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Sultan
Sultan Reader
12/5/11 12:02 a.m.

So one of the winter projects for my ‘90 Miata is taking the dash out to do a heater core and new carpeting. So it got me thinking about making a simple race inspired aluminum dash and not replacing the stock dash. There aren’t any airbags to deal with but I would retain all of the other functionality as it is my summer driver.

Your thoughts will be welcomed. Thanks!

joey48442
joey48442 SuperDork
12/5/11 9:11 a.m.
Sultan wrote: So one of the winter projects for my ‘90 Miata is taking the dash out to do a heater core and new carpeting. So it got me thinking about making a simple race inspired aluminum dash and not replacing the stock dash. There aren’t any airbags to deal with but I would retain all of the other functionality as it is my summer driver. Your thoughts will be welcomed. Thanks!

My thoughts are that it would be cool. You would probably spend the rest of eternity chasing down rattles, but cool. Also, glare?

Joey

MG_Bryan
MG_Bryan Reader
12/5/11 9:14 a.m.

Isn't the dash in a '90 pretty damn light to start with? I'm betting you could save more weight in other places.

Conquest351
Conquest351 HalfDork
12/5/11 9:17 a.m.

I'd sand blast it to get rid of the glare, or paint it a flat black (heat?). As for the rattles, mount it with some rubber isolators or that foam stuff around the edges. It'd surely be awesome, but plan ahead for things like this and it won't drive you crazy.

unevolved
unevolved Dork
12/5/11 10:01 a.m.

Unless your stock dash is trashed for some reason, I wouldn't bother. You can make a stock dash pretty damn light. What about a half-dash?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
12/5/11 10:52 a.m.

I am doing this to my E30 after the silly season. I am going to emulate the pic below from my friends 2002 vintage racer - and also finish it with flat black crinkle paint.

nderwater
nderwater SuperDork
12/5/11 10:59 a.m.

That is really sharp.

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
12/5/11 11:22 a.m.

A 1990 Miata dash is almost weightless, especially if you cut the lower half off. Under 15 lbs, including the cross bar that supports the steering column. See some pictures here: http://targamiata.com/tags.php?tag=weight%20loss

Sultan
Sultan Reader
12/5/11 12:18 p.m.

The idea was born out of form and not function. Thanks everybody.

Conquest351
Conquest351 HalfDork
12/5/11 1:09 p.m.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I am doing this to my E30 after the silly season. I am going to emulate the pic below from my friends 2002 vintage racer - and also finish it with flat black crinkle paint.

Do this in the Miata. It's friggin gorgeous!!!

Sultan
Sultan Reader
12/5/11 3:42 p.m.

I sure wish there was a company(Flyin Miata) who specialized in Miatas would offer one for sale……:-)

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
12/5/11 3:59 p.m.

If you keep all the HVAC, it's never going to look as pretty as that BMW. Too much stuff on the firewall, and you'll need to add vents on the face and along the base of the dash. The factory vents will integrate well, however.

Note that this car does NOT have HVAC, it has a blower in the footwell instead. The HVAC bits are pretty hefty.

EvanB
EvanB GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
1/6/12 12:55 a.m.

Bumping this thread since I found an old picture on my computer. I have always liked the way this Miata interior looks but I want to keep the HVAC...at least for now.

Woody
Woody GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/6/12 2:23 a.m.

I wonder what kind of seats those are.

failboat
failboat HalfDork
1/6/12 7:18 a.m.

In reply to EvanB:

ok, thats seriously cool.

edit: I just noticed thats the radio trim modified to extend the center console.....maybe the HVAC still works thru the 2 vents that are now facing upward???

Gearheadotaku
Gearheadotaku GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/6/12 7:26 a.m.
Woody wrote: I wonder what kind of seats those are.

the expensive kind...

Sultan
Sultan Reader
1/6/12 8:10 a.m.

Ok that is cool! Those seats are pricy. The company is classic seats or something like that

Keith
Keith GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/6/12 9:54 a.m.

That's a gorgeous dash. Someone's put a huge amount of work into it. It's odd that he left the big center console armrest in place, I'd remove it. Makes the car feel much bigger. I did the same to the MG.

ZOO
ZOO GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
1/6/12 10:27 a.m.
Woody wrote: I wonder what kind of seats those are.

Seats from an Elise? They look like the non-Probax ones in early Federal Elises.

failboat
failboat HalfDork
1/6/12 10:27 a.m.

Keith I was thinking the same, all that modification, he could have either shortened the stock one up, or replaced it with a shorty console from some aftermarket vendor.

I also really liked my miata without the center console. You just get used to using your nuts as a cupholder after a little while.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/6/12 10:30 a.m.

Or replaced it with the Nakamae center delete thingymabobber.

Luke
Luke SuperDork
1/6/12 10:35 a.m.

I wonder how it'd look with the entire plastic piece removed, leaving just the shifter sprouting from the trans tunnel. I think it would complete the retro/LBC look he seems to be shooting for (with the seats and Moto Lita wheel etc.)

Sort of like:

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/6/12 10:52 a.m.

Here's two miatas with Nakamae "consoles."

Luke
Luke SuperDork
1/6/12 11:02 a.m.

^Nice! That's exactly what I was getting at.

If/(when?) I have a Miata, it'll definitely be 'retro'-themed. I figure that's basically all of the 'cool' of an old British roadster, with superior driveability and performance.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
1/6/12 11:27 a.m.
Luke wrote: ^Nice! That's exactly what I was getting at. If/(when?) I have a Miata, it'll definitely be 'retro'-themed. I figure that's basically all of the 'cool' of an old British roadster, with superior driveability and performance.

Take a gander around here.... this is one of the best "retro" Miatas i've ever seen:

http://www.revlimiter.net/

His interior pictures make me drool.

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