The interior

[PhyrraM]

We've all seen how varied each of our ideas for the exterior styling is, I wonder what we all have in mind for the interior.

Post what you would like to see for the interior.

For me I'm continuing with my 'simple, but professional and well detailed' theme.

I'd like to see an OEM (or OEM style) instument cluster over a panel with independant guages.

I'd like to see the OEM seat reused- leaving the option for aftermarket, of course. I don't want to be forced into a race style aluminum bucket. I'd like to enough room to recline and strech a bit on a long drive.

I don't need a full console. Some simple, well trimmed leather boots would be fine by me.

I'm not sure how I feel about the dashboard itself. The car doesn't need the weight or complexity of a stock dash, but I can't figure out a better way to bring the same level of detail and professionalism that a OEM style of dash would. Plus an OEM dash can be hollowed out for weight or packed with the HVAC system, based on the owners desires. Still open for me, I'm torn.

Nice carpet on the floors and raw aluminum or leather paneling for the footwells.

Door panels? No idea. Certainly can't use Subarus. Custom upolstered fiberglass contoured panels? kinda heavy, I would think.

Based on the pricepoint of the kit, I'm going to work on the assumption the stock Subaru harness will be retained which also means that the stock steering column and switchgear will like be used too.

What are everyones ideas?

[armstrom]

I think the price will drive a lot of this. I'm picturing OEM steering wheel/column (not sure what to do about the airbag, may have to be an aftermarket wheel) stock gauge cluster mounted in a basic fiberglass dash and center stack. Maybe aluminum covered tunnel. Stock seats will keep the price down too while still allowing for easy aftermarket replacement. I don't really care much about carpet one way or the other as that's something pretty easy to add yourself. Hopefully the footwells will be fully enclosed so you can't reach any of the frame members or mechanical bits. Since it remains to be seen if we will even get doors (I REALLY hope doors of SOME kind are integrated...) I won't even venture a guess on door pulls/handles/cards/pockets, etc..

The big question on everyone's mind has to be... "How many cup holders???"

[sonicrex]

If the stock GD dash fits I would use that.

The dash itself without the air bag is fairly light IMO. I believe it's around 10 lbs. I actually have a spare one that I'm going to throw on the scale.

The gauge cluster is pretty light too. I think compared to an aftermarket type gauge set the oem Subaru would be lighter.

I agree with being able to use stock Subaru seat mounting points. Won't help at all in the weight loss department but they would be useful for those on a budget with a full donor.

Door panels... For some reason I don't really care about them.

[sonicrex]

Actually you know what I think a simple carbon fiber door panel similar to the wrc style would look good without being complicated. It's not cheap though.

[forced4]

Just use the WRX dash, HVAC, wiring,column and wheel.

[Cooluser23]

Can we have a design competition for the interior?

I don't want the interior to look cheap and scream "kitcar". It's one of my gripes with the GTM. - For a car this nice, the interior just looks so cheap and "unfinished".

Example, of the new '11 Lancia Stratos could serve as inspiration:


Or Aston Martin:



Just cause the kit is affordable, doesn't mean the interior has to look "cheap", right?

[Rotr8]

^^^ the 818 will be an even cheaper kit than the GTM.
Alacantara aint cheap, im in the middle of filling my RX8s interior with it done right will cost well into the Thousands,,,

[Steve91T]

Guys, do you know how much interiors cost?

Lotus Elise interior....done


Steve

[FFRWRX]

Just cause the kit is affordable, doesn't mean the interior has to look "cheap", right?

I'm afraid it does. Unless you put a lot of money into it on your own.

[PhyrraM]

The Lancia might be doable in basic shape. The Aston? No way in hell at the 10K price-point.

Here a simpler, more basic approach would do well. Either a OEM dash or a simple, but tasteful fiberglass shape that the owner can upholster, paint or texture how they desire. If it bolts (as opposed to molded with the body) in then the 'edges' of the upholstery can be hidden making it look more OEM.

I do think that the 'no console/center stack' look from the Lancia pic above would be both appropriate and good looking. It would also be cheaper to produce.

[riptide motorsport]

Interior is really where the builder in us shows...........Steven

[VRaptor SpeedWorks, LLC]

Guys......the entire kit is supposed to be under$ 10k, and weigh in @ 1800lbs and you guys are hoping for a a$7k interior that weighs 400 pounds all ion its own!

[thebeerbaron]

Post what you would like to see for the interior.

I expect I'll start with whatever the kit comes with, likely the WRX gauge cluster, the steering column with stalks, the shifter, and the handbrake. Later add bright idiot lights and buzzers for alerts to important failures. Eventually, I might go with a digital dash.

I'll probably add a few bits of cushioning and upholstery in wear/bump areas and make sure certain surfaces are anti-glare. I think that's in line with Jim's Theory of the 818. Shane and Steven have it right - the off-the-shelf kit will be minimalist, it's up to the builder to turn it into something like the new Stratos interior.

