Hello,

I just recently purchased new carpet for my 1991 GTA and bought the original color. However, it is much darker. When I place my plastic interior pieces next to the carpet it is significantly different. The carpet is probably 4-5 shades darker. My car has been being restored for so long that I cannot remember the original carpet color.

Is it normal in thirdgens for the carpet to be significantly darker that the interior plastics?

Thanks!
Josh

 

If you were to replace the plastic pieces with new ones, I'd be willing to bet that they'd be darker as well. Over time, sunlight tends to "bleach" the color out of everything. Your old carpet and plastic panels are probably lighter now than they were when new. The new carpet is probably closer to the original color. On the other hand, reproduction carpet and parts are usually not an exact match to the factory colors either, so it's possible that your new carpet is darker than the original factory color. In all likelihood, it's probably a little bit of both - old parts are bleached, and new carpet a bit darker than the factory was. So yeah, what you're seeing is probably to be expected.