Muggs89

Wanted to either really clean it up or try and switch it from grey to all black.

I've heard of people using things such as carpet dye to change the color. Not sure how good this would work. Need opinions.

Was gonna take all the plastic out and repaint it black with coat after coat of some kind of spray paint that would be smooth and keep a shine.
Not sure if its a good idea or not. Let me know what you think.

Want to replace the stock steering wheel, what would be a good cheeper one with a horn, no airbag needed. Car has none haha.

Center console is spreading apart. Common problem i hear. What is the best way to restore it.

Let me know what you guys do to give your interior a nice new clean look.

Any opinions would be very helpful. Thanks, Jon.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/6665455...n/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6665455...n/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6665455...n/photostream/

camarosrock1989

iTrader: (1)

It looks pretty nice to me according to the picture links. There are enough parts out there pretty cheap, i would buy what you really need and keep it original.
Sweet looking car by the way!

GreenCamaro13

Well Sounds like a Good Project For Low Budgets Or Just want to Save Some Bucks.. What i 1st reccommend is using some Blue Coral -Dry Clean- to remove any dirt and nasty stuff so that the paint can come out evenly, and clean. for Gum or any of that stuff use " Lift Off" and Another i recommend is Trim Shine to make the car shine like no other. i use these when i clean my car. the Blue Coral makes my seats and carpet look new and the trim shine makes all plastics and outside body look shiny for about a month with just a little bit, awesome look.
For the parts you want to replace a good place i would look that has so many nice stuff for low prices is http://googleitfor.me/?q=andys+auto+sport&l=1 Andys Auto sport just put in the car info and see the many parts that fit, for other places just look in the thirdGen Classfields and see whos selling there things. Hope this helps, but i HIGHLY reccomend Andys auto sport, i use it myself and they have never dissapointed me. Good Luck Man!

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Center console,raise up the shifter plate,run a nice bead of glue down each side of the console.Use two clamps that extend from one side to the other,use a piece of thin wood on each side (say a paint stir stick)and clamp them.Leave it sit for a day.
Interior plastic,I painted mine,but I didn't change the color.you can find that thread in Interiors Hawk 312 has a real good thread on that.
Carpet,I would suggest a good shampooing,If it is beyond cleaning,I would buy a new one from 1A.(free shipping)You can buy them separately, front and cargo area
Front seats,try shampooing them also,your back seats look real good,If their beyond cleaning,try and get a nice pair of seat covers until you can afford new upholstery(that color and material is still available)
Steering wheel,try picking one up in Interior Parts For sale,their not that expensive.

scottmoyer

Why do you want to do this "cheap"? It's getting old hearing people always ask how they can fix things cheap. You can't. You can bandaid things cheaply, but you can't really fix cheaply. If you want to change your interior color, then do it correctly as the finish will last longer and look better. You get what you pay for. Again, why get a cheap steering wheel? Why not get a decent wheel. If you can't afford new things, you can get decent used things that need a little attention to make good. They are less expensive than new, but wouldn't be considered "cheap"

ZZ3 Z28

I am putting in new carpets, front and back well, in my ride right now which cost about $260 from 1A Auto and I got them in about 3 days. I can see that a package of RIT dye costs about 5 bucks a box but why do you want to spend any amount of time on old dirty carpets? If you're going to spend the time removing the old carpets, then clean and dye them, it will probably take less time to just install new ones. While your at it, why not install some new heat/sound insulation as well.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

That's the way to do it!!!

Muggs89

Yeah like i would totally love to put all this money into it but with just being a highschooler it aint easy. When i say cheep i kinda mean like do it yourself kinda way without spendin a ton of money.

I really want one of those Momo or Grant steering wheels.

also where could i get a new/ used good condition automatic shift *** and boot?

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Modern Day Muscle for the shift ***,I just got one from them,NOS
Third Gen for the boot,PM them to see if they will lower the shipping on the boot.

IROC#1

I agree with what you are saying BUT the OP is 17 and probably still in high school with limited funds.
You and I both know we will continue to see threads such as this until the teenagers move on to 4th gens because the 3rd gens have gotten too expensive to buy.

cIaRmOaCrZo

and that day needs to come FAST lol. it kind of already has. yet i was 16 when i got my iroc, and im only 22 now. but alot things change in 6 years...and my iroc is not beat up laying in a junkyard, or scrapped into beer cans, or slutted out to 100 new owners in short periods of times. to top it off, iv added 4 addtional to my 3rdgen line up lol. but i DO notice alot of poor beater 4thgens getting molested left and right by kids now.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

I see a lot off young guys on here that say they would like to keep the cars as original as they can but don't have the money to do it,but these same guys(not all of you) have the money to molest the hell out of them.

micktroup2

Oldest adage in hotrodding: 'Cheap, Fast, Good- pick 2!' A lesson that we all learn, some sooner than others...