[wjfawb0]

I need a place to sit, gauges, pedals, handbrake, shifter and steering wheel. I'm ok with having to add my own two-tone blue shag carpet upholstery.

[Franze]

This is interesting, quite a challenge
I'm thinking very minimal

[bbjones121]

Interior is really where the builder in us shows...........Steven

100% agree. Get the basics in there and stay on price target. Then read up on molding, padding, stitching, and finishing a custom interior on your own. I plan on figuring out how to get a good stereo in there. You can get an interior to look like an exotic with a lot of your own imagination and energy. You just have to be willing to do most of it on your own.

[bromikl]

I was sort of hoping they would mold a dash out of the body material. We would then take any instruments we want from the donor and cut the appropriate openings where we want them. The dash piece could be an add-on if it breaks the price constraint. Black, carbon fiber look-alike or colored doesn't matter. My wife's VW Bug brings the exterior color inside on the tops of the doors. Surprisingly, it improves the interior.

[bu11dogg2]

KISS: Keep it simple (insert your own S here)

HVAC/Radio(none provided)/powersource in center console
Gauge pod for boost/oil pressure/oil temp/AFR on dash.
Small glove box
Cluster swapped from the donor car.
Stock seat rail mounts

[crackedcornish]

KISS: Keep it simple (insert your own S here)

HVAC/Radio(none provided)/powersource in center console
Gauge pod for boost/oil pressure/oil temp/AFR on dash.
Small glove box
Cluster swapped from the donor car.
Stock seat rail mounts

I agree...simple can be nice

like this 550 spyder

[sonicrex]

Just weighed the dash and it came out to 12lbs flat. Now for the dash to look and fit properly I guess it is highly dependent on the windshield being used. (curvature?)

[FFRWRX]

Now for the dash to look and fit properly I guess it is highly dependent on the windshield being used. (curvature?)

Not necessarily. I just finished putting a 2000 Miata dash in a Fiero. The curve of the dash didn't match the curve of the windshield. I cut a piece of thin wood to match the two along the front and joined it to another piece to fill the gap between the sides of the dash and the car. Upholstered it in black vinyl and it looks "factory".

Rick
www.wheeltimesolutions.com/Dineroproject the last 2 pages show the dash install

[sonicrex]

I see now that's a good way of doing that. Great fab work too BTW.

Now I would hate to see how much the metal dash frame thing weighs but I'm going to assume it's a lot. I forgot about that although I'm not sure if it's really required to support the dash, safely that is.

[riptide motorsport]

they will most likey provide a dash as they have with all their kits......Steven

[RonSchofield]

Dashes are a lot of work. I have been making a custom dash for my coupe. But it doesn't mean that it can't be done by someone who could take the idea and make molds and then sell them.







It's all made from fiberglass and some metal mounts. It will be braced with foam core so it won't add very much weight. There are many more photos of the progress on my website.

The next step in the design process is to build the door panels. Those will be based on the Ford Contour door panels.

[Nelff]

IMO, design of the interior is driven by the design of the car. Is this going to be a track day, occasional blast around car? Or, is it going to be driven more often than not? Track oriented car needs a seat, harness and a tach, okay maybe a touch of diamond plate and carbon fiber. Car that is used, I'm not going to retrofit squat. I'll look in the closest Street Rodder or Hot Rod and call a vendor to have a new part shipped to me. F5 has done a great job with dash design using aftermarket gauges. There is no reason not to start ripping old OEM out and trying to fit it in. Door panels, dash panels and for that matter a floor tub is easy for F5 to craft. Lay some fabric, leather or whatever over the dash or door panels and it looks fantastic.

F5, it's your design. If you want a fit and finish car then you're going to have to give us interior panels.

[Gearsmith]

If it [the dashboard] bolts in (as opposed to molded with the body) then the 'edges' of the upholstery can be hidden making it look more OEM.

+1 Agreed. This would offer loads of flexibility.

[Pierre-Alexandre]

Interior is really where the builder in us shows...........Steven

That's totally right. You build your own car, build it the way you want. You want a race track car, build it this way. You want a sunday drive car, do it this way. As long as the base kit is great, you can build a great car anyway you want it.

[PhyrraM]

Ron, what your doing looks great. Wrapped in leather (or a proper textured type of finish) it looks very period and functional.

All of FFRs car come with a dashboard, but all of them are designed for individual 'race' type of gauges, and stand-alone 'snap-in' switchgear. I'm not really planning on a track-focused car where that stuff looks cool and functional. I'm thinking more the Sunday driver/evening cruise, or even weekend getaway. So something more OEM looking would suit me better.

I stand by my same 'rules' as for the exterior, keep the style simple. If you can't do a 'detail' or design feature and make it look finished to OEM level of quality, then don't do it at all.

