98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

I apologize for the length, but you shall be rewarded! I started my 1998 Trans Am Restore/Improvement Project in May of 2014. I purchased the car brand new in ’98 and did tons of mods. I had to sell it 2005 due to me being transferred from Arkansas to California (would not be able to drive it due to emissions inspections) while I was in the AF. One of the worst decisions I ever made; I should have stored it instead of selling it. The car has a lot of sentimental value, one of which is that I met my wife because of the car. I was transferred to Georgia in 2010…and in 2011 a friend of mine from AR sent me a Craig’s list add for my old Trans Am. Well, I bought the car back and it sat until I had the time and money to bring it back. The car was immaculate when I sold it, but the previous two owners trashed it. So once I had a sizable sum in my savings account, I started to tear the car apart with a goal to do things right…get the best and spare no expense.

I posted a link about this when I started and you can see the mods here:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...orry-long.html

But, this thread is about the interior…a Redline Goods interior. After I pulled the motor and trans, I ripped apart the interior, and sent the seats, door panels, and shift boot to my highly recommended local interior shop. I paid a pretty sizable amount for a set of two-tone vinyl seats and all the extras. They turned out really good, and I was pretty happy with them.

Then one day I came across a thread by in the LS1tech appearance section about a company selling real leather shift boots. I was impressed with the work and decided to get a shift boot. Once I got the boot, I was hooked. So I ordered the leather instrument gauge cluster cover, the e-brake boot, brake handle cover. Well, I screwed up the install and I asked if I could send them the actual gauge cluster and have them install it. They were nice enough not to charge me again for the leather cover, and only charge me to install it. So I packed everything and sent it to them in Poland. When I sent it to them, I sent them swatches of my vinyl covers and asked if they could do my shift boot, e-brake boot, shifter ****, and console cover in two tone, and they said yes! Then it got me thinking…what other items could I cover in leather? The biggest one was my center console. After weeks of discussing my vision with Jack from Redline Goods, we decided that I would send a bunch of interior parts for prototyping. So I packed it up with a bunch of other things: my door panel pulls, the panel around the front speakers that is also the map pocket, my glove box, the plastic molding on the T-Tops, the T-top molding that holds up the headliner, the molding around the driver power seat controls on the side of the seat and the passenger side molding on the side of the seat, A-Pillars, and my double DIN head unit bezel. I even purchased an extra steering wheel off eBay to send to them. I was also looking at sending them all of my interior panels to cover up all that plastic, and the aftermarket panel that covers up my cracked dash. However, shipping all of those panels to Poland was way too expensive. I will tell you how we got around this later.
This process has taken a very long time, but we are now close to getting everything done. With all the leather, I looked at my vinyl seats. I just could not bare the look of them after seeing all of this leather, so I asked Jack if he was interested in prototyping leather seats to match. He agreed, so now I have the leather seats to match everything! We are still working out some things, but the seats are just awesome!

Now, Redline Goods makes their leather goods so it is easy for anyone to install the leather, plus it is cheaper to ship just the leather by itself. All of the items you will see will be able for purchase and easy to install, except for one: the center console. Now, Jack told me if you are willing to ship the console to them, they would cover it for you, but it will probably be pricey…but believe me, it is worth it! Any prices for the items that is not already on their website will have to come from Jack or Mike. I sent all my parts to Redline and they installed the leather on the parts. For the pieces I could not send to Redline, I took measurements and purchased the leather from them and I am covering the plastic interior pieces myself.

I am still waiting on the rest of the pieces (both A-Pillers, an A-Piller gauge pod, steering wheel, and the bottom portion of the door panels that has the speaker pods and map pocket) to get here as they still in work. I will post my progress in this thread. Now, I have a Trans Am, so not all interior parts will work with Camaros. I am still waiting for my car to get back from paint, and then I will have a couple of weeks worth of work installing other items before the interior goes in.

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are my pieces that you can order off of Redline's website now:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here is my leather-wrapped center console:

Wrapping of the center console was very complicated and time consuming. Redline is willing to wrap your console only if you ship it to them in Poland. My guess it will be expensive, but let me tell you, it is work it. The pictures do not do it justice. If you want info on this, send Jack at Redline Goods an email: jack@redlinegoods.com

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here is the leather-covered 6LE Designs Double DIN Bezel:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are the plastic moldings that go on the T-Tops themselves and the corresponding moldings that go on the car side. In the first picture you can see the corresponding moldings that go on the car side, that also help to hold up the headliner:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

These molding go on the side of the front seats. The large one holds the drivers power seat controls:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are the door pulls: These are already available on Redline Goods Website:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here is my covered glove box. This is the same charcoal color, the flash kinda lightened it up a bit:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are the front and rear seats. I am taking a lot of pictures and will post a how-to change the covers...they are actually not too bad, but there are a couple things to watch out for.

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are the A-pillers that Redline did for me. They turned out great and I cannot wait to see these when they are installed in the car.

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Here are the lower panels for the speakers and map pockets that go on the door panels. The complete door panels are being done in four steps. The first is the door inserts that you can get right now and are shown in this thread. The next was the door pulls that were covered that I already have done and are posted in this thread. The third are these lower portions of the door panel that covers both front door speakers. And lastly will be the leather covered door panel "frame", which will be covered at a local interior shop from leather I purchased from Redline. Those should be done by the time I get home from my business travels.

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

My local interior guy has two of my interior panels finish. These are the two rear seat side panels. He covered them in the Redline leather and tried to match Redline's stitching patterns. I could not send these large panels to Redline because shipping costs would have been in the thousands because of the size. So Redline was great to send me the leather so I could do the covering. So here is what they will be looking like:

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

The main color of leather is charcoal, and the accent color is medium gray. I plan to cover the items below in the medium gray leather as an accent (the triangle panel will probably be charcoal):

jaxcam02

iTrader: (1)

Can't wait to see it in the car. You should get some sort of rubber insert molded for the rear cup holders that cover up that hole at the bottom

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

It is funny that you say that. I am looking for something like that, something to absorb and moisture. At least I am going to put a black rubber bottom.

Thanks

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

This should look totally awesome when done, and likely make me anxious to do mine as well (it is on the very long list of "to do" items).

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

How do the door pulls look on the inside of the grip?

Looks like you did a great job wrapping all the parts

blackbyrd

iTrader: (14)

How do the door pulls look on the inside of the grip?

Looks like you did a great job wrapping all the parts

98RaptorTA

iTrader: (1)

Thank you. But, I actually sent everything to Poland and paid extra for them to install and stitch everything. People who have done this have said that the stitching is not too bad...plus, the leather is sewn in a spot you cannot see anyways even if you are like me and cannot stitch worth the damn.

Here is what the inside looks like:

HotWhipT/A

iTrader: (31)

Can't wait to see it done! Looking good my man