Another Suede Interior Thread :)

MitsuJDM · Oct 26, 2009, 10:59 AM

Well, I've been dying to have some GT2 inspired interior, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Alot harder than I thought it would be, but it wasn't too difficult.

I wanted to do the entire dash top and leave the rest alone, but then it'd be covering the airbag, which I do believe the airbag would tear right through the suede with no problem. But as far as insurance reasons go, if I were to tamper at all with SRS components, I'd pretty much be screwed as far as insurance goes. So I did what I could.

I did that long dash piece that goes all the was across, the radio/HVAC control panel and the shifter console. The radio/HAVC panel is a little rough. I think I'm going to give it a second attempt. with the center console I tried for like an hour to make the little coin holder work, but I just could. I only used it as a cell phone holder anyway, so I just deleted it. Same with the accesory jack. Never used it. Watch, next wekk I'll find a use for it

These are just quick simple iPhone shots. The suede looks purpleish, but I assure you it's black. Or a REALLY dark grey, whatever you want to call it.

Don't worry. I know it looks rough. I'm going to redo this part, maybe tomorrow. I did as best I could and slapped it in just to see how it'd look. It'll look awesome If I can get it to be 100%

MitsuJDM · Oct 26, 2009, 11:04 AM

This part I can't do myself, but I want to find a shop that can wrap my OEM steering wheel in alcantara, so I can retain my airbag

I want to leave the metal spoke exposed though.

Greenspeed · Oct 26, 2009, 12:04 PM

Wow I like this, it looks nice!

Tangerine · Oct 26, 2009, 01:37 PM

Looks good for a first attempt, I tried wrapping my evo steering wheel with the carbon fiber fabric and you did a much better job (suede would be harder to wrap I assume)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitsuJDM

This part I can't do myself, but I want to find a shop that can wrap my OEM steering wheel in alcantara, so I can retain my airbag

I want to leave the metal spoke exposed though.

I had my steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara (plan to add more), send me a PM if interested. I can refer you to someone.

4G63K · Oct 26, 2009, 02:02 PM

Very Nice.

to doing it yourself.

MitsuJDM · Oct 26, 2009, 02:28 PM

I re-did the radio/HAVC panel. It looks a million times better. No jagged cut lines. I actually took the stickers off, and left a bit more material and overlapped the stickers to the suede. I used glue of course. The most difficult part is cutting the hole to work with the 3 small button's at the bottem.

Looking at the pictures and looking at it for reall is so different. It looks puprle in the pictures

I feel like I'm in a Porsche now

...well not quite

...but the Porsche "feel" is what I was going for.

VR4_EVO_IV · Oct 27, 2009, 08:40 AM

Looks good

Want to do this on my door panel inserts. where did you buy the material from?

evoracingstar · Oct 27, 2009, 08:42 AM

looks pretty good man!

MitsuJDM · Oct 27, 2009, 09:01 AM

http://www.bigdaddygypsy.com/fabric-...th-fabric.html

super cheap. Seems like decent quality. We'll see, I guess

I'm still dissapointed in the pictures. It makes it look greyish purple. The material is just as dark as the dash itself. I should take pictures with my real camera.

Randog · Oct 27, 2009, 09:06 AM

u got skills that looks sick.

Hcaruso4 · Oct 27, 2009, 09:28 AM

looks good

Silverfox9 · Oct 27, 2009, 10:17 AM

Looks cool, only a few things i might add...

the corners/edges seem rough, and it looks like there are some spots where there may be bubbles. If you want it to fit properly i suggest maybe shaving the edges of the parts your applying it to, this allows it to over lap it while keeping the original tight fit, and not the new over tight fit.

I would love to do my steering wheel in it, but seems impossible unless i learn to stitch...

MitsuJDM · Oct 27, 2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverfox9

Looks cool, only a few things i might add...

the corners/edges seem rough, and it looks like there are some spots where there may be bubbles. If you want it to fit properly i suggest maybe shaving the edges of the parts your applying it to, this allows it to over lap it while keeping the original tight fit, and not the new over tight fit.

I would love to do my steering wheel in it, but seems impossible unless i learn to stitch...

Yes, there are a few rough spots around the edges. I left a little over hang, so when I re-installed the trim piece I could tuck the left over into the seam to pull it tight. I need to pull the hvac/radio panel back off and do it again, as it's a little loose at the bottem.

Overall, I'm pretty happy. It's far from a professional job, but this is the first time I've ever wrapped anything in fabric, or worked with fabric. I thought about trying to do the steering wheel myself but I don't even know where to start. I started getting some pirces from some different places. I'll probably go with black Alcanatra with trendy red stiching

Like I said, I wanted to do my entire dash top. Has anybody ever used one of these? They look a little cheesy, but in certasin pictures they look nice. The have a little area for the passanger side airbag to deploy. I found a company that has them makes them in suede and they're available for Lancer, which share the same dash with Evo's. Cheap alternative to have the dash top wrapped in suede. This just lays on top. I'm sure there is some way to secure it.
http://www.autoanything.com/dash-mats/60A4600A0A0.aspx

Anyway, here are a few updated pictures with a real camera. I also did the little pocket below the HVAC controls and lined it with suede so my phone and garage door opener don't slide out at WOT... that does happen

Then I spend 5 minutes looking for them under the seats

With flash, shows off the suede more

Natural lighting (overcast and rainy

) Ugh, I gotta fix that hvac panel

Natural light and flash

No more purple!

I'd like to do the steering column, the kick panel directly under the steering column and glove box, but I'm almost out of suede, and the glove box would be HELL to make it look good. I'd also like to do the A, B and C pillars, but again, not enough suede. I could order more, but there's no way I could get it to look right around the gauges on the drives side A pillar.

So I think after I do my steering wheel in Alcantara, I'll be done.

lfaboulos34 · Oct 27, 2009, 01:19 PM

that looks awesome man, u should make a diy

Turbo01s2k · Oct 27, 2009, 01:37 PM

^^Nothing to really make a thread on. You just do it, and wrap it. Thats it. The key to wrapping in suede and making it look GOOD is to run all the suede the same way, and also pull it TIGHT. You always have to wrap too. It wont look good unless you wrap it. I also did all these components in my car, i can post pics if someone wants. I do this professionally so it can give an idea of how it can look if you really go at it.

BTW, dont do any more than you have done. Mabye the wheel...but otherwise youre just getting too much. Little hints of it looks ALOT better than it everywhere.

just my .02.

-Alex