My new 1988 T/A

[DynoDave]

[DynoDave]

[DynoDave]

[DynoDave]

The next day, I was finally able to get after that shifter. Cheap (expendable) HF screwdriver and a torch were just right for melting away some of the plastic above and below the clip.



And with a little time and patience, out came the clip. The handle was still nice and tight before the clip came out, so I don't think any real damage was done.



Now the trim plate and it'd many electrical connectors.



Unfortunately, the glovebox light and switch sort of exploded while taking the electrical connector off (using proper tools to lift the lock and release the connector). Here partly reassembled with the brass contacts both back in place.



Snapped back together alright.



Plate is in good shape. Needs a good polishing like I did with the radio bezel. A little treatment for the boot. Wouldn't mind fixing the ashtray door damper if possible.



As my car slowly ages, it's suffering all the usual issues, along with this switch trim getting all milky. I'm guessing this won't buff out, and painting it is about the best that can be done?

[DynoDave]

Console, driver front and rear seats removed. At this pace the car should be back on the road in July some time.



The console always leaned to the passenger side, a condition I'm hoping to correct while it's out. I expected to find some serious damage causing this, but this broken out bolt hols in the bottom of the glovebox is all that I found.



Then there's this "slot" that looks like someone cut into the bottom of the glovebox area with a disc grinder or something. I have no idea what that's all about, or the yellowish rubber glue next to it. If parts could only talk.





Uh oh....someones been here before, and didn't do this fastener any favors.



And indeed. Super rusty? Red LocTite? Driven in with an impact? I don't know, but this is not a good start. Same bit I used on the passenger side without issue. Passenger side was TIGHT, and had to be driven 97% of the way out. May have flattened the thread in the welded not on the body...we'll know more about that side when the carpet is out. But this driver side....




That's a Craftsman T50. Local ACE warrantied it. Speaking with my local independent Auto Value parts store, thinking of buying a Lisle 1-piece T50, he said they have had better luck with these Performance Tool pieces. He sells both, and said if this broke, I could apply the cost toward the Lisle piece.

[DynoDave]

The new bit was nice...didn't break, but the bolt wasn't willing. Ugh.



Thought about this for quite a while. With the surrounding plastic sleeve, carpet, and belt webbing, heating this didn't seem like a good option. I wasn't sure freezing it would be much kinder to the plastic and carpet. My brother suggested grinding a couple of flats on either side of the head so an open end wrench could fit it. Not a bad idea, but I'd have to cut the sleeve away to accomplish that. And as incredibly tight as this bolt is, I have my doubts if an open end would be able to break it loose. So I decided to try drilling the Torx center out enough to pop the head off the bolt. Then the sleeve and plate with webbing can all be slide off what's left, and I can try to address this mess from there. I wet an old rag and laid it out in case of any hit sparks or chips.




Good or bad, there's no turning back now.








Worked until midnight on that last night, with just Dee Snider's House of Hair to keep me company. The bolt is HARD. Destroyed several made-in-china bits, and resorted to digging out some old ones that were my grandfathers, probably from his time in a Allis-Chalmers tractor factor during WWII. Those things were awesome, and did 90% of the work here. We're up to 1/2 diameter, but a vernier caliper and the bolt from the passenger seat tell me I'm going to have to go a bit larger yet it I hope to pop the head off that thing.

[DynoDave]

Starting to break through (finally)!



Done! At least now I can get the carpet out. Getting what's left of that piece out, or getting a new nut welded in is TBD.



Took up to a 5/8 bit to get all the way through.



Didn't realize until I had both buckles out and in the same parts box that they were not the same length.



Now on to the rest of the interior trim, and the rear buckles and their T50 bolts.

[MP81]

Wow, those buckles are...quite different.

[DynoDave]

They are. Maybe because the passenger side of the console has a cutout for the e-brake handle? I'm not sure.

Got the last of the plastic trim (kick panels and lower quarter trim) out of the way. Now I just have to wrestle with those damn T50 bolts for the rear buckles. Also went through and took photos all around the edge and anything that protrudes through the carpet, so when I put it back in, and things don't fit perfectly here and there, I will know if that's the way it was or not. Otherwise I'll waste days chasing perfection.

