What did you do with your Trans Am today?

**BobbyGFirebird** · 03-20-2017, 07:36 AM

so sorry, Bro. For those of us still uncracked... is there a good trick to keep dash uncracked? Any ArmorAll or other stuff better than others... is this from lots of flexing with no subframe connector, or bushings drying out and hardening where dash connects (guessing?), etc.?

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

My damn dash cracked and not on the pad, that's been cracked. It's the actual dash that the instrument cluster mounts too. Not going to pay $800. Going to look in the junk yards and pray I find one in good condition.

It royally pisses me off because I just got the interior looking the way I wanted and that happens.

***SMWS6TA*** · 03-20-2017, 07:42 AM

I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

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I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

**Whamhammer** · 03-20-2017, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

I have the top-dash with a crack, small cracks on the doors (caught, and fixed them in time before they went nuts), one of the vent vanes (replaced with a used on, and fixed the broken one for use later). I do have to reconnect the center console just below the cup holder (barely would notice). I think that's about it, unless the letters on the cruise control being smudges and partially missing counts.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

I would say it's just that my car is 19 yrs old. Plastic is not forever as the Greenies would make you believe. Hell even Ferrari's and Lambo's suffer from plastic aging as well. You look at any 80's to 90's car and you see they have issues with dash, etc.

I have the top-dash with a crack, small cracks on the doors (caught, and fixed them in time before they went nuts), one of the vent vanes (replaced with a used on, and fixed the broken one for use later). I do have to reconnect the center console just below the cup holder (barely would notice). I think that's about it, unless the letters on the cruise control being smudges and partially missing counts.

**RichWS6** · 03-22-2017, 02:05 AM

Pretty sure when I get back to the states I am going to put Coil overs on my car and give that a shot, I have a whole laundry list of parts I want to get over the next year or so but I figure I will start with suspension.

**Naaman** · 03-24-2017, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by BobbyGFirebird

so sorry, Bro. For those of us still uncracked... is there a good trick to keep dash uncracked? Any ArmorAll or other stuff better than others... is this from lots of flexing with no subframe connector, or bushings drying out and hardening where dash connects (guessing?), etc.?

I have read that plastic can be restored to it's original flexibility by soaking it in boiling water for a few minutes (hours?). With something like a dash pad, which is awkward to put in any kind of container, let alone find something in which to boil the water that will fit it, the same source mentioned that you can just use cold water, but you have to let it soak longer (like, 24 hours).

Somehow, the heat realigns the molecules or excites them a bit or some such...

I can't find the forum now, but it was a couple of chemists going back and forth (agreeing with each other) on soaking the plastic to keep it "new."

**SuperSSguy** · 03-24-2017, 09:46 PM

I hope I am not speaking too soon but so far my dash is in pristine shape...The car has been garaged since it came home brand spankin new from the dealership in December of 2001... And I try not to park it in the direct sun ( which is hard in Cali) I'm sure that has loads to do with it since the exposure to the sun is a killer on plastic and dashes in general....Well actually anything for that matter!!! Sun is bad.... On my Datsun 280 Z cars that had cracked dashes...One had this harder plastic ...What I would call a coverlet....It was molded to fit the deck of the dash ,but just on the top,It was a great idea and looked okay too! I bought the car like that so I don't know where they bought it from...Then they had those felt like thingy`s you can have custom embroidered you stick on with velcro to hide or protect the dash

**98TransAmWs-6** · 03-25-2017, 01:05 PM

Got my emblems in today from Emblem pros. These will be replacing the door emblems.

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**98TransAmWs-6** · 03-25-2017, 03:28 PM

Want opinions. So ultimately my car is going to be snakeskin green and carbon fiber top spoiler wheels mirrors and maybe hood as well as emblems and I am trying to decide if I should get the emblems dipped do now or keep it stainless for now until paint.

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**Whamhammer** · 03-25-2017, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by 98TransAmWs-6

Want opinions. So ultimately my car is going to be snakeskin green and carbon fiber top spoiler wheels mirrors and maybe hood as well as emblems and I am trying to decide if I should get the emblems dipped do now or keep it stainless for now until paint.

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Dipped in what?

**98TransAmWs-6** · 03-25-2017, 06:01 PM

Carbon fiber

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**Whamhammer** · 03-25-2017, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by 98TransAmWs-6

Carbon fiber

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Will it be even noticeable??

**98TransAmWs-6** · 03-25-2017, 06:42 PM

When I paint the car and will be like I said snakeskin green but I'm trying to figure out what to do now. Maybe I'll just paint it snakeskin for now since my car is black with snakeskin green accents right now. Then I'll strip and dip it once I paint.

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**Whamhammer** · 03-30-2017, 05:09 PM

23.97 mpg!

**BobbyGFirebird** · 03-31-2017, 09:27 AM

the guy I bought my T/Am '99 from put Conti's on the WS6 (I would have gone GYear) but I really like them. Hard to describe, but they have a "mature" manner.... not too harsh or firm on daily driving, but very confident and true when you push her a bit in twisties with spirited ups/downs/side to sides as we have I. old New England roads.... They are NICE !

**Whamhammer** · 03-31-2017, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by BobbyGFirebird

the guy I bought my T/Am '99 from put Conti's on the WS6 (I would have gone GYear) but I really like them. Hard to describe, but they have a "mature" manner.... not too harsh or firm on daily driving, but very confident and true when you push her a bit in twisties with spirited ups/downs/side to sides as we have I. old New England roads.... They are NICE !

Are they ExtremeContact DW tires? I am about to out my second (and final) set of 285/40/17s on my WS6. They are getting discontinued for I think it's called ExtremeContact Sport. Very similar tread patter but a little more aggressive.

**Whamhammer** · 03-31-2017, 04:16 PM

Drove by an 88 Fiero with its engine compartment engulfed in flames about 1/8 miles past the express lane split off on Northbound 95 tonight ( before the topmost 695 exit), pretty sad.

**Decadence75** · 04-06-2017, 07:29 AM

Got some new toys for the ole bird. Just waiting for those 243 heads to come back from TEA with their stage 2 porting service.

**Whamhammer** · 04-06-2017, 11:50 AM

Been going crazy with the "heim joint" popping noise but haven't figured out another local shop to go to that would have a clue when they would see a Heim joint on an Fcar suspension.