I noticed Classic Industries has avaiable Burlwood center dash panel. There is no picture avaiable as of yet. Has anyone ordered one of these or seen how they look. As everyone knows its hard to find this in Burlwood.

Thanks.

I just ordered the black pebble grain center dash panel from Classic Ind. a couple of weeks ago. I was going to try and glue my original burlwood center section over the black pebble etc.

But, the quality of the aluminum trim section around the center dash piece I thought was kinda poor compared to the original. On the new classic piece, the aluminum trim section is not as wide and the contour not exactly the same. Its close to the original.... but it just wasnt good enough In my opinion. This was on the black pebble grain center dash section so maybe their new "burlwood" one is going to be better.

Good to know, my original has a bit of "crazing" on it, was going to get a new one, perhaps I will wait...

On my original burlwood one the aluminum trim section had a dent and some 80 grit scratches from a sander hitting it. After my experience with the new Pebble grain one from classic......I decided I would try to remove the dent and scratches from my original.

I was surprised that the scratches and the dent were pretty easily removed with some 180 grit sanding and screwdriver work (worked the dent out from the backside with a flat head screwdriver). Of course you remove the anodizing (chrome) on the aluminum with the sanding, but you can then either get it re-anodized or polish the aluminum to a mirror like shine.

I was very happy the dent and deep scratches came right out.....cause the aluminum trim section is just alot better on the originals than the new one from Classic.

I just ordered the burlwood center dash (as well as console, lid, shift plate) from Classic.

It is not in stock and they do not have an ETA. I'll come back and post when mine arrives, with photos!

Welcome to our world of dealing with Classic Industries. They have in the past had items (like center consoles) in their catalogs for YEARS without the item ever being produced.

Good luck with that.

Yeap, those console parts have been in their catalogs for at least the past 5 years and as far as I know, the product has NEVER been available to date...

Ahhhh crap! Well, I'll push them for answers.... or cancellations

Email history with Classic Industries about the burlwood components.

Very disappointing
------------

Hello Will,

The production process can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. Then once in tooling, it may take up an additional 6 months to a year. This time frame is out of our control. We do not have any say in how long a part will take to become available.

Cecelia Escamilla
Customer Service
Classic Industries
(800)854-1280


From: William Hawkins II [mailto:will@willrocks.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 3:19 PM
To: Classic Email
Subject: Re: Invoice #10189528

Hi, Cecelia -

I still don’t get it... What kind of ETA are we looking at? I have a restoration waiting on these parts.... And the parts that have been shipped are only good with the parts that haven’t... As I need all of the components.

Thanks,
Will


On 7/13/10 2:29 PM, "Classic Email" <info@classicindustries.com> wrote:

Hello William,


All four parts remaining on your backorder list are currently in production, not tooling. Tooling is the final stage for the making of a part. The production stage is the longest because this is when the part is just awaiting to be perfected with test fitting and having all of the raw materials necessary to begin tooling. Please do not be discouraged from keeping these parts on order. We fill are backorders in the order as we receive them, so this will keep your place in line to obtain these parts as soon as they become available. We do not bill for backorders until they are ready to ship. If you decide to no longer wait for these parts, then please let us know so that we can cancel your order before it ships. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Thank You for choosing Classic Industries as your parts supplier!!

Cecelia Escamilla
Customer Service
Classic Industries
(800)854-1280


&#65532;
From: William Hawkins II [mailto:will@willrocks.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 5:31 PM
To: Classic Email
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Firebird parts inquiry

Hello -

Now that I have placed an order ( # 10189528 ), can the availability or ETA of these parts be updated?

If the status is still just “in tooling” - can you explain what this means and get a general ETA? 3 to 5 days? 3 weeks? Etc.

Looking forward to showing your products off!

Thank you!

Best,
Will



On 7/8/10 11:43 AM, "Classic Email" <info@classicindustries.com> wrote:

Hello,


Part K215 in Burl wood is in tooling right now with no ETA to provide. You can place one on order now to be placed in line to receive this as soon as it becomes available.


Thank You for choosing Classic Industries as your parts supplier!!

Cecelia Escamilla
Customer Service
Classic Industries
(800)854-1280


From: William Hawkins II [mailto:will@willrocks.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 7:17 AM
To: Classic Email
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Firebird parts inquiry

Excellent!
How long would it take to get this part in stock if I order it?

Thanks,
Will

These companies are so full of BS! Some of those parts have been in their catalogs for more than 2 years now. The real problem is the simple fact that the people they are farming this out to can not speak nor understand English!

