Still continuing on the interior.

To make a long story short, I had to re-order a new carpet kit from another source. I am not happy with the treatment (if you can call it that) I received from the first place. Thank goodness there was no money lost, just time. Therefore as I wait (probably another three or four weeks for it to arrive from the UK), I continued working on the interior.

I received a request to post a picture of the new trunk (boot) side panels that were cut out of Masonite. Here is what they first looked like.

After they were painted a light gray like the original color, they were installed in place.

Notice the three screws that secure them to the side wall. Yes, I know I will have to do a bit of touch up where they got scraped.

I decided to just go ahead and carpet the trunk (boot) floor. We went to Home Depot and got a nice medium gray indoor/outdoor piece. It is not original but at least it is much better than the original fabric!!

Looks nice! I like the contrast of the light sides and medium gray carpet.

The trunk/boot compartment is almost done!! Just need to install the new rear seat backing panel.

As I was still poking around in my cellar I found the original carpet stay strips which get screwed into the door sill. The top one needs to be replaced but the bottom one is good.

And I also found the battery cables and solenoid/starter cable. They came from the parts car and are way too long…obvious replacements.

I also took the back cushion of the rear seat to the upholstery shop to have it restored. It will take about a week for them to redo it. Meanwhile, I will keep plugging along this week.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Continuing on the interior.

This week I proceeded to continue where things were left off last week.

I used the old crusty, smelly interior panels as a template to cut out new ones from Masonite for the trunk (boot). The left side came out nice if I can brag a bit here.

As did the right panel. And the trunk floor panel was also painted. This top side is primed only and the underside is black. We decided to err on historic colors and go with a medium gray for the carpet as the original fabric was gray. The panels will also get painted gray as the originals were.

The new rear seat backing panel was cut out using the original as a template. Afterward, the side shown here on the new one (bottom) was painted black.

As I was cleaning up the cellar where all the parts are stored, I came across the  original headliner. The fabric is dirty but in great shape.

But the padding is just plain nasty!! It will obviously have to be replaced.

I also broke down and bought a DieHard 50452 (formerly 30052) battery. It fills up the void there nicely. Next come the cables.

I also tried two methods to clean the seats. The one on the left was cleaned with straight Simple Green, and the right one was done with the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. The right one is much better, although it took much more elbow grease!!

I will continue on this week as progress is good and steady now.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Working on the interior.

I could not procrastinate any longer. It was time to start gathering the interior parts together to work on them.

I trimmed the rear shelf panel down to size. There was no need to start from scratch as I first thought. Now it fits nicely.

I set the original rear seat backing in place. Part of it (on the right of the picture) was ruined when it was removed from the parts car. I will need to make a new one out of masonite.

The fabric was removed from the original trunk (boot) panel so I could use it as a template to make the new one. The fabric was quite disgusting!!

 

I used 3/8” BP/TS 4 ply plywood as the new floor. The whole thing will be primed but only the bottom side will be painted (black) since carpeting will be applied on top.

Then I will have to drill it to re-apply these little hole thingies after I clean them up.

I put the back seat together to inspect it. The bottom cushion is dirty, yet overall it is in great condition…

…but the back needs a lot of work.

I will be continuing on the interior work this week. It is different and a nice change from the mechanical stuff I have been doing.

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy

Interior assessment.

I decided to take the plunge and order a carpet set instead of fiddling with scrap pieces to make my own. It is more economical for me to do so. In the meantime as I wait, I need to see what else needs to be done on the interior components.

The trunk (boot) floor is terrible and un-restorable. Therefore, I will be getting some 3/8” plywood and fabricating a new one. I would like to finish it with black or red or gray carpet. We will make our decision later.

The rear shelf panel is just as bad, if not worse!! The fiberboard is no longer in one piece as it is crumbling. And the vinyl…well, it is beyond description!

I will either be getting some masonite to make a new one, or using this one and trimming it to size if it fits. I will be putting vinyl on it and painting it gray.

I also inspected the inner rear molded fiberboard panels. As the picture shows, they are rotten also! These are no longer made and finding replacements is impossible. I have to figure something out.

The front seats are not perfect but they are reusable. YEAY, some good news!!

The frame rails just need a quick sanding and painting. The adjuster works and here comes the obvious...but it needs lubricating.

I am going to try cleaning the grundgy vinyl with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to see if it does any good.

The dashboard is still not completed but I decided to move on for right now. Stalling only makes me bored and ornery!

Thanks for visiting.

Toddy