7 Interior and Safety


7.1 What interior options were available?

See the option codes list in part 1.

7.2 Where should I look for my build sheet?

The build sheet is the factory's listing of what options they put on your car. It is "hidden" somewhere in your car during its construction.

For Vegas, try under the carpet behind the passenger's front seat.

For the Ohio-built (78-80) Monza/Sunbird/Starfire/Skyhawk, they are usually under the carpet behind the driver's seat. Also try the driver's side door panel and behind the passenger's side seat backing.

Other places to look are under the front seats between the wire and foam, and just about anywhere someone could hide one.

7.3 What are some things I can do to improve the interior?

Clyde (CJBIAGI) tells about carpet:
"I have recarpeted the cargo area. For the bottom I had a upholsterer sew edging on the carpet for a finished look. I did the side area myself. It is a little tricky but what I did was just go over the original carpet. I tucked it in under the plastic beneath the window and then folded the bottom part under the floor carpet, I left about a inch so that the floor overlaps the side pieces. I used some spray adhesive to adhere the side pieces over the old carpet. I can't remember if I was able to do it in one piece or not, I may have had to splice it to go around the wheel well. Since the original side pieces are molded I felt that leaving them in place and just going over them was the best alternative. It came out very good and I have had no problem with it, it's been done for about 5 years. I used carpet from ACC and I just purchased extra carpet for the hatch area.

I didn't shave or do anything special to the old carpet before I glued the new one to it. I used a contact type glue that you spray to both pieces, let sit for a few minutes, then put the pieces together. If you were to remove the old preformed carpet you wouldn't have anything to attach the new carpet to, the old carpet acts as a "backer" for the new carpet. I also did the compartment by the spare tire well, I think I had to do that in a few sections since there are so many curves involved. It takes time and patience to trim the pieces so that they all fit together, almost like a puzzle, but again if you take your time it will come out looking like new."

7.4 How do I refinish the interior plastic pieces?

For shiny bits, polish them and spray on a layer of clearcoat paint for protection. The finish will probably not match the original, but should still look good (fair warning).

For plastic parts: Clean thoroughly. If you've used a protectant, make sure it's off or paint won't stick. Don't sand unless you don't care about ruining the grain. Get some "vinyl prep" to open the pores of the trim piece. Then primer and paint using paint designed for interior plastic and vinyl trim. Mar-Hyde is one brand. Shops can mix up custom colors of it.

Randy Agee posted this on the Fiero mailing list (should apply to almost any car interior): "I have used the vinyl and Fabric recoloring sprays for years on a multitude of objects and products - even steering wheels and gear shift knobs. Being a paint product, it will eventually wear off on areas with a lot of frictional contact. But, it is easy to recolor again when this happens. The edges blend perfectly. Today's products will not crack on seats and soft vinyl like those of a few years back - they are more flexible.

I have not had too much luck in recoloring carpet and carpet on door panels. They do not hold up well in the long run. There is too much bulk to get good coverage and penetration with the colorant.

I prefer a vinyl colorant sold in auto paint stores with the brand name of SEM. It seems to hold up better than those I have found at AutoZone and Wal-mart. You can also buy it in bulk to use in a spray gun, and have virtually any color custom mixed.

The secret of getting a good job is to pre-clean the vinyl extremely well. I use a paint prep solvent first to remove grease, Armor All and dirt. R&M #203 Clesol happens to be what is on the shelf right now. Wipe on cleaner, scrub with a terry cloth, and then wipe dry with a clean cloth. Work small areas and keep turning the cleaning cloth so you to not reapply the stuff you are trying to remove. When finished, do it a second time all over again.

Just before I spray the colorant, I wipe the surface down with lacquer thinner - letting the thinner sit wet on the surface for 30 seconds or so before wiping with a lint free cloth. This will actually dissolve and soften the vinyl surface a little giving better adhesion properties for the spray. Wear rubber gloves when wiping with lacquer thinner, the stuff is rapidly absorbed through the skin and ain't too healthy. On hard plastic & vinyl surfaces a light scuffing with 400 grit sandpaper doesn't hurt either.

Use a tack rag to pick up lint or dust. Unfold the tack rag and wad it up in a loose ball. Lightly drag it over the surface, being careful not to transfer any gummy material to the object being tacked.

Application method for the spray colorant is important too. Do not spray in high humidity. Be sure the spray can is slightly warmer than the surrounding air. You can warm the can under running water only hot enough to hold your hand under. This is important as humidity will cause the spray to "flash" (white hazy areas) on the vinyl and the temperature of the spray will drop as it leaves the tip, causing condensation to form in the fan. Any moisture is the bane of this stuff and reduces the chances for good adhesion.

