78 Interior Restoration
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- Patron 2019
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- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
78 Interior Restoration
Like so many other posts I had a lot of heat entering the cabin and wanted to put down a heat and sound barrier. That turned into new carpet.....turned into, well I removed the center console anyway......didn't like the PO radio...... Well that radio console is not great.... What about a short shifter since that is apart.... Into, well might as well recover the seats.....
Pretty happy with the results. Ended up going with new leather seat covers, a newer model heater control center in black instead of the period chrome, soft touch consoles from A/R, an amazing feeling and looking shift knob from Mark Allison, retro sound Bluetooth radio (worth every penny there), new hazard switch (plus a challenge to find the mount that goes around the switch found at good ole Midwest Bayless), and even have a working clock now.
I removed that silver speaker cover grid, painted the mesh that was underneath black, and then installed that by itself. Much cleaner and simpler look that I like. The instrument cluster chrome piece was looking rough, so used some steel wool on that, then painted it black (would have looked good without the paint too as it cleans up nicely).
Ended up being a nice team effort between multiple suppliers and happy with all of them.
Pretty happy with the results. Ended up going with new leather seat covers, a newer model heater control center in black instead of the period chrome, soft touch consoles from A/R, an amazing feeling and looking shift knob from Mark Allison, retro sound Bluetooth radio (worth every penny there), new hazard switch (plus a challenge to find the mount that goes around the switch found at good ole Midwest Bayless), and even have a working clock now.
I removed that silver speaker cover grid, painted the mesh that was underneath black, and then installed that by itself. Much cleaner and simpler look that I like. The instrument cluster chrome piece was looking rough, so used some steel wool on that, then painted it black (would have looked good without the paint too as it cleans up nicely).
Ended up being a nice team effort between multiple suppliers and happy with all of them.
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- Patron 2019
- Posts: 620
- Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 4:43 pm
- Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
- Location: Detroit Area
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Nice job!
Its hard to pick a stopping point once you start. I bought a new house once because my wife thought the couch pillows needed replacement...then the new pillows made the couch look bad, replaced that, then the carpet, then painted....and so on until there was nothing left to do, so we sold the house.
Is the dash a replacement?
Its hard to pick a stopping point once you start. I bought a new house once because my wife thought the couch pillows needed replacement...then the new pillows made the couch look bad, replaced that, then the carpet, then painted....and so on until there was nothing left to do, so we sold the house.
Is the dash a replacement?
Current 81 Spider 2000
Previous 76 Spider
Previous 76 Spider
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- Patron 2019
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks, you're right about never ending projects. No, luckily the dash is in quite good shape and didn't need the change yet.
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- Patron 2021
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- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:01 pm
- Your car is a: 1983 FIAT Pininafarina Spider 2000
- Location: Wilmington, MA
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
The lower console, A cover or direct replacement? Looks very sharp.
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- Patron 2019
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- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks. It was a direct replacement using AR soft touch console. Only challenge with that one is I had to grind the opening for the heater control to fit over it.tima01864 wrote:The lower console, A cover or direct replacement? Looks very sharp.
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- Posts: 69
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:12 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
- Location: Greenville, SC
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Looks great! Where did you get the heat/sound barrier? Was it easy to work with, and were you happy with end result? Did you attach it to the floor somehow, or just lay the carpet over it? I am not yet at that point on my restoration, but curious for how best to do this when I get to that point.
Thanks,
David
Thanks,
David
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- Patron 2019
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- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks. Very happy with the results and very easy to work with. I purchased through Amazon. It has self adhesive to stick to the car and then used a 3M spray adhesive to adhere the carpet. I've read others put down an additional layer of padding between but I did not.DustyDave wrote:Looks great! Where did you get the heat/sound barrier? Was it easy to work with, and were you happy with end result? Did you attach it to the floor somehow, or just lay the carpet over it? I am not yet at that point on my restoration, but curious for how best to do this when I get to that point.
Thanks,
David
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- Posts: 69
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:12 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
- Location: Greenville, SC
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks for the info, very helpful! Do you recall the manufacturer and/or part name or number for the insulation material?
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- Patron 2019
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- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
I used this.......DustyDave wrote:Thanks for the info, very helpful! Do you recall the manufacturer and/or part name or number for the insulation material?
Noico 80 mil 36 sqft car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener, Audio Noise Insulation and dampening https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUIKAK/re ... ZDbXFKEZCY
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- Posts: 69
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:12 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
- Location: Greenville, SC
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Awesome, thank you, very helpful!
- royn
- Patron 2018
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- Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:33 pm
- Your car is a: 1982 Spider 2000
- Location: 2864 Fall, Norway
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- Patron 2019
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks. Wrapping up going bumperless then update wheels, springs and add Konis.royn wrote:You are doing a great job ! Keep on posting.
- joelittel
- Patron 2018
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- Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:53 pm
- Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000 FI
- Location: Evanston, IL
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Looking good
I like what you did with your indicators and bumper hole covers.
I like what you did with your indicators and bumper hole covers.
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- Patron 2019
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
Thanks, it's a work in progress as you know my friend.joelittel wrote:Looking good
I like what you did with your indicators and bumper hole covers.
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- Patron 2018
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- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:57 pm
- Your car is a: 1979 2000 Spider
- Location: Ault, Colorado
Re: 78 Interior Restoration
It's pretty!! Nice work.
Todd.
Todd.
1988 Mazda RX-7
1979 Fiat Spider 2000
1978 3/4 ton Chev 4x4 P/U "FRANKENTRUCK"
1976 Camaro
1972 VW Superbeetle
1969 Ford F100
1968 Mustang coupe
1979 Fiat Spider 2000
1978 3/4 ton Chev 4x4 P/U "FRANKENTRUCK"
1976 Camaro
1972 VW Superbeetle
1969 Ford F100
1968 Mustang coupe