Interior options

[BonsaiTiger]

So I'm going to attempt to reupholster and update the interior of my car. Ill show you a couple of pics of what it looked like when I got it:






The rollcage was welded in so we had to cut it out and grind it down. The car has got a decent engine in it but I don't plan on racing it or anything like that so a rollcage just seems stupid. Plus I can't count the amount of times I've 'ed when I've seen some clart in England in a saxo with a sodding rollcage driving 30mph through town.

That's gone and I've got hold of some standard rear seats.

Dash and Front seats are from a 9n polo I think? I know a lot of you know the fella who put this dash in so I don't want to speak ill of him but the dash is a but sketchy. No matter as I bought that dash of Speci on here so that will be going in eventually.

The seats are awesome, great condition and really comfy/ hold you in place well, but they look a bit too modern for it I think, and I reckon they deffo will by the time I get the new dash and rear seats back in.


Does any one know where the feck people are getting these beautiful recaro seats from? Particulary the ones with the mesh headrests? There was a set on ebay a few weeks ago and I wish I'd snapped em up now.

Also, how much of a nightmare is it to modify seat rails etc to get some more unusual seats in? I'm sure I saw Preen59 say he'd modified some rails or something?

[SLAUGHTER]

Mate I am trying to do a similar thing in my mk1 but I am concerned about using the factory rails to mount a recaro and the seat hitting the roof and not fitting

[BonsaiTiger]

I see! Have you had a go of fitting it in? What kind of seat is it? I'm gonna have a look in Valvers carbon thread and in Mikinoz's white rabbit thread - I'm sure I saw it in one of those two.

[HuH]

The rollcage was welded in so we had to cut it out and grind it down. The car has got a decent engine in it but I don't plan on racing it or anything like that so a rollcage just seems stupid. Plus I can't count the amount of times I've 'ed when I've seen some clart in England in a saxo with a sodding rollcage driving 30mph through town.

Good luck with the update. I like your plans!

[straight_fresh]

Search for hilux ssr recaros, they got the mesh headrest and seem to go for cheaper than usual

[GeorgeMK1]

Dude i personally reckon the car is perfect right now !! Having a cage, quick engine and as i see a completely stripped interior = super fun. I dont see why you would want to change that, the cars so freaking fun !! I wish i had sometihng like that. Mine is quick and fun, and im going to drive it harder till i kill it before i move onto my new golf.

But i do see where you're coming from, i have a bolt in roll cage but im selling etc so i can go for the old retro look, and an interior i can actually daily. I have modified my own seat rails and is actually rather easy, id say it depends more on the seats you want to put in. imo anyway

[Dub Toffee]

Hi Mate my brother got pulled over by a transport inspector on the gold coast for the cage.
apparently all you need is to bolt it in (well make the welds a little bit more discrete and make it look like its bolted in),
if you have cut the cage out to bad for you mate you just lost a lot of stiffness that it added to the shell.
I had a 16v mk1 at the time this was carving up Tassie roads and i couldn't keep up with this car especially on windy roads.
you should at least find a way to get a few hinterland runs in whilst its all together and you can have some fun.
dash actually came frame a Seat and the seats are mk4 or 5 golf
good luck with the build have a blast

[funkamedic]

It does look pretty beastly as is, but i can understand you wanting to get rid of the cage for sure.

Looks like you're based on my side of town, I'll have to keep an eye out for ya. If you see some tool in a dark blue A3 or mid blue mk1 waving that'll be me

[BonsaiTiger]

Thanks for the input guys, pretty split response about slinging the cage. I totally know where everyone is coming from I was in two minds for ages about whether to keep it or not, but in the end, this is my only car so its going to be a daily (although I don't do much driving anyway really)

Also I want four seats. I just had a ****ty MR2 with two seats and it was crap, I'd like four seats so I at least have the option to have passengers.


You guys made a good point, especially you DubToffee, I have removed a LOT of stiffness which, in this car (with Knupflogs koni's I just bought too) will probably make a difference. So what can I do to stiffen it back up (bar the cage obviously)?

what about a rear strut brace? forgive me - what effect would a rear sway bar have?

Any other ideas?

Cheers!

[GRN_VAGN]

front strut brace, a front lower brace and a rear brace will help in the stiffness,
adding a rear swaybar adds to the turn in ability from what ive read.
I think the interior looks great, cage looks mean

[dubmc]

dude, keep it as is and race the nuts off it...

if you want a cruiser i wouldnt start with a mk1 that has a cage in it IMO...

[BonsaiTiger]

Yeah fair enough but the cage has well gone now and I've put rear seats in. I was just after some help with adding a bit of subtle stiffness now that the cage is gone. I want it to be a daily that doesn't attract that kind of attention. I've had cars with cages and two sweaters and racey looking cars before and it was great fun but I'm over it now and ideally I'd like it to be a mix of fun daily run around with a bit of a surprise if I do fancy putting my foot down