I revised the seat frames for the third
time to get the seats lower. I started with the angle iron bolted to
the existing seat rails. I then took two pieces of angle iron that fit
inside the seat rails and connected by a piece of flat bar. I call
this the "H" assembly. The seat was then positioned and I measured the
pieces that I would need to connect to the flat bar fastened to the
front of the seat. Once this was fastened to the "H" assembly, the
rear plate was fastened to the seat and measurements made to fix the
angle. Not that the rear flat bar that attaches to the seat has to be
notched to slide over the bolts in the seat. Once fixed, the seat was
placed in the car in the desired position. Holes were drilled through
the H assembly and the seat brackets for permanent mounting. The two
assemblies are then bolted in place.
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I made a shifter boot by cutting a ring
out of ABS and then drilling holes through the carbon fiber to hold it
in place with screws. I made a pattern for the boot, sewed it
together, leaving an opening for the shift rod, and then glued the
bottom to the ring. The ring was then fastened to the carbon fiber for
a completed boot. |
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I installed the front dash vents. These
will not actually be hooked up to anything but they will give it a
more authentic look. |
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After the peddles, I moved on to
fabricating the housing to cover the roof support and then install the
tweeters. This involved cutting our a straight section of the top
cover of the dash, shaping a metal piece that was pop riveted to the
window post. This was then covered with foam and then upholstered. The
tweeters were installed and wired in. The Dash piece was actually
fastened to the front frame with 1/4" self tapping screws.
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First the radio and heater controls. I
used a hex headed cap screw to hold on the carbon fiber panels. I made
brackets from channel to fasten the radio box and heater controls. I
bondoed them into the dash area and then installed the radio and
heater controls. I also mounted the alarm blinking light above the
radio. I also found out that you can use a fine pointed Sharpy pen and
write on the wires to label them |
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Next I did the peddles
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I
reworked the amp to move the fuse closer to the battery and rerouted
the connections to clean it up a little. I also made cardboard
templates for the top and sidesI
routed the rear speaker wires, antenna wires through a flexible tube
and fastened to wheel well. I used padded clips to fasten the wire
loom with mirror controls, speaker wires, window controls and door
solenoids to the front. I placed the Alpine AMP where it would be
fastened to the trunk braces. I installed the metal cover over the
braces and then used an ABS sheet that I had bought that has a carbon
fiber imprint. I mounted Amp and crossovers and ran wires to interior
for connection to the steareo. |
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Last
tidbit. When I was visiting IFG when I went to Knotts, I watched Todd
work on making upholstery. He used lighter fluid to clean off the glue
residue and then followed that up with a leather cleaner. Works great.
After getting back from Knotts Berry
Farms and talking with several builders, I redid the heater hoses.
First of all most builders are only using the center two defrosters. I
bought the heater elbows from Ken at North American. He recommended
that I use shop vac hose. I found a kit that included six fittings and
10 feet of hose. By cutting the fittings, they slid over the elbows
and will attach to the hose. I replaced my hand made chimeys with
1.25" electrical conduit fittings that have the nut on the back side.
This allowed me to put in a fitting for each vent that I was going to
connect. After installing the conduit and nuts, I ground off the
excess to make it fit within the heater box without hitting the heater
flaps. Turned out much better. |
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As I
explained, once I got back, I pulled it all apart to start on the
wiring again. After all the discussions on the switches, I opted for
something simple. I am using the Fiero Mirror and window controls
simply cut into the carbon fiber piece. I had to attach some metal
pieces to the bottom to fasten the controls to. For the lights,
parking lights and fog lights, I picked up the 3 switches from
O'Riley's that have indicator lights and pre-made labels that met my
needs. It may not be authentic but it looks clean and professional.
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Every
once in a while I have to put it together to see what I am shooting
for. The seats are not on rails, the instruments are not connected and
I don't have the windshield in. It was time to take it out, clean it
up and admire the work so far. After I get back from Knotts, It will
all come apart again and I will pick up where I left off. |
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Finished
connecting the ductwork to the heater box. It is very crowded under
the dash |
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Relocated
the shifter back and raised the position of the shifter. Because my
Northstar is an Automatic, I will simply use the center slot on the
shift gate. I will need to actually make the slot a little longer to
cover the shift pattern. |
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I began
work on the heater box. Using a piece of Plexiglas, I could see where
the openings would need to be located. By drilling out 3" holes and
using sheet metal I made 3 chimneys to fasten the ducting to.
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I needed
to come up with a way to fasten the top of the dash to the main dash
section. I created 4 bolts that were welded to a plate, bondoed and
glassed to the top. Because of the angle of the bolts, it was
necessary to make slots in the main dash to accept the the bolts. I
can use flat washers and nuts on the inside to now hold it in place.