My guess is even when this product finally becomse available, the fit, finish and overall quality will be horrendous! Not too mention the burlwood grain and color will not even be close to OEM. You are better off scrounging swap meets and the internet for original parts, they are out there just have to look and be willing to pay for them...

"You are better off scrounging swap meets and the internet for original parts, they are out there just have to look and be willing to pay for them..."


...or.. scrap the burlwood look and simply go with black...which is what Im heavily leaning towards.

The OEM burlwood parts are out there, just takes effort and time to look for them. Every single year when I go to the Turkey Run at Daytona Speedway I find several burlwood parts. The one year I found a complete set, dash center, radio bezel, ash tray etc. and I posted on here if anyone wanted me to buy them and ship them and not one person responded so I passed on them. If I remember correctly the guy wanted something like $65 for all pieces. This year, I will buy any pieces I find and keep them until someone is willing to buy them...

I am still looking for a dash panel too. I would be thrilled to come across a nice one.

I have a 69 (same console as a 68-burlwood)and I have managed to buy a second console with good burlwood on the cover where the ashtray would go on an earlier model and the compartment lid. My original console has good burlwood on the larger piece but some scratches on the compartment lid. I also purchased just the large chrome-plated pot metal 'frame' from Camaro Specialities in E. Aurora NY along with an automatic shifter bezel (the chrome on my originals is really pitted and the console chrome on the second console has a few pits). From the parts of the three consoles I should be able to build one pretty decent one. If OER (I believe they are the supplier of the long-awaited reproduction console--they have already released a 67 Camaro/Firebird one in pebble-grain black) ever gets theirs to market I may consider purchasing one, if it's a good repro. Someone else on this board bought a 67 repro and posted pictures and commented that it looked great. Fortunately, the burlwood on my dash seems okay and pretty well matches the other pieces. Only the thin chrome striping on the dash is worn in a couple of places which I will restore with some touch-up paint.

By the way, the prices I've seen quoted for the long-awaited repro are in the $300-400 range, which (would) buy a multi-piece part with large pot metal chrome plated casting, a platic base and and some burlwood covers. A recently reproduced console (all chrome plated pot metal) for my 65 Corvette retails for nearly $500, so the OER piece if it ever gets here and it's good, won't be exhorbitantly priced by comparison.

grant

Just to compare, I bought a new console top for my 67 LeMans. It's a repop piece for the 67 GTO/LeMans 4-speed console. What you do is use your existing automatic base and install this new top on to it. This is by far the best repop piece I have EVER SEEN and it retails for $599 and again that is just the top only!

Old auto console:


Old console with new 4-speed top installed:

I justified the cost of the new top based on the fact that I sold my 68 Firebird 4-speed console for more than enough to buy this new repop top for my 67 then I was able to sell the 2-speed auto top piece for $300. So all in all I ended up with a perfect 4-speed console for the LeMans and still had money left over.

I bought this part through Ames and I am very happy with it. Now, if the 68 Firebird console is as nice of a repop piece as this, you folks will be thrilled!!!

The center console in my 68 has contact paper which is peeling at the edges. The shift plate and dash appear to be original, but the dash insert could benefit from replacement... especially since I am adding A/C in a couple of weeks and plan on adding the center vent.

Someone threw a crappy aftermarket stereo in, and contact papered the sides as it is narrower than the original hole.

Just found a used 68 radio w/burl wood bezel, should have that next week.

Are there any non-contact paper solutions for replacing the center console burl wood?

I restored my own using real Walnut Burlwood veneer. Its a difficult process but the real wood sure looks good especially compared to the aftermarket vinyl stuff.

Now that's beautiful.

look on ebay

WOW now that is awesome! I'd love to see pics of that once it's intalled! You have out done yourself with that project!!!

I agree, outstanding!

Did you vacuum bag the laminate to install and what did you use for a top coat?

Thanks.....it was a time consuming process since I messed up a couple times and had to re-do a couple pieces. I still have to apply a couple of coats of clear to the large console piece that isnt shown in my pics. Thats one of the pieces I had to re-do.

Yes, I did vacuum bag all the pieces. And the coating is Southern Polyurethanes universal clear.....the same clear I am using on the paint for the car. Its a very very nice clear.

On the performance years BB, I did a more detailed write up on how I went about it....more details there. I encourage anyone to give the process a try. Since its real wood (as in furniture type wood veneer) every grain is different which is cool.....but if your wanting the original factory look and color u probably cant reproduce that using real wood.

http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=599838&page=2

Just looked over you PY thread. All I can say is that you have come up with ultimate process that I have seen thus far. My guess is that some of these guys would pay for this service if it something you'd want to do. Hats off to you dude, this looks incredible!

Yup, I would pay for that....for sure. looks beautiful!!!

