2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Interior Restoration....

[EBottema]

Today, I decided to do something really productive and get my truck looking much better.



I bought my truck about 6 months ago from Oregon, its a 96 2500 5spd 4x4. I love the thing so far! But after being a work truck and family rig w/ little kids by the first owner for 160k miles, the interior needs some help. The driver seat needs some new padding and new side panel. The carpet is moldy from a water leak and destroyed by a bunch of slobs



So on Sunday, the mission started! I ripped all the seats out, rear ex cab door panels etc. The floor looks clean with no rust or prior repairs so I was very happy. I found where the water I think has been leaking from but now I need to find the leak. In the next few weeks I will be adding some Brown Bread insulation to the rear of the cab, floor, and rest of the cab. Tonight, i am buying some off ebay. The speakers will all be replaced with high quality aftermarket replacements and a brand new headunit with a CD player finally! Yah! Then I will be replacing the carpet with some good ole' rubber floor Now here comes my opinions, what to do with the seats. Now, I don't mind putting a few bucks in the trucks. I only paid almost 9k for it and its a great truck. I plan on keeping it forever, no joke. It wouldn't be worth selling such a great truck for beans with all the new junk out of the market :-laf

So I either redo the bottom drivers seat or get all the seats redone. I want a whole new look but I cannot decide what to do. Any suggestions or pics of your custom interiors. I'd like leather or vinyl but it might get too hot so I prob will stick with cloth seats. I would love to hear some suggestions, my current interior is gray and want to keep it that way but would love some heavy duty material. If the headliner doesnt clean up too, i will be replacing that... . Later on, i will post some pics of my cab shell, looks like a junkyard truck right now :{ :-laf



Goodnight,

erik

 

[RWhites]

Leather, Baby! My truck was a month old when my son and I went for a airplane ride with my "buddy". He decided to do some stalls and we had a grand time. BUT- on the way home my son pukes violently all over the front seat,dash and floor. I freaked out. :--) :--) :--) :--) Leather cleans great! You might think it gets hot or cold I will never have a cloth interior again.

Rich

 

[NHouse]

I would also go with leather just for that reason, we have leather in both our rigs because we have three little kids. I have seen some companies that sell leather seat covers on ebay. They aren't really covers as they replace the cloth. I have also recently seen full sets of seats from wrecked trucks that look pretty good and sell for reasonable prices too.



When mine was leaking I had to do the same thing... . pulled out the entire interior and spent a couple days with a hair dryer in the garage. My leak was on the right side rear cab corner. There is a plastic seam there where water would get in and run down the back wall of the cab.



Good luck, go with the leather!



Nick

 

[EBottema]

Slowly working around the regular priorities, waiting for the different stuff i ordered, school, etc, I will finally have my truck put all back together in a week or so... Here are some pictures.

Products I have used so far, B-quiet AKA brown bread, 3m undercoating, 3m rustfigther I, Pioneer 4 channel amp, Fosgate front & rear speakers, Pioneer head unit, redone driver seat bottom, conversion to rubber floor... .



I also had to weld the 3 spot welds on the inner door L braces on both sides. The floor had a 1. 5 inch crack next to the driver rear seat stud bracket. Nothing the millermatic could not take care of :-laf



Anyone like the custom aluminum tweeter mount where the factory infinity tweeter went ?



Here are some pics, more coming soon... .

 

[duaneparks]

Looks good Eric!



FWIW, Katzkin is a great quality product, and what these guys are saying about leather is true. I've had 2 trucks now with (DC's sucky) leather, and they do clean up easily. When it comes time to re-do my interior, I'm going the same route you are:



Sound deadening

New stereo/amp/speakers

Repairs if necessary

Rubber floor



and adding



Katzkin leather





Duane

 

[Got Smoke?]

Hey Eric, is the stuff on the floor the "brown bread" and the stuff on the back wall and side's 3M? I am planning on doing some of that later this summer. Would appreciate any tips.

 

[EBottema]

Thanks for the compliments guys, more pics coming soon!



Hey GS-



The Yellow stuff on parts of the floor is factory sound deadning cortesy of Dodge. The stuff of the rear cab, insides of cab sides, around speakers, insides of doors is Brown bread which is now called B-Quiet Ultimate. Those pics are old so I have recently done the floor also. Ill be posting prob 15 or so more pics this weekend so keep waiting... .



I bought this, I still have atleast 15sq feet left and if you wanted to, you could do a little more of the floors, and more on the front doors but it really is not needed... The extra stuff is going on the back of my dad's cab...

ebay auction for the bquiet

 

[MBrewer]

Eric – looks professional, and I’d say you’re experienced. Are you intending to recover the seats yourself? Looking forward to your next post.



Mike