Started my fiberglass dash build. (pics) (Page 4/6)
Taijiguy SEP 25, 08:18 AM
Just a very quick update. Had a really productive day yesterday. Here in Delaware they ran "The Little Brown Jug" which is a big horse race. Anyone into horse racing knows it's a major event. Everything in town pretty much closes up for that day, me included. I took the day to work on the dash. In progress pics up to this point are pretty unremarkable, so I'll spare you those and just show where it is at the moment.



Obviously still a long way to go, but definitely starting to look like something. I also got the aluminum plate for the center area cut and bent, just some minor shaping and cutting left to get it in place and trimmed for the LCD screen.
aeffertz OCT 08, 01:04 AM
Updates?
Blacktree OCT 08, 12:38 PM
Finally, this thread is in the Construction Zone where it belongs.
Bdub OCT 08, 08:19 PM
This is looking sweet man. It's shaping up to be pretty unique.
RumbleB OCT 10, 09:45 PM
Looking good! Updates?
DefEddie OCT 11, 11:55 PM
Definately need some updates.
I've got a 12" resistive touchscreen panel that I plan to build into a custom dash.
You are going to tilt/orient it towards the driver and not flat on the dash like that aren't you?

I plan to try and move my shifter a little closer and towards the driver,and bring the center controls closer.
I really like being able to change radio/climate control with my finger from the shifter handle.
Taijiguy NOV 04, 08:54 AM
Hah! I thought this thread was dead. I actually got a bit frustrated with the instrument cluster section of this design and decided to go back to the drawing board entirely. I started construction of a completely different shape dash that so far, I'm really happy with. It's more curved and lower in the design. I'll throw some pictures up in the next couple of days.
Taijiguy NOV 09, 08:31 AM
As I stated in my last post, I got pretty frustrated with the last design. I liked it, but it wasn't what I *really* wanted. From the start I had said I wanted a more simple design, and the first incarnation was just too complicated. Way too much contour, and the instrument cluster area was giving me fits. I couldn't really decide on a design that I liked for that space. I drew out probably a hundred different variations and none of them really appealed to me. I didn't really have all that much money invetsed in the first design, mostly just time, so I decided to just deep-six it and start over from scratch.
I was also frustrated by the amount of smoothing that would have been required to make that dash look right, so I decided that the second design would be from a mold as opposed to stretched fabric like the first one. I'm pretty good with wood. I can just about make it do anything I want, and my shop is very well equipped for wood work. So I decided I would make a wood plug and do a female mold from that and cast the final part from the mold. This design will come out in three parts, the top, including the lip around the dash face, and bottom, also including the lip, and then the face itself. I'll *probably* make the entire face out of aluminum, but have a fiberglass skeleton behind it to mount the gauges and other hardware, and just have the aluminum as a sort of bezel. The final result is still sort of forming in my head.

The front obviously. The holes aren't the absolute final locations of the gauges, they're just close enough for reference.




Here it's mounted in my jig. I took the top of the original Fiero dash and cut it straight across the front to give me a just the flat section that tucks up under the windshield and the defroster opening. I then added a section of 1/8" hardboard to the front edge to give me a total depth of about 14". Then I put the front face in place. In this picture I have the speaker pods attached and was waiting for the foam to set up so I could start shaping it.









The top pf the dash will be pretty deep, and will be quite a bit higher than the stock Fiero dash, but so far I'm *really* liking the way this is coming along. I have a very cool idea about how to manage the idiot lights and switches, all in the spirit of keeping this design very clean and simple. Stay tuned, I'm really stoked about how this is going so far.

[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 11-09-2009).]

fieroguru NOV 09, 07:34 PM
I like where this latest design is going. Curious as to what it will look like in the car (elevation) and scale to the rest of the interior stuff.

Keep up the good work!
aeffertz NOV 09, 07:36 PM
Wow!
Looking a lot better than the original plan. Keep it up!