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The main attraction today was the arrival of my Procar seats. Not impressed with the engineering of the adapters or the mounting, but the seats are sweet.
the interior is turning out great.
did you paint the raised edge on the dash panels under the gauge bezel (on either side of the steering wheel)? that's a nice touch. how did you do that?
the interior is turning out great.
did you paint the raised edge on the dash panels under the gauge bezel (on either side of the steering wheel)? that's a nice touch. how did you do that?
Thanks everyone, appreciate the feedback.
Battmann,
Thanks for noticing my little accent. I had bought some "Hidem" vinyl edging, same stuff on our door cards. I noticed that it fit into that little pocket on those panels perfectly. I was gonna just glue it in, but thought that might be a little cheesy. Then I thought of just taping off the rest of the panel and spraying the raised edge. Used the same gold paint as the engine. I thought it came out pretty nice, thanks.
I only report this because this morning a green leaf bug (katydid) was on my Trans am tire. They are remarkable creatures, even have veins typical of real leaves. They just evolved this way.
I tried to grab him for a better photo, but he disappeared. Here is what they look like. FYI I bought a replacement for this HVAC switch because it looked rusty. Turns out it was just the color of the plastic. Gotcha!
Oh, and the RIT dye above, I ordered "Tan", and they sent me "Tangerine". Ugh
Drilled the hole for my rear hatch release switch. I think it looks pretty OEM. Feels good too.
Mystery plug
I do not remember disconnecting, but it looks important. Anyone know what it is? Same question with this thing?
Here is the same old boring view, but with the window switches
Oh, and I added a plug for my radar detector/phone charge usb, so I would not have to always have my ash tray open. Came out nice. I bought a marine plug with a soft cover, came out perfect.
Cool stuff.
Did you wire the hatch release into the neutral safety switch?
Your project is moving at such a fast pace; do you get up early in the morning and work on it all day like a full-time job?...
Did you wire the hatch release into the neutral safety switch?
Your project is moving at such a fast pace; do you get up early in the morning and work on it all day like a full-time job?...[/QUOTE]
TL,
I wired it hot at all times with the relay. I want to be able to open anytime without needing the key, and pulling up to the bag drop without needing to put in park. I will be responsible.
This project is pretty much a full time job, after my 1 mile walk with Nuc every morning. But I have been looking forward to doing this for most of my adult life, so it is truly a labor of love. I am blessed to have the resources to do it. Thanks for tuning in.
Thanks Scooter!
So since I have run all new speaker wires with my new (old) Alpine, that plug should be moot. Thats what I was hoping to hear. Thanks Dude. By the way, whenever I see your name it reminds me of a very talented aircraft mechanic who would poke jabs at a young (but equally talented) green engineer who's nickname was Scooter. Had to be there.
Started on the door cards today
Never really liked the beechwood color.
Impressive spike strips to hold the trim piece in Finally figured out how to remove these pesky nuts after I ripped out the door cardboard. Many tears and cracks, will reinforce with some oak strips, remnants from a previous woodworking project.
Plan to paint the cardboard with some low viscosity epoxy I had left over from the boat. Hopefully make it will make it a little more weather impervious. I decided to go with the black vinyl on this panel, left the old fabric with the padding. I think it will better meld with the black dash coming around the corner. I only cemented the edges so the foam was unaffected.
For reference
I ran out of daylight but this is where I finished. Propped up the card for a photo op. The metal tack strip is not installed, but it will finish out the black to tan interface perfectly. I will paint the plastic with the wrinkle finish and clean up the vinyl arm wrest. Looking nice! Again happy with results.
Last edited by stuartswede; 04-11-2021 at 07:13 PM.
Wrinkle painted these and the upper plastic sweeper retainers.
Drilled for the retaining sheet metal nuts. Painted the spike strips with the SEM trim black. Looking nice Still have to replace the lock cylinder otherwise would be done! Still have to drill the new pin holes in the upper card, another photo op, and of course there is Nuc. Did I say how much fun I am having???
Replaced handle and lock cylinder, sweepers and inner door handle, also door weather stripping. Seems like everything having to do with the door is a royal PITA. Those little blue weatherstrip anchors are possessed!
This is why I am replacing the locks, someone tried to break in
Finally one thing is finished and buttoned up! Except the door closes, but is still a half inch open, help!
