[1] Pontiac’s interior stylists...
[1] Pontiac’s interior stylists wanted you to say “Wow!” when you saw a shifter console in a brand-new First-Gen Firebird back in the day. Restoring one is a task that most DIY hobbyists will rate as “easy” after reading this tech story.
What’s one of the first things you admire in a First-Generation Firebird’s cabin? If your answer is the console, then Pontiac’s designers did their job well, for they purposefully created the “seat separator console” (as it’s officially called) with a camera-grain finish, bright trim molding, (and in ’68 and ’69 optional) burled-walnut-style appliqués to fixate your eyes directly on it.
But what if your First-Gen Bird’s shifter console has lost its wondrous luster—be it from wear-and-tear, misuse or mishaps, or interior killers like UV rays and oxidation? Fear not, because you can restore it in your home garage and recreate the eye-appeal it had when it left the factory.
To show us how easy this console restoration can be, we enlisted the expertise of Ernie’s Upholstery in Pinellas Park, Florida, which has restored classic automobile interiors for over 40 years. “You can restore your Bird’s shifter console as a stand-alone project or as part of a full interior-restoration,” Ernie Scalf, the company’s owner says.
Let’s follow along and see how its done, using a ’68 Firebird convertible as the subject.
To remove the console from the Bird, Ernie pulled up on the black plastic button on the T-handle shifter until it came off. Then, he loosened the set screw inside the T-handle on the right side (that holds it to the vertical shaft) and removed it. Using a thin-blade screwdriver, he released the gear-selector indicator plate that snaps into the console.
Next he removed the small screws on each side of the front of the console and the two larger clinch nuts that hold it to the floor. One of the nuts is inside of the console storage area hidden under a round plastic cover. Then he took out the four screws that retain the rear cover in order to gain access to the second nut.
Follow the photos and captions for the restoration.
Houston, Texas-based Fastlane/H2...
Houston, Texas-based Fastlane/H2 Printers demonstrates the hydrographic process.
Hydrographics (you may also see or hear it described as water-transfer imaging, immersion printing, cubic printing, or water-transfer printing) is a way to affix printed designs to automobile interior parts and trim, such as dashes and consoles, as well as exterior body panels like fenders and hoods.
Nick Field, co-owner of Fastlane/H2O Printers, explained the steps his company used to create the burled-walnut hydrographics for our story:
1. Pretreat the part that will receive the graphics—for example the console door—with Scotch-Brite and sandpaper, which removes the original burled-walnut top layer.
2. Apply a basecoat to the part. (For this project, they used a beige basecoat.)
3. Water transfer print polyvinyl-alcohol film with the graphic image to be transferred, and float it on the surface of a vat of water.
4. Let it sit for one minute, and then spray an activator chemical onto the film to release it from its clear backing.
5. Dip the part into the vat through the floating film layer. The natural water pressure from the vat causes the film to wrap around and adhere to the part.
6. Pull the part from the vat and take it straight to a rinsing machine, which removes the leftover polyvinyl-alcohol film, chemicals, and residues.
7. Allow the part to dry for one hour or more.
8. Apply one clearcoat layer to the part. (If needed, wet-sand the clearcoat to remove any imperfections.)
Fastlane/H2O Printers’ retail price to apply hydrographics to the console is $295 and the turnaround time is approximately five days from receipt of the parts.
[2] As you can see, our console...
[2] As you can see, our console was in need of restoration.
[3] Here’s the transmission...
[3] Here’s the transmission tunnel after the console is removed. Notice the shifter assembly remains bolted to the tunnel and the rear clinch nut mounting at the bottom left of the photo.
[4] The ’68 and ’69 consoles...
[4] The ’68 and ’69 consoles consist of six components: the console base, one-piece trim molding, front cover, hinged console-compartment door, rear cover, and gear-selector indicator plate. Disassembling it requires a Phillips screwdriver and a socket wrench or nut driver, with a 1⁄2-inch socket for the trim and 3⁄8-inch sockets for the burled-walnut front cover. Since we already removed the gear-selector indicator plate and rear cover to free the console from the Firebird, Ernie moved the unit to a workbench and removed the three lower door-hinge screws that fasten the hinged door assembly to the console base.
[5] He then turned the console...
[5] He then turned the console upside down and removed the 11 nuts that hold the trim molding in place (not shown). He points to one of the six studs that help attach the burled-walnut front cover to the console base, after removing the nuts from all six of them, too.
[6] Our Bird’s console’s original...
[6] Our Bird’s console’s original burled-walnut applique is dull, worn, scratched, and needs to be replaced; it’s likely yours does too. Easily applied peel-and-stick burled-walnut decal overlays of widely varying quality are available in the aftermarket and on the Internet, however we learned of the superior hydrographic process (see sidebar) and are using it for this restoration.
[7] We could have opted to...
[7] We could have opted to have our console’s trim molding replated, but since it only had minor surface pitting, Ernie polished it with a high-speed buffer (not shown.) Reproduction trim molding is available in the aftermarket to replace your original piece, if you prefer. He put the polished trim to the side and wiped the plastic console with lacquer thinner to remove any dirt, grease, and detail products that have built up on it during its 44-year life.
[8] He applied two coats of...
[8] He applied two coats of SEM 15013 Color Coat Landau Black flexible coating to the console’s exterior and allowed one hour or more for it to dry.
[9] Afterwards, he liberally...
[9] Afterwards, he liberally sprayed Castle Big 5 Heavy Duty Silicone Lubricant onto a clean shop rag and applied two coats to the console. The silicone seals in the black color and prevents it from wearing off with age. It also creates a scratch-resistant clearcoat. “Be sure to use silicone without wax fillers. Castle’s silicone is 99.1-percent pure,” Ernie advises. “Wax will discolor with age and leave a white residue wherever it’s sprayed.”
[10] Various locations on...
[10] Various locations on the trim molding were originally painted black at the factory and were repainted as part of this restoration. Ernie masked off the areas and applied two coats of SEM 15013 Color Coat Landau Black to them. He also applied the paint to the underside of the console door after sanding it (not shown).
[11] The console’s components...
[11] The console’s components are ready for reassembly. The hydrographic-processed burled-walnut trim and polished trim look great, and the console base looks good as new.
[12] Volunteer Huong Nguyen...
[12] Volunteer Huong Nguyen and Ernie carefully install the trim molding into the base, turn the console upside down, and secure the trim molding with the factory nuts. “Tighten the nuts in the cross-hatch method like you’d do to head bolts to prevent the trim from twisting or bending,” he says.
[13] With the console and...
[13] With the console and trim molding back together, it’s easy to see how the ’67 Firebird’s console was adapted for ’68 and ’69. At the front is the factory hole for the optional code-474 Electric Clock, and at the rear are provisions for a courtesy lamp and a rear ashtray, which were integrated into the console in ’67 only and replaced by the rear cover in ’68 and ’69.
[14] Ernie reinstalls the...
[14] Ernie reinstalls the front cover, then flips the console upside down and secures it with the factory nuts.
[15] He then shows how the...
[15] He then shows how the rear cover is reinstalled, but you’ll want to save this step until after you have the console mounted to the trans tunnel in your Bird.
[16] Ernie then reinstalls...
[16] Ernie then reinstalls the lid.
[17] This photo is a mock-up:...
[17] This photo is a mock-up: You will reinstall the gear-selector indicator plate after mounting the console in the car.