ITS OFFICIAL PHR put us in print for a link to buy,sell,trade parts

heres the link to the article http://blogs.popularhotrodding.com/6407551/project-cars/laguna-help/index.html ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1973 to 1977 GM A-Body Sources
Laguna Help
Posted December 31 2008 02:20 PM by Johnny Hunkins
Filed under: Project Cars

As I collect parts for my ’75 Laguna project, certain sources have become indispensable.

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Even though GM built over 7 million A-bodies in the years between 1973 and 1977, finding parts for them is a real chore. I discovered this firsthand while trying to chase down interior parts for my ’75 Laguna project. Right now, I’m attempting to turn the crack-house interior of my G3 into something my wife and daughter aren’t embarrassed to be seen in. And there’s also the much simpler matter of hygiene—the interior just reeks dirty.

For starters, this particular vehicle screamed out for a new instrument panel bezel. The original one was hacked up to put a crappy aftermarket stereo in. These aren’t made any longer, but I was able to score one through a contact I made through the Doc’s 1973-1977 Chevelles Forum. A member there named Larry Belcher out of DeLand, Fla., has become my friend, partly the result of him sending me a mint instrument IP bezel, but also because he’s a regular PHR reader and has sent us some cool, rare archival photos for us to print. Thanks a bunch Larry!

The entire dashboard of my Laguna has been trashed, and new ones just aren’t made. NOS items are through the roof price-wise, but I did find a great solution. The Monte Carlo Depot offers dash caps that cover over your old dash by attaching a convincing-looking cap to the old dash with simple RTV silicone. I’ve seen cars with these dash caps, and they look great. One for a Laguna or Monte Carlo is only $75, so if your GM A-body dash is crapped out, these guys have you covered for a bargain basement price.

Another weak area for ’73-77 GM A-bodies are the glove box and center console hinges. These plastic hinges get brittle from use and UV radiation, and eventually split. My car didn’t even have a glove box lid when I bought it, but I did hook up with guys at the G3GM,com forum, who were nice enough to find a listing for a used glove box on Craig’s List (which cost me $20, and a subscription to PHR).

I’ve already installed a new carpet, headliner, and rear upholstery set from Original Parts Group—the sum of which totaled a very affordable $230. Honestly, I was surprised how much stuff OPG offers for these cars, and it’s already made a big difference in the appearance. I can also say the same about the folks at Soffseal, who make a surprisingly large number of pieces for these cars, including the roofrail seal, door moldings, hood insulation, and trunk seal. These pieces totaled about $225 for everything.

As my pile of parts grows, I’m increasingly confident I can get the Laguna looking great, but I’m still a few months off from making it reality. I’ve still got to figure out what I’m doing for gauges, and order those. When everything’s in place, we’ll finish the story, show you the pix, and give you the final cost tally. In the meantime, here are some sources that have proven indispensable in my quest for parts. As a side note, the Doc’s 1973-1977 Chevelles Forum does not allow members to buy, sell, trade, or even hint at any sort of parts helping, swapping, or exchanging, whereas the newer (and much smaller) community at G3GM.com does allow (and even encourages) the exchange and selling of parts, so keep that in mind if you’re in need of more than just advice.

Sources:

Doc’s 1973-1977 Chevelles Forum:
This link deleted due to technical problems

Dixie Monte Carlo Depot:
http://www.dixiemontecarlo.com/

G3GM Forum:
https://www.g3gm.com/

OPG:
http://www.opgi.com/indexhome.asp

Soffseal:
http://www.soffseal.com/

thats sweet

awesome ill have to see when it comes out in the mag

yes we are finally getting some attention, hopefully even more people will join and make this forum even more great than it is.

i hope more people join so we can get more places for parts and maybe a CARSHOW for g3's only

billy-ray wrote:i hope more people join so we can get more places for parts and maybe a CARSHOW for g3's only

my thoughts exactly

billy-ray wrote:i hope more people join so we can get more places for parts and maybe a CARSHOW for g3's only

A car show of just G3s would be so cool

there was a sorta one in joilet,illinois area over the summer alot of travel form midwest and east coast , would have been nice to have representation from from the right coast

Awesome mention!

Always cool to see groups noted and acknowledged in various publications.



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