Spray light, thin coats. It should flash (surface dry) in less than a minute. If it takes longer to flash, spray lighter coats. But, you do not want it to go on "dry", just wet enough to penetrate the base material. Apply 2-3 coats in this manner. The final coat is sprayed a little wetter.

Put it away and allow to dry completely. Remember the surface will feel dry, but the colorant and vinyl underneath will be soft for several hours.

Resist the temptation to apply vinyl treatments like Armor-All to the painted surface. If you ever need to recolor again it creates a nightmare of fish-eyes, puddles and runs, unless all the old colorant is removed first (can be removed with rags wet with lacquer thinner).

If you take care and follow this procedure, rather than just grabbing a can and spraying, you will be very pleased with the results.

I first used vinyl colorants back in the 70's when vinyl tops were popular on cars. Dupont had a product called 1-2-3 Vinyl Lacquer that was new to the market and I was the only paint shop using the stuff to refurbish and recolor vinyl tops in our area. I had used car dealers from miles around coming to me to freshen up their vinyl top cars. I know of none that had later problems.

Randy Agee
The Fiero Ranch
Mechanicsville, VA
http://fierozone.com"

Roger (ks_skyhawk) writes: "I first repainted my parts w/ DuPont stuff custom mixed @ $28.00 per quart. I got an exact color match. But, it was a pain to use and I should have gotten semi-gloss instead of flat. I redid it all w/ stuff from a can I got at O'Reilly's. The colors they had closely matched the Carmine red, and was too easy to use.

I thoroughly cleaned parts at the carwash, then wiped with thinner, then applied "BullDog" brand primer, before the paint. They didn't call it primer, but said it was designed for vinyl products and promotes adhesion.

7.5 How do I install a rollbar or rollcage?

(also see question 6.17)

John (vegadad) offers this advice:
"The Jegsster roll bar kit is a weld in. What you will get is the main hoop and enough tube stock to make the down tubes and a cross tube to run behind the seats. for the Vega Kit this cross tube is an elongated curved piece to allow you to use the stock seats. You will also get, as part of the kit, some 2"X3"X16" stock for footing. If you elect to get the "Bolt-in" kit you will get a bunch of 6"X6" plates to fabricate and weld to the hoop and down-tubes to make the bolt-in. Also, the barstock for the rear down tubes are straight so forget using your back seat. I would suggest looking at the Chris Alston chassisworks Kit, they have an option of bent rear tubes that will allow the use of the rear seat as well as offering swing aways for the crossbar behind the front seats. If you are making an exclusive 2 passenger ride the Jegs kit will do. Also Review the installation instructions available from Chris Alston they contain some good instructions on insatallation of your rollbar, no matter which kit you choose. It's your choice. Anything you buy will require fabrication to some degree. Personnaly if I had it to do over again I think I would look at the Alston setup."

7.6 Are all Monza and Vega seats the same?

Brian (Bacchus_101573) says:
"The Monza seats are WAY different than the Vega seats. The Vega seats are nearly identical to 2nd-generation Camaro seats. However, I do believe they are slightly narrower [and shorter]."

Britt (kiva75) adds:
"72 seats should fit in a 73 and vis-a-versa. The only problem i could see would be 75/76/77 seats. They have different vrackets due to the catalytic converter."

7.7 What's special about H-body air conditioning?

The pulley/driven plate is different than most GM A/C compressors for belt clearance. If you buy a rebuilt compressor, be sure to compare the pulley and swap it with your core unit if it's different. Tip: the compressor for a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado fits if you can't find an H-body-specific compressor.

7.8 How can I change my speedometer to one that reads higher speeds?

If looking stock isn't important, try an aftermarket one. There are plenty of choices.

7.9 My fan blower won't work on high anymore. Why?

The switch may be bad. It's discontinued but a switch from GM cars of the same era may be adaptable. Also check the blower relay.

7.10 What aftermarket shifters are available?

Tim (joyride_23_98) writes: "The 72 [and 71] Vega used an Opel trans and shifter that had the shifter coming out of the floor up under the dash. To install the 75 shifter, you will have to measure and cut a new hole in the trans tunnel. You might want to cut and weld the shifter surround from the 75 into the 72 to ease the installation."

Kevin (SoloII_74) adds about '71 and '72 Vegas:
"The '71 & '72 Vegas both used the european Opel 3 & 4 speed transmissions, not the Saginaw. The Saginaw's first year in the Vega was in '73.

The Opel transmissions have a single lever external shifting mechanism similar in concept to the internal rail shifter in the t-5 & t-50, so the shifter mounting is way up under the dash area, with a really long shifter arm. Your best bet with the Saginaw would be to go with a Hurst shifter (Super shifters for the Saginaw are still available, the Comp plus Vega Saginaw installation kit has been discontinued). For the Hurst you will have to cut your floor. At that point, why not step up with a Hurst shifter to a Super T-10, or a Muncie for the added strength.

