92GTA

iTrader: (11)

So I've turned up something very interesting (to me anyway!).

I used to have a factory CD player for my 1992 GTA (from another car). I sold it years ago when it failed and have since bought another (it did last about 5yrs after I did a refurb exchange on it tho). The other looked identical to me at the time but it was a different P/N, I figured revision, whatever. I got it back from Delco totally refurbished in August (it was actually an exchange for one of theirs and they are VERY picky about the EXACT P/N) and I noticed the outer bezel was more black than grey like on my previous CD player. I figured this was because of the normal variation in plastics over 25years and the batches they were made in.

I just received another factory original 1991/1992 Trans Am CD player (NOT refurb) in the mail today still in it's original radio pod with face plate. This CD player is the same P/N as the other I have right now, which is different from the P/N of the grey one I used to own. I'll be dammed if this one too has a darker outer bezel. Then I realized the radio pod was black, not grey like mine.

So I have a car with grey interior but 2 factory CD players for cars with black interiors, go figure lol. I would have thought grey was allot more common too! Now I know why the P/N was different and why the outer bezel was darker than the first one I had. I'm really kicking myself for selling the grey interior CD player I had when it failed :/

I have also seen center consoles being sold as "black" over the years. In passing I thought the black cars still used grey radio pods and center consoles and people were just calling it black! That was my n00b moment

My question, how rare are black interior components compared to med. dark grey? Are they equal, is grey more rare? I'm totally curious now.

Attached is a picture of the black CD player back from Delco on refurb exchange. You can clearly tell the outer bezel is black and not grey like the rest of the face. Crazy lol. To make it even more interesting, I have found these Firebird CD players to have 3 different P/Ns over the years that I have come across.

BTW, I'm sending this other one I got today off for a refurb exchange and I'm getting the very last one they have. Part of the reason I bought another, so I could get another mint 100% refurbed spare before they were all gone. So, no more black ones.

Here is the P/N of the black interior ones I have: 16136182
Here is the P/N of the grey one I used to own: 16123352
I don't want to post the other grey P/N yet until I find one and buy it as Delco is out of the one above.

EDIT: Or of course this could all be in my head and it's simply that all the replacement bezels Delco had left in stock after all these years are the darker ones. I still find it odd they are their own P/N and originally came in cars with black radio pods so I don't think I'm dreaming...

JT

iTrader: (1)

A few of the Pontiac books list the interior color trims. For 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986 and 1985 it shows all interior colors as having "graphite" for the lower console assembly and radio face plate. My 1988 GTA is black and black and also has the graphite radio face plate, graphite lower console assembly and graphite radio pod, etc. Even for the 1991/1992 I don't think I recall seeing a true black console or black radio pod.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Graphite is a perfect description, it's a near black. I'll post some pics side by side with my dark grey and post them up. Next to each other it's crazy obvious.

EDIT: Here are the pics. Grey is my factory original 1992. The black one is from either a 91 or 1 92. It is not dye or paint or anything.

JT

iTrader: (1)

I looked at the F-Body parts manual and it shows the same part number for 1985-1990 and 1991-1992 as 10125293 without any color options or different numbers.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

That's exactly what I always thought but hey, proof is proof. Craziness

JT

iTrader: (1)

Was it dyed?

An old thread but it appears to suggest the same thing that they were all gray and that they could have been painted/dyed black after the factory:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...ck-center.html

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Anything is possible, it sure is a great job if it is. Here are pics of the edges. How do I also explain the darker trim on the CD player?

Hell I don't even know, perhaps it's a great dye job and the plastic radio trim is just what I originally thought lol.

I've never heard of darker ones, it's certainly not a true black and it has the same sheen as my grey one. Seems if it were dyed it would be darker black, or have a different shine, or something.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

The CD player I have in my 92 is different than that.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Does it have a matching grey bezel and BAL inside of the balance buttons?

Like this one?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Nope, it has a **** for volume. Its not a 4thgen. I'll try to get a pic put up, its on my phone but its such a pain to upload to photobucket then link here..

In a (very dirty) 92 TA vert. It's top is rarely up.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

I remember now, you have this one. I recall you mentioning it in another thread recently. May I ask what the exact P/N is? Or PM it to me?

