Question: Protective film on dash, original or not

[acoen]

Hi guys,

I just purchase a 1986 GN original and factory stock with 62k miles and extremly clean and very orginal (down to the shocks). The original owner was meticulous regarding keeping it in top condition. This is my second TR, but on this one I noticed that the black applique on the dash looked like it had a frosted, translucent film over the top of it. After close inspection I noticed a small portion was starting to peel away. Thinking it was a protective film (which it was), I peeled it off, exposing a perfectly preserved applique (every one). Not sure if it is the original applique or not (I believe it is), but it turned out to be a pretty cool bonus. My question is, have any of you experienced the plastic film over the applique? I have heard of guys, talking about the plastic still on the dash, is this what they are talking about? I Should have left it alone, but I wanted to see what was underneath.

You guys may not think is is a big deal, but it made my day. The more I find out about this car the more I love it.

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[turbofrank]

You should have left it alone. Mine is still there yes its original

 

[Gary Wells]

FWIW & IMHO:
Aaron:
I see no reason that you should have left it on. It seems to be an
individual preference thing. I leave mine on but have no idea why.
You probably will pick up more scratches that show in the plastic itself than compared to the plastic protective layer, where scratches won't show due to its hazy appearance. Just a guess, and not necessarily an educatedby experience one.
Enjoy the car.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

My GN still had it on when I bought it. I took it off and didn't think twice about doing it. I'm glad the original owner left it on for me.

If mine ever pick up any scratches I know where to get the individual replacement pieces.

 

[TurboRegal84]

Still have it all on the GNX...

 

[acoen]

I guess I have mixed thoughts on it, I thought it was a protective film and probably should have left it alone. Although the film was original and added to the car's originality, I sure like the way it looks now. As I have mentioned before, the more I get into this car the more I love it. The original owner really took good care of the car. On average the owner changed the oil at around 2400 mile intervals. Sometimes as low as 1500 miles. Hard to believe it has 62k miles on it.

Gary, I would say that it is just as clean as my WE4 was, maybe just a little better in some ways.

Herb, regarding your 84' TR....."Totaled by a church bus!" I think we need to hear a little more about that story. Sorry for your loss. Hijacking my own post....what is the world coming to.

Thanks for all of the responses.

 

[toofastforyou]

Clear film reply...

The clear film on the black dash pieces were protection applied to protect the finish of the dash while the car was still being built at the factory. It was supposed to be removed by the dealer before delivery to the original buyer, which was part of the ''pre-delivery inspection''. I am positive about this as I used to work at a GM dealer back then and we were removing them...
I think it doesn't look nice if you leave it on, and definitely should be removed...

Claude

 

[salvageV6]

I agree with Claude.

See the customer service thread for details.

After 18 years they must look pretty cheesy on there.

 

[acoen]

Cheesy is right! They just didn't look quite right, bubbles and frosted in color. It wasn't long after I bought the car, I figured it may be a protective film. I have never seen it on a car before.

 

[TurboRegal84]

Originally posted by acoen

Herb, regarding your 84' TR....."Totaled by a church bus!" I think we need to hear a little more about that story. Sorry for your loss. Hijacking my own post....what is the world coming to.

The Van/Bus made an illegal turn across my lane, and never had a chance to react. This is what a 40MPH accident looks like in a GN! :

 

[JoyOf6]

Yeah, when I was taking a spin with the salesman to get a fill-up during "delivery" of my GN, he quickly peeling away the plastic film on the dash. I thought he was just displaying OCD and as a byproduct depriving me of the choice to peel or not to peel. Hearing now that it was an item for pre-delivery (although obviously not all cars were peeled) requires me to remove this from the list of things that I didn't like about this guy's behavior... nahh, he still should have asked.

 

[TurboV6Sonoma]

Mine is still on my car also, And I dont plan on removing mine.

 

[Warp Six]

The film was still on mine when I bought the car in 1997 and I peeled it off. Most came off fine, but some had become stuck and left marks on the applique.

I understand folks wanting to leave it on to preserve the plastic, but I'd rather look at the nice shiny black appliques instead of that cloudy film. Some cars leave the factory with protective film over the hood and bumpers these days... if the dealer didn't remove it, you wouldn't leave that on, wouldja?

Besides, they make plastic polish.

 

[bishir]

Mine had the film and plastic on the seats. I look at it like this.... Would you leave plastic on your living room furniture or lampshades at home? Me either... Then again, my grandparents do but I always made fun of that. LOL

If you were buying your furniture to sell you'd leave it on though. So if you buy your GN to make money leave it on, otherwise, remove that crap.

 

[troGNman]

It's one of those things that if your not looking for it, you don't see it.

My '86 GN had it. I think I realized that there was a protective coating on the radio/heater surround as it was getting nicked up a bit. I peeled the tape off and it was like brand new condition....even with 230K on the clock!

The protective tape on the GNX dash is blatantly obvious as it has a bold orange check pattern. It just screams "Remove me NOW"!