Trying to find out if anyone has noticed different colors used for the leather shift handles. I never did until I got my 89 GTA, thats when I noticed. Its a dark gray, almost black. This isnt the best picture I stole from ebay (sorry if I stole your pic), but its not far off.

 

My 86 TA has one in a lighter gray, like this:

 

Honestly I dont know if either is original, but I assume both are. Is there any rhyme or reasoning to the color differences? I assume both were used from the factory, but I saw this too and I have never seen a light gray leather wheel in a Firebird. I do know the Grand Prix 2+2 used this color and style wheel. My 86 TA does not have this wheel, its a dark gray like every other one I have seen.

 

I know there are "Tolerances" to interior colors, even exterior colors... FOr example, My Brother-in-law works for Keykert, they make Interior and exterior Latches, and handles for new cars for just about everyone, GM included.

When a company (GM in this case) wants a color to match they give them a sample of the color to match to. If its too far off, they have to scrap the part. On other parts like Leather the color and texture will vary just because leather is a natural product, not every animal has exactly the same skin. Therefore the dies penetrate differently... One of the ways around this was to simply paint the surface.

One thing I have noticed is they sometimes change colors from year to year, wether its intentional or not I am not sure. But for some reason some of the components are slightly darker or lighter, and there suposed to be the same color. It may be from sun damage and fading, Or it may be the production run and what they got from the supplier.

On the other hand the Black Shifter **** might have been from a certain package that when orderd with a black interior, they got a Black shifter **** on the GTA... not really sure.

John

 

There must be more to it than that. There's got to be differences based on interior color.

My 86 firebird had the leather wrapped steering wheel (*** knows why, it didn't have any other options), and it was the very dark graphite/gray color. My interior was black.

My buddy had an 86 TA with a gray interior, but his dash was still the black plastic dash. His wheel and shifter were the dark gray just like mine.

Later on, the dash boards started being colored to match the interior. I've seen a bunch of firebirds with the light gray dash. I have to guess that the light colored steering wheel came from a car like that.

 

Yea, I'd have to say the color mismatch theory seems off, the difference in color, IMO, is huge. Of course it is GM... I dont think its sun fading either, I bought the TA when it was very young and there wasnt any apparent sun fading to anything. Its always been a lighter color. The one in my GTA now is a replacement, but its the same color the original was, dark. I dont remember any option when I was at the dealer as far as color is concerned. Dashes are both the same colors, black with dark gray instrument bezel.

Jim, all the wheels I have seen, aside of the picture, are the dark gray/graphite color. I stole that pic from ebay too ( ) and its supposingly from an 87, the guy is in Canada so it may be an export model. Who knows.

I've attached a picture of both of mine.

 

This wheel is also seen in the Fiero.

The leather wrap option also covered the gearshift and EBrake handles.

Im sure the shifter handle too was the same in the Fieros and they were color matched to the interior.

 

Yea, but the Fiero wheel, IIRC, has a shorter trim collar on it. The one in the pic above doesnt have a short collar.

 

By "collar" are you referring to the distance that the leather travels up the spokes toward the horn? If so, I disagree. I've seen plenty of Fieros with the leather going way up the spokes. Just like the Firebirds, I believe that the non-leather wheels didn't have the grip very far up the spokes, but those that were leather extended up quite far.

 

As I understand, the leather charcoal colored shift handles were used in the firebirds. The Bonnevilles got the lighter color leather shift handle. I swiped mine out of a Bonneville and it is the same shade as the light grey of the rest of the interior.

 

Thats true, I SHould have gotten a steering wheel from a Bonneville once, it was Pitch Black, not the charcoal color...

John