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Long before I bought the black Monte from @ChibiBlackSheep, he put a black/red leather WheelSkin on the steering wheel, to help start an eventual black/red interior. Basically mimic the 2000 Monte Carlo Pace Car interior. Because I like red as an accent color, I decided I might see if I could continue this. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I got lucky and someone about two hours from me was able to get me the rear interior panels. I then painted some front door bezels. Well, now, I got wondering if I could start leather wrapping a steering wheel and maybe a shifter. I have not mastered the shifter (so far three attempts but I am getting better). But the wheel was pretty much one and done. But for the record, VERY time consuming and attention to detail. I was using a simple baseball stitch, but you have to follow a set rhythm or it will not look right. I am 100% happy how the wheel came out. Thrilled I got it installed in the black Monte today.
Not much to add at the moment, projects are on hold as I work through garage finishing stuff. But, does not mean I still don't have things going on!
The black Monte needs a few suspension fixes. I have UMI Performance rear trailing arms for it. I also plan to replace the rear laterals (just stock replacements). When I get to the rear laterals, it is a good time for other items. Such as, I would like to clean up some of the under body and coat with POR15. To do this best, I would like to remove the rear cross member (which would make doing the rear laterals easier). I picked up one from the junk yard off a 2008 Impala (looking at GMs interchange, this was used up to the 2016 Impala). It has a little surface rust, but for $25 from the junk yard, I figure clean it up and POR15 and good to go! This let's me prepare the part and then get it in the car, avoiding down time in the project.
Not a big update, but a small one worth mentioning. When I got the black Monte, the fuel labels/tape around the bundle of nylon fuel lines moving around the engine lost their adhesive. I had only one or two of the total of four left (and the remaining ones were close to falling off). Back then, I reached out to a business known as Dr. Decal. They helped me when I needed labels for me 2004 Monte (which had symbols on it instead of words). In 2022, he remade the labels for the Black Monte. Seemed to be fine all summer. Next spring, I noticed the printing was flaking off. I reached out and he re-made them and sent out. Same thing, all summer good, next spring, flaking. Those couple of years, the black Monte spent winter under cover, in the driveway; exposed to colder temps than the blue one. This is the only answer I have for the difference in behavior with the labels.
When I reached out to Dr. Decal about a second failure, I was told he had nothing else to offer (ultimately, I was abandoned and felt it disappointing for a company specializing in label restoration these cannot hold for a full year in conditions that factory labels last years in.
I came up with an idea. The company I have ordered stickers from for the car show I help run looks to use a material that feels close to the factory labels. PLUS, I know they hold up to the weather, there is one on the back of the pick up truck my dad and I own and it has been there for years. @ChibiBlackSheep was able to make a perfect rendering of the labels for both Montes, I then ordered "stickers" from CarStickers.com (I did 10 each, $45 shipped after a coupon code). Below is a pic. In the middle is the original label, left is Dr. Decal (I had one extra not on the Monte) and the right is from CarStickers.com. I plan to put these new ones on in spring and hopefully they last better (as I am not sure how they will hold up to engine heat).
The black Monte is in need of a replacement heat shield around the gas tank. Sadly, the part is discontinued. I was surprised to find two at Pull-A-Part that were decent/re-usaable. I grabbed them both. I took the worst of the two, hit it wire wheel and then hit with some "Rust Fix" and top coat with high temp spray paint. The rust seen was surface rust, barely worn through the coating on it.
Today during my lunch break, I went out to the garage, put the Monte on the lift and changed it out. The old one was rotted pretty bad and barely needed any effort to fold it and throw it in the trash.
If the rust fix and paint doesn't hold up, I will take the other one I have and use it as-is.
