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Ron Mangus of Custom Auto Interiors, Rialto, California, handled the interior, starting from zero and taking it to heights we never imagined it could reach. Ron started with Flow Fit front seats and reshaped and finessed them to the curved form that he wanted. Next he crafted split-rear seats to match the modified front seats. He fabricated a rear console that goes from floor to rear window, eliminating the package tray. The door panels, another unique Mangus creation, were custom built by hand-sculpting large pieces of hard foam.
All interior structures, including the dash, were covered with top-grade black or tangelo Italian leather. Mangus took great care not to have the black dominate, fabricating tangelo leather inserts in the seats and door panels and adding aluminum billet inserts painted Candy Tangerine by Randy in strategic places throughout the interior of the car, including the head liner. The three Haneline gauges are housed in an aluminum billet dash insert that Randy painted Candy Tangerine.
The dash was significantly modified to create a cleaner, simpler version of the original "ugly" '70 Chevelle board. Many of the gauges and knobs were removed or relocated. It was then covered with black Italian leather. The carpets are charcoal German square weave. Another demonstration of the Mangus genius can be found in the pattern embossed in the seat inserts; this pattern perfectly reflects the pattern machined into the Billet Specialties SLC 18 steering wheel and wheels. Intricate stainless steel medallions can be found on the rear of the engine covers and on the door panels and the rear console. Ron brought in Bob Staudinger of Motoring Entertainment to do all stereo work, including speaker grills and trunk moulding. “Stereo Bob” built two independent systems, one in the interior of the car and one in the trunk. The interior of the car carries a Pioneer DEHP 4700 head unit, a Kicker KX 700.5 amplifier, Kicker 2-way 6.5 front speakers, Pioneer 3-way TSX 6x9 rear speakers and a Kicker COPVR 10 subwoofer. The trunk system consists of a Myron David DVD player, a 15” Accel Vision monitor, and two 2-way Kicker 6.5 coaxial speakers. This TV displays a video showing various shots of the car in its construction stages and the credits thanking everyone who contributed to the building of the Chevelle and the display.
Bob moulded the trunk in fiberglass, with a design that accentuates the lines of the beautiful, unique ’70 Chevelle quarter panels.
All speaker grills were cut out of billet aluminum and display the exciting flame pattern. The interior speaker grill flames were painted Candy Tangerine to match the car graphics. To ensure quality sound, he isolated all speakers from the metal of the vehicle. For a smooth look he installed the head unit flush with the dash using an assembly that he makes called “Radio French.”
Sweeping the Dirt Under the Rug The Air Ride Technology and stereo paraphernalia and other things better left unseen, such as the batteries, are hidden behind the trunk panels. This equipment can be accessed through two small side trap doors.
Cooling is handled by a Vintage Air Surefit Generation 2 system. The Ididit steering column is polished aluminum with integrated ignition switch and attaches to Borgeson steering U-joints. Electric Life contributed the power window kit and switches. The wiring is American Autowire Highway 22 system with the obtrusive fuse panel out of the way and mounted in the glovebox, where it is well hidden.
The center console neatly houses the light switch, the power window control switches, and the control switches for the Air Ride Technology air bags.
Go on to the next section, Engine, . . . or back to the Table of Contents.
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