Dale Van Blokland / Lamborghini

I revised the seat frames for the third time to get the seats lower. I started with the angle iron bolted to the existing seat rails. I then took two pieces of angle iron that fit inside the seat rails and connected by a piece of flat bar. I call this the "H" assembly. The seat was then positioned and I measured the pieces that I would need to connect to the flat bar fastened to the front of the seat. Once this was fastened to the "H" assembly, the rear plate was fastened to the seat and measurements made to fix the angle. Not that the rear flat bar that attaches to the seat has to be notched to slide over the bolts in the seat. Once fixed, the seat was placed in the car in the desired position. Holes were drilled through the H assembly and the seat brackets for permanent mounting. The two assemblies are then bolted in place.

I made a shifter boot by cutting a ring out of ABS and then drilling holes through the carbon fiber to hold it in place with screws. I made a pattern for the boot, sewed it together, leaving an opening for the shift rod, and then glued the bottom to the ring. The ring was then fastened to the carbon fiber for a completed boot.

I installed the front dash vents. These will not actually be hooked up to anything but they will give it a more authentic look.

After the peddles, I moved on to fabricating the housing to cover the roof support and then install the tweeters. This involved cutting our a straight section of the top cover of the dash, shaping a metal piece that was pop riveted to the window post. This was then covered with foam and then upholstered. The tweeters were installed and wired in. The Dash piece was actually fastened to the front frame with 1/4" self tapping screws.

First the radio and heater controls. I used a hex headed cap screw to hold on the carbon fiber panels. I made brackets from channel to fasten the radio box and heater controls. I bondoed them into the dash area and then installed the radio and heater controls. I also mounted the alarm blinking light above the radio. I also found out that you can use a fine pointed Sharpy pen and write on the wires to label them

Next I did the peddles

I reworked the amp to move the fuse closer to the battery and rerouted the connections to clean it up a little. I also made cardboard templates for the top and sides

I routed the rear speaker wires, antenna wires through a flexible tube and fastened to wheel well. I used padded clips to fasten the wire loom with mirror controls, speaker wires, window controls and door solenoids to the front. I placed the Alpine AMP where it would be fastened to the trunk braces. I installed the metal cover over the braces and then used an ABS sheet that I had bought that has a carbon fiber imprint. I mounted Amp and crossovers and ran wires to interior for connection to the steareo.

Last tidbit. When I was visiting IFG when I went to Knotts, I watched Todd work on making upholstery. He used lighter fluid to clean off the glue residue and then followed that up with a leather cleaner. Works great.

After getting back from Knotts Berry Farms and talking with several builders, I redid the heater hoses. First of all most builders are only using the center two defrosters. I bought the heater elbows from Ken at North American. He recommended that I use shop vac hose. I found a kit that included six fittings and 10 feet of hose. By cutting the fittings, they slid over the elbows and will attach to the hose. I replaced my hand made chimeys with 1.25" electrical conduit fittings that have the nut on the back side. This allowed me to put in a fitting for each vent that I was going to connect. After installing the conduit and nuts, I ground off the excess to make it fit within the heater box without hitting the heater flaps. Turned out much better.

As I explained, once I got back, I pulled it all apart to start on the wiring again. After all the discussions on the switches, I opted for something simple. I am using the Fiero Mirror and window controls simply cut into the carbon fiber piece. I had to attach some metal pieces to the bottom to fasten the controls to. For the lights, parking lights and fog lights, I picked up the 3 switches from O'Riley's that have indicator lights and pre-made labels that met my needs. It may not be authentic but it looks clean and professional.

Every once in a while I have to put it together to see what I am shooting for. The seats are not on rails, the instruments are not connected and I don't have the windshield in. It was time to take it out, clean it up and admire the work so far. After I get back from Knotts, It will all come apart again and I will pick up where I left off.

Finished connecting the ductwork to the heater box. It is very crowded under the dash

Relocated the shifter back and raised the position of the shifter. Because my Northstar is an Automatic, I will simply use the center slot on the shift gate. I will need to actually make the slot a little longer to cover the shift pattern.

I began work on the heater box. Using a piece of Plexiglas, I could see where the openings would need to be located. By drilling out 3" holes and using sheet metal I made 3 chimneys to fasten the ducting to.

I needed to come up with a way to fasten the top of the dash to the main dash section. I created 4 bolts that were welded to a plate, bondoed and glassed to the top. Because of the angle of the bolts, it was necessary to make slots in the main dash to accept the the bolts. I can use flat washers and nuts on the inside to now hold it in place.

