So I want to do an LS swapped car, have a path forward there as I'm not blazing any trails.

But I absolutely can't handle a ratty interior. These cars seem to have a healthy aftermarket, but what are the unobtanium gotchas I need to be aware of? I'm wanting it to look new inside.

 

Absolutely NO ONE makes replacement cloth seat covers that are even remotely close to the original patterns. Same with door panels. That's the biggest thing.

If you're looking at a 1990-92 Camaro, the hood release and wiper/turn signal/cruise stalk are not available with correct Yellow print. Door panel cupholders on 1990-92 Firebirds are only available used, and can get pricey. As far as large plastic trim panels, nothing is available new in any color that I'm aware of. No one is reproducing correct steering wheels, so that's another thing to watch out for, although most original leather ones can be recovered.

For most applications, the console lids, carpet, dash pads, shift plates, lock/mirror/window/hatch release switches, shift *****, headliners, and finally now seatbelt sleeves are being reproduced, but can get expensive. New dash pads are around $600 last I checked.

Best advice I can give is get a car with Gray interior as that was by far the highest produced color, and was the same shade from 1984-92. Most used and reproduction parts are Gray if nothing else.

 

A lot of the aftermarket headliners don't fit right, but its cheaper and usually nicer to fix the backing board and recover it anyways.

As for the door cards you can get the top plastic piece new but nothing else really, the card it self is easy to re produce out of hard board, leather, and cloth. Mine is actually vinyl and headliner material, everyone said the head liner material wouldn't hold up but its been there since 2001 and it was my daily until 2006.

Another thing to note is with GM cards there are alot of interchangeability. I have a center console from a 2000 firebird, leather seats from a 99, new carpet from 1aauto (well new in 01 when I did the interior), custom made door cards and recovered the headliner myself.

The radios in these cars are 1.5 din not 2 din so that can catch you looking for a good radio option.

As for the dash pad, the ABS dash covers are usually good enough, but OER reproduces these now I just put one in my car, as mentioned it is expensive though.

Clusters are not available new, the HVAC buttons/***** are not either.

You can still find New old stock seat belt receivers.

The large plastics are not reproduced but the ones that are not carpet covered usually hold up really well.

The plastic strip at the rear of the headliner is easy to break and I don't think its reproduced.

One big got ya's on the exterior of the car is the tail lights there are no new options, just junkyard/used. The hatch pull down parts are available but expensive and easy to break if you shut the trunk/hatch hard.

Not all the torx screws on the door handle trim are real screws, use a magnet to verify before you mess up the plastic trying to take out the fake torx screws.

So short answer is you can make a nice interior, and you have a lot of options if you don't care about it appearing stock (with out the mods looking trashy). My interior looks better than most low mile examples but I've maintained it for the last 20 years. A couple things on my short list is trying to get the yellowing out of the AC ***** and replacing the steering stock as there is no lettering left on it. The body has 220k miles on it.