I have never seen that one before, all Firebird CD players I've seen are like the ones without the *****. I wonder if it was a late 92 change over. What is the build date on the CD player?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Ill try and check it out this weekend. IIRC, the date on the player fits the car but its been awhile since i have touched the car

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

I have a similar unit to TTOP350.



Dates, and part #.

okfoz

This is my radio from an early 1990... I think the mfg date was in 1989, but around October.

Part number 16121812

okfoz

I did a little digging, and according to the information I have there were 2 different U1L radios according to the Dealer brochures.

1990
Push Button Radio: Grand Prix, Bonneville, Trans Sport, 6000, Firebird

Unique CD Radio - Grand Am
Remote Radio - Sunbird

1991
Push Button - Grand Prix, Trans Sport, 6000, Bonneville, Firebird,

Unique CD radio - Grand Am
Remote CD - Sunbird

1992
Push Button radio: Firebird, Grand Prix, Grand Am (shows both), Trans Sport

Dial type radio like what tony has is consistent with a 1992 Bonneville, Grand Am (shows both)

The only thing I noticed is in 1990 they show the buttons as having the dots like my radio and the 1992 has the numbers... All of the pics I found one pic in the 1991 book that shows the dots like the 1990, but one shows numbers only on the 1991 Firebird only.

Conclusion
**** type was not a Firebird original part.

All push button type, was Firebird from 1989 - 1992
Station selection used Dots - 1989 - 1990, and possibly 1991
Station selection used Numbers - possibly 1991, and 1992

Hope that helps.

Below is the 1991-1992 type radio

okfoz

As for the different colors of the radio pod, I have found this too... It may be the difference between suppliers... I know that Norwood and Van Nuys did not use the same supplier for everything, the Glass for example was LOF (Libby Owens Ford) for Van Nuys and PPG for Norwood.

So it may be that they were made by different suppliers, OR it may have been the color of the day.

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

I agree on both counts.

The **** CD player I think might be a dealer replacing a defective button type when the car was new. It is certainly not listed for the Firebird in the 1991 and 1992 deluxe (40+ pages) brochures I have.

I never noticed the numbers replacing the dots tho. Glad the remans all come with numbers now so I'm correct for 1992 haha! None of them come with BAL on the face tho so that's an easy visual to tell if it's a reman.

The radio pod, you are right, supplier differences. More examination shows that the way the material is even attached to the top insides of the plastic housing where is wraps around is different. The front and bottom is identical tho.

I have also been going thru and realizing significant differences in the shade of grey for the cup holders, the seat belt receivers, and a couple other items even tho they are matching P/Ns. That tho could be a later replacement part vs. a factory part.

okfoz

The power button on mine also appears to be more Yellowish-orange, the later ones look orange-red.

Where do you get yours remanufactured? My unit works perfectly except none of the lights work at night. The display dims, and I think that is it.

The CD player was shot, and I had a CD player from a 1995 Riviera with low miles I got the remote player from back in the 1990's I took the player from that and extended the wires to run the player, you can see my handiwork in the pic above.

I would be interested in getting it fixed, but I do not want the numbers, I want the dots, it would be correct for my 89.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Hmmm...this is a real "grey" area!

okfoz

I am not sure if I am going to LOL or Groan...

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Sorry okfoz.

RockinGTA89

very interesting on the radio pod, for i have never seen any other color other then that dark grey color, nor have i ever seen a true black center consule either. I've own a 87 TA and a 89 GTA and both had same color consule lids and radio pods. So to see that black one is beyond me! I've seen other peeps bird's interiors as they were the same colors as my interior. So that's kinda puzzling.

i've attached a few pics of my GTAs center consule/radio pod....

don't' mind the of the aerosmith cd..... or the glass thats on the floor, that was a pic of where some idiot broke into my car....

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

I'll PM the info this weekend.

Rcbm

Do you have or know someone who has one for sale?

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

I do not, they VERY rarely come up any more the past 10 years. Of the ones I had, I kept the best one and sold the other. It was since destroyed in hurricane Irma along with my entire collection of NOS parts I had stashed. Since the company that used to refurbish them used the last of their NOS buttons on the last one I sent them, I'm out of luck. Since then I've been out of the 3rd gen game and just have my car in a container.

Perhaps someone else has seen one come up for sale in recent years and you can try to purchase it from whoever bought it....