LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

A nice-looking piece, it is. But accurate, it ain't.

While the build quality is good, there are some things wrong with its appearance. Most issues are minor, but one is kind of important. Most people probably wouldn't notice or care about its historical shortcomings, because it will be much nicer than their damaged OE plates. But if you're someone who demands absolute accuracy, then the only other option is likely to require a hefty contribution to firebirddude's pension plan.

Does it look nice? Yes.


Does it fit properly? Yes.

Do the lid, button and gears for the 12-volt power supply compartment (ashtray) fit and function properly? Yes. A new socket comes installed too.


The included boot isn't accurate, but that's obvious in Hawk's pictures and easy to swap, if desired. It might be accurate for a Camaro, but it's not the correct design for an 85-92 Firebird, or, at least, not for 1987.

Can you feel, on top, the embossed areas in the underside for the cutout locations? No. There's an odd appearance in the coloration that makes it look like you can, but it's smooth. Most people will be cutting out those areas anyway. And no, that odd appearance isn't the important issue with the product.


The big issue is with the grid's design. At first glance, it looks fine, but IF people know and understand what the factory design is all about, and I suspect a lot of people don't, then they might realize what's wrong.

On the repro, the grid lines are a hair too wide, which makes the textured squares a hair too small; difficult to distinguish in the pictures. But even that is minor and would probably go unnoticed if the textured squares had been made correctly, but they weren't.

Do y'all know what the grid represents and how Pontiac intended it to fit into the scheme? Bueller? Bueller?

The texture has a purpose, AND it also has a specific color. People might think the OE products are just black, and the reproductions ARE just black, but Pontiac created the grid design by using two different colors.

OE, the texture of the squares represents the texture of the dash bezel. And the color of the textured squares matches the dark grey color of the dash bezel. It was Pontiac's way of "integrating" the dash, radio pod and console, by applying the texture and color of the dash bezel ONTO the gloss black trim plates, in the form of a grid, to blend/fade the dash "into" the radio pod and console.

It's difficult to realize because the common spot where the grid and dash bezel are combined is at the signal indicator window, which is small and in a dark location.

There is, however, a large feature where it's very apparent, but most Firebird owners don't possess the parts and have probably never seen them up close and personal: the digital dash bezel.


The digital dash bezel consists of large panels with the grid that coexist with the standard dash bezel. And when you see them together, then the color and texture of the squares and the overall design is apparent. I suppose you could lay a factory radio bezel against a dash bezel, and it should be apparent that way too.

Or if you get the repro, then you'll see it in side-by-side comparisons to OE.


But dark grey seems to have been overlooked on the reproduction parts. The texture of the squares gives their black color a different appearance than the smooth and glossy portions, creating the illusion of two different colors, but it's all black, not dark grey and black like OE.


Also, the texture is inconsistent, and some of the squares look a bit blotchy, but here, too, if the color had been correct, then this would likely have gone unnoticed or might not have occurred at all.


Except for the lack of dark grey, all of the issues are small and are likely to have gone unnoticed, probably the lack of dark grey too, because the plate is new, nice-looking and better than damaged OE plates. But for posterity's sake, it's not accurate.



Are the manufacturers simply not aware of the dark grey in the design? Was it deemed not important enough to worry about? Did they think nobody would notice? Nobody would care? Too costly to deal with? Or are they simply not capable of doing it right?

I haven't seen one of the reproduction radio bezels, but I'd guess it's made the same way. People who've made double DIN radio bezels haven't been able to reproduce the grid and have made them smooth. And some have made some type of "foil" product to apply to those smooth bezels to simulate the grid. But if someone is going to try to produce a double DIN bezel with the grid, then knowing about the dark grey squares will help them produce it more accurately. Just figured this would be a good place to mention that, since nobody was gotten those right either.

For me, personally, I got this for a custom project, where none of it will matter because I'll be altering its appearance. But accuracy is likely to be important to some people, so the information and pictures are for y'all. And if it is that important to some people, then they'll be better off looking for NOS or cleaning up used OE the best they can. Otherwise, it is what it is, and that's not so bad.

luvofjah

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the info, as long as it fits and works, I'm good too if it's not OEM Accurate...
Raf