Let's say that you have an FC... Let's say you're not really crazy about the dash... You don't like radio surrounds that crack... Etc, etc.

Let's say you spent most of Saturday on the couch watching too much "American Hot Rod" where they built custom dashboards for whatever cars they were building.

Why not do that on an FC? Now, I'm not trying to get all "ricey" or anything... But, I hate several things about FC interiors...

First off, I HATE orange lighting. I HATE orange gauges. I'm not particularly fond of the A/C controls, either. It all looks so... dated.

I love the looks of the FD dash. It flows so much more nicely.

So, what I'm thinking is, rip out the dash. Throw out the gauges. Hell, I want to do an LS1/T56 conversion anyway, so why go through all the trouble of getting those gauges to work when I hate them?

Custom dash, covered in a nice gray or maybe a black/tan combo in leather/vinyl/whatever. Make it look like it belongs in the car, not anything obnoxious or obscene. No painted yellow ****, no neon, no chrome... Just basic stuff, with more of a flow or curves to it, like the FD, but not a blatant copy.

Can it be done?

Yes, it will be difficult. What I want to know is, how difficult? I'm thinking fiberglass because it looks like doing it out of sheetmetal is a major bitch.

 

I say go for it. There is a company out there that makes fiberglass dashboards. Unfortunately, I can't find them. I'll keep an eye out. If the console is the only thing that would have to be fabbed, you'll be done in no time (one weekend) that's of course if you're good at working with MDF and fiberglass.

~Mike

 

I'd like to do a whole new dash and center console. It can take as long as it takes, the car is not going to be driveable until next summer anyway.

 

Cool. So what is your plan/inspiration for the design?

~M

 

Basically, I like the look of the FD dash... However, I like the interior of my Audi, it's kinda classy. I'd like to kinda combine the two ideas and make it something in between. I am also wondering if I could adapt some sort of computer controlled climate control (like my Audi has) into it. What I would like to do is have something that seems to "flow" a little more... I will try to draw it tonight and see if I can get the damn scanner to work... Throw up some ideas.

 

And hey, BFG, I saw your thread about projectors... I was thinking the same thing. See my thread below titled "What about this idea?"

 

might help you with the process, i saved this incase i wanted to give it a try..

http://www.carsound.com/columns/fishman/fsh0005.shtml

 

Thanks for the link. Their dash is pretty wild compared to what I would like to do.

 

This might be intressing to follow...I like the idea.

 

i think youre looking at an expensive and stressing project. . . more so than your ls1/t56 install. custom interior work is ALWAYS going to go wrong. its very hard to get it right, and if you dislike the stock interiors durability, youll hate the custom work. . . it never lasts. trying to make things fit in a place where they dont is going to add stress to your head!!!!

but good luck.

paul

 

probably the easiest way is get a FD dash and try to fit it in the FC and modify it from there
i thought about that, just too much trouble