[DynoDave]

Took the opportunity to test fit the Bose kick panels that I hoped to as part of my interior refresh and Stereo 3.0 upgrade....not good. Going to have to make some modifications to the hush panels under the dash. And that means sourcing another pair Along with several other planned interior improvements that I was not able to get to last year, those kicks will probably get put on hold AGAIN until next winter, as I'm running out of time...AGAIN.

The new T50 bit was just a skosh tight in the rear buckle bolts, so I had to drive it in with a soft faced hammer. But the bolts came out OK.



My previous suspicions proved true. With all of the relevant fasteners showing signs of having been out before, I suspected that a previous leak (T-tops or heater core) had caused the original owner to take the car back to the selling dealer under warranty. That leak soaked the carpet, and it had to be pulled out to be dried. Saw it several times at the Chevy dealer I worked at in the 80s. And, if there ever was a build sheet under the carpet, it's long gone.



The good news is the floors are solid, and no nasty surprises. Carpet is out, so I can get to work on that heater core.

[MP81]

What is your sound improvement plan? I've actually found the stock size/location (and a sub) works plenty well if you're not looking for anything absolutely insane.

I think I literally have the speakers in the basement you'd need - Pioneer A-Series 4x6s and 6x9s that I had in the Cavalier. I had older Pioneers in my IROC and it sounded great.

[DynoDave]

Had hoped last winter to do more interior work, and ran out of time with the suspension and brake working taking all my time.

Had hoped to focus on just the interior this winter, since I missed it last winter. But the heater core threw a wrench into that. Had thought I "might" at least get the RetroSound Newport head unit in, and maybe those kick panels with some 5.5" rounds. But right now I"m doubting I get any of that done.

Worked on the car this weekend. Got the coolant drained from the radiator. Did this way so I didn't have to try and remove the 35 year old plastic drain plug from the 35 year old plastic tank. There will still be a little in there, but it should be less drenching when I pop the lower hose.





Original radiator, looks like new inside.



Pulled the jug to clean it out. Had "padded" the two mounting points, but looks like there are a couple of other spots lightly rubbing. Will address those.

[DynoDave]

Then there's this MESS, the worst of the job from what I have read. Trying to get those hoses off the core, in an incredibly confined space. There's a connection behind the head, where the core hose on the right makes a sharp 90 after it leaves the core and heads directly down and is clamped to a metal tube. I HAVE NO IDEA how I'm getting to that clamp at the moment. I just keep removing stuff and hoping I can somehow create enough space to get a hand back in there.

There's a valve cover under there, believe it or not.







I thought maybe from underneath. No way. See that tiny silver glint WAY up there? That's the clamp.



Zoomed in....



Does not seem possible to reach that from below. Tonight is dog training, tomorrow is TV night, Wednesday is...something else, I can't recall at the moment, so it will be on toward the end of the week before I can put in any meaningful time on it. Getting very worried about our first outing in mid-May.

[MP81]

Third gens aren't exactly known for excessive space to work in underhood - and this appears to be a poster child of exactly that.

I have considerably more space to get to the lines that connect to the heater core in mine (or, at least, I think I do), and even then I have no interest in replacing it. Mostly because that would require me to remove the entirety of the AC system as well. And if I do that, it's going to spiral into me "upgrading" to a considerably lighter/smaller R134a unit (upgrading being in quotation marks because R12 is a superior refrigerant...and also considerably more expensive and bad for the environment) to replace the factory cast iron unit.

[DynoDave]

It's a snowball once you crack into it, that's for sure. Once I have the heater hoses off (date coded originals), I guess I'll replace them. Hate to though. Might as well do the rad hoses too. Rad is already empty. It's original....do I change it.....only a couple of bolts left at this point. Cap too. With all that gone, might as well do the water pump too, and get the whole system fresh. Oh, and I'm running out of time. Where to draw the line is always a tough one.

Tonight was getting fitted for a suit for my son's wedding. I'll try to get back out there tomorrow.