I was just wondering how you remove the rear side plastic panels in the trunk. it's a camaro but I don't think that matters because birds are the same I believe.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

since nobody answered I guess I can help out...since I replaced every single plastic piece in my car...I did a gray to black swap. You first need to remove the pull down shade if you have one...then you will notice really large plastic screws that hold the plastic pieces together...those will need to be unscrewed...once you give the inside of your car a good look it will become more obvious as to where they are....but dont start pullin pieces out right away....make sure you check for small metal screws and stuff like that....if you have a t-top car(like I do)...then there will be a separate plastic piece above the rear seat right up against the back near the hatch(it holds the headliner in place)...you must remove that since it holds the trunk pieces together. On the top of my head that is all I can think of...if you need more help email me...but you should have no problem...it didnt take me too long to swap all the pieces myself. Be careful not to break any of the white snap in pieces that hold the plastic pieces to the car itself..that can get to be a real pain in the neck. I found it easier to fold my rear seat down...it may even be a whole lot easier just to remove it...but by all means that is not necessary....by the way I was just wondering.....what are you doing? Are you doing a swap?

James

here is a pic of all the plastic pieces I swapped...are you replacing about the same amount?

 

hey thanks for replying, no I am not doing a swap I am putting ground effects on my 86 sport coupe and I need to get deep down in the rear quarter panel to put nuts on the ground effect studs that stick through. I just didn't want to go ripping the rear pieces out without having any idea of how they come out because I know those pieces break easy especially those white tab things that hold in the plastic pieces I guess over time those things just get all dried out. Thanks again

 

Jim gave you a good idea how they come out, now here's a tip for when you take them out. Oh, you also have to remove those big hex bolts that hold the hatch struts. Best and safest way to do this is from inside the car with the hatch closed. I agree removing all the panles will be easier with the rear seats removed. Only 4 15mm nuts to do that.

Oh yeah, my tip for when you take the pieces out. As you remove each panel, put each screw through the hole you took it out of, and put a twist tie on the end of the screw. This way your panels are stored with the screws in the right places, eliminating any guess work when you put them back in.

 

Hey Mike...where on LI are you located? I am in North Babylon. My friend has an '86 SC too. I have an '83 TA for sale if you know anybody interested in a car that needs a little work.

James

 

No you don't. I've had these panels out of all of my cars, and have never once disconnected the hatch struts. The panels are notched, just pull the pins loose, then pull the panel out while tilting and pulling towards the bottom.

 

Guess ya learn somethin new every day!

I'm from West Babylon, pretty close huh. I saw your post about sellin the '83 TA, and believe me, I was very tempted. I think a friend of mine was looking for an f-body. I'll see if he's interested.

 

Jims83TA,
Looks like you did a nice swap on the interior pieces. I am currently repainting an interior piece that I pull at the junk yard that is a different color. I need to paint it Grey to match the other
pieces. Do you have any advice on the procedure to do this and what to use? I have heard several different things. I have heard to get a paint store to mix up a batch of die based on your panels because the OEM stuff from Next Gen etc. might be brighter because the ones in the car may have faided. If you could tell me how to do this I would appreciate it. I have never worked with painting plastic.

Thanks!

 

I never painted the interior plastics in my car...but I did help my friend with his stang. I say just repaint every piece of plastic...if you paint every piece then u will not have to worry about them matching b/c they will b the painted with the same paint. They sell the paint in auto stores...here in NY my friend bought it at Auto Zone. Before we painted the plastic pieces we lightly sanded them with a fine grit...dont remember what size...then we had this spray primer in a can stuff...it worked really great. He couldnt paint for his life...so I did it for him. We made his interior black....with everything down the middle red...I cant explain it..but I dont like when people try customizing thier interior with different color paints...but his looked good. He painted all his vents red, the panel that covers the heater controls, the panel that covers the stereo controls...the center plastic piece under his auto shifter...while the rest remained black. It made his interior stand out and looked great. Well I did about 3 or 4 coats of paint on each...made sure it was nice and dry before we painted it again....it all came out great...looked awesome...every1 in school loved the job I did...lol. Well I also used a clear semi gloss that is sold in local Hobby shops...it is in a spray can and is often used for the models (replicas of cars). The paint only chipped off when he scratched it with a screwdriver while installing his deck. Other than that they stayed in great condition. If there is anything else you need to know just let me know.

James