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

That is so true.

scottmoyer

I understand that there are a lot of younger people on the boards. That's not an excuse I'm willing to accept. I bought my first car in 1985. It was a 1983 Z28. So I had a 2 year old car when I was 17. I worked hard for that car and saved a lot of money so I could buy the best I could afford. I also paid my own insurance and gas. If I can do it, anybody can because I'm not the sharpest guy on the block. BTW, that car cost me $7800 when I got it. I took out a loan for the amount I didn't have saved. It taught me to keep my mouth shut when I disagreed with my boss so I didn't get fired or just up and quit. I made a whopping $3.75/hr then. I learned a lot working hard as a teen, and I learned to appreciate things.

I don't understand how these guys that say they can't afford to pay thousands more for a car loan expect to fix a car that basically needs to be rebuilt.

ZZ3 Z28

Words to live by. Hard work = payoff.

I really hesitate to weigh in because I don't want to discourage any one from fixing up a car but if some one is going to invest in a 3rd gen then I think they need to rethink they're priorities. What is more important, good correct carpets, or a new Iphone every four days? Stop drinking $3 Red Bulls or $6 Starbucks seventeen times a day and see how much $$$ you have at the end of the day to buy new and correct and not cheap and garbage.

GreenCamaro13

Man this is really good stuff right here.. im going to try that red bull stoping thing and save me money.

cIaRmOaCrZo

i think im a redbull addict....lol

dcil

You know, there are many threads on dying interior pieces, or painting them on here where the author doesn't get flamed. Make a mistake like using the word "cheap" and everybody seams to get pissed. It makes me feel good to see a teenager trying to do something good with an old car, not just buying something newer or nicer. Not spending "daddies" money or getting a loan.

Do what you can, ask what you don't know, and ignore anybody who thinks that if it's not the way they did it then it's wrong.

If I made anybody mad with what I said, then good, you needed it.

If it helped somebody, then that was the purpose.



Rob out

scottmoyer

Who's flaming? It IS getting old hearing people say they want to do something "cheap". You are correct that there are plenty of threads that explain how to dye the interior and change the color. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If that's what you want to do, then just do it correctly, not cheap. There's a big difference between inexpensive and cheap when related to car repairs. Inexpensive is defined as not costing much, where cheap is defined as "achieved with little effort" or "of poor quality; inferior." The OP stating that he was going to paint the interior with coat after coat of some kind of spray paint and replace the original steering wheel with a cheap one. That sounds like poor quality and inferior workmanship if you ask me. If you can't replace the wheel with a nice one that you want, then why replace it at all.

Oh, you didn't make me mad. I didn't use daddy's money to buy my cars. Like I said, I worked hard for it. Also, I've never changed the interior color of a car, so the fact that he's not doing it the same way I did, is invalid. I have seen "cheap" re-dye jobs and they don't last. The color flakes off and looks worse than what it started out as. You end up paying more not doing the job correctly the first time because of the material costs and labor to do it over again. Plus, you might need to remove the "cheap" job before you can fix it correctly.

Like I said, I'm not mad, but it sounds like you're a little uptight!

my82roc

iTrader: (101)

I swapped the interior of my 89 iroc vert from carmine red to 85-86 light saddle custom cloth.All the swap parts were used including the carpet and the cost was less than 100 dollars for everything.IMO it looks 100 percent better now

Pillsbry10

iTrader: (1)

getting a loan these days isnt quite as easy as it was when you did it old man

Rican_trans_am

i will turn 19 on the 26th this month so i consider myself a young adult i have had like 12 cars in the short time i recently purchased a 88 trans am with a 305 tpi and automatic with t- tops i love the car it is mechanically all original runs great and i've fixed minor things in the last 3 weeks of owning it ( headlight motor wiring, trunk actuator thing) by reading on here from posts from veterans with experience in doing this yes i'd rather do things the cheaper way as long as it fixes it the right way without total rednecking it lol. but i have a daughter who will be 2 in may and i drive 45 min each way to work so i like to save money where i can but doing it in a way i can be proud of what i have done. my dream job is to go to college work in an auto shop for awhile and build my own automotive shop down the road.

I got my trans am from a local seller for 2k took loan out from the bank on it and by far my favorite car i've owned i will keeping this car for years to come and i'm sure i will be seeing much more of the posts on here restoring/ molesting my engine and drivetrain

my goal is to have one of the faster running t/a but looking mostly original on outside



any body who has any advice for this newbie concerning my new t/a tips tricks or things too be careful with w/ my car feel free to influence me

"btw didn't mean to hack this post lol"

dcil

First off, I didn't say you bought it with daddies money, a lot of kids these days get there rides that way. Yes you worked your *** off and earned it. I respect that. I just think before your rude to this kid you should give him a little room on his wording and questions. You don't know him no more than I do, what's to say he's not busting his *** 40 plus a week, helping his family out, or maybe saving for college, and has very little left to fix his car. Hell, if you can find a job right now your doing good. Imagine being a teenager. Plus, you ever did the search on this sight, confusing and multi-directional is an understatement.

