Hi gang-
I recently purchased a 68 bird and I was running the numbers from the body tag and found that the TR (trim) code is 260. On this site it comes up as Deluxe Parchment but every catalog I look in says the 68 came with Pearl. The year one catalog also says Pearl. Has anyone come across this in the past? Is it really pearl even though this site says parchement?

Please help.
Scott

In the 67's, The Parchment code refers to basic white. In the 68's, The Parchment code refers to Pearl parchment. (white, but has pearl look to it) I think that this site refers to the 68 parchment as "pearl", so there is no confusion between 67 and 68. They are different looking.

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The '68 Pontiac Trim Album, sister album to the Sales album, calls this trim code "Parchment." The '67 literature calls the similar color "Parchment" also. They very in color but are called the same name.

Geoff

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Geoff Martin, Admn - First Generation Firebird

https://firstgenfirebird.org/

I still think there is some confustion unless your able to interpolate it which I can't since I am a rookie. When I look up my trim code and it says parchment and I choose that "swatch" it definately isn't pearl. In addition is says "Deluxe Parchment" not "Deluxe Pearl"
Hope this gets fixed.

Nothing to fix since I am basing my information on historical data published by Pontiac.

View '68 Pontiac Sales Album at: http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/1968/sales_manual/R-7.html


The catalog companies are taking liberties to use different names for the colors since the "shade" changed for the two years.

Geoff

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Geoff Martin, Admn - First Generation Firebird

https://firstgenfirebird.org/

Well if that isn't confusing ;-)

I ended up ordeing the Pearl from chevyworld and it was dead on. Glad I didn't order parchment because I would have been bummed. Thanks for the help.
Scott

I will add this information to the next update for the FAQs to help someone with this problem in future.

Thanks - Geoff

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Geoff Martin, Admn - First Generation Firebird

https://firstgenfirebird.org/

[This message has been edited by Geoff (edited October 26, 2001).]

Can someone clarify this.

I ordered seat covers for my car from PUI and they definitely have a 'pearl' look to them. The existing seat covers do not have any pearl look to them at all and hence I think they are truly 'parchment'. Additionally, the new reproduction seat backs do not have any pearl. I also am considering ordering new deluxe door panels and the pictures I have seen do not look like they have a 'pearl' sheen to them.

Any comments?

I believe that the 1967 cars had a pearl look to them and the 1968 cars did not....My 1967 is very pearl and it is original...I have owned many 1968 cars that were called parchment but they did not have the same look as the 1967 parchment....A little confusing I know.

'68 is pearl, I just sold one with original material and posted pics last fall when I scrubbed them clean. The front seats had lost the pearl on the wear areas, but the sides were still pearl as were the door panels and rear seat and side panels.

I have a set of '69 seats which are White, there is no pearl to them (unless it's not visible with the dirt that's on them!). They'll be out of the car in the next few days as my dad begins disassembly of his car.

I can't confirm '67 upholstery.

I can confirm 1967 .. My 67 is original and perfect on the interior...I bought it 34+ years ago...It is very pearl looking...I think more pearl looking then any 68 I have ever seen...and yes my 69 was white with no pearl look to it...Is your Dads car a 68 or 69?

OK, I am going to go out on a limb here and say the conventional wisdom here is wrong. I looked very closely again at the side panels, the door panels, the concealed sides of the rear seats and there is definitely no pearl at all to them. Now I have yet another dilemma to figure out.

Cat, your car is a 68 correct? .. If you see a 67 parchment interior the 68 does not look like parchment, although it is called parchment....If you see a 69 white you will see some parchment look to the 68 IF they are side by side.

Yes, it is an original interior, PHS documented 1968 parchment 400 vert.

over the years I/we have called the 67 interiors "pearl" parchment, the 68's parchment, and the 69 white ...I hope this helps

But that is not what Vikki and Geoff were stating, if I understand correctly. They are saying there should be a 'pearl' look to the 68 seats. I'm saying mine should not have that pearl look. I still do not know what is right. I do not want to have to redo the interior to get it correct sometime down the road.

What I think I will have to do is buy the replacement panels and match the seats and side panels to match.

Here's the link to a pic of the '68's interior panel. Although the photo does not display it all that well, it is most certainly pearl.
/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/85963/1.html

The '69 interior does have pearl visible in the headrests, where the upholstery is not too sunbeaten. And they are bent bar headrests, so they are most certainly '69 pieces.

The pearl effect seems to be a surface layer lamination, the seat panels on the front seats, which are quite worn, did not display any pearl appearance. But on the rear seat side panels, behind the armrests, and the sides of the rear seat displayed a brilliant pearl finish. Dark Turquoise in '68 is also a pearl upholstery.

My dad's car is a very early '68 but is currently fitted with a late '69 interior. He plans to recover the '69 seats with '68 upholstery and covers in the original Dark Turquoise, and have '69 headrest covers made to match. The bent bar headrests are a nice feature.

OK, I owe an apology to Vikki and Geoff for doubting them.

I pulled another material piece from the car last night and cleaned up up. There does seem to be a pearlish hue to the vert side panels hidden by the seat.

Something does not seem right, so I am asking for another look...

All of the paperwork I have says that my 1968 interior should be parchment, but as Vikki stated, it is actually pearl.

I ordered samples of both to confirm and both have a pearlish sheen to them.

The top sample is parchment, the bottom is pearl. First pic is indoors, second is outside.

Ames does not even list parchment as an option for 68, neither does Classic.





copy of the picture posted by Vikki:



and a picture of my interior:




Opinions????


Oh, and Vikki, are you sure the interior is from a 69? Just curious.

That side panel of mine shown is from an original '68 standard interior.

My dad's car is definitely a '69 interior, it has bent bar headrests.

In my opinion, both your side panel and my interior looks like it is the pearl sample I got, but again, all my paperwork says parchment. Even Geoff's link at the top shows no option for pearl in 1968. Is the literature and other documentation wrong somehow?

A name is a name. It was all for marketing. I'm not sure what Chevy called it for the Camaro, but I have a brand new Camaro rear seat cover that is a color match for the '68 Firebird interior.

The picture of your interior looks like it was recovered along the way in an upholstry shop and they did the best they could to duplicate something like the orig. custom upholstry. But it doesn't look original. Anyone want to confirm my thoughts on this?