Looking for some really neat interior ideas for the present build I have going on!

I want to use the stock interior as the base look but incorporate some race/tech and street rod touches to it.

I love the feeling you get when you get into a european sports car like a Mercedes AMG! At first it seems like a normal interior for that car but as you sit in it you start to notice things like the pedals and steering wheel are race style. The gauges are set up in a race style, etc.
I would like this kind of feeling for the Nova but I don't want to go to euro so I want to balance it with some neat street rod stuff too! It's going to be a real fine balancing act to pull it off but if I can it'll be REALLy nice!!!

PICS are DEFINITELY encouraged!!!:beers:

John

Well you could go for an aviation theme and fill the dash, and top of the dash with analog gauges. I currently run an Autometer electric speedo, tach, 270° sweep mechanical oil pressure, tranny oil temp, water temp, vacuum, volts, and fuel pressure. I also have an hour meter, but thought about adding an indicated air speed, gyro compass, artificial horizon and turn indicator (two minute). Nothing like a whole bunch of analog gauges to give it that period piece look. A couple of NAV/COMs could fill your radio delete plate, with an oxygen mask in lue of A/C to finish it off.

Big Dave

I think I'm looking for something that doesn't lean to any one theme so much as it blends a lot of disicplines together and creates a hybrid of them all! Kind of like the car! Racecar/Street Rod!

John

Custom gauges I hear are pretty easy to build a panel for in the 2nd gens I hear. Also you could swap up to some high buckets with a leather wrap on them. Steering wheels has always been a personal feel thing to me. A custom center console with some updated features like a pair of cup holders, a couple additional power outlets for cell phone, I-pod, and the like. Any vinyl surface in the car can be wrapped in a soft leather, but it will get expensive. Actually I have been looking into doing all leather from door panels to dash pad in my 72.

Actually I was joking with you on the avionics. You have the race car scene already sewn up with the sheet metal interior panels (all you need are contingency decals). For the "Street Rod" look I would return to what was in vogue when the car was new. Tuck and rolled naugahide upholstery with a chromed pot metal skull, or eight ball gear shift knob, and candy apple colored metalflake were the in thing then.

Big Dave

well since mine has the tach in the dash, someone removed the console gauges prior to me owning it. im designing a console out of sheetmetal and will have the sport comp series gauges with a push button start. then above the gauges will be the radio. the outside of it will be cover in black leather then the center section will be painted huger orange to match outside. the seats will be done in black with orange inlays front and rear. the top of the headrests will have a orange bowtie sewn in. yea the car gonna look like a pumpkin i know.

well since mine has the tach in the dash, someone removed the console gauges prior to me owning it. im designing a console out of sheetmetal and will have the sport comp series gauges with a push button start. then above the gauges will be the radio. the outside of it will be cover in black leather then the center section will be painted huger orange to match outside. the seats will be done in black with orange inlays front and rear. the top of the headrests will have a orange bowtie sewn in. yea the car gonna look like a pumpkin i know.

If it looks anything like this it's gonna be one hell of a pumpkin!!:thumbsup:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g170/novanutcase/OrangeNovaSS.jpg

John

did you ever get a look at the interior of the gold nova that yearone built?? i think it was a venom body..nice interior, it is a tad bit more modern much like an amg..take a look at some of steve stropes cars ( pure vision) class act guy and has an eye for the modern scene..heres some pics

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_0993.jpg


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_0991.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_0992.jpg

NOW YOUR GETTING CLOSER!!!

Thanks Strtlegal!

Not to fond of the console! I don't like that "sculpted" look where the radio and stuff are!(Why are there 2?) This is where the stock" look needs to come into play! Granted, 2nd gens didn't have those types of consoles but something like that but not so curvy and sculpted. Alittle more squared off and muscley!

I would add a couple of CF touches to it to! I think the gold car interior leans a little more to the modern side than what I would want but definitely in the right direction!

John

im with you there,,it has a modern flare but just not proportioned right..i would have ditched the narly looking radios and the autometer gauges and ordered something from redline gauge workes and a more suttle radio..maybe only one..lol

this is the greatest work they do but here is a custom gauge they made for a 66-67 no go..

http://www.redlinegaugeworks.com/images/large/novadashincar.jpg

here are some more cars i got at sema and barrett jackson
just options colors etc..

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1482.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1436.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1500.jpg

air ride truck
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1503.jpg

one of my favaorite gauges of all time..first the car then the gauges..how sick its this???

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1449.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/other%20nova%20pics/100_1450.jpg..LOL !!!

