Not your average interior swap
08-04-2011, 08:18 PM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
Not your average interior swap
This thread has been long overdue. I actually started swapping my interior from parchment to black 2 years ago. I got it mostly done, but things got in the way of the interior and whole car, to be honest. So, I spent my vacation trying to catch up on this and other mods. Here is a quick crash course on what has been done so far:
My car started out as Green w/parchment interior. Kind of like Fink, or Stangant's car. I never really cared for the tan interior. (I know it's not tan, but I'm gonna call it tan from here forward). I didn't like the tan because it got dirty so easy, plus I don't like anything that lightens up the look of my cars. I like sinister, so the tan has to go. I've seen quite a few threads where people just bought a full interior and swapped it in.....
This was not an option for me. Mostly because I didn't have a garage and full complement of tools. Secondly, I couldn't have any down time to speak of because my Stang was my DD at the time. So, I did the best thing I could do which was swap out a piece at a time and live with it. So, here is/was my frankenpaint interior.
I am missing my console because I had decided to go to a hammer shifter at that point. I am missing my door panels because I had just done my radio/speakers. I put black seat covers on to make me feel like I was sitting on black seats, but they just never "did it" for me.
So, it was finally time to start stripping the car to swap in the goodies I had gotten.
I had to run around with it stripped like this for quite a while. In fact I got quite used to it. Sure it's noisy, sure it's warm under your feet, but it does put you more in touch with a true driving experience.
Then I decided to tear down my headliner.
I did that mostly because I wanted to do some wiring. I know I could have left it up there, but I figured it would make it easier for the extensive wiring I had planned, plus I don't do things half-assed. If I'm gonna swap interiors, that means headliner too!!!!!
So, during this time I got used to my car being stripped down. I could actually FEEL the difference in acceleration. Not huge, but a noticeable difference. So, at that point and time, I decided that I wasn't going to put carpet back in. That and the outrageous shipping cost for carpet. Once I had made that decision, I figured I might try and jazz it up a little bit. Here is me testing black or silver spray paint to see which one looks best.
I decided the black looked better to me, but I had worries about durability. Plus I didn't want to be cranking my neck underneath the dash repainting the thing every weekend. So, I thought on it for a while and had an epiphany, why not rhino line it???? I know the stuff is durable, but I just wasn't sure about weight. After looking into it, I found out I could control the amount used. So, I forged ahead with that and even ended up with a great beer cooler in the process. Here is a thread I did about it:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/v6-g...-projects.html
Once I got that done, I put my seats in and went about my business. Every day I drove the car and the dashboard drove me crazy. I really wanted it black, but didn't have the resources to make it so. I started poking around the idea of dying it black. I didn't get a ton of info, but I did get some. Here is a thread about it:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/v6-1...r-used-it.html
Well, I kept digging for info and eventually I came across this stuff called SEM colorcoat. It is a polymer dye. It stays flexible, but it is very resilient to stains/breaks/tears, you name it. So, I spent a few days tracking it down and ended up paying 25 dollars a can, plus another 20 for the prep solution. I could have made it work with one can, but I picked up a second due to scarcity in my area. Total cost to me, 70 bucks plus change vs. 200 or so shipped for a dashboard, not counting the down-time. And the risk of not being able to put all the wires back where they came from.
So, I committed to dying my dashboard and got ready for the weekend festivities.
I got all the extra goodies taken off and used the vinyl prep. I've never seen my dash cleaner!!!!
Then I got everything masked off and it was time to lay down some spray. Notice at this point I have taken advantage of not having a headliner and added a navigation/homelink mirror. Which I will cover in another thread.
A couple more coats:
The end result turned out great!!!!! Here I am comparing the factory AC vents and bezel surround to my dyed dash. I decided to buy black interior pieces for the parts that would be getting touched frequently. Like the glove box, console, etc. because I had doubts the colorcoat would hold up.
My doubts were for nothing though!!!! The colorcoat has held up great now for 2 years. But, I got the black trim pieces for basically free, so no big deal.
My car started out as Green w/parchment interior. Kind of like Fink, or Stangant's car. I never really cared for the tan interior. (I know it's not tan, but I'm gonna call it tan from here forward). I didn't like the tan because it got dirty so easy, plus I don't like anything that lightens up the look of my cars. I like sinister, so the tan has to go. I've seen quite a few threads where people just bought a full interior and swapped it in.....
