interior, but I'm used to it now. My seats are kind of faded, but there's not a single tear in them. They feel pretty good to me too. I just had the windows tinted to preserve my interior. The thing I like best is the guage cluster. The orange on black doesn't look too bad to me. Consider all of the 80's sports cars with digital gauges. ;) Not many sports cars even have the tach in the center of the cluster, especially a tach that big. A stock boost gauge is nice too.

I should add that I also drive a '96 Cherokee, which has an interior that remained relatively unchanged since the model's introduction in 1984. So maybe I'm used to old interior designs. ;)

I will disagree with you on this point here. As the current owner of both an '87 Celica GTS and an '88 RX7,my Celica's interior is MILES ahead in terms of quality,layout and simplicity versus the RX7. It's nothing special to look at,but the high quality is there,everything is laid out in a very ergonomically friendly set up and dead simple to use,disassemble and fix. I can literally take all of my dash panels from the centre console and arm rest to the glove box,bits under the steering wheel and everything else in 5 minutes tops. My Celica also has seats (the same seats used in MKIII Supras) which are THE MOST comfortable seats I have ever sat in in ANY car ever. There is so much lateral,lumbar,and bolstering support and they are so comfy. Cant say that much about the RX7. I'll eventually be tossing my seats for maybe a set of those Celica seats or some racing seats.

Oh,the gauges in my Celica used to light up with the normal Toyota green colour,which is nothing offensive to start with,but I switched the bulbs for the speedo/tach and surrounding instruments to blue,so it lights up blue through white numbers on a black background. I also had 4" blue neon tubes under the dash that lit up the foot wells,but I then deemed that RICE and immediately discarded it.

I've heard nothing but positive comments about my blue interior. And I love it. Well, my demister grilles are missing, but that's all.

Dude, couldn't agree more on the F-body. I had an 85 camaro and that interior blew ass compared to my 7. everything was all squared off and flat. subsequently, i had that car cut in half when i got my TII.

I always thought of the lights as more "Orange" than anything. My moms protege5 has true "red" lighting. Ours is definitely orange. :D