Trying to plan my full rebuild of my 89 GTA with 82XXX miles and a fairly decent dash, center console and a headliner that is in great shape. The other items on the other hand look like they have been run through the mill. I am going to do one of three or four ideas with it: 1 -return it all to stock, 2 -go fiberglass and cover it all in alcantara and leather, or 3 -go full custom everything -dash, center console, headliner just about everything plastic- carbon fiber or fiberglass finish it properly for paint or leave the carbon bare. Any thoughts would be awesome.

 

i thought about doing a custom dash im my 85 firebird but dont have the knowledge. i say custom everything and keep me posted!

 

Imo glass or CF replacing the plastic panels doesn't make sense to me, it will be more expensive and less durable, and probably no lighter(might even be heavier)

 

Still in the early planing stages but as I progress with the tear down and rebuild I will keep start a thread or two. Not a big weight concern on the FG or carbon, plus i have a few tricks up my selves to keep weight down.

 

To be honest, I find a nice stock interior looks better than any custom job.

 

Maybe in a new foreign luxury car...but in a 3rd gen there is definitely room for interior improvement, it's spartan at best.

 

I just pollished up the stock interior.

 

Sure the 3rd gens' interiors could use improvement, but I love my stock interior. I also really like the interior of the 82-84 F-bodies. Call me insane, but I'm a fan of monochromatic red/white/tan interiors too. I would take all of these over any new luxury car's interior.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.


The interior above looks fantastic. Unfortunately, an interior like that wouldnt go well with the exterior of my car.

 

Wasn't saying they're bad, just that there is a LOT of room for improvement on a 20 some odd year interior, in a car where that's one of the main areas they cut costs for the sake of other traits like performance, I've pretty much fully stripped my interior, so I can speak from experience that it's rather cheaply built.
I mean at very least an aftermarket head unit and speakers is a must for anyone who cares to listen to music in their car. Mine didn't even get a casette deck, just a radio, and one of the speakers croaked after like 1.5 minutes of godsmack.

 

@ DAVECS1, I honestly envy you for the great shape your interior is in.
The only 2 things I do not quite like, but that's personal taste, are the gauge pods in the A pillar and the skull shifter.

Still, looks mint. Did the previous owner(s) take such good care of the car or was it restored?

@ firebird_6645,
If the interior is in a bad shape, you're missing parts, parts look extremely worn etc. and you want something classy, stylish and maybe more modern the alcantara thing sounds like a good idea.

Depending on the exterior, and any plans you have there, covering the stock interior components in Alcantera and, when adding some bucket seats and 4 point belts, make a dash insert with clear coated CF, adding an ALcantera racing wheel (with the yellow indication on it) can also look stylish.

Personally I can however not stand 4th gen interiors in 3rd gens. No offence to people who went through the effort of fitting one, but for me the rounded and modern style of the 4th gen interior does not go well with the 3rd gen exterior.

 

I refurbished the interior myself, well with the help of an interior guy:-) My signature comes and goes, if it was were it should be you would see I have a 91 GTA. The seats are PMD seats out of an early 80s firebird. I had them recovered in baseball glove leather and then double stitched with black thread to copy something I saw in a Lambo once. The headliner and sail panel were done in black to kepp from having so many shades of tan, and I just carried that contrasting color onto the custom door panels and floor mats. I threw in some new carpet and mad sure the consol and Dash were in tip top shape with parts from various people on here. Also if you look closely my consol plate was originally an automatic. I carefully cutout the shift indicator and used a piece of balsam wood to retian the shift boot.

Here is the car this summer getting sponsored by Pioneer, and loaded with their equipment on Hot Rod Power Tour (They did not like the shifter either so I had a custom one made.

 

I owned a 4th gen camaro and the interior felt about as cheap as 3rd gens, so I was not even considering a swap. As far as exterior goes minor changes will be made but nothing tacky. However for the engine I am thinking something crazy like a destroked 350 ending somewhere around the 302ci mark with a couple of small turbos and a 6speed swap, and an IRS. Going with a sparco or flaming river wheel recovered in whatever best matches the rest of the color of the interior, and I have thought about just covering the plastics up but that felt to me like a duct tape fix to me,IMO.

 

Same color's as my car is,.

 

Don't take me wrong here but the last 12 years I have owned a 3rd gen fbody every day (this is my 2nd here and both have been firebirds). I started out loving the interior in both cars but after a while the loose their luster is the only reason i am thinking about changing something up. I figured up all the numbers and it will take almost the same cash for a full custom interior as a stock one back to factory specs,that is what got me thinking about custom in the first place. If it was super cheap to go back to original condition I would jump on that boat today.

 

Coming from rotaries I still wonder what people try to gain by de-stroking.
In rotary world you oftentimes rev up to 8000 rpm. Some even to 10 000 rpm. There is a certain luxury in having power from 2000 all the way to 6000 rpm, without the need to rev any further. Als has benefits in wear and thermal load on the engine.

 

I have just always loved the sound of a sbc wrapping to 8500 rpm. Its thrill of doing something unique. There are a LOT of 383s out there, even 355s not my cup of tea, there is fun to be had even with a over-square engine especially with a couple turbos thrown in the mix.

 

I'm still in the process of redoing/rehabing my interior. I painted the interior plastics black, new black carpet, will be swapping in black doors with gray suede inserts. I recovered the rear speaker covers and sunvisors in gray suede the headliner will also be done in gray suede. I have the custom polished gauge rings, a nice grant steering wheel and 4th gen ebony cloth seats.

