Pantera parts ! (Page 42/75)
opm2000 JAN 28, 06:11 AM
Pauljk,
Those are nice looking AC vents, thanks for the link. Those dash inserts should fit, one way or another. It looked like most of them were @ 14" or 18" wide. I'll have to measure the width of the pod this morning.

I did make the whole left side of the dash with that sort of customized dash in mind, though. Essentially you have an opening for the pod, which has a small flat panel on each side of the opening. If you were to eleminate the opening , you'd have a full with flat panel to work with.

I have allways fancied this dash, but if I use it, it will absolutely be the last purchased item on this current build. Check out

http://www.nordskogperforma...dashpanels/page2.htm

They have similar complete dashes as well. Their spedos & tachs remind me of Cliff's original dashes. Who knows?

David Breeze
PaulJK JAN 28, 05:34 PM
To be honest, the cavalier digital dash i already have will most likely be my first choice, but it's nice to have options. I like the Nordskog stuff; they're not too far from me (down in Orange County). Just be careful when you choose warning lights - calif. makes you have a functional "Check Engine" light or you won't pass smog testing . I know the Dakota Digital panels have all the indicator lights built in (including Check Engine), but they are Very Expensive and I've found Dakota Digital Very difficult to deal with. (They're also quick to charge big re-stocking fees).
MoneyNoMo JAN 29, 03:18 AM
Some pics you might find interesting:





[This message has been edited by MoneyNoMo (edited 01-29-2007).]

opm2000 JAN 29, 10:02 AM
Moneynomo,
Interesting screen name, I feel your pain I don't suppose those pics are from one you happen to have setting around, are they? If so, I'd like to speak with you about getting some pics & measurements. Your pics pretty well show the style of dash that has inspired this build. The only aspect I couldn't really bring into the Fiero interior was the V shaped center console. It just doesn't have enough depth or height to be done. But I am pleased with what I've been able to bring into it so far.



Above pic is after all of the various parts have been made and fit into place. I used hot glue dabs, clamps, jacks, or whatever it took to get it jigged into place and square with the chassis and other interior panels. Then the top was taken off and I began bonding th dash together from the inside. The foam was micro'd and 2 oz tapes were installed.



After those cured, I put the top back on and used a couple of 1oz tapes to secure it to the main dash. I'm using lightweight tapes on the outside of this plug, to minimize the amount of sanding needed to prepare it for the mold building process.



Sorry about my old camera. This shows the begining of installing and shaping the foam fillets on the sides of the instrument pod cover. Once those are shaped, the dash can be removed. On the bench, the intersecting corners will be given a final shaping, and the interior will recieve additional bracing. Then the fun begins.

BTW, the portion you see going under the steering wheel will not be there on the final dash. It has to be removed inorder to remove or install the dash. I will include it as an extra part though, incase the builder just wants to have it in place.

David Breeze (the one in Kentucky)
MoneyNoMo JAN 29, 07:52 PM
Only in my dreams, David. Those pics came from a pantera listed on eBay. However, I'm thinking that you could make a good guess to distances using the speedo and rocker switches (on the left in photo). If the speedo is maybe 5 and 3/8 inches in diameter and the rockers are maybe an inch and a half high, I'm guessing that the height of the dash face is probably something like 4 inches in the long rectangular places and maybe 6 inches in the space shaped for the speedo and tach.

I'm guessing that the one you have in the pic is maybe 8 or more inches. May I suggest that you more or less keep your total height, but make the face shorter and have a small "parcel shelf" running along the bottom. Maybe something like a 2 inch shelf and a 5 inch main face. I think the result would look more proportional to the pantera and add a cool place to put stuff.

[This message has been edited by MoneyNoMo (edited 01-29-2007).]

MoneyNoMo JAN 29, 08:18 PM
i did a photoshop and left the original show through at the bottom:



The black at the bottom of the shortened face is the parcel shelf, which would be lined in black material.

[This message has been edited by MoneyNoMo (edited 01-29-2007).]

fourpoint9 JAN 29, 09:14 PM
How about this? It's thinner and has the V shape in it.

[This message has been edited by fourpoint9 (edited 01-29-2007).]

PaulJK JAN 30, 01:39 AM
The wide at the top and tapering downward to narrow makes the side of the footwells. However, a flat face (instead of the 3-surface pantera design) would be better for mounting things liek the A/C panel and radio face. Here's a few pics I had:





See how the rocker switches, gauges and vertical radio are on 3 different planes - i think this would be better as 1 flat piece.

[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 01-30-2007).]

opm2000 JAN 30, 12:11 PM
Hmmm,
All good points & ideas.
Moneynomo, you'r most likely right about dimensions & porportions. The "height" of the front panel came from duplicating the "height" of the stock Fiero dash. The horizontal top & bottom panels line up with the upholstery on the stock Fiero door panels. You'e got to start somewhere. I am intrigued to see what a slimmer front panel would do. As it happens, the bottom panel is just a very short distance below the main instrument pod. But it looks like a slimmer lower panel somewhere @ the height of mid-hvac head might work.

fourpoint9, that's what I set out trying to achieve, as far as integrating the V shaped center console into the new dash. It gets complicated by retaining the set location of the Fiero center instrument stack, and the relatively small amount of free space to work with. From the left side of the center stack to the right side of the main instrument pod is just about 3" or less. Although there seems to be plenty of room to work with the passenger side.

Pauljk, I agreee, a totally flat panel would be easier to work with. I'll bet most people just looking at photos don't even pick up on the 3-plane center console. If we were to completely forsake the stock center console mounting structure, then incorporating many of these suggestions might yield something interesting.

I plan to carry the existing plug thru to a finished mold and at least one produced dash. But meantime, I have plenty of materials around to try out some of these ideas.

David Breeze
motoracer838 MAR 07, 07:49 AM
This is way past due for a bump, Dave are you out there?

Joe