No matter how nice your engine, your paint, your rolling stock, or your drivetrain, your project car just isn't going to get props with a trashed interior and dry-rotted weatherstripping. Even if you don't care what others think, a trashy interior is neither comfortable, nor does it give you the sense of pride you want in your hot rod. Case in point: Our Laguna's interior had all the allure of the inside of a garbage dumpster when we got it. The list of health department violations encompassed (but was not limited to) completely worn-out carpet, hammered sill plates, incorrect and unsafe seats, split upholstery, and an undetermined sticky, smelly goo that covered all the touchpoints such as the steering wheel and gearshift knob.
The interior of our '75 Laguna project car has come a long way since we bought it. Getting this far cost just under $1,600-the majority of that going for Procar by Scat Rally 1000 seats, carpet and upholstery from OPG, weatherstripping from SoffSeal, and a Stewart Warner Performance tach.
Much of the work on the interior was accomplished at the same time we did the wheels, tires, paint, graphics, and other exterior tweaks like the custom spoilers. That work was accomplished at Heath Elmer Restorations in Gilbert, Arizona, with the help of Heath Elmer and Keith Kanak. Our thanks go out to Elmer and Kanak for helping us tackle this hazmat job.
The decision to take on an old project, especially one that isn't super popular, isn't an easy one. You may like a '75 Laguna as much as a '69 Chevelle, but finding key parts for an interior restoration can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we found out that Original Parts Group (OPG) and SoffSeal makes goodies for our oddball Laguna-stuff like weatherstripping, carpet, and upholstery kits. We also discovered a place called Dixie Monte Carlo Depot that makes a lot of stuff for Lagunas, including a very nice vinyl dash cap for $75. (This cool piece, PN DB00187, attaches to any torn or split dash pad with RTV, and can make your dash look brand new. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of parking our Laguna in the Mojave Desert with the windows rolled up on a 119-degree day, and the cap got too wavy from the heat. Unless you see temperatures like we do, you'll probably be OK with this solution.) Another cool product we liked even more after it was installed was a pair of Procar Rally 1000 seats. These have a classic muscle car look with the support of modern seats-they're the best of both worlds, and at about $330 apiece, aren't that expensive either.
To understand how well-spent our money was, you have to first know what we started with. Even though the gut was in shambles, the floorboards and door skins under all this mayhem were in extremely good shape-and our Laguna project wasn't even a "California" car.
The Laguna no longer feels, looks, or smells like the inside of a 13-year-old's room, which is saying a lot. The vast improvement inside the cockpit makes our junky dashboard and instrument panel stand out all the more, so we'll need to come back to that in a few months with an improvement there. Right now, we're scoping out the services of Just Dashes. We've seen some of their work in some of the cars we've featured, and it's impressive. Before that, however, we're going to swap our loose torque converter for something tighter, and head back to the chassis dyno for next month's story. If all goes well there, we could be ready for a drag test soon after that!
Our interior job began with humble beginnings at Heath Elmer Restorations in Gilbert, Arizona. Here, PHR freelancer and all-around good guy, Keith Kanak, has already pulled out the old Datsun 260Z seats and is yanking the console for refurbishing. We found over 30 years (30 pounds?) of junk hiding in the nooks and crannies.
Project Talladega The Cost So Far Description: PHR Issue: Cost: '75 Chevy Laguna Oct. 2008 $5,000 Phoenix 700R4 trans, flexplate and converter Feb. 2009 $2,800 Sherwin Williams paint, materials, and labor Mar. 2009 $3,979.73 Makeover (tires, wheels, graphics, seats, etc.) Apr. 2009 $2,989.95 408ci solid-roller small-block May 2009 $7,685 Global West rear suspension June 2009 $1,699.36 Global West front suspension July 2009 $2,569.83 Global West front brake upgrade Sept. 2009 $1,118.45 Engine and trans installation Oct. 2009 $3,430.36 Dr. Gas side-exit NASCAR exhaust Nov. 2009 $981.46 CPP 500 Series steering box Dec. 2009 $428.00 Interior restoration Feb. 2010 $485.65 Total: $33,167.79
WHERE THE MONEY WENT Description: Source: PN: Cost: Black carpet kit, '75-77 Chevelle OPG BCC27BK $119 Black rear upholstery kit OPG UPH12BK $109.95 Door weatherstripping SoffSeal 5017 $89 Roof rail weatherstripping SoffSeal 5035 $82 Trunk weatherstripping SoffSeal 5010 $27.75 Procar Series 1000 seat, left side* Scat/Summit 80-1000-51L $331.50 Procar Series 100 seat, right side* Scat/Summit 80-1000-51R $331.50 Procar seat bracket, '73-77 Malibu, left side* Scat/Summit SCA-81140 $72.95 Procar seat bracket, '73-77 Malibu, right side* Scat/Summit SCA-81141 $72.95 Interior vinyl and fabric dye, flat black Dupli-Color/Summit HVP-106 $7.95 Billet steering wheel swap meet n/a $50 Total: $1,294.55 *Cost of these items was included in April 2009 story installment