This was not an option for me. Mostly because I didn't have a garage and full complement of tools. Secondly, I couldn't have any down time to speak of because my Stang was my DD at the time. So, I did the best thing I could do which was swap out a piece at a time and live with it. So, here is/was my frankenpaint interior.
I am missing my console because I had decided to go to a hammer shifter at that point. I am missing my door panels because I had just done my radio/speakers. I put black seat covers on to make me feel like I was sitting on black seats, but they just never "did it" for me.
So, it was finally time to start stripping the car to swap in the goodies I had gotten.
I had to run around with it stripped like this for quite a while. In fact I got quite used to it. Sure it's noisy, sure it's warm under your feet, but it does put you more in touch with a true driving experience.
Then I decided to tear down my headliner.
I did that mostly because I wanted to do some wiring. I know I could have left it up there, but I figured it would make it easier for the extensive wiring I had planned, plus I don't do things half-assed. If I'm gonna swap interiors, that means headliner too!!!!!
So, during this time I got used to my car being stripped down. I could actually FEEL the difference in acceleration. Not huge, but a noticeable difference. So, at that point and time, I decided that I wasn't going to put carpet back in. That and the outrageous shipping cost for carpet. Once I had made that decision, I figured I might try and jazz it up a little bit. Here is me testing black or silver spray paint to see which one looks best.
I decided the black looked better to me, but I had worries about durability. Plus I didn't want to be cranking my neck underneath the dash repainting the thing every weekend. So, I thought on it for a while and had an epiphany, why not rhino line it???? I know the stuff is durable, but I just wasn't sure about weight. After looking into it, I found out I could control the amount used. So, I forged ahead with that and even ended up with a great beer cooler in the process. Here is a thread I did about it:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/v6-g...-projects.html
Once I got that done, I put my seats in and went about my business. Every day I drove the car and the dashboard drove me crazy. I really wanted it black, but didn't have the resources to make it so. I started poking around the idea of dying it black. I didn't get a ton of info, but I did get some. Here is a thread about it:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/v6-1...r-used-it.html
Well, I kept digging for info and eventually I came across this stuff called SEM colorcoat. It is a polymer dye. It stays flexible, but it is very resilient to stains/breaks/tears, you name it. So, I spent a few days tracking it down and ended up paying 25 dollars a can, plus another 20 for the prep solution. I could have made it work with one can, but I picked up a second due to scarcity in my area. Total cost to me, 70 bucks plus change vs. 200 or so shipped for a dashboard, not counting the down-time. And the risk of not being able to put all the wires back where they came from.
So, I committed to dying my dashboard and got ready for the weekend festivities.
I got all the extra goodies taken off and used the vinyl prep. I've never seen my dash cleaner!!!!
Then I got everything masked off and it was time to lay down some spray. Notice at this point I have taken advantage of not having a headliner and added a navigation/homelink mirror. Which I will cover in another thread.
A couple more coats:
The end result turned out great!!!!! Here I am comparing the factory AC vents and bezel surround to my dyed dash. I decided to buy black interior pieces for the parts that would be getting touched frequently. Like the glove box, console, etc. because I had doubts the colorcoat would hold up.
My doubts were for nothing though!!!! The colorcoat has held up great now for 2 years. But, I got the black trim pieces for basically free, so no big deal.
08-04-2011, 09:07 PM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: TN
Posts: 1,626
Damn man you are determined and unstoppable. I didn't even know half the stuff you did COULD be done. It looks so much better than before you started. I'm amazed. Nice work man. I agree with you on a darker inside. Mine is silver and black. I thought about replacing it but turns out I love the contrast. But Im like you...no garage and very limited tools. Great job man. Plz keep this updated.
08-05-2011, 08:17 AM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
Damn man you are determined and unstoppable. I didn't even know half the stuff you did COULD be done. It looks so much better than before you started. I'm amazed. Nice work man. I agree with you on a darker inside. Mine is silver and black. I thought about replacing it but turns out I love the contrast. But Im like you...no garage and very limited tools. Great job man. Plz keep this updated.
Keep on complimenting me like that and we are gonna be involved in a full-on Bromance!!!!
Ha ha.
