[njsteve]

Here's the two duct pieces I need:

1) the under-the-steering column duct:




2) and the center-to-column duct:

[aronhk_md]

That is looking great Steve. God I love the black interiors. Mine has the blue. Anyone wanna trade 72 Trans Ams? lol

[ddmrk]

Steve I think I got what you need
Danny K

[70RAlll]

depending on how correct you are trying to be, the under the column piece of duct is specific to early cars. Not sure it it is 70 only, but I know there is a difference in the early ones vs later ones. later will fit, but there is a difference.. forget what the difference is, just recall there is a difference..someone else can confirm this and the difference in early vs later duct design...

[cdoggy81]

G.D. Steve it looks goooooood!!!!!!!! Keep it up

[RicksGTO]

very nice, that black interior is looking better than new! Can't wait to see more progress, you're on the home stretch now

[Norwood]

Steve, What are we starting on after the Trans Am?

[njsteve]

An ulcer! :-)

[aronhk_md]

Steve...seems to me the ulcer would have been over the last 2 years, and now it should be healing as the car is finished. If Craig is asking what similar experience you desire now that this one is nearing an end, then having holes knocked in your head might be the answer!

LOL

[njsteve]

Got the rest of the interior in at last. Now that the console is installed, even the AM/FM/8-track works!

I finally got to sit behind the wheel in the actual driver's seat. Haven't done that since November 2004.





Tomorrow it's time for the doorframe and door weatherstripping. I finally get to use that NOS GM stuff I bought years ago!

[superdutybob]

Steve:

The car looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it in person.

Be glad you bought those weather strips years ago. I purchased just the door seals about two months ago and it cost me almost 5 bills. I still don't feel comfortable sitting for long periods of time and the SOB didn't even buy me dinner. The Metro Moulded parts I bought were complete junk. The ends didn't have the steel structure pieces like the originals and the little push pins that attach them all the way around the bottom of the door were too small and just fell out. The window seals from them seemed fine.

[165th]

Steve, CONGRATULATIONS on a stellar restoration. She's coming together fast and very nicely.

I'm still on page one of this thread with my car. I don't know whether to be excited or scared! I just hope the next 40 pages go by smoothly, HA!

[njsteve]

Look what the UPS man brought today! Awesome help by DDMRK who provided the lower steering column and center duct for the A/C system. I can't thank you enough. That's what makes posting all this insane saga worthwhile - meeting fellow enthusiasts who will go out of their way to help a fellow crazy person in need.



And here it is installed. I compared the ducts to the ones on my Grandma's 75 Firebird that she bought new and we still have. The only difference I could see was that there were two mounting screws holding the column duct to the center duct on the ducts from DDMRK and one mounting screw on Grandma's '75. I also noticed that the 75's ducts had some nice sloppily applied black duct tape at the joints, so I sloppily applied it on my car, too - a family tradition, guess!




Oh, and before I forget, a couple people have asked for a shot of the 1972 shaker hood switch and bracket. You can see it here, attached to the gas pedal. Both the four-speed and automatic cars used the Turbo 400 kickdown switch to activate the shaker. On the automatic cars, the switch operates both the trans kickdown and the shaker; on the stick cars it only activates the shaker solenoids. The pink wire goes to the fuse box and the orange wire extends through a hole in the firewall and has a female receptacle that mates with the male end (OK, we're getting a bit R-rated here) in the bottom of the shaker unit, thus completing the circuit when you stomp the gas pedal. This eliminated the bracketry, wiring and plunger switch mounted on the carb in '70 and '71.

[aronhk_md]

Looks like you've got all your duck.....I mean ducts in a row!

[tajohn]

Steve,
Congrats on coming down the home stretch with the project. Just a little freshening that shouldn't take more than a year or so.....but while I'm at it.......

Question about your 72. I noticed that you have the buckle keeper clips on the console for the belts. My 72 was built the 4th week of September, original console...no clips?

I have the little clear plastic hooks in the ceiling that hook the elastic strips and the main belts have the long hard plastic support on the floor.

Your car is a Dec/71-Jan /72 car correct? I am a little confused on this.

Enjoy the reassembly...I'll keep saving photos.