[Cooluser23]

^^^ the 818 will be an even cheaper kit than the GTM.
Alacantara aint cheap, im in the middle of filling my RX8s interior with it done right will cost well into the Thousands,,,

Really? Cause I just bought generic Microfiber that feels remarkably similar to Alcantara for $10 a yard at JoAnn's fabrics. If you want something that feels even closer to Alcantara you can buy Ultrasuede from Denver fabrics for $40 a yard.

It's really not that expensive of a material. It's in supercars because it's lighter than real leather, not because it's more expensive.





Denver Fabrics Ultrasuede

Wikipedia Article on brand name "Alcantara"
General Wikipedia Article on Suede and synthetic suede which includes Microfiber, Alcantara, Ultrasuede, Microsuede, etc.
Answers.com gives you a very concise version of what this miracle fabric actually is:

[Alcantara, Ultrasuede is] usually a nylon/polyester blended yarn that is spun into a microfiber like fabric. It is then brushed twice to achieve the suede touch. The first brushing is applied before dyeing and the second brushing is considered a "suede" process which actually is brushed with pins. Then the fabric is dyed and sheared which gives the final suede look and touch.

I'm sorry, if i took some of the "magic" away from the fabric, but it really isn't that special. It's just relatively new in Automotive use, and as things go Supercars get it first, then it trickles down to regular cars. There are quite a lot of "mere mortal" cars that use this "magical fabric" extensively. You just won't see it much on automotive dashes, as most cheap cars use injection molded plastic interior parts to keep costs low, and don't go the extra step of wrapping them in leather, or cloth, like expensive cars.

[Cooluser23]

If you go to Target, Walmart, or furniture stores, you'll notice a lot of items are covered in this material as it's at the height of fashion right now.

[Cooluser23]

The Lancia might be doable in basic shape. The Aston? No way in hell at the 10K price-point.

Here a simpler, more basic approach would do well. Either a OEM dash or a simple, but tasteful fiberglass shape that the owner can upholster, paint or texture how they desire. If it bolts (as opposed to molded with the body) in then the 'edges' of the upholstery can be hidden making it look more OEM.

I do think that the 'no console/center stack' look from the Lancia pic above would be both appropriate and good looking. It would also be cheaper to produce.

I don't think FFR has to send out a wrapped dash. Let that be up to the owners if they want to go the extra step of wrapping their dash. If you DIY, materials are cheap. If you farm it out it's the labor at $90/hour that drives up the costs quickly.

I do think that the '11 Lancia Stratos "kit car"* dash would look great in the 818. It doesn't have to be anything as fancy as the Aston Martin dash. (which btw. would look killer in a GTM) And for the gauges I'm perfectly okay with using an OEM Subaru cluster to keep costs down.

Either way. I just wanted to prove that a lot can be achieved, when some effort is devoted to the interior, and it's not merely treated as an afterthought.

__________
* I say "kit car" tongue-in-cheek, since it's based on a Ferrari F-430 that has been shortened.

[PhyrraM]

I don't think FFR has to send out a wrapped dash. Let that be up to the owners if they want to go the extra step of wrapping their dash. If you DIY, materials are cheap. If you farm it out it's the labor at $90/hour that drives up the costs quickly.

I do think that the '11 Lancia Stratos "kit car"* dash would look great in the 818. It doesn't have to be anything as fancy as the Aston Martin dash. (which btw. would look killer in a GTM) And for the gauges I'm perfectly okay with using an OEM Subaru cluster to keep costs down.

Either way. I just wanted to prove that a lot can be achieved, when some effort is devoted to the interior, and it's not merely treated as an afterthought.

I agree. The only thing FFR has to do is get the shape right. After that there are a ton of options for the creative builder. I did say "the owner can upholster" in my original post.

[sub322]

Not much said about the doors so far. Could the door shell be made today that later on there would be a possibly that a roll up window could be installed. I say this now because the windshield frame needs to be in on this also.

[Justen]

I doubt the doors will be big enough for roll up windows, but who knows! i'm guessing a snap in window or a fixed window with a sliding piece is more likely.

[05xtsy]

When I get around to building this car, I don't care how long it takes me, my interior will be inspired by the spyker c8. May not be everyones cup of tea, but It give me heart palpitations.

[PhyrraM]

MAN, you could have warned us first. I can't get a optometrist visit for 3 weeks, how am I supposed to get to work in the meantime? Feel?

[Benji]

Between that and Pagani interiors I get a little sick on my mouth. WAAAY over the top to the point of becoming hideous and I'd hate to be in that Spyker when the sun is out.

Simple but smart thank you, do you see any of that sparkly crap in a Veyron? Probably for a reason right?

[sonicrex]

That's really uh, orange.

[BrandonDrums]

Just weighed the dash and it came out to 12lbs flat. Now for the dash to look and fit properly I guess it is highly dependent on the windshield being used. (curvature?)

I was thinking just cut the part off of the front of the dash and adapt the rest for the window curvature.

[Slaughter]

I want bare aluminium with digital clocks - simple. cheap. light.