This may be you only choice, even though you want to maintain a "sleeper" look to your '72. Just try to diguise the Hurst to look like the Saginaw shifter. Most people (& even most serious street racers) will not notice."

B&M Megashifter into '76-up Monza: Ken (mahoy78spyder) writes:

7.11 How do I clean my steering wheel?

To get the gunk off, one recommendation is "Prep" by Cosmetomobile.

7.12 How do I get better airflow through the dash vents?

Chvyfan1 writes:
"1. Make sure the vaccum control lines are all connected to the vac motors and make sure you have a vac source to the motors.
2. Make sure your rubber seals are good and not rotted; my evaporator box on the inside was not bolted all the way to the firewall. Resealing this fixed my problem.
3. Make sure all the control doors are working; these are a common problem.
4. Make sure your air intake is not clogged up in the cowl (leaves, pine needles,snow??)."

7.13 What are part numbers for the heater core and evaporator?

Heater core:

Evap Core:

7.14 How do I remove the kick panels?

Clyde (CJBIAGI) writes:
"Remove the screws around the vent and slide the panels to the rear of the car since it hooks on to the fender area. The whole thing comes out as a unit, the kickpanel, the cable assembly and the flap. I think it also goes under the door sill (the aluminum piece that covers the edge of the carpet) and that has to be removed also, it shouldn't be a major problem to remove these."

Marco (Monzabudd) adds:
"The kick panels can be a pain... 1st the seal around the vent may be sticking the panel to the body... and also the plastic extends up into the hole, you'll see what I mean when you finally get it out... I've always had to fight with mine to get them out, many have broken along the way, but not to the point of being unusable. If they at least come loose after ALL the screws are out (there's one at the top of the vent) then just wiggle them and they should eventually work loose. They go in easier than they come out also."

Jon (jon72vega) writes:
"You have probabally already removed the door sill mouldings as well as the plastic trim piece that is by the edge of the windshield, right? You have to pull up and towards you to get the kick panel to loosen up. The factory used some kind of sealer around where the vent is, and it can be a bear to break the bond. Once you get it broken loose, you tilt the bottom up to get the kick panel out. There is a piece of the panel that goes way up into the cavity of the car that causes it to catch, but once you have the kick panel loose, it will come out without breaking."

7.15 What interior parts interchange between H-bodies?

For Vegas, Dave (vegatex) says:
"Pretty sure the inside door trim panels are universally interchangeable. I believe the molded plastic ones I'm using on my '76 wagon were originally on a '73 or earlier Vega hatchback. The only big difference I believe you will find is the window framing is different on notchbacks and wagons compared to hatchbacks, so the actual doors aren't interchangeable between those body styles. From the doors back, however, there are major differences in inside trim panels between '71-'73 cars and '74-77 cars. BTW, if you can't find the right color panels in good condition, I have had good success wiping saddle-colored panels down with acetone and spraying them black with vinyl paint. Don't know how they will do long-term, but they look good, the color stays on, and only requires a minor touch-up if they get scraped or dinged."

7.16 How do I remove the heater core?

Ken Mahoy says:
"Unfortunately, removing a heater core requires dissembling the interior area primarily under the dash board, although it does require "some" disassembly on the outside of the firewall. To go by the book for a 75 Monza, there are 22 steps. They are:

1. Disconnect battery ground cable
2. Remove glove box
3. Remove right air outlet duct - deflector.
4. Remove instrument bezel.
5. Remove instrument pad.
6. Remove left air outletduct deflector and feed duct.
7. Lower steering column.
8. Remove instrument panel assembly.
9. Remove control assembly from instrument panel.
10. Remove radio.
11. Remove defroster duct.
12. Remove center (large) distribution duct.
13. Purge system of refrigerant. (if have A/C)
14. Remove heater hoses at core pipes.
15. Clean surface dirt from exterior of VIR assembly and all line connections. Blow any loose dirt away with an air hose. (A/C only)
16. Disconnect compressor inlet line, oil bleed line and condenser outlet line. Cap or plug all open connections at once. (A/C only)
17. Loosen the evaporator inlet and outlet connections. Remove the VIR mounting clamp screw and remove the clamp from assembly. Slide the VIR assembly off the evaporator outlet line first and then the evaporator inlet line. (A/C only)
18. Remove and discard all old "O" rings. (A/C only)
19. Remove heater-distributor case stud to firewall attaching nuts.
20. Remove heater and distributor assembly, disconnecting electrical connectors at control and vacuum plenum and vacuum tank hoses.
21. Separate heater case from distributor assembly.
22. Remove heater core from heater case."