I am getting ready to plan out my winter projects, and I think I will move my suspension to the spring and do my interior over the winter. So I am trying to gather advice and information on interior options.
First, I am not an artist, so I am not too interested in completely custom stuff, or stuff where I have to do fab or cutting work too much. I am mostly interested in whether anyone out there has instructions and/or knows of kits that are available.
I am not a huge fan of the stock Fiero interior, though if that was the best option I would likely go with a dark color (I currently have tan). I am open to other car's interiors if they fit fairly well.
A friend of mine suggested I ask people who have show cars, he said show people replace their perfectly good interiors somewhat frequently, and that I may be able to pick up a really nice one for not too much money, one thats already cut and fits and all that.
I know this is kind of overbroad, but any advice would be a big help.
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09:58 AM
PFF
System Bot
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is the Firebird dash. With a little trimming and ingenuity you can have a modern dash for a few hundred dollars. I believe PBJ did this one in a weekend or so.
I've been reading through a number of interior projects here. Any interior you choose will require *some* fabrication. I haven't really seen many people that are swapping out their custom dash for another. My guess is that they're enough of a PITA that once they're in, they're in.
There is a fiberglass dash mold out there that I've heard of but I don't remember now where I saw it. You might try Sourmug's post.
Sorry I'm not much help. Hopefully you'll find what you are looking for. Don't forget to join your local Fiero club. They've usually got resources for parts and advice close to you.
------------------ Kendall (Icelander) Whitlatch '85 Fiero 2M4 - 5spd Isuzu '67 LeMans/GTO clone 6.5 litre TH400 All the rest aren't Pontiacs, so what does it matter?
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10:14 AM
BLK 86 FSTBAK GT Member
Posts: 225 From: Mill Hall, Pa Registered: Dec 2005
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is the Firebird dash. With a little trimming and ingenuity you can have a modern dash for a few hundred dollars. I believe PBJ did this one in a weekend or so.
I'm doing a Dodge Stealth dash in this Thread As indicated, any dash swap other than stock will require some amount of fabrication and modification including "kits".
Don't forget with kits you also have to pay additional money for upolstery and gauges. Using a dash out of another car can actually be less expensive in the end.
Nolan Edited to fix link
[This message has been edited by Sourmug (edited 10-10-2006).]
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02:43 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
Originally posted by BLK 86 FSTBAK GT: what year firebird?
The Firebird 4th gen dash was basically unchanged from 93 to 2002. There was a mid gen switchover in 97 but the only minor difference was that the area by the defroster vent makes a smooth curve versus coming to a point.
For the gauges you definitely want the 93 - 97 though. The 98 is questionable and 99-2002 forget it, they don't work. Check out this thread for more information:
Pisa dashes seem to be really nice. I did extensive research on their euro interior kit. you can install it in a couple of weekends.
Granted, you will not get a new interior for a couple hundred bucks unless you use random parts from crashed cars in junk yards. a full custom interior from pisa is around $3000-$5000.00 you are paying for custom fit for the fiero and all new parts.
I am going to install the euro kit (dash + other panels) in a two tone.
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06:43 PM
Francis T Member
Posts: 6620 From: spotsylvania va. usa Registered: Oct 2003
The f-bird dash does come out nice and does look like one of todays cars, which in my opion means it looks like all the rest of them. Most dashes today look so simular they just blur your mind when you try to remember what one looked like. Oh, and near all are some shade gray, very dark to medium. Problem with the Fiero dash and inteior I think has more to do with the common gray on grey sceam than anything. If you look at some of the basically stock insides done in other colors they look real good. And dont be fooled into thinking it's easy to change dashes. For some yes, but if you havent done any custom work, it's not all that easy and one wrong cut and youre buying another! Now I forget which year it was, but the Lotus Espree dash was quite simular to the Fiero's. Good luck with whatever way you decide to go
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11:28 PM
Reise Member
Posts: 69 From: Berrien Springs, MI, USA Registered: Aug 2006
I had the same thoughts as going with the PISA Euro dash and was looking at the price of it and when I got to looking into it more I found that the lambo kit cars used the fiero for thier base and when I found out how much they wanted for the int. it was like 4500 for an all LEATHER int. and less for vinyl. this is almost comparable to the PISA int. as mentioned before there will be some cutting and modding also...I am thinking next winter to do the interior....
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11:48 PM
Reise Member
Posts: 69 From: Berrien Springs, MI, USA Registered: Aug 2006
I had the same thoughts as going with the PISA Euro dash and was looking at the price of it and when I got to looking into it more I found that the lambo kit cars used the fiero for thier base and when I found out how much they wanted for the int. it was like 4500 for an all LEATHER int. and less for vinyl. this is almost comparable to the PISA int. as mentioned before there will be some cutting and modding also...I am thinking next winter to do the interior....
