Hello all.

In my efforts to restore my 86 Firebird, I'd like to have a little more privacy in the rear hatch area. I can't really find any information on how to add a rear hatch shade on a car that was not equipped with one. Can someone point me at the required hardware?

Thanks.

 

There is a sheetmetal mount in cars equipped with that option. I included a pic of my car for reference. I am not sure it is there in cars without it. If not, you would have to fab something or get those from a parted out car.

 

Those metal brackets would need to be cut off a doner car and attached to your car. They are spot-welded, I pop-riveted them to mine. I measured the location before removing from the doner car. The tricky part was matching them up with the location of the hole that you'll need to cut in the plastic trim panel. There is a molded indentation on the backside of the plastic panel that you'll trim out. There is also a metal reinforcing piece on the plastic trim panel on the underside of the hatch that the two "T" shaped pieces on the privacy screen hook into. You can either grab the panel from a doner car or convert yours by adding the metal reinforcing piece and cutting out the slots (that is the route I chose).

Lon

 

Good information. Thank you both for the info.

Maybe I'll pop down to Pull-a-Part to see if they have the pieces, and if I can get them out. Likely not, if they're welded.

 

Here's a NOS kit on ebay with good pictures of the metal brackets etc.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Camaro-I...9c0b20&vxp=mtr

 

It is not hard to pop the metal brackets off using a chisel and hammer.

JL: thanks for posting the link to the kit on eBay. I had no idea GM offered the privacy shade as a kit if your car did not have this option.

Lon

 

I've seen them a few times on ebay ... wonder if there's a template or some instructions included to position the brackets and cut the plastic ... that would help anyone retrofitting one of these.

Hope things are well at your end Lon !

Cheers
Jan

 

Here's another one on ebay with instructions ... good reference to use:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390547406461...84.m1423.l2649

 

Jan, I'm busy which is good.

Locating and cutting the hole in the plastic trim piece was the easiest part of the installation for me. The outline for the hole is molded into the backside of the trim piece. I think if you were installing a virgin bracket such as in the kit it would be easier than my case. Trying to align the existing holes in the bracket was tough. If it were a virgin bracket it woul dbe easier since you use self-tap screws to attach the plastic to the bracket. Also I'm sure the instructions include dimensions to locate the brackets.

Lon

 

best bet is junkyards man just pull that trim piece also so you dont have to mess with cutting your original trim man!!!