"Teak" door inserts?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 27
"Teak" door inserts?
I'm hoping to "upgrade" my interior a bit with a wood rimmed steering wheel, matching shift ****, wood kit for the center dash and console(s) and the addition of the wood door inserts. Several of the usual suspects offer the trim panels alone or as a part of the new door panel package, all say that they're as original to what was available from GM. I've never seen a C3 with these door inserts myself and was wondering if the "teak" was real wood, plastic composite, thick vinyl "contact paper" or worse?
I love what I've seen in the on-line adverts and catalogs, just wondering what I'm getting into. Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks—
TC
I love what I've seen in the on-line adverts and catalogs, just wondering what I'm getting into. Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks—
TC
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Enfield CT.
I'm hoping to "upgrade" my interior a bit with a wood rimmed steering wheel, matching shift ****, wood kit for the center dash and console(s) and the addition of the wood door inserts. Several of the usual suspects offer the trim panels alone or as a part of the new door panel package, all say that they're as original to what was available from GM. I've never seen a C3 with these door inserts myself and was wondering if the "teak" was real wood, plastic composite, thick vinyl "contact paper" or worse?
I love what I've seen in the on-line adverts and catalogs, just wondering what I'm getting into. Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks—
TC
I love what I've seen in the on-line adverts and catalogs, just wondering what I'm getting into. Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks—
TC
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 27
I searched out the shift **** on Ebay a long while ago, a nice piece with the deep insert to allow for the shifter to rise upwards and inside of the **** as it does with the stock chromed ball. The Corvette crest is a nice cream and gold cloisonee with the crossed flags and perfectly matches the horn crest that came with the Moto Lita horn base and mount. Hopefully, with the console wood and the door panel inserts it'll all look of a piece, just need to find out if the inserts are genuine wood or if I'll have to fashion my own. Thanks—
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,334
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
The "replacement" inserts I received were basically melamine (like counter-top or the stuff they glue onto particle board shelves etc. About 1/32~1/16" thick and didn't fit the original chrome inserts worth a damn.
Maybe if you bought the chrome piece with the wood grain already installed they'd match properly.
Here's a link to my journey
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-for-once.html
Like others, ended up making my own wood inserts, used walnut though
M
Oh, is the car standard or auto?
M
Maybe if you bought the chrome piece with the wood grain already installed they'd match properly.
Here's a link to my journey
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-for-once.html
Like others, ended up making my own wood inserts, used walnut though
M
Oh, is the car standard or auto?
M
Last edited by Mooser; Mar 17, 2018 at 09:38 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 566
Likes: 64
From: Sebastian,FL
When I bought my 77 it had a wood shift ****. I have the black inserts on my doors so figured someone must have added it, was that a factory option? I remembered my 73 had a black **** so figured that was what was supposed to be there so that’s what I bought
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,172
Likes: 4,250
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
" was wondering if the "teak" was real wood, plastic composite, thick vinyl "contact paper" or worse?"
70-72 (+?) cars with "Custom Interior" have a walnut wood veneer insert on the console shifter plate and also each door panel.
Regards,
Alan
" was wondering if the "teak" was real wood, plastic composite, thick vinyl "contact paper" or worse?"
70-72 (+?) cars with "Custom Interior" have a walnut wood veneer insert on the console shifter plate and also each door panel.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 27
Thanks VERY much guys, looks like a home made option is the way to go for sure ! I have some nice burl wood veneer and a selection of other interesting woods left over from my Father's estate. I'm not much with saws and such, but I can do it if I'm careful enough I suspect. I saw a "kit" for re-doing al of the dash center, console tops, and such with burl wood that looked nice, but was expensive, could be worth it as the stock "wood grain" console top insert looks like trash, although it would make a terrific pattern for a burl wood veneer insert, wouldn't it? "Easy Mike," when I wrote that I'd never seen a C3 with these inserts, I added "myself." Meaning that I've never seen them in real life, only in pictures like the one that you posted. This was the whole meaning for my posting, as I'd never come across them/saw them in person I wanted to know what was really going on with them. Photographs can makes things look anyway that the advertiser wants them to look, as "Moser's" wonderful thread demonstrated SO very well.
Anyway, thank you all once again, you've been a terrific help as always ! !
TC
Anyway, thank you all once again, you've been a terrific help as always ! !
TC
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 319
Likes: 27
Oh, as a follow up to the whole wooded shift **** mention, I found this on Ebay yesterday. Similar to the one that I picked up so long ago, has the deep well for the shifter to recede into when selecting reverse and all but in pretty shabby condition, especially the cloisonee emblem. Smaller and a bit different from the one that I have, but at least representative of what's out there. There are others, but the recess for the shifter isn't always present.
The correct one for the C3 with the recess:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-1967-C...hakA2W&vxp=mtr
The wrong one for the C3, without the recess:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1963-Ch...ZZ7VLS&vxp=mtr
The correct one for the C3 with the recess:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-1967-C...hakA2W&vxp=mtr
The wrong one for the C3, without the recess:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1963-Ch...ZZ7VLS&vxp=mtr
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,334
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
I still find it funny when I think about it.
A few years back I took the shifter apart for cleaning etc. (https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1589170231)
and found out that the spring under the button is what causes the shifter to stop at the various gears, the main spring inside the shifter shaft at the other end only makes it so you need to press the button to take it out of park. Without the button spring you could pull the shifter from reverse all the way to low or back without touching the button.
M
A few years back I took the shifter apart for cleaning etc. (https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1589170231)
and found out that the spring under the button is what causes the shifter to stop at the various gears, the main spring inside the shifter shaft at the other end only makes it so you need to press the button to take it out of park. Without the button spring you could pull the shifter from reverse all the way to low or back without touching the button.
M