A trim level I've not seen before
 

Noticed this on two birds at the Pigeon Forge show. Both are long-term owned, unmolested cars. Both are 68 350 coupes with standard interior. Only difference I can think of is one is a column shift automatic and one is a floor shift auto with a console.

The turquoise one (Cork Cordell's car) has a "chrome" strip running the perimeter of the dash. The red one (mine) does not. See the pics.

Anybody know anything about this trim? It apparently is not part of the standard vs. deluxe interior pkg...

I like the trim....

not 100% , but I think my old 68 coupe I owned in 69 had that...too fuzzy memory though...my car was a 350 automatic, console shift, a/c, blue green...

Bob, Since I responded on the "List" I looked through a few more pictures that I have. There appears to be both.

Would you mind If I start a small "research" thread over on the 1st Gen site for this difference? It's interesting.

One is standard interior, the other is custom.

Both cars have standard interior, and both are believed to be unmolested. If the trim is attached to the dash pad, it is possible that the pad may have been swapped on Cork's car - I can't answer that. I can say with confidence that the one in my car has not been changed.

We also looked at several other cars at the show - about half had this trim, but we could not identify a common equipment thread that could incorporate this treatment.

Normally that is part of the custom trim option in 68.
It could have been transferred with a dash pad or could be a mistake
from the factory,which is the lower in possibilities.
This trim is installed on the pad itself by piercing the pad with stakes
on trim then folding them flat.
I have seen a few custom trim cars minus that so maybe they ran out or
had production errors.
Some of the other trim items that were included was the deluxe steering wheel
pedal trim,dash grab bar and trim on inside of the roof rail.Also included was wheel well trim and dual horns.I have also seen some minus the Firebird emblem on the glove box
which seems to have been a production change in later half of year.

I have often wondered why I didn't get the glovebox bird. Custom option on a 4th week January build.

My 4th week April 67 has the bird on glovebox, my 3rd week December 68 Firebird does not. Both 400 cars, custom trim 259Z.

My 5th week June custom trim didnt but I transferred it from my Sept 67 standard interiored car that had it.
Go figure.

I think all 67s had the glove box emblem but Ill go thru my old ones to see if I can find any minus holes.

My 69 has the bird on the glove box....just to show how it can happen...I added a glove box door in same color as my interior...mainly b/c my glove box door had several dings and I had no key...found a great door with key and bird on EBay....

I know, 69`s are nt suppoed to have them.....

40+_ yr old cars..no question "things could have happened" over a few years/owners...

There are several running changes on the '67/'68 Firebird (as well as all year cars).
Most have been covered here and on the F-List in the past.

As for a Standard Trim car getting Deluxe Trim parts (and vice/versa), I'd say it was possible and did happen. Talk w/anyone who worked in the plants back then and all sorts of things happened (accidentally, on purpose and as a result of part shortages and/or material handling goofs).

My '68 RAI convertible (original/unmolested/stored a long time) came with the Standard Trim but has the Custom Seat belts (metal w/GM inserts). JM from PHS actually tried to tell me that someone must have swapped them in (right... and with matching date codes for my car). Also tried to tell me that PPG was not the OEM for '67/'68 Firebird glass (again, someone must have swapped all of my glass w/correctly date coded glass)

I think we've all seen oddities and variations. The most famous (for '68 'Birds) is the 'Bird Glass (etching) on front side glass. To date, no documentation has surfaced that would explain which cars received it and which didn't.

I'm in assembly plants all the time; Even today there are errors made, parts changed during production, platings changed, suppliers changed and even engineering evaluations done on production vehicles. No doubt, 30-40 yrs ago when there was less technology and traceability systems, there all sorts of variations for one reason or another. Factor in the common practice of adding/deleting/modifying for a friend or your own car as it's going through TCF. Happened all the time before the auto industry went to 'Just In Time' (sequenced) part delivery, bar code scanning and all the electronic traceability that takes place from start to finish.

BTW...

My '68 RAI Convertible (2nd wk of Nov.'67 build) has the following 'variations'
consistent w/the early-build cars...

- 1st type 'tall Hood Tach
- 'Bird' Glass
- Glove Box Door 'Bird' emblem
- Standard Trim w/Cus.Seat Belts (not on invoice)
- Original Dash Pad w/Trim Mldg
- Round Remote S/V Mirror
- Ram Air Hood Scoops (milled open) w/std.(closed) part numbers

My 67 w/std interior-no chrome pad or deluxe strg wheel
My 68 w/std interior had chome pad and deluxe strg wheel.

Maybe it was a package deal.

"Also tried to tell me that PPG was not the OEM for '67/'68 Firebird glass (again, someone must have swapped all of my glass w/correctly date coded glass)"

That's a strange one. My June built 67 has all PPG glass, I'm the second owner and had many conversations with the original owner about what was done with the car. Changing glass was definitely not done... On custom interiors, mine has standard plastic seat belt buckles with GM logo but interior was ordered custom.

I can check my 67 tonight.
It's all original except intake, carb, exhaust, and wheels.
40k miles back in 75.

PPG would have been correct for anything up to very late 68.
As for the seat belts nothing about the custom trim option says
deluxe seat belts are included. I have a standard interiored car with deluxe
belts and shoulder belts and a custom trim car with standard belts and shoulder
harness.

And - some custom interior cars got color coordinated belts in non-black interiors. Others got black.

Looking back over the 67 options list you're correct Cammer... To get custom seat belts you would need to specify option code 431 which is independant of the custom trim options.

My 68, deluxe interior, has no glove box Bird, etched Birds in window glass and no comfortweave in the seats. I recovered the original fronts, back is still original. Have the chrome strip around dash with black insert. Thing that throws me is I do not have deluxe seatbelts.

I don't know about the trim, but I would love to see some more pics of the turquoise interior. Is this the same as teal? Mine is teal and I have not seen another in person yet.

BTW, mine is a March '68 build std interior car with no bird on the glovebox and no dash trim. I have found that it does have quite a few '67 items in the interior.