Again, it tickles me to see a kid who wants to do something good with an old car.

dcil

You make some good points, and maybe I am a little uptight, mostly because I've been there. Learning the hard way trying to make something out of nothing, with little or no money. If he short cuts and it flakes, the lesson will be learned. I just think he was mis understood in the beginning

dcil

My point.



I've got a shift ****, auto from a late eighties, it's yours for shiping. Just hit me a pm if your interested.

FNFAL308

iTrader: (1)

Best advice I can give is total the money you want to spend and make a list of what you want to change. Look at what will make the most difference in the looks of the car - exterior paint, seats, carpet, dash pad, tires/wheels. Then decide what you want to spend on each. If you can't buy any of these big things then you may just want to concentrate on cleaning the HELL out of them. Pull the carpet out and bring it to a carwash, clean the seats with cleaner, etc. Then clean all of the interior plastic (outside the car) with purple power degreaser - helps a lot believe me. then just change some of the smaller things that are just down right broke or ripped. Touch up some stuff with paint.

Look, some people for whatever reason just don't have the money to throw into a car. Its called having to live too. Sometimes it is not good business sense to spend that much. But they still want a nice clean neat car to drive. I recently started fixing my car up and set a cap at $3000 - period. It does not make sense to spend more than that no matter what due to resale value when done - that is the break over point on mine. Different on his. Thought I could get more than I can until I started pricing some things. Not everyone needs or wants $250 tires when they see what it'll take away from other things. Cars are not the only interests for most people. he may need the money to take a girl out - that is more important than a car

On my fix up I am buying the big stuff now knowing if need be I can get the cheaper parts later easier. So carpet, leather seats, tires, wheels, paint, and a few small things like third brake light, console, and the budget is broke. Look at what you have to spend and pick those things that need changing the most and that will have the most impact.

And post some pics so that people can give you a better idea of what you should do.

But don't waste your money on painting carpet - I'd go bare floor first rather than waste money.

EDIT: Just noticed you did post pics. Your car looks awesome. Change the carpet if it won't clean up (mine was shot) and just fix some of the little things. The console? I had the same problem and tried to fix it. I got a 4th gen console. I gotta say I cringed at first because I really wanted the factory console but I could not find one. Well the 4th gen is in and I can't believe how good it looks. Pick one up for $150? Post closer pics of the things that are a problem. Until you get close ups all cars look good in pics.

dcil

I have seen painted carpet turn out good. It's a pain to do, but it can work. Lots of spraying and brushing, spraying and brushing. Hard to keep it from getting stiff and glueing fibers together

dcil

Oh,I oopsed, my **** is for a camaro not a bird.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

I got one,he can have it for the shipping also.

dcil

Too bad he's not in Ga. A buddy of mine has a 90 camaro with good gray carpet. Whole interior actually. Got a lot of parts from him on the "CHEAP" hehe. Not worth buying used then paying shipping

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

What else you need Muggs,maybe some of the members here can help you out with some of their slightly used parts their hoarding.

Muggs89

Thanks alot guys, really appreaciate it. Love this car alot and want to keep it looking nice. I agree with the one guy that said their's a difference on the words cheep and inexpensive, and my appologgies on mixing those words up. This is really a great website, its amazing the kind of people you find on here. Everybodys looking out for each other. The last thing i want to do is put some garbage into my car, not really sure what i was thinking when i wrote the word cheep haha. You do get what you pay for in life.

Jupiter

iTrader: (1)

I did all mine on the cheap since i'm poor... lol
Muggs89 that is a really nice looking car. I can't imagine the interior is all that
bad. You would be surprised how clean that plastic will get when done right. I
used SEM cleaner, adhesion promotor and, dye. Came out great. Console was
easy to fix as stated above 'glue and clamp'. JDM steering wheel with a 2nd gen
horn logo. Here is a pic of the cargo area before i had the seats done and,
another with the '89 GTA dash and console conversion after i got the seats
done. The carpet is new but the plastic and carpet on the plastic is painted.

Muggs89

You'd did an awsome job on your interior, thats exactly what i want. Thanks for posting a picture and giving me some idea's. I love that steering wheel, it looks so nice. Where did you find those seats??

Jupiter

iTrader: (1)

These are the factory PMD seats. I just had them recovered and instead of the
beaded seam i had them do the red stitching instead. I think i will do red
stitching on the door panels as well and try and find a map pocket with red
stitched bird. But next will be floor mats with red birds and picking up some
headliner material and do the speaker covers to match the new black headliner.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

What else you need Muggs,I got a shifter ball for you free,pay for the mail.