That last pic had me humming "Viva Las Vegas"; now I can not get Elvis out of my head. I am going to get something to eat before he starts into "Blue Suede Shoes"; Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

Big Dave

im with you there,,it has a modern flare but just not proportioned right..i would have ditched the narly looking radios and the autometer gauges and ordered something from redline gauge workes and a more suttle radio..maybe only one..lol

Hmmm...now that you mention the gauges, I've been debating on whether I should go with a custom set like Redlines and retain a more stock appearance that takes a second to figure out that it's custom or go with aftermarket gauges. I was thinking if I go aftermarket to go with Autometers Nexus line!
I guess, as far as the gauges go, it comes down to whether I want the racing touches to be more subtle or more obvious!
I noticed that, after coming back from Columbus, a lot of the top builders are shying away from the Autometer look and are going for more of a OEM look but with custom gauges suited to the theme of the car. Almost like something you would see in an OEM concept car!

John

the best set of redline gauges were built for the "hammer" car that pure vision built..the gauges looked like ones out of a carrera or gt2..have a round design but stack off of each other so there cut ...or actually my wifes old mazda 3 had round shaped gauges that recessed in that were black ( like nothing was there) and soon as you started the car it lite up to an great red with purple backing..not sure if this will work but this is off the GT3
http://files.porsche.com/filestore.aspx/normal.jpg?pool=germany&type=galleryimage&id=997gt3-gallery-interior-05&lang=none&filetype=normal

heres some of the wifes old car

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/strtlegal/misc/100_0616.jpg

Yeah! That's more the direction I want to go if I go stock/custom!

I spoke to Tracy Weaver from The Recovery Room (He's the one that did the interior for this years SMOTY car!) at Columbus and he told me that he get's his inspiration for gauges from old watches and clocks! I thought that was kind of neat and thought that might actually work for my car although if I do go more obvious race inspired then the Autometer look is pretty much a no-brainer!
I was even thinking of incorporating the two and using Autometers internals and mount them to a stock/custom looking face and try and work together with Autometer and have them silkscreen their name on it so that when people see it they will be even more confused by it looking stock, then they'll notice it's custom, then they'll notice it has Autometers name on it!:p:D

John

yeah thats why i mentioned redline gauges, i talked to the owner several times and he can make a custom mold off of your gauge cluster and then press in any gauge you want...just send them your old housing, a phone# and a major credit card..lol

yeah thats why i mentioned redline gauges, i talked to the owner several times and he can make a custom mold off of your gauge cluster and then press in any gauge you want...just send them your old housing, a phone# and a major credit card..lol

LOL!!!

Seems like money solves pretty much anything in the car world!

John

LOL!!!

Seems like money solves pretty much anything in the car world!

John

It solves all kinds of problems! Need a bigger garage, throw some money to a contractor! Need a new bathroom in the house, throw some money to the contractor. Need to upgrade your computer, throw some money to a computer specialist. Need a couple of outlets installed in your house, throw some money to the electrician. Need a better looking wife, throw some money to the plastic surgeon!

It is so unfortunate that we live in a society now that very few people have the skills to do a lot of stuff on their own anymore. Granted the cities, states, and housing communities have went a long way toward discouraging this behavior by creating rules, regulations, and permits! I like doing a lot of work on my own and it sometimes is discouraging when your diy car project doesn't look as good as the guy who paid gobs of cash to have a pro do it, but at least I didn't have to steal my daughters college fund to do it and the :beers: tastes better once it is done.

P.S.: I would not recommend trying the DIY approach to plastic surgery!! :noway::noway::noway:

It solves all kinds of problems! Need a bigger garage, throw some money to a contractor! Need a new bathroom in the house, throw some money to the contractor. Need to upgrade your computer, throw some money to a computer specialist. Need a couple of outlets installed in your house, throw some money to the electrician. Need a better looking wife, throw some money to the plastic surgeon!

It is so unfortunate that we live in a society now that very few people have the skills to do a lot of stuff on their own anymore. Granted the cities, states, and housing communities have went a long way toward discouraging this behavior by creating rules, regulations, and permits! I like doing a lot of work on my own and it sometimes is discouraging when your diy car project doesn't look as good as the guy who paid gobs of cash to have a pro do it, but at least I didn't have to steal my daughters college fund to do it and the :beers: tastes better once it is done.

P.S.: I would not recommend trying the DIY approach to plastic surgery!! :noway::noway::noway:

LOL!!!

I hear ya! In my case I've done a bunch of home and partial pro-shop builds and as fun and satisfying as it was I knew that I could never build one as nice as a pro-shop could!
Since they do it everyday and I don't it's a given! That's why on this build I decided that I wanted a pro built beast in my garage to cruise and show off! I figured that I could provide the cash and the vision and they would provide the expertise!:D

John

i could have had it built up, but man building a custom house and two many toys lets less money go to one thing..damn i think if i would have saved all my money from all the toys i could be retired by now..but what fun would that be..lol

i could have had it built up, but man building a custom house and two many toys lets less money go to one thing..damn i think if i would have saved all my money from all the toys i could be retired by now..but what fun would that be..lol

EXACTLY!!!!! Only one thing they can't take away form you! Memories!!!

John