Two steps forward and 3 steps back. Today was the 3 steps back. After finishing the passenger door, you had to really slam it with all the weather stripping. It would close on the striker, but was still open about a half inch from the rear quarter panel. Just wasn't right. This morning, I loosened all the hinge bolts and used the floor jack to lift the rear of the door, re-tightened all the hinge bolts and still wouldn't close properly. Dang. Did a Utube dive and found the bushing issues. Ordered new bushings and pulled the door. Also ordered new window motors having come this far. Naked again, don't look Ethel! Pulled all electrical from the door. Just like the video. New home for the night, removed the old upper bushings. All new should be delivered tomorrow. Blew my doors off!! Kind of a good thing, found rust I had overlooked before, welded new sheet metal and soaked with POR15. Ready for bushings
Sorry for your set back, keep your head up, sounds like you found your solution to the issue also 👏🏼 Maybe @dagwood can lend you some advise on the doors?
Waiting for my new door hinge bushings, I got busy putting the passenger side front suspension back together, new coil spring, shock etc. It had been so long since I did the drivers side, couldn't remember which way was up on the spring. Consulted Utube and flatter side (painted) goes up. However, when I did the drivers side I distinctly remember the guy saying "flatter side down, and cover one of the 2 holes in the A-arm. Checked several others, and yes, flat side (painted) side up. Well I finished up the passenger side. You think they could paint or stamp "UP" on the correct end!!!
And then, easy-peesy, flipped the driver side coil spring to be compliant.
However, was disappointed that even with the new door bushings, I have to really slam the door to close it. I even loosened all the hinge bolts and used the jack to lift the door above the striker then tightened the hinge bolts, but the door still dropped below the striker level in free state and you still have to slam it to close properly. Could it be the latch is bad? Again I ask for help from yous guys.
I actually ran into that problem when I restored the 91 Trans Am. I ended up drilling the hinge bolt holes bigger where they bolt to the car, so I could adjust the door. The way these cars are built, there's really not much for adjustment. The doors work awesome, now. The new weather stripping still makes them a little hard to close, but everything lines up perfectly
Reproduction weatherstripping for doors is a P.I.T.A. Your latch & striker should line up though. The hinges themselves may be bad.
Did you put spring isolator donuts on top of your coil springs? Those can fit only on the flat end, which kind'a makes it self explanatory at that point...
I actually ran into that problem when I restored the 91 Trans Am. I ended up drilling the hinge bolt holes bigger where they bolt to the car, so I could adjust the door. The way these cars are built, there's really not much for adjustment. The doors work awesome, now. The new weather stripping still makes them a little hard to close, but everything lines up perfectly
Thanks Dagwood,
I will definitely do that. I shouldn't be this hard. But want it to be right, after all this effort.
Reproduction weatherstripping for doors is a P.I.T.A. Your latch & striker should line up though. The hinges themselves may be bad.
Did you put spring isolator donuts on top of your coil springs? Those can fit only on the flat end, which kind'a makes it self explanatory at that point...
Hey TL,
I don't think it's the hinges, this is the passenger door, which was rarely used as a daily driver, and with the new bushings there is no wiggle when lifting the rear of the door.
The isolator donuts stayed put in the upper hole, so didn't really notice the first time, but it was only a couple hours delay, only really 1.5 steps back instead of 3, and was still waiting for the bushings anyhow!
Finally got the doors to close like Cadillac's. I tried loosening the passenger door hinges one more time and raised the rear about twice the distance from striker to latch as I tried before. It was around 1.5 inches above instead of .750 that I tried before. When I remove the jack, the latch and striker were perfectly aligned! door closes with a small push, like it was supposed to. The door is happy and so am I!
Pulled the driver door and replaced all the bushings. Did the same adjustment and great results. 2 steps forward!
Also replaced the window motor. Took some finagling to get the small fasteners in and out, but done. I used an air cushion from the packaging to hold the motor up in place while I inserted the small screws from underneath, and was able to start the small nuts from above without needing 3 hands.
Oh, and a hat tip to Battmann, I used some of the tar material covering the 2 lower hinge bolts as adhesive for my new Mylar vapor barrier instead of duct tape like the other heathens.
Last edited by stuartswede; 04-17-2021 at 08:58 PM.
I was looking at tomsaddy's amazing car this morning, saw he had totally Dynomatted his interior. I ordered some peel and seal, and will add to the doors, roof and anywhere else I can. I also ordered a box of the 3M strip caulk as I will need more for the mylar as well as to recover the little access hole for the lower hinge bolts. But yes, finally winning again is nice after all the door frustrations.