 

Sounds good post pics if you get a chance, please.

 

Here's a link to my cardomain page:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/337079...ntiac-trans-am

 

Thats looking good, dude. Love the lit GTA, is that a custom piece or a standard emblem without a back so light will pass through it?

 

Got it from humount.com, a lot of people have them for there Camaros.

 

Thanks

 

DaveCS1 & Transmetal-
Nice!!

 

Thanks! This board offers lots of inspiration. Always has.

 

So I made it out to the barn my girls been sitting in, close to a year now, and made a nasty discovery. Mice. They have gotten in somehow and pushed the mothballs out of the interior and into the engine bay, left the poison alone and proceeded to make my car their new home. Now everything has to come out no matter what,and they ruined the back carpet which was in decent condition (just 2 small stains). I dislike the country, give me the city any day. Now what way to go from here?

 

Wow, the couple guys on here that have really nice stock interior or modified stock have it great. For all the other 3rd gen owners who have interior like what Im sure yours and mine look like we need help. I am in the middle of and planning my inards. I gutted everything, and just started sanding pieces down and repainting them with vinyl paint. Not spray paint. I got some newer seats from a old lady that had front and back seats from a 3rd gen wrapped in plastic and they looked like the day the came out of the factory for like 10 bucks on craigslist. She said her husband bought them before he died to put in a hot rod. Ne ways, I bought a bolt of black leather and am wrapping the dash and redoing the door panels. I will also do the back in the leather and pleat it so that it has a nice design. I also plan on doing a little customizing like embossing a chevy logo on the head liner and maybe in the upper part of the trunk. I would also like to rebuid the consloe so that it suits me better. I dont care what anyone else thinks about it because I am doing this for my own comfort and asthetics.

 

So I have decided to go with a custom interior, but I am going to build it where it can be removed and a stock interior put back in with no problems. I will be working up some renderings of various designs I've got rattling around in my head, and will get them posted when I get the time. Right now I plan on going with the leather and alcantara covered fiberglass. Just need to come up with a good color combo that goes good with the red of DAVECS1's car...... Need color samples now............

 

some of you may not like this but here some pics of my gta dash.....i like the stock dash layout but i didnt like the stock dull bland look so it updated it.... it looks absolutely georgeous in person.. i dyed all the dash black because i couldnt stand that ugly stock gray looking color... the woodgrain contrasts the black dash very well and also goes well with my beechwood interior... i would not have put that dash kit in with any other color interior except beechwood... i get alot of compliments on my interior... these are crappy shots i took awhile ago..... but my interior is basically all new.......... ill take better pics tomorrow...




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ill get more today

 

@88fastgta, That looks really nice with the wood in there.

 

more pics.... going to get the seat redone because they are faded and new carpet is on the way...
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more



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My Custom Interior

 

Just curious but can youguys tell me what models and yrs had the spare tire covers and the retractable covers

 

custom all the way. make it your own. i can say that in a third gen it will definitely test your skills as there is very little out there for a unique look. i like custom just because its different.

 

@ rfox The spare tire cover I am not exactly sure I know what you are talking about, if its the plastic interior panel or an actual cover for the tire like on some jeeps (I have never seen or heard of one for a third gen, but that doesn't mean they don't exist). As for the retractable cover I think that became an option in 86 or 87, they might have become standard equipment but not sure.

 

I'm talking about the piece that makes the hatch area look flat. I would love to get one!

 

I think that's called the well lid or something like that. I had one in my 83 firebird S/E that i should have kept but gave it away for free. My 89 GTA does not have the provisions to install one. You might try the classifieds on the message board to see if you can find one as they are nice to have.

 

i just made my own lid... all my subs and amps are under there... but no will will ever know that unless i took the lid off...

 

Can you post pics so I can get a general idea of how to make one! Mainly the supports that keep it from falling in

 

Custom is so much better, even if it's as simple as swapping out to leather versus the stock cloth. I will have to post pics later of the entire swap over done to my 91 Camaro

 

Working on multiple designs right now, been thinking of incorporating the late 4th gen ram air hood that is on my car into it as well for extra gauges because I dont want to go with pillar pods. Also going multi-screen system; one for the driver car info and radio & one for passenger audio and video. Color is going to be flame red and the stock tan.

 

080311092634.jpg?t=1312379508

That is a peculiar looking seat. the top portion reminds me of ET's head!

 

lol i get that alot from my girlfriend and her family.... they say "dag you got some E.T looking seats lol" they are comfortable tho....

 

Wow..that is crazy man! What kind of seats are those? Nice ride btw!

 

these are stock seats.... they only came in the Trans am gta line... i think you can special order these on the regular trans am but these are standard equipment for the GTA's

 

 

I like what you did there. Not totally sold on the colour (probably would have to see it in the flesh), but it sure brightens the interior up a lot. Adds class and quality to a pretty cheap and drab dash. IMHO, of course!

 

Soon I will be getting things in order to start my rebuild process going. I have the general layout in mind for the dash and will build it with balsa wood and fiberglass or carbon fiber. I however will keep all the original parts so I can change it out to factory if I ever choose to down the road. Will start this winter on the teardown and get things mocked up for the composites.(p.s. will post pics.)