Ok guys this is the deal. I'm trying to make my 1984 Firebird as stock as I can but make it modern. What I have done so far is put a @$$ kickin' stereo in there with 2 sub woofers and I put under dash lights with the "ding" haha. I tinted the windows and all that good $#!T. ok. So now what? How can i modernize it some more? But keep it stock?

 

i was always a fan of the stock floor mats with the embroidered logos. maybe a nice set of chrome replicas. or in fact have your stock wheels powder coated.
im going thru the exact same thing. spending more and more money every season undoing the flashy crap i did to it when i was a teenager

 

take a look at my gallery for some ideas. some tastefull striping always helps as well. nothing extreme, i did two stripes following the curves of my daytona hood which was small but really makes it stand out against other irocs yet not takey. of course imo.

 

Touch screen wireless radio, gauges, navigation, phone intergration... Its not cheap but its modern.

Honestly stock apperance but modern seems like an oxymoron to me, unless your planning on hiding all the cool stuff?

 

Well like electronic wise like I'm not changing the body or paint or interior. just like cup holders, GPS stuff like that yah know?

 

Cup holders are not modern...

Here you go... http://www.mimodhp.com/ Lets see who can save up the fastest HAHA!

 

haha they are for third gens. lmfao

 

But anyways I'm talking like new AC and Heater controller. uhm like stuff new cars got.

 

put a modern engine/tranny in it....

motorized antenna?

All LED lights

 

Heated and cooled seats, active rain sensing windshield, headlights that turn with the wheel direction, abs, parking sensors, rear view camera....

Or just buy a damn modern car and keep your car for what it is

 

 

Well I don't have money like the Kennedys so I can't just "go out and buy a new car". So I'm making due with what I have. And I'm going to put heated seats in it.

 

Heads up display on engine vitals, police speed traps & rear camera. Antiglare windsheild, voice activated controls.

 

Install an onboard A.I. program

 

seriously though, whatever you go ahead and "add-on", be careful not to over do it

 

Um...over do it? Have you seen some of the cars around here?

 

yes I have, and that is why I said it.
I hate to see a nice 3rd gen all hacked up like it's a tuner car, with subs and amps in the rear hatch, roll cages, megashifters... I like to think that these guys watched too much Fast & Furious so maybe they subconsciously feel like they have to do the same to their cars?

anyway, this guy was simply talking about "modernizing" the car but there is definitely a fine line there y'know...

 

Depends on how much you wanna spend?

 

Glad we are on the same page!

 

SUB FRAME CONNECTORS - Forget the fancy crap, add what GM should have installed from the factory. Every thirdgen should have these and should be at the top of everyone's to-get list. Gets rid of some of the rattles and makes the car more solid.

When adding things to a car, try to be in the mindset of adding the minimum. Less is more.

Remove the ugly. Emblems, dealer stickers, dealer license plate frame, shave the antenna (or install a shorty antenna, or cut the antenna), remove the front license plate holder and bolt front license plate directly to the bumper.

Fix broken stuff. Loose door handles and seat belt parts. Cover up those old seats with seat covers or get different seats.

Swap parts with better looking or better stock parts. This could be 4th gen door handles, swapping taillights, 4th gen seats, 16"-17" wheels. Swapping mirrors for electric mirrors.

Other suggestions-

Remote start. If you drive the car in the winter and if its an automatic with fuel injected motor, this is a very nice thing to have.

Add dynamat or whatever that soundproofing stuff is called to make the interior quieter.

 

haah guys. I'm talking like cupholders haha like easy stuff and cheap. just idk modern stuff thats somewhat cheap.

 

Well when stating you want "modern" upgrades kinda lends itself to more highend items... maybe you need to say you are looking cheap/easy interior improvements?

I would leave it alone... Less is more can go a long way on interior, especially when working on the cheap.

 

yeah. I mean like haha I'm trying to make it modern as like haha idk I got an @$$ kickin stereo in it and stuff. like idk. i got heated seats now.

 

I see 4th gen door handles are mentioned. My passenger handles seems to be loose and the paint on both is hard to maintain. Are the 4th gen handles direct bolt in?

and on topic more wheels modernize it a bit, also suspension will make it feel better or subframe connectors. Maybe a steering wheel and seats is what you need tho or take on the 4th gen dash

 

The 4th gen handles are a direct bolt on. And subframe connectors will run you a couple of hundred plus whatever it costs to weld them in. The best money you will EVER spend on a 3rd gen.

 

NEW 4th gen door handles are on ebay. Don't buy used ones that might be half shot and questionable unless you get them for next to nothing at a junk yard. Other than outer appearance, they are no different than 3rd gen door handles.

The handles are also aluminum, which means they could be sanded down and polished.

 

Thanks man! deff gunna look into it.

 

one thing I did to my car that really gives it a modern feel is a remote control for the hatch popper. I'm in and out of my hatch all the time, and it's so great to be able to come out of a store and pop it while I'm 10 feet away

remote door locks too..