Received the carbon fiber dash insert from IFG. If you hold it up to the light, you can see through the weave. After sanding with 2000 grit and using rubbing compound and glazing compound, I used flat black on the backside to fill in any clear areas. The finish is fantastic. I used my Plexiglas template to locate the gauges. This worked out well as the hole saw could not skip and mar the finish.

Received a new piece or leather from IFG to do the final cover on the console door. I was concerned about how to open the door and I decided to make a small indent in the console so I could lift the door instead of putting a handle or latch on the door. I am using a magnetic door latch to keep it closed. It doesn't open very wide and a friend suggested I use a hinge similar to the front trunk so it would clear easier. This is after I had everything in and his suggestion is a good one so I will probably remove the subwoofer and remove the console and put in different hinges

I've been trying to figure out the inside dome lights. I have a GMC Sonoma truck that has dome lights in the bottom of the mirror. So I started looking for passenger cars that has a similar layout. A Chevy Lumina has the lights in the mirrors. They can be both dome lights as well as reading lights. I had to run a the three wires through the roof section to where the mirror will be located.

Completed the top release mechanism. I used the original Fiero door handles and modified them to accept two cables. One for the roof release over the rear window and one for the roof release on the motor deck lid. One on each side of the car will release that sides roof.

Picked up an Alpine amplifier for the Stereo system.

Spent three days on the center console. Re did it four times and still not finished. Good lesson in trial and error.

More work on the carpeting. Finished the drivers side. Had to build a bracket to hold the front trunk release before I could finish the carpet. Once the bracket was fabricated and bolted to the side, I used FRB board to cover the end cap. This was then covered with headliner foam, then covered with carper. The interior pieces were added and finished out.

Worked on putting in the carpet. First I cut the padding provided by IFG to size and then used it as a template for the other side. The padding is fastened using spray adhesive to the floor and then the back of the padding. Before putting the padding down, I located the positions for the seat belts and drilled the holes. After the carpet was installed, I used an awl from underneath to locate the holes and then cut out the carpet to allow the seat belt holes to receive the bolts. After the bolts were put in place, I under coated the car.

This section shows how the back area is glued to the FRB template with the padding. The actual piece that fits around the roof receivers has tabs mounted so that it will fit above the window section. The tab in the opening is to hold up the padded cap that is built in the section below

This is how you use a standard tin can and end up with an upholstered cap to cover the roof reciver

Trial fit of the center consol with the sub woofer

How to build a sub woofer in a tight space

This shows where I had originally covered the side with vinyl. I am redoing it with carpet on the lower section and vinyl on the top section. This also shows the new center consol and the area that will be filled with carpet. I decided to use the Fiero handles to release the top latch on the roof and the motor deck lid from inside the car. So I needed to make an area to accommodate the modified Fiero handle. I started by putting a lip on a piece of angle iron that would support the back of the new console. Next I created a wood frame that matched the outline of the console and allowed me to have space for the handle. I used screws and liquid nails to fasten the framework to the firewall. Next I used 3/4" aluminum angle iron and shaped it to match the rear console. I pop riveted it to the FRB board on the wall. I drilled two holes to accommodate the bicycle cables that will release the roof from both the top and the deck lid. In other words, the right handle release both receivers on the right side (top and deck lid). Next I used insulated padding that was backed with foil to prevent heat build up in the interior. I covered the sides with the IFG supplied carpet padding. I cut out the area around the speaker to allow the carpet to be recessed so the speaker cover will fit in a recessed fashion. I then installed the temporary Fiero handle. I will hook up cables later.

I needed to notch the top piece to fit around the extra support that I added to the windshield. Once this was done I could then mark the lower piece of the dash to clear it as well

The top piece has 4 defroster vents. I marked the top and cut small holes in the center to make sure that I didn't damage the leather when drilling through. I drilled a pilot hole from the front and then cut a 3" opening from the back just barely going through the fiberglass into the padding. From the front, I cut out the leather and loosened it from the foam. I cut out the foam about 1/2" in from the circle so the leather could be glued down and allow the vent to sit into the padding. Repeat the process 3 more time and you have a completed top piece.

I bought Autolock's alarm system and will be studying on the connections that I need to make. I should be able to open all doors, deck lid, trunk as well as disable the start feature with this unit.

Began working on the interior finish out. Started. There are some great interior pictures from another lambo build site at http://home.pacbell.net/oohec/ As you can see the real Lamborghinis have a bar directly below the window. I decided to use a 3/4" x 2" piece that I bolted to the firewall. I put spacers on the back to give me some room for the padding to go under as well as clear the computer assembly.

I mounted brackets on the backside of the firewall by pop riveting them in place. I cut a piece of FRB board to size and then drilled through the panel and the bracket. I used a panel anchor installed through the FRB board before I covered it with 1/2" foam.