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Received
the carbon fiber dash insert from IFG. If you hold it up to the light,
you can see through the weave. After sanding with 2000 grit and using
rubbing compound and glazing compound, I used flat black on the
backside to fill in any clear areas. The finish is fantastic. I used
my Plexiglas template to locate the gauges. This worked out well as
the hole saw could not skip and mar the finish. |
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Received
a new piece or leather from IFG to do the final cover on the console
door. I was concerned about how to open the door and I decided to make
a small indent in the console so I could lift the door instead of
putting a handle or latch on the door. I am using a magnetic door
latch to keep it closed. It doesn't open very wide and a friend
suggested I use a hinge similar to the front trunk so it would clear
easier. This is after I had everything in and his suggestion is a good
one so I will probably remove the subwoofer and remove the console and
put in different hinges |
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I've been
trying to figure out the inside dome lights. I have a GMC Sonoma truck
that has dome lights in the bottom of the mirror. So I started looking
for passenger cars that has a similar layout. A Chevy Lumina has the
lights in the mirrors. They can be both dome lights as well as reading
lights. I had to run a the three wires through the roof section to
where the mirror will be located. |
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Completed
the top release mechanism. I used the original Fiero door handles and
modified them to accept two cables. One for the roof release over the
rear window and one for the roof release on the motor deck lid. One on
each side of the car will release that sides roof. |
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Picked up
an Alpine amplifier for the Stereo system. |
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Spent
three days on the center console. Re did it four times and still not
finished. Good lesson in trial and error. |
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More work
on the carpeting. Finished the drivers side. Had to build a bracket to
hold the front trunk release before I could finish the carpet. Once
the bracket was fabricated and bolted to the side, I used FRB board to
cover the end cap. This was then covered with headliner foam, then
covered with carper. The interior pieces were added and finished out.
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Worked on
putting in the carpet. First I cut the padding provided by IFG to size
and then used it as a template for the other side. The padding is
fastened using spray adhesive to the floor and then the back of the
padding. Before putting the padding down, I located the positions for
the seat belts and drilled the holes. After the carpet was installed,
I used an awl from underneath to locate the holes and then cut out the
carpet to allow the seat belt holes to receive the bolts. After the
bolts were put in place, I under coated the car. |
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This
section shows how the back area is glued to the FRB template with the
padding. The actual piece that fits around the roof receivers has tabs
mounted so that it will fit above the window section. The tab in the
opening is to hold up the padded cap that is built in the section
below |
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This is
how you use a standard tin can and end up with an upholstered cap to
cover the roof reciver |
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Trial fit
of the center consol with the sub woofer |
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How to
build a sub woofer in a tight space |
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This
shows where I had originally covered the side with vinyl. I am redoing
it with carpet on the lower section and vinyl on the top section. This
also shows the new center consol and the area that will be filled with
carpet. I decided to use the Fiero handles to release the top latch on
the roof and the motor deck lid from inside the car. So I needed to
make an area to accommodate the modified Fiero handle. I started by
putting a lip on a piece of angle iron that would support the back of
the new console. Next I created a wood frame that matched the outline
of the console and allowed me to have space for the handle. I used
screws and liquid nails to fasten the framework to the firewall. Next
I used 3/4" aluminum angle iron and shaped it to match the rear
console. I pop riveted it to the FRB board on the wall. I drilled two
holes to accommodate the bicycle cables that will release the roof
from both the top and the deck lid. In other words, the right handle
release both receivers on the right side (top and deck lid). Next I
used insulated padding that was backed with foil to prevent heat build
up in the interior. I covered the sides with the IFG supplied carpet
padding. I cut out the area around the speaker to allow the carpet to
be recessed so the speaker cover will fit in a recessed fashion. I
then installed the temporary Fiero handle. I will hook up cables
later. |
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I needed
to notch the top piece to fit around the extra support that I added to
the windshield. Once this was done I could then mark the lower piece
of the dash to clear it as well |
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The top
piece has 4 defroster vents. I marked the top and cut small holes in
the center to make sure that I didn't damage the leather when drilling
through. I drilled a pilot hole from the front and then cut a 3"
opening from the back just barely going through the fiberglass into
the padding. From the front, I cut out the leather and loosened it
from the foam. I cut out the foam about 1/2" in from the circle so the
leather could be glued down and allow the vent to sit into the
padding. Repeat the process 3 more time and you have a completed top
piece. |
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I bought
Autolock's alarm system and will be studying on the connections that I
need to make. I should be able to open all doors, deck lid, trunk as
well as disable the start feature with this unit. |
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Began
working on the interior finish out. Started. There are some great
interior pictures from another lambo build site at http://home.pacbell.net/oohec/
As you can see the real Lamborghinis have a bar directly below the
window. I decided to use a 3/4" x 2" piece that I bolted to the
firewall. I put spacers on the back to give me some room for the
padding to go under as well as clear the computer assembly.