Unfortunately, its one of those things where the wood and materials might add up to around $80 but then there is all the labor.....and since its basically all done by hand (lots of sanding) you would have to try and put a value on all the labor....and that value would be dependent on what someone would be willing to pay for the process. Maybe eBay would be a good test bed.

Earlybird: I was admiring the pics of your LeMans....thats a very nice car. That console looks great......very cool car with the 4-speed.

Quick, you might want to edit that to say LeMans...

Catalina: Thanks for looking out for me...I think I edited it in time.

nope, but I`ve fixed his 'quote'....LOL

LOL Well, I didn't see it so you did good. He must have used the "G" word. If we are able to keep the car I would like to get a personalized plate that says "NO GOAT". It's the perfect number of letters and is available. Thought it might be kinda cool seens how we had to retire "MEAN BRD"...

Thanks for the compliments!

esahlin,

If people are paying $599 for just a console top as I did from Ames for my 67 LeMans, I would think you could sell your whole "Burlwood 68 Firebird Kit" (console top & lid, ashtray, center dash piece, radio plate) where you have the customer send you their OEM pieces. You recover them & ship them back.

Your materials might be $100 and now just figure out what your time/labor would be, let's say 20 hours total @$20/hr. that would be $400 labor, $100 materials, plus shipping so let's say $600 total. To have a reconditioned console top and dash parts that look as good as yours, considering none of this stuff is available and even if it ever is, it would not compare to what you are capable of. Bang, there you go, nice little side business. I think you may get more customers than you might think given the alternatives available...

I agree. Just decent 4 speed consoles on Ebay are going for $500+, most are pretty sunfaded or scratched up. What I can see in those pictures is incredible, especially compared to what's available.

Joe's right, once you got a couple of installs out there at shows and cruises, you'd probably have a pretty good backlog. Shoot, you could end up doing some Mopar stuff and make some real money, those guys seem to pay anything you ask the past few years.

I think what it comes down to is that people who have been into this hobby for any length of time have become so sick of the crap that is being produced and not having any other options than to buy this crap and being unhappy with it.

I think that maybe to some degree this may be starting to turn around a little bit. The best example of this would be the console top I bought from Ames. It was expensive, BUT, if you guys could see and feel this thing in person, you would not even beleive that it is a repop part. It is so heavy, in fact, it's heavier than the original. However, this is only one part of hundreds that I have bought over the years so there is a long way to go.

I think esahlin truly has an opportunity to do something with this. If I wasn't about to be homeless I'd think about something like this myself, at least for now anyway while I still have some vision left. But I wouldn't steal someone's idea like that anyway...

Earlybird: That console top u bought from Ames is a very nice piece. I agree on the quality of some of the aftermarket parts....it just plain sucks. I dont know if I posted it here or not....but I bought the repro center dash black pebble grain thing from classic a month ago....and it was just plain low quality. I bet Classic pays like $5 for those things then sells them for $55. Dont get me going on the OER repro 68 vinyl skinned dash pads.....the one I received didnt even fit, the vinyl was creased in a corner....and its made in the USA....just plain junk for $229. I pretty much tossed it and bought a beat up original and restored and recovered it on my own.

I agree on the wood veneer idea being something with potential demand.....now that Ive done it I am looking for all kinds of more places to apply it in the interior.....it looks really cool and adds a little sophistication. If people were willing to pay $500 I would probably find the time to do a few. Im going to be looking into picking up a used console and applying the wood veneer and put it on eBay to see what it might bring. Might be an interesting test cause the average Firebird owner might be looking for something more original looking......I'm not quite sure.

desrt68: Agree on the Mopar guys....and the Camaro guys...those type of owners seem more into the whole RestoMod or slightly moddded look type thing. Most of the 1st gen Firebird owners Ive met in my area are very original, numbers correct focused which is great and fine.....but now that I think about it they might be a hard sell on a thing like real wood veneered consoles.

Esahlin! I may be willing to pay a similar ransom

Interested in refurbing mine??

You don't have a location in your profile...I have three spare auto consoles. PM me.

Finally finished up my burlwood veneer stuff.....the console's not bolted together but the burlwood veneer stuff is finally finished. Not perfect but better than I was originally expecting.

Wow! That looks awesome, better than original!

There is a market for that!

You have outdone yourself with this entire project. Absolutely beautiful work. You have set the bar on this one. IMO this is the first time someone has done something on a FGF that actually looks better than OEM. Being more purist than not, I would definately opt for your workmanship and results if I still had a FGF.

You guys are too kind......

Earlybird: you sold that beautiful car in your pic? I have a feeling you'll find another FGF sometime in the future.