bottom dash cover?

[jbills]

I'm doing some interior work and thinking about fabricating some sort of bottom dash cover. I probably shouldn't care, but I've just never liked how all the wiring and guts are exposed under the steering wheel column and dash. it just seems unfinished to me.

I'll probably hit the U-Pull-It and see if I can find a similar small car that I can boost the bottom plate from and then either gently screw mount it or maybe zip tie it on, see if I can get a match. hopefully it will have tabs or a 2nd set of screws that make it removable if I need to get up in there, without totally unscrewing the mounting screws. you know, like most modern dash bottoms.

anyone ever had a similar annoyance and tried anything like that on a spider?

[meangreenspider]

I'm doing some interior work and thinking about fabricating some sort of bottom dash cover. I probably shouldn't care, but I've just never liked how all the wiring and guts are exposed under the steering wheel column and dash. it just seems unfinished to me.

I'll probably hit the U-Pull-It and see if I can find a similar small car that I can boost the bottom plate from and then either gently screw mount it or maybe zip tie it on, see if I can get a match. hopefully it will have tabs or a 2nd set of screws that make it removable if I need to get up in there, without totally unscrewing the mounting screws. you know, like most modern dash bottoms.

anyone ever had a similar annoyance and tried anything like that on a spider?

I have an 82 that had dealer installed A/C installed. I don't know of the availability but I still have the panel that was installed for the ac controls. I like the way it hides some of the wiring and I installed a few switches.

[jbills]

that looks like what I'm after! can't say I've ever seen anything like that, but I have to admit I'm not too familiar with the 82-85.5's. promising.

don't want to be greedy, meangreen, but any way to get a closer photo? I'm just curious what's still exposed down there, if anything.

[bobplyler]

My father had a Fiat 600 (actually 2.. one for parts) when I was a kid. That had everything out in the open.

Of course, when the starter motor went out, he and a neighbor filed a notch in a pully that fit, then he used a rope to start it. It got kinda old after a while.

My youngest brother came up with a saying: "lil' car... can't start it!!"

[meangreenspider]

that looks like what I'm after! can't say I've ever seen anything like that, but I have to admit I'm not too familiar with the 82-85.5's. promising.

don't want to be greedy, meangreen, but any way to get a closer photo? I'm just curious what's still exposed down there, if anything.

It may be a week or so before I uncover the Spider. It's basically still winter here in Ohio. I will see if I have any other photos available. If you go thru the album on my photobucket link there is a few more photos that may help.

[jbills]

very helpful - there were some larger sized shots in there. cool, I'll be watching for something like that. i assume it's fine in terms of being out of the way - you're not like constantly bumping it are ya? I ask more about the passenger side - it looks like it has a little more width over there.

[meangreenspider]

very helpful - there were some larger sized shots in there. cool, I'll be watching for something like that. i assume it's fine in terms of being out of the way - you're not like constantly bumping it are ya? I ask more about the passenger side - it looks like it has a little more width over there.

There is no cover on the passenger side. As you may have seen in the photos there was an A/C unit mounted underneath. No leg clearence issues on either side but I am only 5'7". I have enough space on the passenger side that I have purchased an under seat style subwoofer that I will install under the dash where the ac unit was.

[nelsonj]

I "built" a cover for my passanger side after I pulled out all the A/C parts (the blower was in the passenger side).

I used the black plastic top of a big rubbermaid 30+ gallon container. I used metal cutting shears on the thick plastic and cut it to just the shape I wanted. I dilled a few holes in it and used existing holes under the dash to mount it. It was a very quick job - 1 hour max. Nothing to brag about, but it looks a lot better than before, and since it is black and it dark under there anyway, it looks normal and your eye doesn't bother giving it a second glance.

I have been thinking about doing the same for the driver's side for the same reasons you mention (too many wires visible), and because it was so easy to do the passanger side.