96 Impala SS | lowering the daily

[Z.Cockburn]

Did you Try a leather cleaner/restorer on the seats? might help the colour.

Looks like that car was heavily smoked in.

I don't think you will be able to get the GM old school boatness feel out of that car, is built into them. The trick is not to try to fight it, but just embrace it's boaty goodness.

Glad to see these cars getting some love.

[rice4life]

That steering wheels looks well worn. Maybe a different wheel will update the interior and also improve turning response.

[benz88]

Nice car! my buddy has one like it. He's lowered with Hotchkis goodies and has all the suspension arms from them.

[SuperSport]

I ordered some more cans of SEM paint for the plastic panels, but in the meantime I thought i'd work on the armrests and center console, which are more of a soft leather material. I also did a little customization.

First things first! I bought a black fabric permanent marker.


I then used it to change the stitching on the front and rear seats. Here's the before and after shots










Once I was done, I decided to go ahead and paint the armrests and centerconsole.



Putting them back in the car kinda drives the point home that I need to continue restoring this interior... the rest is nasty looking!



More to come soon...

[SuperSport]

Well, I finally got the materials I need to start the restore!

The first step was to scrub all the oxidation and nasty marks off the dash with Simple Green. After that I'd make sure all contaminants were off with rubbing alcohol. Finally, paint! SEM Medium Gray Flex coat.


The first two steps cleaned up the dash panels a lot more then I thought.


Panels before spray (hard to see the discoloration in photos)




Panels after spraying... One thing I discovered about SEM paint is that it covers up a lot of mistakes. I know I didn't neccesarily spray the entire dash evenly, and there were some blotches but after it dried, it looked perfect.




The final result!




Many more interior panels to come soon...

[SuperSport]

^hahaha thanks man!

[Wyatt Lay]

This thing is awesome, I dont even know what to say, but feel obligated to say something. gahhhahahhahahauhh

[SuperSport]

I still find it hard to believe that such a massive car is made of such thin metal.

Glad the interior is getting an overhaul. Maybe you should name the car Buttons because you found that random ass button in it.

lol i was thinking "panSScraper" but i'm not near as low as some of these guys

[rice4life]

I still find it hard to believe that such a massive car is made of such thin metal.

Glad the interior is getting an overhaul. Maybe you should name the car Buttons because you found that random ass button in it.

[SuperSport]

Honestly if you're looking for a real technical answer... I can't provide one. All I've gotten was testimonials, and I have definitely noticed a reduction in sound. However, this may be more specific to my car. The entire body is made of thin metal, that tends to rattle A LOT, especially if the exhaust has drone (mine drones like a b****). As soon as I put even one thin layer done, the rattle where applied was gone. I layered the trunk and rear deck today (pics soon to come) and the rattle back there is also reduced. I have noticed a slight noise reduction in general, but what i've really noticed is a reduction in drone noise entering the cabin. The material is supposed to be similiar to rubberized asphault, so while it may be somewhat thin it's definitely a dense material. Cutting it is a PITA. I will be double layering certain areas, which should definitely help. Compared to dynamat? I'm sure it can't stack up. But for the price, I don't think I could beat it.

[HEcreated487]

That Grace VYCOR roof underlayment is a pretty interesting idea. How does that reduce sound transmission, especially since it is thin and probably is not that dense? Just curious.

[SuperSport]

Nice use of a cop car....

Thanks, here's a vid i have from earlier this year of my "cop car"

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pqgRhJaH8o"]Police Lights On Impala SS - YouTube[/ame]

[BigRuss]

Nice use of a cop car.... Like where its heading... Dont let people talk you into 26s

And boom she dropped the ball and he jumped in front of the bus

[SuperSport]

Got some more work done the other night as well as tonight.

First thing I had to do was get the dash out of the car for paint. Don't worry, the steering wheel will have a new wrap with perforation on the top and bottom. Undecided if i'm gonna go gray/gray or gray/black.


Pulled up the back of the carpet, getting ready for sound deadening material.


Probably the most random thing i've found so far. Carpet has NEVER been pulled up, so my only guess is that this came from the factory. But as you can see, it's a button. WTF? It was underneath all the carpet and insulation. Like I said, random!


Sound deadening material, plastic roller, and a hair dryer. Worked like a charm! It's not dynomat, but this stuff works.


This is where I ended for the night, because of a lack of material. I will definitely be buying more and continuing this weekend.


More to come soon...

[SuperSport]

oddly enough he doesnt even have a picture of it haha,lets just say the good ole 3800 is making 350ft/lbs and the skid is .96g on stock 225/60 tires lol he has alot of custom work on chassis and suspesnion

dang that's a crazy skidpad.. Especially with a 60 sidewall!

There are places to get carpet for these. My mom's Impala had carpet that was about the same as yours and we got some black carpet to replace it. I did a quick google search and found a couple for around $150

I'm doing some searches and can get them pretty cheap, just under the range you said. I would like to add some sound deadening.. My exhaust is quite loud

Love unique things. This is awesome! keep it up!

Thanks!