 

Might be a good idea! Do it like you want, everyone else does!
I am getting ready to put some Iroc OEM wheels on mine, and I am a firm believer in keeping it original. But they are so much nicer then the one's i have on it!!

 

yeah deff the remote door locks and hatch. like I really NEED that.

 

If you are being sarcastic...then you don't really NEED anything to be modernized. Remote door locks and hatch are a nice thing to have. I have an alarm installed with these functions and it is a nice hitting a button and being able to just open the door instead of fumble through my keys and making sure I stick the key in the keyhole just right so I don't mess up some paint.

 

no man i was being serious. i really want it. its just ughh i got no money right now lol.

 

Costs money to get modernized unfortunately. If you want cupholders...just add some from the 91-92 model Firebirds. They came factory. Will have to drill 3 holes into your door to secure them but that wouldn't be too hard....I don't know why others haven't done so. Will your door panels allow it?

 

I mean I can get cupholders that like fold out like in the astro vans and stuff.

 

Corvette wheels... Larger brakes, and no extra trim... If there is trim, body color.

 

Just throw in a K.I.T.T dash and youll be set

 

A dome light that stays on for a few seconds after you turn the car off... Also, instead of just turning off, it should slowly fade off. I'm not sure if their is anything like this we can just drop in.

 

I painted my calipers gold. The theme of my car is gold and chrome. it looks nasty. I mean I really don't want to change anything too big. But like little add ons here and there would be great.

 

I WAS THINKING OF THAT! But, I don't know the name of the module that can do that. If u can link me thad be great!

 

HAHA YES!! i wish i could but I don't got any money too lol

 

Bump. Any Ideas?

 

Remove extra flare (ie. Side moldings, louvers, decals) a good set of springs for a decent drop, and some modern wheels. I don't know what you consider "keeping it stock" but here is a pic of my semi modern idea on my 83.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53106660@N03/7004801670/

 

^ still one of the sexiest cars out there i think, mines similer so that shows something lol!, next time mine goes into the paint booth im getting the side molding removed so it looks sleeker

 

Honestly. I love the louvers decals and eh not so much the flares. But idk. and I love the black under the headlights and the louvered hood. Thats my favorite.

 

Sequential Turn Signals, LEDs all around

 

'91-92 cars had cupholders in the door panels, you might try to find a set of those.

Honestly though, just about anything you do to deviate from stock is going to cost you a nice chunk of money to do right. If you don't have the funds, I would strongly suggest just maintaining the car in tip top shape for now, and worrying about upgrades later as the money comes in. I spent a good many of my "formative" years driving around in a stripped down '72 Plymouth Scamp (manual steering, manual brakes, roll-em-up windows, no A/C, etc.). It was cheap to maintain, and allowed me to get my feet underneath me so I can afford to spend the money I have on my cars now. You'd be amazed at the lack of amenities you can get by with in a daily driver and still be perfectly okay.

When the time comes, focus on safety, reliability, and then looks/performance, in that order. If money is tight, concentrate on the things like brakes and suspension that will save your butt, subframe connectors that will save the integrity of your car, and buying quality parts that aren't going to leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Spending the money you do have on proper maintenance and upkeep now will keep the car going in good condition for the day that you do actually have money to start doing really cool stuff with it.

 

Well my car already has air and all the works. It was the top model firebird in 84. I did alot to it. And I have the ability to do bodywork and welding and all of that. Anything is possible in this house hahahah

 

my 85, yes eighty five, berlinetta has that. so 3rdgens already had that. and to answer the next question, its called a BCM. (body control module).
but this thread doesnt seem to realy be going anywhere, this kid just wants some cup holders in his car i guess since hes mentioned it a few times already, and doesnt want to spend money on the decent stuff everyone mentioned to do. so whats the point?

 

4th gen electric leather, led lit engine bay, comp/temp mirror, wire tuck the engine bay, 4th gen coolant tank, brakes, bigger sway bars, subframe connectors, lowering springs, emblem shaved, 4th gen dash/center swap, ls1... lol


^all the stuff im doing or have done to my 86 iroc my link in sig has all this and more

 

Why is it that people tend to equate 4th gen interiors with "modern"? Look at the interior on the 4th Gen, then look at a car coming off the showroom floor today. They don't look anything alike. The 4th gen interior, just like the 4th gen exterior, was a culmination of the rounded, "aerodynamic", curved, swooping lines of the 90's. With the turn of the new millennium, car designers went back to the angles and sharp lines that we see today. The 4th Gen design is a relic of a time when Lincoln Town Cars, Chevrolet Caprices, and Mini Vans were "modern". That's not the case anymore.

I can see swapping to 4th gen seats, because they are so much lighter and more comfortable. But why get rid of the 3rd gen interior? I realize that different people have different tastes, but is it really "modernizing" a car to do that, when "modern" cars don't even look like that anymore? If anything, swap to an '85-92 Firebird Interior. It's one of the best looking and best laid out interiors of the era. Why mess up something that's already great with what's likely to turn into a hack job?