custom interior question

[spnrx]

I have a sick idea for my sedan but I don't know much about fabication yet so I had a couple questions.

1) Where can I get new carpet and is it easy to install?

2) What would I need to make a center console?

3) Where would I get headliner and is it easy to install?

Thanx ahead of time,
Spnr X

[ghettogeddy]

well theres a web site that i cant remember off the top of my head that sells new carpets premolded the headliner would have to be re coverd with new materal and the console are u trying to make your own console or fab off of a stock one

[spnrx]

creat a new one. So i would just cover up the old headliner with the new?

[ghettogeddy]

no u take the old fabric off then cover it with new fabric the easyer fabric to use is vinal it stretches real easy then u just use spray glue u do have to take the headliner down to re do it

[maxsideburn]

get some fiberglass and make a custom center console, hehe.

[MessyHonda]

get some fiberglass and make a custom center console, hehe.

yeah this guy in my auto body class did a custom box for his subs...he made it out of fiberglass and it came out nice...the only thing was that he took like 3 weeks to do it

[ghettogeddy]

ya fiberglass can be a bitch but if ur goning to go with fiberglass u might as well make it out of carbon fiber its lighter and is pritty much the same thing as far as fabing it

[2drSE-i]

carbon fiber is more expensive tho.

[ghettogeddy]

ya but it saaves the waight

[89AccordResto]

ya but it saaves the waight

Not a whole lot in comparison to fiberglass. It's a tad lighter, but not by much. It's a WHOLE lot lighter than steel though.

[ghettogeddy]

ya
i guess ur right
so dose anyone make fiberglass hoods for are cars it might be cheaper

[89AccordResto]

Dunno. Personally, if you want to make your hood lighter for cheap, just use a hole saw to remove metal from the bracing, or remove the bracing all together. Your hood will be more fragile, but it will be lighter and it doesn't cost much. If you do use a hole saw, be careful not to cut the skin of the hood, and paint the cuts you made to prevent them from rusting.

[HondaBoy]

hmm, i thought you wanted to do your interior. on that topic. doing a vinal headliner isnt as easy as you probably think it is. vinal does stretch, but can be very tricky to get around curves and dips in the headliner panel. then after setting it on with glue it will many times come up off the surface and create what i call a bubble. my friend tried to recover his door panel, but just couldnt get it right. he should have just let me do it because he wasted a bunch of money on the adhesive and fabric. then he ended up just ripping it off and throwing it out. theres techniques that you use, i cant really explain how. but its all about technique when doing an interior. a center consol can be made just from fiberglass. you'd want to do some measuring and form the shape of a console out of card board or styrofoam. again, thats all about technique and you'd want to first practice making things before you go and try it out to make something for your car. i thought there was a how to for the console, but you can look for it if you like.

[lostforawhile]

ok the eaisiest way to do a fiberglass centerconsole for your car is to start by making a mold in the basic shape out of wood,you can test fit this and modify it to fit,start with box shapes that comprise the major areas of the console,then attach them together,finally take that piece out of the car,and use a lot of bondo and sanding to smooth it out into the shape you want.weight is not a factor in this part,this is your form to make the actual console.now eithier cover this form with mold release compound,or do what I do,and cover it with ducttape. fiberglass matt peels off of ducttape. final step is to lay fiberglass matt over the form and saturate it with resin. when you have done several layers like this,you can peel it off of the form and trim it. it really takes practice,there is no certain way to tell you how to do this. this is just the basic steps. heres a link to a project i'm doing like this right now. http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50932
you also have the option of taking a factory center console,and adding on to it in this same way,then using that as a mold for the fiberglass. as far as the interior,maby you can get some discarded or scrap automotive upholstery from a local shop,then you can practice doing the gluing and material stretching before you start on your car.http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/3167570-R1-006-1A.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/3164160-R1-012-4A.jpg like Honda boy said, it's really a technique,it's kind of like painting or other art work,you might discover you have a talent for it,and you might not.