Need help for removing Interior parts for Painting

[ChrisGAGT1996]

Alright as I've stated I have a 96 Grand Am GT (coupe) and I will be painting the interior soon, Basically what everybody else has been painting I will do the same.

I need tips and help on how to remove the pieces without potentially breaking them. (vent rings especially)

[gobraves00]

do a search and find out, not trying to be a dick, that what i did a few years ago when i got started. search button is your friend

[kbotk143]

Alright as I've stated I have a 96 Grand Am GT (coupe) and I will be painting the interior soon, Basically what everybody else has been painting I will do the same.

I need tips and help on how to remove the pieces without potentially breaking them. (vent rings especially)

did you find anything yet???
i got a 98 SE and i did my interior....

[ChrisGAGT1996]

No I haven't, I've been rather preoccupied with some other stuff and the weather has been unfavorable to paint so I've put that aside on my list of things to do.

[kbotk143]

No I haven't, I've been rather preoccupied with some other stuff and the weather has been unfavorable to paint so I've put that aside on my list of things to do.

well whenever you want to tackle it(its really easy!?!?! i did mine myself) just search thru my threads for the how-to's. or a can give you the quick version. all you need is a lil time and a place to paint:D

[Sweet98GA]

To remove vent rings, bend a hanger and grab a flashlight... if you point it down the hole, you will see it has 3 clips that clip to the outside edge of the vent (inside the dash). You just have to wrap the hanger around that to free it and they pull right out. OR you can simply pull the fuggers real hard til they come, and if you snap a tab that locks them in place, it don't matter as they will go right back into place anyway

To remove the driver dash/console, there are two phillips head screws in the top where the gauges are, and two phillips head "security" screws in the bottom pocket at the bottom of the radio section

To take the center console out, (you need to remove the driver dash/console first) you need to remove the gear shifter plate (on a 5 speed just unscrew the knob, and pull up on the lil panel the boot is connected to, not sure on an auto) and you will have to pull up the front cup holder to remove a screw there, remove the cap in the back cup holder to remove the screw there, and in the bottom of the arm rest pocket are 2 screws

The visors come out with 3 screws each

The upper center pocket thingy on the headliner doesn't exactly come out... it kinda pops out if you pull down the front of the head liner, and feel around and push it out

The front windshield vent, and 3 lil vents/covers on the dash just pop out with a flat head screw driver

The door comes apart by first removing the two screws where the handle is that you would use to pull the door closed. Then remove the reflector to show another screw. Then pull out the handle, and the plastic piece behind the handle that literally opens the door (you will have to finesse these pieces out) and the rest of the door will come off by pulling on the sides and bottom til you hear each "pop" noise from the white tabs that hold the skin to the door. Then the top comes off by pushing the door skin up.

The trim around the doors is simple, as well as the back panels (if you own a 2 door). For the trim, remove the five phillips head screws in the bottom piece, and remove the one that is way up front by where your feet go. Pull this piece up and out. Then you can grab the top 1/2 of the trim, and pull it away from the frame. It's plastic, but it's flexible... you'll see what I mean... just be careful not to break any clips

For the back panels, you need to remove the seat first. The bottom seat comes out by removing the two bolts on either side of where it connects to the carpeting on the floor. You'll have to push the seat out of the way to see these, but they are there. Then that will come out. For the top, you will need a t51 or t52 (don't remember) star patterned socket to undo the rear seatbelt bolts. Then just push up on the seat backing and it should just pop out. Once that is done, there is one phillips head screw towards the back of the panels where the seatbelts are hooked up... remove that and then pull the panels away from the frame of the car and bam

I've done this so much that I can have an entirely stripped interior of a ga in less than 10 minutes. Make mental notes of what screws went where, although most of them are different so you shouldn't have too much of a problem

[kbotk143]

:lol: I see gus pretty much got you covered. if you got and auto and you want to paint the center console the n follow the guide but you have to put the gar in the lowest gear at the very rear of the shifter.(for a PRND321, its gonna be 1) the palet that holds the boot seperates...also the parking brake has to be engaged.

to gus: WOW TEN MINUTES!?! the power of the stach' prevails again... it usually takes me about 10 just for the dash and parts and about 5 minutes per door. lol

[Sweet98GA]

Well, I may be fibbing a tiny bit :) lol

I'd say 15-20min for a complete strip of a STOCK car. (alls you need is a phillips head, flat head 13mm for the seat nuts, a 10mm for the rear seat bolts (may be 11mm?) and a t-51 or 52 for the seatbelt bolts under the rear seat). Granted I've done complete strips & put backs 4 or 5 times in my own car... I mean, once you know every trick and short cut it's a cake walk

I'm in under 10 now because I don't have an unbroken vent (I purposely snapped one clip on each vent so they go right in and out), I don't put the 4 screws back in the dash/console, I only put the two in the cup holders for the center console, I don't have back seats and I don't put all 5 screws back in the door trim on either side, nor do I screw in the back panels

Now this has all since changed since I had the entire interior reworked and smoothed... now I gotta be super careful when doing anything so I don't scratch or chip the paint

[ChrisGAGT1996]

Thx Gus thats alot of help.

btw How much did the AED kit cost ya?