Chased up your build thread mate. Nice attention to detail! I could do with the use of a mill and lathe sometimes... Wish I had the time to get things polished up.

Will be following thread with interest. Not many done up interiors these days. How you going about the interior? Same sort of approach as me? I can put you in touch with a cheap motor trimmer if you're interested.

Looking good mate, i like your ideas on the rocker cover and interior spears, will be a sweet
ride when your finished, will be watching your bulid!

Just one thing tho... check that your horn still works since youve removed the cruise control..
When i removed my cruise control the horn stoped working...
I had to remove the circut box from the cruise motor, and plug it back into the loom for the horn to work!
I just taped up the loom plug and circutbox together, and hid it half behind the brake booster..

Wholagan.

Hey MoNGoose, plans for the interior:
Vinyl dye on the soft dash parts and top part of doors, plastic paint on all hard plastic mouldings, new carpet, retrim roof lining.

Door trims, as in the picture middle stripe will be trimmed in white leather (if I can get some offcuts, don't want to have to buy a full hide of white) otherwise may need to cheat with some leather look white vinyl (eeek), armrest to be trimmed in black leather with white stitching on the edges, seats I'm not sure on yet, I like the look of the EF seats at the top, but might see if I can make the headrests in to the ones with the open centre section, planning on getting an old seat from the wreckers and see if I can put bigger side and seat bolsters in with some seating foam, then retrim in black leather and white stitching same as the console lid.

I have done some furniture upholstery (with stitching) before that turned out quite good, so am planning on having a go at it myself.

I have been thinking about this steering wheel, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but with the alloy door and dash spears it might work. Plus they are only $250 new, a nice second hand EL GT wheel is half the cost of the ECU I want.

Thanks for that, I checked my horn, still works, but I am yet to take out the cruise buttons, will have to check when I'm doing that bit.

Found some time this morning to do the dash spear in alloy, thought I would do a step by step of the process.

First off, get yourself some aluminum and your spear, trace around the shape (forgot the photo of marking out the dash spear)


Then you need to cut out the shape, much easier if you have access to a metal bandsaw, but I did one spear with a jigsaw and a couple of Aluminium specific blades, you need patience here as the better the cut the less grinding needed later.


Tools of the trade, I find the smaller 100mm angle grinders easier to work with doing this sort of stuff,
Two grades of sandpaper wheels; course and fine, DO use eye protection and a face mask, alloy dust irritates the crap out my eyes.


Start shaping, keep the original near by to check shape regularly, I clamp one end to a bench, BEWARE the billet does heat up quite well once you have been grinding a bit, hot enough to burn skin.


One end shaped, start on the other end


The dash spear has a concave in it to fit the dash, bit of persuading with the rubber mallet is all that is needed


Once shaped and smoothed with the fine sanding wheel (the better job done with the grinder the less sanding by hand is needed) then it is time for hand sanding to make sure it's flat, I hit it with 180 grit wet and dry and a sanding block, not using a sanding block means any bumps left from the grinder won't flatten off, then finish with 240 wet and dry, if polishing by hand I'd recommend going finer with the wet and dry, even to 800 grit.


Then finish on a bench grinder fitted with a buffing wheel, I use two stages, first with a stitched buff wheel and a cutting compound, then on a finishing buff wheel with a polishing compound. however if sanded correctly down to 800 grit, autosol metal polish and a microfiber rag will work also, it will just take longer.


Finished product

Very nice man, you've definitely got some skill. I have that steering wheel also, well worth the $ and with the partial black/chrome/polished interior I have it suits very very well.
Wanna make me a dash spear

At the moment any spare time I have is taken up by my build projects, once they slow down I could make you one.

How does the wheel feel compared to the standard one? the standard one s**t me to tears, but most of the other ones I have seen for sale are just leather covered standard ones, I really want a different shape, and this wheel looks like it might be comfy.

better start taking orders -tthey are awsome

Look like a very similar shape to the MOMO wheels. They are amazing. Such a step up from standard. GF has an EL Ghia and her wheel is no comparison...

Where can you get them steering wheels from they look the good and the steering wheels on both my cars are shot and these would be perfect replacements.

The moldings pretty solid, it does take a bit to get used to I found as the stock wheel is normally pretty soft. I like it though, once you start doing some spirited driving it comes into its own, as the back is molded for your fingers as well.

yeh some money could be made from the door trims and such!

Started playing with one of the spare door trims today. Bought some marine upholstery vinyl, I couldn't justify buying a whole hide of white leather just to do the door trims, the seats will be in black leather.

Fairmont door trim


My first attempt at automotive trimming, got the stitching down pat, but need to get some proper thread, just playing with standard sewing cotton for this attempt. Only one side has been sewn at this stage, as I think I need to modify the pattern slightly to make sure the seam lines up along the side of the armreat. then I can pull it taught and glue the overhang in the back of the armrest.


Sitting in place to see what it will look like, you have to imagine it all sewn and no creases, also imagine that there is some black carpet on the map pocket front.


I think it will look good once finished.

I have that wheel on both our cars for a couple of years now and they are very nice to drive with, thicker than the E series Momo XR wheel, more like a BA thickness. Worth the money.

We have the same wheel on the XR8.
Only fault I can find with it is I personally dont like the alloy inserts.
But otherwise it is cool.