John

[njsteve]

Good eye there! I added the 1970-71 console clips just because I like the way they store the belt buckles instead of them just lieing around in a tangled pile on the floor. It was my big deviation from stock.

[70RAlll]

NJSteve-
sorry, and please do not think I am hijacking your thread...But I have to post these pictures. I sent you a PM telling you that this style of duct was incorrect for the 70-72 and/or I posted on this thread the same. The duct you have pictured is a later design that is easily found and is incorrect part for 70-72 F body cars. The 70-72 cars used part number #477816 Grp. # 9.262 and it is no way as easy to find.The bottom part, where yours pictured has the two holes with the screws attached, is the main difference in the early vs later Firebird under column duct piece. I have enclosed pictures of the correct part for the 70-72 cars.And if you look up this part number in a MPC you will see it list's this number for 70-72 F bodys. My 7/72 dated MPC does anyway..
As I said, not trying to hijack this thread...BUT, with all the time and detail you have used documenting this restoration, WITHOUT a doubt someone will come along...see your thread and use what all you have pictured as what is supposed to be "correct" ...just like the seat belt clips another PY's member pointed out.I know you have no ill intent, but this is how we end up with cars being done incorrectly and next thing you know, incorrect parts are considered correct. Just like some of the "allstar" restorers out there, whatever they do is considered correct when in fact it may not be. I am just trying to make sure others have the correct information. I know another has started a similar thread on a 71 restoration. These long,drawn out documentations of restoration threads are easily used by others as refrence for what is correct.. Actually I have seen some items from your car already that I was able to use which I had never seen.So these threads are definately a good thing..... But... we have to make sure, especially when detailed pictures are shown, that the correct parts are being used in the restoration threads-it is your car, you can use whatever you want.... These threads are a great way to package beginning to end information for others to use. My hat is off to you for all the postings/pictures you have supplied. I know I could never devote this much time to post a couple years worth of pictures/keep a thread alive.. So my hat is off to you in this respect...

But, that is the incorrect part and below are pictures of the correct part..

[70RAlll]

Originally Posted by superdutybob

Steve:

The car looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it in person.

Be glad you bought those weather strips years ago. I purchased just the door seals about two months ago and it cost me almost 5 bills. I still don't feel comfortable sitting for long periods of time and the SOB didn't even buy me dinner. The Metro Moulded parts I bought were complete junk. The ends didn't have the steel structure pieces like the originals and the little push pins that attach them all the way around the bottom of the door were too small and just fell out. The window seals from them seemed fine.

Bob- you mention "Metro Molded" parts?? I am not familiar with this name.. Is this a manufacturer of F body door seals?? If it is... hate to tell you this...but our cars door seals are still available from GM. They are expensive, about $130 each piece... but they are still available.. I showed a friend a site and the part nembers last week where he bought a full set. Cost him close to 5 bills also.. I think one or two of them were something like $80... gmpartsdirect.com is the site I use..They have their parts prices at 1/2 of list, but they hit you for $15-$20 handleing for each item.. Screws you on smaller items, but on more expensive items works out to about 60% of list...

[70RAlll]

Originally Posted by njsteve

Got the rest of the interior in at last. Now that the console is installed, even the AM/FM/8-track works!

I finally got to sit behind the wheel in the actual driver's seat. Haven't done that since November 2004.





Tomorrow it's time for the doorframe and door weatherstripping. I finally get to use that NOS GM stuff I bought years ago!

Steve-
I swear I must be getting old quicker than I thought.. My eyes cannot see for sure what kind of seat covers you have on this car. They look like standard black covers? are they standard or custom seat covers? I ask this because I see your passengers side has the dash grab bar.. I don't know for sure on 72's, but 70 and 71's only had the grab bar on custom interior cars..Standard ionterior cars had the plain passengers side dash..

Did Pontiac change this for the 1972 model year??

[njsteve]

That is the custom interior with the custom upholstery for 72. The rear seats are the originals and one of the front seat tops are original. I had to replace both seat bottoms and one top. If you go back in the thread a few years :-) you'll find the Thanksgiving holiday coverage where I did the PUI seat covers on top of the dining room table (when the wife was out of town).