Frequently Asked Questions

Short answer: Yes — shoulder belts were available in first-gen convertibles; the 1969 Fisher Body Manual shows front and rear installation. The front belt’s outer strap anchored near the convertible-top pivot (coming through the box around the top mounts); the rear belt’s outer strap mounted in the trunk at one of the cocktail-shaker bolts.

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Short answer: Firebird rear seats are the same width in coupe and convertible — both had rear armrests. (The “convertible seats are narrower” idea comes from Camaros, where the coupe had no rear armrests and a wider seat, except fold-down-equipped cars.) Bottom line: if the car has rear armrests, the seat is the correct Firebird width for either body style.

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Short answer: No — Custom interior did not automatically include custom seat belts. Belts were a separate option from the interior (as were shoulder belts). Members have Custom-interior cars with standard belts and Standard-interior cars with deluxe belts.

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Short answer: The 1968 Custom Trim Option is code 554, and the trim-tag style number tells you what your car has. Note that the Custom Trim Option (554) and the Custom/Deluxe interior are separate — you can have the option with standard interior.

Any of these items could be ordered individually on a standard-interior car (22437/22467) — except the deluxe interior itself, which defines 22637/22667.

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Short answer: The 1968 Custom Trim option (554) included: Custom seat covers (Morrokide + stitched knit vinyl), custom molded door and quarter trim panels, the assist bar above the glovebox, dual horns, deluxe wheel covers, deluxe steering wheel, custom pedal trim, front & rear wheel-opening moldings, drip-rail moldings (coupes), and windshield-pillar garnish moldings.

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Short answer: Deluxe (Custom) vs. Standard belt buckles:

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Bulletin 68-I-35 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Service Information Bulletin, Section 2, dated January 31, 1968. Attention: Service Manager.

Subject: Soiled or Stained Seat Belts.

Short answer: Clean soiled or stained seat belts only with a mild soap and lukewarm water solution — volatile cleaners and redyeing both weaken the belt fiber and must not be used.

Short answer: Dimensions for the rear folding-seat channel (which holds the cardboard insert behind the seat), for converting a regular seat to folding:

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Short answer: The fold-down seat bottom is the same as the fixed seat. The top portion has no real cushion to redo — just some cotton and burlap over the springs.

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Short answer: Headrests were optional on 1967 (code AS2) and 1968 (code 571). For 1969 they became government-mandated — in two styles, straight (early, same as 1967–68) and curved (later).

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Short answer: Headrests (head restraints) were an option — here’s how they show up across the documentation (note the sources don’t fully agree on the code):

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Short answer: The seat frames are the same for 1967, 1968, and 1969 — the difference is the padding (1969 is slightly wider). So for a 1968-correct headrest seat, use a 1969 headrest seat with 1968 padding and seat covers.

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Short answer: Trim code 260 is “Parchment” in both 1967 and 1968, but the shade differs — 1967 parchment is basic white, while 1968 parchment has a pearl look. The factory trim albums call both “Parchment”; catalog companies rename the 1968 shade “Pearl” to avoid confusion. So your tag reading Parchment is correct.

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Short answer: Correct — a 1968 parchment interior (seats and panels) came with black lower carpet/door trim and black nylon-blend loop-pile carpet, and (per member feedback) black dash, dash pad, visors, and kick panels. So your two-color scheme is original. Source: 1968 Pontiac Trim & Accessory Album and the 1968 Pontiac Sales Album.

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Short answer: The fold-down rear seat was an option on all 1967–69 Firebirds/Camaros (UPC #604/A67, ~$42.13 in 1968–69). Many components are reproduced (latch, catch, brackets, knobs, carpet, partition); used assemblies run ~$175–350 (get all the parts). Desirable but not actually rare.

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Short answer: Push the bottom cushion toward the rear of the car ~1–2″ to unhook it from the two floor brackets, then lift the front up and out — that exposes the screws holding the seat back.

With the cushion out, two large screws (through wire loops) release the seat back. (Also shown in the Fisher Body Manual — and look for your build sheet while you’re in there.)

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Short answer: Leather (code 281, Saddle) became available on the 1968 Firebird on June 6, 1968, only with the Custom Trim option and only in that one Saddle color. It’s a very rare option — documented on only a few 1968 Firebirds in the Registry.

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Short answer: The plastic buckle cover just snaps on — gently pry it off from the sides (pry the rear portion first, not the end where the male latch enters, or you’ll snap a retaining tab). Then you can feed the belt up through the metal bar to make a big loop for cleaning.

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Short answer: Soak and scrub the belts, then sun-dry them:

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Short answer: The Fisher Coach emblem was last used on 1967 belts. For 1968 (and later), the latch button reads “GM Mark of Excellence.” So a Fisher Coach emblem is correct for a 1967, not a 1968.

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Short answer: 1968 and 1969 belts are the same except the date stamp on the white manufacture label at the belt end (only matters for 100% originality). Note 1969 coupes used shoulder belts with extra buckles on the tunnel side.

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Short answer: Not the same. 1967 used the same seats (dielectrically molded panels with 1″ ribs) for both Standard and Custom trim. For 1968–69, Custom trim used knit-weave vinyl, while 1968 Standard reused the 1967-style molded seats; 1969 Standard used the molded panels but with wider side bolsters.

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Short answer: The seat-mount pedestal is two spot-welded pieces (an outer pedestal and a smaller inner brace, which also welds to the floor) — remove them separately, since you can’t reach the inner brace’s welds with the big piece on.

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Short answer: Firebird seat belts are the same coupe or convertible — the only difference is Standard vs. Custom (plastic vs. die-cast latch cover).

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Short answer: One member’s photos of an original-style front shoulder-belt install in a 1969 convertible (note: the Fisher Service Manual shows the factory-correct locations — this member used a stronger location he preferred):

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Short answer: Vinyl dye works well on seats too (the ads omit them, but it’s fine), and going from faded parchment to white is easy since you’re not covering a dark color.

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Short answer: Good foam padding and an air hog-ring gun make the job easier (especially one-person). Heat the vinyl first — set it in the sun or tumble it in a dryer (in a pillowcase) for a few minutes, and keep a hair dryer handy for spot-heating.

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