I began gluing 1/2" foam that will go beneath the side covering. I will remove the foam inside the red circle so that the speaker cover will be recessed. It is import that when you are using spray adhesive that you cover your paint job so it does not end up with glue all over it. I also need to get a sewing machine do do some minor modifications to accommodate my panel design. I have spent time at the fabric store to get foam, marine vinyl, buttons etc. A humbling experience but we have to do what we need to to finish these things. I have started putting on the coverings but am not satisfied enough to post any pictures. Maybe in a week or two.

I primed and painted the seat tracks and mounted the seats. I may have to lower the tracks as the seats are a lot higher with the padding than the old fiberglass shells. I believe I can drop them 1/2" to 3/4" and still use the track. If that is not enough, I may have to eliminate the tracks and go with fixed seats.

Before installing the interior panels. I needed to cut out a portion of the sheet metal to make room for the rear speaker. Next I cut a template from cardboard and then cut the interior panel from FRB board. I marked the location of the speaker. I then pop riveted the panel in place. Next I glassed in the panel with mat and resin.

I got out the interior pieces and layed them all out so I could start planning the next stage. I am getting the new style dash and center console from IFG. These are all the pieces that will neede to be installed. (seats not shown but I have the leather seats from IFG)

I needed to shorten the steering column by 3.5" so that it would fit better against the dash as well as give a little more room in the car. First I picked a fixed point on the car and measured the distance to the steering wheel color. In this case my point was 16.5".

After disconnecting the wiring harness, the brackets and loosen the clamp at the flex joint. Remove the column. You will need to remove the spring and rubber seal from the shaft. Notice the small wedge that will have to be replaced. Tap out the bearing which will open up the column. Next tap out the inner column. You will notice there is an internal column that wedges the two pieces together.

Next cut off the bracket that had held in the steering brackets. I cut two opening in the existing framework so I could drill and put nuts on the bolts that will be holding the front brackets.

Once the column was separated, cut 3.5" of the inner tube.

Before cutting the steering column rod itself, be sure and scribe a line on the tube that will allow you to align the pieces up after you have cut out the 3.5". Be sure and that you bevel the ends of the tube into a "V" groove so that you will get good penetration on the weld. This weld needs to be good enough for your life to depend on it. I used a piece of angle iron to clamp the pieces of the rod to and then spot welded them together. Once I had verified the alignment was still good, I then final welded it.

I ground the weld on the rod smooth and took this opportunity to paint the column.

Insert the inner column and reassemble in the reverse order. The column is now 13" from my original measurement point.

Cleaned out and primered the passenger side. Used steel brush, then painted with gloss black. Drivers side and rest of interior yet to be completed.

I got two new Bull Emblems that I will be using on the sides. I use the same technique of cutting out the shape, bondo on the back, Glass over the top. Because This will be very obvious, It has taken a lot of work to get it recessed just enough that it will have the very finished look.

On with the learning process. I got an email from a gentleman that had made molds before. He said that he used spandex stretched very tight and then apply resin directly to the spandex to create a shell. Then he came back with mat and reinforced it. The process would work but I talked to Ray Saturday and they are making the 2000 dash. I will get one from Ray instead of working on this one. Some pointers. If you use the foam then you may want to apply a lite coat of bondo to the foam. Reason, the resin melts the foam. I could make this work but I would be better off moving towards something more productive.

The problem with trying something new is there is a lot of trial and error. What you don't see is the pile of wood, etc that didn't make it to the final go round. What I ended up using was a sheet of 3/4" builders foam and epoxy to build the basic shape. I am going to use lath screen to form the shape over the existing dash. When glassed in it may not have the smoothest finish but It will be covered with foam and upholstery.

I installed the framework to support the center console. It is made out of 1/2" square tube that was welded to the Fiero console. I was sure to not get it too hot as the gas tank is just on the other side of the console.

I started working on the seat brackets. I bolted the Fiero brackets to the floor and them welded a piece of flat bar across each end to make a frame. I took the measurements from the finished seats where the bolts are set for mounting. I made plates to match the bolt locations and then tested the angles and made metal supports to go from the frame to the plates attached to the end of the seats. The seats are now adjustable front to back. It would be possible to gain about 1/2 to 3/4 inch by cutting off the Fiero mounting points and flattening them out.

I remounted the emergency brake. I eliminated the bracket from IFG and bolted it directly to the frame. It was necessary to remove the curve from the handle and straighten it out. I spent last weekend connecting the emergency brake cables and installing the last caliper. (I had to order the left one because the brake fitting had been stripped). I had an opportunity to lock the brakes when a squirrel decided to attempt suicide during one of my test drives this weekend. They work really good and the squirrel will have to find some one else to take him out.

I started the framework that will hold the center console.