Hi, I got a 68 bird that had a custom interior when I got it. Well I pulled it out (long story) and am now starting from scratch. I have the standard panel and the arm rests and cannot figure how to fasten the panel to the door (it is a preassembled panel) and where does the arm rest fasten? Do I just screw some long screws into it? Pictures would help.Thanks, Jason
The arm rests just screw right through to the door with long (3 inch?) or so screws. You may have to drill those holes as I'm not sure they'd be there for a custom interior car.
The panels themselves are held with 3 clips along the front and back edge and 4 small screws along the bottom.
I was working on a reverse situation (changing a 68 from standard to custom interior) in the early eighties. I can't recall whether the holes were pre-drilled in the inner door panel to fasten the standard arm rests, but I suspect they were. GM (Pontiac) didn't like spending extra money making two different kinds of things (like inner door panels) for options. I learned this when I changed a 68 Powerglide Firebird to a 3-speed. Under the driver's side carpet I found the hole in the floor pan for the clutch already punched and simply covered with a small tab of metal held in place by a sheet metal screw.
Another issue you're going to have to deal with is the different door opening assemblies, which attach and operate differently between the standard and custom interiors. In the worst case I suspect you may have to install clips (sorry, but I don't know what they're called--they're like a black phosphate folded-over piece of metal, open on one side with a screw hole centred on the other side. They slip over the edge of a panel and the screw hole aligns with a hole in the panel and provides something for the screw to thread into.
I guess I should also clarify that by custom interior I mean someone paid an interior shop to hand make some door panels. How do the door clips fasten to the panel? do the bottom ones just screw through the carpet at the bottom?
Yes, the bottoms of the door panels screw through the carpet (on the door panels). The screws have shoulder washers, and I think there are four or five of them across the bottom.
The arm rests should have a couple of screws into the door frame assembly.
To clarify, are your doors (meaning the door latch and window crank assemblies)set up for standard or deluxe door panels? That will also make a difference. The deluxe door panels require longer spindle assemblies.
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
Careful when you drill through the carpet area on the new door panel. The drill bit or even just a screw can grab the carpet and start running with it.
Careful when you drill through the carpet area on the new door panel. The drill bit or even just a screw can grab the carpet and start running with it.
Yup... I just punched through the panel with an awl rather than drilling through it for just that reason.