Seriously though, thanks a lot for the encouragement. I have always been a car tuner, even before I knew that was what I was doing. I always ran into problems and issues like unavailable or not for this model. I developed a real DIY attitude and was never afraid to challenge myself to find a solution outside conventional car thinking. I've made intakes out of house AC ducting, all kinds of crazy stuff. With all the work you have done to your car, I'm sure I could learn a thing or two from you. I dig the color scheme on your car. Are you saying your interior is silver/black two-tone? If so, that is awesome. I decided to go silver/black on my entire car years ago. I just started with the interior though. Body comes somewhat later. But that is a whole 'nother thread......
Last edited by mustang99v6; 08-05-2011 at 08:30 AM.
08-05-2011, 08:56 AM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
As I continued on with the swap, I did some more wiring. My want list was: interior LEDs, compass/nav mirror. My girlfriends want list: Lighted visor mirrors so she can put on makeup...
Not too bad of a request, so I figured I would let her have this one. I draw the line at Hello Kitty air fresheners on her side though!!!!!!
So, I procured a set of black lighted mirrors. Driver & pass., from a '98 cobra I believe. So, they get here, and the plug is different...... Great.
Well, I'm no electrical genius, but I have picked up a few things here and there. So, I pull out the multimeter, a few continuity checks later, and I realize the 2nd wire is just a ground. No prob, I ground it. Voila!!! let there be nighttime club makeup applied whilst I wait, and wait, and wait......
All that for what? I'm just gonna stare at her *** all night. But, oh well, whatever makes her support my car hobby. Next, on to the ratchet.
Got my box full 'o' goodies and dumped 'em out.
I started doing some test fitting and what not. I didn't have my black surround yet, so I had to use my old one. I did break down and buy a billet shifter surround though. I had bought quite a few bits and pieces, but I held out on that one piece due to cost. Nobody sells their used billet, so you generally get stuck paying full price. But since I got the hammer, I figured I just had to complete the look.
The OD lock-out button was a tight fit against the billet, but it just squeezed in there.
Not too bad of a request, so I figured I would let her have this one. I draw the line at Hello Kitty air fresheners on her side though!!!!!!
So, I procured a set of black lighted mirrors. Driver & pass., from a '98 cobra I believe. So, they get here, and the plug is different...... Great.
Well, I'm no electrical genius, but I have picked up a few things here and there. So, I pull out the multimeter, a few continuity checks later, and I realize the 2nd wire is just a ground. No prob, I ground it. Voila!!! let there be nighttime club makeup applied whilst I wait, and wait, and wait......
All that for what? I'm just gonna stare at her *** all night. But, oh well, whatever makes her support my car hobby. Next, on to the ratchet.
Got my box full 'o' goodies and dumped 'em out.
I started doing some test fitting and what not. I didn't have my black surround yet, so I had to use my old one. I did break down and buy a billet shifter surround though. I had bought quite a few bits and pieces, but I held out on that one piece due to cost. Nobody sells their used billet, so you generally get stuck paying full price. But since I got the hammer, I figured I just had to complete the look.
The OD lock-out button was a tight fit against the billet, but it just squeezed in there.
08-05-2011, 10:38 AM
#8
looks good, i did this along time ago, but instead of paint i just repalced everything with black and charcoal and used the black dash out of sn95 with the clock so i could use it for other things. Still need to do my head liner with the material i bought for it. Instead of cloth it will be leather top.
08-05-2011, 01:51 PM
#9
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
looks good, i did this along time ago, but instead of paint i just repalced everything with black and charcoal and used the black dash out of sn95 with the clock so i could use it for other things. Still need to do my head liner with the material i bought for it. Instead of cloth it will be leather top.
Last edited by mustang99v6; 08-05-2011 at 01:53 PM.
08-05-2011, 01:59 PM
#10
The dash clock was going to be a hidden turbo timer or boost adjuster but since i am switching idk what i will do, i am just glad that it is there so my sct livewire wiring can go through the dash and i didn't have to drill the hole. As for the headliner I have the padding and then the liner to go down. That should help with all that but yea strong adhesive is required.
The only shots i have are from before it was done but it is close enough.
The only shots i have are from before it was done but it is close enough.
Last edited by stangant; 08-05-2011 at 02:05 PM.