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I mounted
brackets on the backside of the firewall by pop riveting them in
place. I cut a piece of FRB board to size and then drilled through the
panel and the bracket. I used a panel anchor installed through the FRB
board before I covered it with 1/2" foam. |
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I began
gluing 1/2" foam that will go beneath the side covering. I will remove
the foam inside the red circle so that the speaker cover will be
recessed. It is import that when you are using spray adhesive that you
cover your paint job so it does not end up with glue all over it. I
also need to get a sewing machine do do some minor modifications to
accommodate my panel design. I have spent time at the fabric store to
get foam, marine vinyl, buttons etc. A humbling experience but we have
to do what we need to to finish these things. I have started putting
on the coverings but am not satisfied enough to post any pictures.
Maybe in a week or two. |
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I primed
and painted the seat tracks and mounted the seats. I may have to lower
the tracks as the seats are a lot higher with the padding than the old
fiberglass shells. I believe I can drop them 1/2" to 3/4" and still
use the track. If that is not enough, I may have to eliminate the
tracks and go with fixed seats. |
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Before
installing the interior panels. I needed to cut out a portion of the
sheet metal to make room for the rear speaker. Next I cut a template
from cardboard and then cut the interior panel from FRB board. I
marked the location of the speaker. I then pop riveted the panel in
place. Next I glassed in the panel with mat and resin. |
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I got out
the interior pieces and layed them all out so I could start planning
the next stage. I am getting the new style dash and center console
from IFG. These are all the pieces that will neede to be installed.
(seats not shown but I have the leather seats from IFG) |
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I needed
to shorten the steering column by 3.5" so that it would fit better
against the dash as well as give a little more room in the car. First
I picked a fixed point on the car and measured the distance to the
steering wheel color. In this case my point was 16.5". |
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After
disconnecting the wiring harness, the brackets and loosen the clamp at
the flex joint. Remove the column. You will need to remove the spring
and rubber seal from the shaft. Notice the small wedge that will have
to be replaced. Tap out the bearing which will open up the column.
Next tap out the inner column. You will notice there is an internal
column that wedges the two pieces together. |
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Next cut
off the bracket that had held in the steering brackets. I cut two
opening in the existing framework so I could drill and put nuts on the
bolts that will be holding the front brackets. |
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Once the
column was separated, cut 3.5" of the inner tube. |
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Before
cutting the steering column rod itself, be sure and scribe a line on
the tube that will allow you to align the pieces up after you have cut
out the 3.5". Be sure and that you bevel the ends of the tube into a
"V" groove so that you will get good penetration on the weld. This
weld needs to be good enough for your life to depend on it. I used a
piece of angle iron to clamp the pieces of the rod to and then spot
welded them together. Once I had verified the alignment was still
good, I then final welded it. |
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I ground
the weld on the rod smooth and took this opportunity to paint the
column. |
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Insert
the inner column and reassemble in the reverse order. The column is
now 13" from my original measurement point. |
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Cleaned
out and primered the passenger side. Used steel brush, then painted
with gloss black. Drivers side and rest of interior yet to be
completed. |
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I got two
new Bull Emblems that I will be using on the sides. I use the same
technique of cutting out the shape, bondo on the back, Glass over the
top. Because This will be very obvious, It has taken a lot of work to
get it recessed just enough that it will have the very finished look.
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On with
the learning process. I got an email from a gentleman that had made
molds before. He said that he used spandex stretched very tight and
then apply resin directly to the spandex to create a shell. Then he
came back with mat and reinforced it. The process would work but I
talked to Ray Saturday and they are making the 2000 dash. I will get
one from Ray instead of working on this one. Some pointers. If you use
the foam then you may want to apply a lite coat of bondo to the foam.
Reason, the resin melts the foam. I could make this work but I would
be better off moving towards something more productive. |
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The
problem with trying something new is there is a lot of trial and
error. What you don't see is the pile of wood, etc that didn't make it
to the final go round. What I ended up using was a sheet of 3/4"
builders foam and epoxy to build the basic shape. I am going to use
lath screen to form the shape over the existing dash. When glassed in
it may not have the smoothest finish but It will be covered with foam
and upholstery. |
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I
installed the framework to support the center console. It is made out
of 1/2" square tube that was welded to the Fiero console. I was sure
to not get it too hot as the gas tank is just on the other side of the
console. |
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I started
working on the seat brackets. I bolted the Fiero brackets to the floor
and them welded a piece of flat bar across each end to make a frame. I
took the measurements from the finished seats where the bolts are set
for mounting. I made plates to match the bolt locations and then
tested the angles and made metal supports to go from the frame to the
plates attached to the end of the seats. The seats are now adjustable
front to back. It would be possible to gain about 1/2 to 3/4 inch by
cutting off the Fiero mounting points and flattening them out.
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I
remounted the emergency brake. I eliminated the bracket from IFG and
bolted it directly to the frame. It was necessary to remove the curve
from the handle and straighten it out. I spent last weekend connecting
the emergency brake cables and installing the last caliper. (I had to
order the left one because the brake fitting had been stripped). I had
an opportunity to lock the brakes when a squirrel decided to attempt
suicide during one of my test drives this weekend. They work really
good and the squirrel will have to find some one else to take him out.
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I
started the framework that will hold the center console. |
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