Hi everyone!

I'm starting a new business focusing on thirdgen parts (I won't mention the name or share a link publicly because that would be against the rules). And my question to all you folks is are there any parts you struggle to find or commonly break that are plastic, that you would like upgraded to aluminum? What have you found annoying about your car that you wish in particular were fixed via an aftermarket solution? As of right now my first round of my first product is in production, and I am doing my best to use new production techniques to keep costs down while providing a solid, modern-feeling upgrade that will outlast your floorboards! The more things I can make the better.

 

-Pallex velour seat upholstery for GTA seats - not plastic I know but it is an annoying problem.
-The plastic door cup holder on driver's side is prone to break the upper attach point. I glued it 100 times and last time i added a piece to reinforce it. Also I leave the screws a lil loose on purpose with an oring to help when shutting the door.
- the rear upper trim panel on back of the headliner
- the round caps on the lower hatch strut mount

 

I'll second that, that's the only piece of interior plastic that seems to be super flimsy.

-The 82-84 grille inserts would be great in aluminum. There are aftermarket options now (like, $20 for a pair on amazon a couple years ago) but they're hard plastic which I know is going to eventually break.

Everything else I can think of would be simple stuff under the hood (clutch reservoir bracket, battery tray, etc.)

 

T-Top Headliner ,Ones that actually fit.

 

Window Up Stops, GM #20216825, there was a member who made them, but it does not appear so anymore. I just ordered one from ebay yesterday. I suppose any plastic window parts for the glass would be a possibility. I don't imagine they would be big sellers, but they are needed.

 

I believe he still does but the prints look a little messy. I have to open up my door at some point to do window regulators. I'll refresh my own windows and make some new models when I do so! Good suggestion.

 

I'll put that piece on the list as well. the grille inserts would be fantastic to make in aluminum, but would likely be pricey. The larger the piece, the harder it is to do without a full shop. I'm using some very modern production techniques to get things done with high quality and high resolution. Putting my engineering degree to good use. If I can get my hands on a test car and there's enough demand I could see developing those vents

 

Also - I have the parts sitting in my office (work from home) - though you can't probably them replicate in aluminum. For us "older guys" that still elect to use the ancient carburetors, those L69 scopes and more importantly the air ducts. No joke, but I must have searched eBay for months and bought several different parts via overpriced auctions to scrounge up 4 "decent" pieces to recreate that setup. There was an aftermarket company in Canada that was mentioned on the board years ago, but they are out of business. In all seriously, if that kit was say, $600 to $750 for those 4 parts (brand new) and fit "correctly", I would have gladly paid that price plus shipping!

 

The dual snorkel setup? That's a good shout to reproduce as well. I'd need to get my hands on some to get all the sizing right but that could be done! I am also working on a cold air intake for TPI/LS-style injection systems for the Firebirds. Hood clearance chokes a lot of those and it won't need the battery relocation that the $800 Hawks kit requires! It will take some cutting to the passenger side engine bay where the charcoal canister typically sits, but it will ensure that you can get a high volume of cold air into high horsepower NA applications without just sucking up all that hot engine bay air.

 

This it a long shot and totally crazy but, the center consoles of the 82-84 cars are so hard to find. I can't imagine how you would do it. They're so large.

 

Yes sir! The dual snorkel set up, especially the air tubes.
"- the rear upper trim panel on back of the headliner" - I would like to see that made from thin aluminum, no cracked screw holes.
And the upper door panel plastics too!
I know the aftermarket sells both of the parts as repops. But they are still plastic. If those could be made out of thin aluminum with those mounting studs on the back, plus shipped powered coated factory black?
I would gladly pay double than the aftermarket stuff (going for $150ish on eBay). The panels always crack, warp, distort, fade, and the plastic mounting studs always break too.

 

I second all of these items
-the door cupholders. i have a nice set of 91 door cards for my 89 TA but the cup holders are broken on each one.
-my strut covers in the back keep breaking off after i put new struts on. like one time use
-same thing with the rear headliner plastic. I put a new headliner in mine along with new billet hatch hinges and mine was so brittle it broke in pieces. I had to buy one in a different color and buy the paint to match from hawks. Which by the way is some of the best spray paint I have ever used on anything.

 

Love this idea. Third-gen parts are always a pain to track down, and swapping plastic for aluminum on the stuff that breaks all the time would be amazing. I feel like everyone has that one little piece that cracks or warps and you can never find a replacement.
I’ve looked into patenting and product ideas before, and reading InventHelp reviews made me realize how many people struggle to bring good upgrades like this to market, so it’s cool to see someone actually listening to the community first.

 

Door sills in aluminum without the retractor cutout. There are people who have switched to 4th gen seatbelts or using race harnesses with the seatbelts deleted that could use these. I had to use a third sill to modify my original sills to eliminate the holes.

 

To everyone watching this thread, I am going to work on the headliner trim first, and the door kick plates second. I personally have an '86 Trans Am as my development car, so anything in that car is, at the moment, all I can really develop. Once I start getting somewhere and have the capital to buy some of these other parts so I can re-model them in aluminum, I can continue!

I'd like to do the plastic window switch trim in the doors and the plastic door tops as well, but one thing to note is that in touch surfaces like those, aluminum is going to get VERY hot in the summertime. It isn't as bad on a shift **** you can put a koozie over, but on the sill where you rest your arm or a door lock switch area you'll be touching, I don't know if it's the best idea. Those may wind up being in some form of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic that will be much stronger and longer-lasting than the basic injection molded stuff that GM and today's aftermarket uses.

I'm also working on a proper cold air intake for us Firebird TPI/LS/EFI guys that should be cheaper than Hawks' $800 dual snorkel unit and not require a battery relocation. It will also clear large radiators such as my own Cold Case.

 

Good observation about the use of aluminum. I used an aluminum shift **** for years. It was a custom job and looked great, but I eventually replaced it with a plastic one similar to stock. Got tired of the aluminum burning my hand in the summer and freezing it in the winter.

 

I'm an engineer by trade. Right now my first products, a pair of billet shift ***** that match our thread pattern, are in production. I like the look enough to live with it, and it's a fair weather car. Plus, in the summer you can throw a can koozie over top when the car sits and that stops it from soaking up all the sun and getting crazy hot.

 

To everyone following this thread, doing the upper headliner piece in aluminum is possible, but I've ordered a prototype in polycarbinate first. Still light like the factory ABS plastic, but far more heat and UV tolerant, and will be a damn sight stronger for longer!
Due to the complex curve of the part, aluminum would be too stiff and difficult to bend into place during install if the curve isn't manufactured into it. And if the curve is manufactured into it, the part becomes wildly expensive to manufacture on a small scale. I want to bring quality parts at reasonable prices. I'm not here to line my pockets, I'm here to breathe life into the aftermarket for these cars.

 

Are we talking Full headliner or t-top..Id be interested in the T-Top one.. and if so will they be able to be modified? Just asking cause im running a harness instead of seatbelt and i'd like to delete those holes.
Thanks Shane

 

It isn't the headliner itself, it's the trim in the back with 4 holes in it that holds the rear end of the headliner up in the car

 

Okay, I've designed it out of acrylic, which will be better over time for heat radiating into the cabin from the ceiling in the summer months than aluminum, but unfortunately due to the process used can only come in gloss black or clear. Im thinking I can ship them out scuffed and ready for paint. With that being the case, I'm not gauging interest. It won't crack or degrade over time nearly as bad as the stock or OER parts will. Whgat price point would you think is reasonable for something like this, given that the poorly made and designed pieces currently available go for just north of $100?