That's really nice Bob. In the end to make the Firebird panels fit I had to make fiberglass end pieces and smooth out the contours on all sides, so it's just about as much work to create one the way you and Roy did. I suck at fiberglass so mine are not as nice as that. Do you intend to upholster that? I suck at upholstery too, so I painted mine.
Is there anywhere I can take a class in fiberglass and upholstery???
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11:17 AM
RCR Member
Posts: 4416 From: Shelby Twp Mi Registered: Sep 2002
You want to build me a set of those door panels???
Sorry, I have to say no..Besides I still need to make the passenger side, yet. Also, unless you have the Grand Am dash in the same place as mine, the panel wouldn't fit right because its formed right to the edge of the dash.
quote
That's really nice Bob. In the end to make the Firebird panels fit I had to make fiberglass end pieces and smooth out the contours on all sides, so it's just about as much work to create one the way you and Roy did. I suck at fiberglass so mine are not as nice as that. Do you intend to upholster that? I suck at upholstery too, so I painted mine.
Is there anywhere I can take a class in fiberglass and upholstery???
Thanx again Jonathon...If there are any classes, sign me up, too. I'm planning on painting the outer portion (dk gray metalic) and speaker pod (black?). The center will be upolstered (dk gray or red suede depending on what I do with the seats).
Bob
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12:08 PM
Francis T Member
Posts: 6620 From: spotsylvania va. usa Registered: Oct 2003
I've been looking at redoing the interior in my 88 coupe, but nothin to spectacular. Waiting on the upholstered box from WCF (been waiting since the beginning of Aug... not their fault, its the upholsterer's,), so I've been bouncing Ideas. Need to do the headliner, so the headliner thread will help a great deal. Looks like I want to do the firebird dash conversion. So, two questions. 1, lol, is there a build thread? I can't seem to find it, and 2, will the dash simply plug in, as it is hinted at above, if it is a 93-97, or what would I need to do? Thanks for any help
------------------ Happiness is not around the corner. It is the corner.
An onramp is a terrible thing to waste.
"The greatest risk is not taking one" -AIG Commercial
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09:28 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
Oh, and near all are some shade gray, very dark to medium. Problem with the Fiero dash and inteior I think has more to do with the common gray on grey sceam than anything.
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11:23 PM
Oct 12th, 2006
Mickey_Moose Member
Posts: 7568 From: Edmonton, AB, Canada Registered: May 2001
Originally posted by RCR: Sorry, I have to say no..Besides I still need to make the passenger side, yet. Also, unless you have the Grand Am dash in the same place as mine, the panel wouldn't fit right because its formed right to the edge of the dash. Bob
...hey I tried...besides, shipping would be a killer.
BTW, if you want more space in the door for door speakers, you can swap the left and right window motor assemblies - of course this assumes you have power windows. Just did this myself and it works fine. Swapping the units, moves the motor so that it is pointing up towards the top of the door vs down. You can then remove the window stop (from the window - I also removes the metal bracket as there is no longer a need for it to be there) and install a small angle bracket to catch on the outer frame as a stop (as seen here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/071981.html ). Swapping the motors leaves out the step of modifing them and they work just fine (no need to change the wiring or anything.
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11:03 AM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
Thanx for the info. I actually read your thread...just after I modified my driver's side like Rick did. I think you posted it about three days after I modified it. Both ways work and although chopping it up takes longer, it only took about an hour to do.
Bob
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12:22 PM
PFF
System Bot
Oct 13th, 2006
Mickey_Moose Member
Posts: 7568 From: Edmonton, AB, Canada Registered: May 2001
Originally posted by Mickey_Moose: BTW, if you want more space in the door for door speakers, you can swap the left and right window motor assemblies - of course this assumes you have power windows. Just did this myself and it works fine. Swapping the units, moves the motor so that it is pointing up towards the top of the door vs down. You can then remove the window stop (from the window - I also removes the metal bracket as there is no longer a need for it to be there) and install a small angle bracket to catch on the outer frame as a stop (as seen here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/071981.html ). Swapping the motors leaves out the step of modifing them and they work just fine (no need to change the wiring or anything.
I just wanted to add, since I didn't really make it clear, the original ideal was Rickady's for relocating the motors, I just noticed that you could swap the motors without having to modify them. My apologies to to Rickady88GT if I made it sound like it was my idea.
Tim
[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 10-13-2006).]