Dho! My son was in town last weekend and I was showing him the progress (brag-a-do-shous as my bride calls it), I was showing him the cool door sweep I bought to replace the disintegrated material on the emergency brake / ejection seat actuator, and realized I had reinstalled the center console minus the new sweep material. Dho! I will pull tomorrow and replace but just a note, the bristles on my sweep require trimming to be perfect given the available slot in the console for this material.
I didn't want to overlap, and I guess you could trim with wire cutters, or I was seriously thinking of clamping and cut with a chop saw, but then remembered a tool my daughter gave me a tool for my 38th birthday 2 years ago, not!
This thing was the bomb! worked really good. Perfect I would say.
Now will be able to position like OEM. Here come the fuzz!
Installed the passenger side window motor. Did I mention that everything having to do with the doors are a royal PITA? Installed new drivers side handle and lock cylinder. Fished electrical wires back thru both doors and checked operation. Funny that the power locks worked perfectly prior to door removal, but when I first checked after re-assembly, neither worked. The relays were clicking but the solenoids were silent. I disconnected and sprayed with WD40 rust penetrent in the connectors, and now work perfectly. I guess I moved around some corrosion by un-plugging and re-plugging.
Adjusted windows per U tube university. Seem to be happy.
Drilled holes for upper door card trim, and re-assembled.
More winning!!
Did I mention that everything having to do with the doors are a royal PITA???
Last edited by stuartswede; 04-19-2021 at 07:24 PM.
New fuzz Had a little blivet of JB Quick near the turn, but cleaned it up. Liking the results
I bought some Peel & Seal to mimic Dynomat, and am happy with the results. I applied to the doors, and the damping was amazing. It reduced the noise of shutting the door by at least half. I applied to the roof too.
Shown together with vapor barrier. Finally drivers door all done!! Did I mention that anything having to do with the doors was a royal PITA??? Same with passenger door Finally really done with the doors. Did I mention that anything to do with the doors was.......
I was thinking that once I get this car on the road, someone may like this car more than I do and would try to steal it. I ordered a cheap alarm system, Xpress DX382 which had a slew of features for 31 bucks. I positioned the blue LED broadcast light in the drivers side speaker cover with some careful modifications, mocked up the system to see how it works and the flashing blue light looks pretty cool, gives the car a Kitt-like aura.
Blue light special!
Last edited by stuartswede; 04-21-2021 at 06:27 AM.
Back in 2013 when I helped my son get a used Acura TL at graduation, I gave him my tag off the trans am, to keep from having to pay new impact fees. It has been unregistered since then. I will be getting a new registration and tag soon for my restoration and was looking at the specialty tags that Florida offers. I was never impressed with the "Antique" tag as it is a nondescript blue with no flare. Then, being a vet, I was looking at the veteran stuff and found this, that I had no idea they were making:
Even though those who served aboard Submarines do not like the term "Submariner", we prefer to be called Submareeners, because "Submariner" implies something less than a mariner, I will get this one. You can customize the lettering, hope to get "1983 TA" !!
I didn't want to overlap, and I guess you could trim with wire cutters, or I was seriously thinking of clamping and cut with a chop saw, but then remembered a tool my daughter gave me a tool for my 38th birthday 2 years ago, not!
Today I got the horn relay plumbed up to the car alarm, hid all the components under the dash. Set the sensitivity to max. Works good. I did a trial run with the system armed and the blue light dash heartbeat beating around 1 per second. I grabbed the steering wheel with the key off and jiggled right and left against the stop. The low level sensor picked it up and after a few seconds the horn was blasting. Scared me even tho I knew it was coming. I sanded and painted the cargo bay lid, and the very rear trim piece. Will send pics tomorrow. I also windexed all the windows, and realized I still had to remove the old window tint from the rear hatch. I saw several methods on Utube, steam, heat gun, etc. I tried my heat gun, but the film and adhesive just laughed at it. I guess 25 years of south Florida sun prevented the adhesive from coming off with the film. Got about half of it off with a single edge razor, and my poor fingertips are screaming at me. Ordered a couple of razor holder scrapers. Will prevail!
Woa we're half way the-re, wooa liv'n on a prayer....
You know, this hatch glass design is pure genius, or utter insanity. So cool.
Thanks everyone, I think the window has a defroster, even though I don't have a defroster switch. When I first had it painted at Mayco, they found this rear hatch for me as mine was rusting away. Looking good in any event.
04-09-2021, 07:37 PM