Muggs89

Well i got an automatic, not really sure how replacing automatic ones is, couldnt imagine it'd be much different, i just wanted a new/ used shifter and boot in good condition cause mines all ripped up. Also any of the emblems that are on the exterior of the car that say Trans am on them. Thanks for helping me out.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

I don't have a boot,you can get one from thirdgen ranch for $15.00 Trans Am emblems I have,but I can't spare them,going in for paint,but I do have the 5.0 HO i can give you,you can remove the HO or just leave it,know what I getting another shift plate with a boot in about a week(waiting for it)I'll give you that also,It's black and i need dark gray.I'll give the shifter ball.(YOUR NOT CHANGING YOUR TRANS ARE YOU).what else.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

You can get the whole decal kit from Phoenix Graphics for $89.00 it has all the decals you will need.
except the 5.0 EFI decal that's $19.00 extra.I don't know why they do that.

Muggs89

No the trans is staying auto...Thats really all i can think of untill i get my car back and i can fully look at it and make a gocery list...thanks alot again, really appreacite all this

GreenCamaro13

hey muggs so are you going to die your interior?

Muggs89

I was thinking about, do you know anything about this process?

GreenCamaro13

well what i know for A FACT is the best thing to do is try to get whatever you are goin to dye/paint as clean as possible and not just exterior, inside it to.
for example.. if you are going to paint your back seat, dont just do a lil scrubby scrub and paint. you want the best. but knowing that getting interior details are very high priced, you want to use the best of best. not stuff like armor all that wears your stuff out faster than a jack rabbit on wool (idk what that means). So as i stated earlier, what i did was actually use this carpet/seat/interior cleaner called Blue Coral. in my situation, my car was sitting out for about 7 years, and when it was all cleaned up the car was highjacked by rats. and rats leave pee and poo. so i vacumed and got to every small inch until the car was clean from big stuff. now i sprayed blue coral on seats (2 layers) and waite 5 minutes in between so it penetrates. and then i scrubed and it came out so nice. i then used a black spraypaint covered it up. leading with a all purpose coating for interior and outlined it with blue. it was so nice and has lasted a year with no wear/tear damage or sun damage

jharrison5

I'm all about saving money when at all possible so if your seats and carpet are in good physical condition, but are just stained and you want to dye them black then here is what you will need to do.

I recommend getting a hold of an upholstery cleaning machine because it will make this job a thousand times easier. Get a bunch of bottles of whatever color dye you want to change the color to and a spray bottle of some sort. You will also probably want some rubber gloves unless you don't mind your hands being a different color for a while. Also you will need a bunch of rags to soak up excess dye. I went from light gray to black since it covers nicely on my GTA.

Remove the seats and clean clean them and the carpet really well. Mix the dye according to directions, but keep the mixture fairly strong. Spray the dye mix onto the fabric and let it set for a short time wiping up any runs. I basically sprayed and blotted with a rag off and on until I achieved the desired darkness. Let everything dry completely and then use the upholstery machine to rinse/wash the fabric to get any excess dye out. I repeated the dry/wash process four times for good measure.

Here is what I ended up with keeping in mind that I only did the seats, but it only cost me a weekend and $20 in supplies.

RaceFace

iTrader: (3)

I've posted a few pics earlier, don't remember the thread exactly...
So I used carpet for interior because of previous owner, who pained gray plastic with black paint and it was peeling off...
You only need rubber glue, approx. 6 square meters of carpet and some patience. Carpet is very easy material to work with - it stretches as much as you want. Lots of colors available.
It took me 3 days to cover all plastic panels.

ZZ3 Z28

Hey RaceFace that is really nice looking. I like the little details like covering the rear seat bolt slot with a flap of carpet. It's those little things like that that make a project like yours stand out above the rest.

ZZ3 Z28

Talk about a timely thread, read this one.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...-interior.html

dcil

Well muggs, I looked at ur pics again, I believe your carpet will clean up. I had a Ranger that was worse, I mean sit in the seat and have to change clothes bad. Pull out the carpet, seperate from the pad. Go to the dollar store and get a couple quarts or a gallon of greased lightning, or other good degreaser. Make sure not to get a purple cleaner(will leave bleach spots and the dyes can stain gray carpet, mode that mistake once) greased lightning and mean green are my preference. Spray the entire carpet with it straight, extra heavy on the severe spots. Let soak for a couple minutes. Spray a fine mist of water on it and start scrubbing with a stiff wheel brush. When you think it's good, spray some more on the heavy stuff and scrub more. Spray with a direct stream from a hose or pressure washer until the water runs clean. Most or all will come out.

You will be amazed how it will turn out.

dcil

When I read this, I thought, carpet seriously, but that looks sweet.