'66 Charger New Interior Thread

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 06:38:48 PM

I have been slowly been working on my Charger since I got it last February. One of my favorite parts of the 1st gen cars is the very unique interior. Mine was in desperate need of a re-do so I figured it was time now. I started this thread on the 66-67 Charger site but figured maybe some others may be able to get something out of it since there are some 1st gen fans here too. I thought it might be a fun project since I can take the seats out and put them up on a bench where they would be at a comfortable working height. This is what I started with...

Well, as Murphy would have it, after I got the seats and carpet removed there was some rust (of course) in the floors that I didn't count on. Fortunately it was just mainly perforations here and there and generally grouped in common areas so I could fix each area by removing a bigger section...

First I cut a cardboard template to fit...

The electric shears make quick work of what would be agonizing hours of cutting with tin snips..

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 06:40:59 PM

I don't own a bead roller but I was able to make a factory(ish) looking patch panel using a method inspired by a thread on the H.A.M.B., but changed it up a bit. I cut a piece of square tubing to use as sort of a die to bend around a piece of 1/4" rod taped on the metal...

After much trimming and fitting I tacked it in...

Then filled the weld all around...

I continued on with the rest of the patches and hope to finish this part of it by this weekend. Then I can get back to square-one and start on the original plan. Gibber thoughtfully located a new dash pad for me from PG Classic Restoration so I hope to get that soon (apparently currently held up at Customs...)

In the meantime, this is what my nice organized shop looks like now...

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 06:48:54 PM

My new dash pad finally came in, but it was black, so I used some of Herb's interior paint to change the color.

Here's the old one

...and the new

I also painted the front and rear console arm rests. Here's the front

...and the completed dash. That paint works really well.

Also the floor is finished & painted. It's a little glossier than I would have liked but it will work...

Now I can start with the new carpet, seat covers and re-doing the console.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 06:54:09 PM

Well, I got lucky and picked up these rear and quarter sail panels locally very cheap and in great condition (both driver and passenger side).

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 06:56:57 PM

One had a mounting ear partially broken off so I grafted a piece from the old one.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:07:10 PM

After I fiberglassed it in and smoothed it out, I painted it (and the rest too). From a distance it's hard to see the repair. The color in the photo is a little off, but it matches everything else pretty well.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:09:53 PM

I also painted the console and the black part on the plates and cleaned up the chrome as best I could. There's still some pitting showing but it will have to do.

I purchased some brushed aluminum from work and made new inserts. They don't match the grain of the originals exactly but it still looks better than it did. The big hole on the driver's side of the front console gets covered by the 4 speed hump.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:11:53 PM

I got the carpet installed on the interior panels and I made a new interior divider trunk door as the old one was in real bad shape. My buddy gave me a sheet of 5/8" PVC sheet. It made a perfect alternative to plywood for the new divider. I transferred the latches and the threaded inserts from the old door and intalled the carpet and trim, and painted the trunk side flat black. Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of it finished out of the car but it turned out nice.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:13:21 PM

The fit of some of the carpet pieces weren't too good. An example is the door panel. The piece was about 3/8" too long and I had to wrap the finished vinyl edging of the front end around the back of the panel with the rear end lined up properly. I'm not doing a concours restoration and I'm not that picky, but for a nice resto, I would remove the trim, cut down the piece and sew it back on in the correct location.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:16:27 PM

The fit of the ones for the rear passenger panels is pretty good. No complaints there. But the ones for the very rear wing panels was fair. There is a finished sewn edge that's supposed to match up along the top and front edge where it meets the rear passenger panel. The shape was way off so I had to move it forward and tuck it under the rear part of the passenger panel. Fortunately they left enough material length so I could do it. Again, I'm not too picky and I was able to make it look good enough for me.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:31:04 PM

The carpet, console and rear panels are in. I'm happy with the way the panels and console turned out, but the carpet did not lay down like I had hoped. There are a few stubborn wrinkles and spots that don't conform well. I used spray adhesive in some places and it helped but...hopefully it will flatten out with time.

The worst spot is under the vinyl pad below the pedals. The factory didn't put enough adhesive between the jute and vinyl pad and it's separated, causing raised bubbles. I took the jute off and tried to re-adhere it but it won't stay. It shouldn't really show because I use floor mats, but still.

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 07:35:31 PM

More. I plan on starting to re-cover the seats this weekend. I'll post pics as I go along. I expect it to take a few weekends as this will be my first stab at it. All helpful suggestions welcome!

Brock Samson · March 11, 2011, 08:09:36 PM

I very much like the interiors of the first gens, we don't ever see enough of them, i guess the 1st. Gen. site syphons them off over there.. I appreciate the work you did and the extra work needed to properly do a 1st as they really are quite complex. Thanks for sharing and putting such good pics up..

Looks Great so far, love to see it all together!

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 08:45:58 PM

Thanks! I really enjoy doing this type of work, though it can be frustrating at times because the interior parts are scarce and VERY expensive.

It will all be worth it when it's done though...

BIGBLCK11 · March 11, 2011, 08:49:43 PM

Great Job! I love those interiors too. Nice looking 1st gen.

(I like the steering wheel too, I have the same one to put in my 70)

Brock Samson · March 11, 2011, 08:53:23 PM

charger Steve has one too.. i kept thinking they were corvette wheels...

bobs66440 · March 11, 2011, 08:58:26 PM

It's a pretty nice quality Grant wheel, sort of like a generic nostalgia look. I got it on ebay...really not too expensive, aroung 100 bucks. The original wheels for these cars are nice but crazy money.

I had the same style in my '70 Mustang but with holes in the spokes instead of slots. It looked perfect for that but wrong for a Mopar. These are a good fit.

ODZKing · March 12, 2011, 12:49:22 AM

Really nice. You're doing well!

Nacho-RT74 · March 12, 2011, 11:52:46 AM

DAMN A GREAT JOB!

A383Wing · March 12, 2011, 02:17:31 PM

Uh...yer "go" pedal is still missing....probably under all that carpet

Bryan

bobs66440 · March 12, 2011, 04:09:58 PM

Quote from: ODZKing on March 12, 2011, 12:49:22 AM
Really nice. You're doing well!

Quote from: Nacho-RT74 on March 12, 2011, 11:52:46 AM
DAMN A GREAT JOB!

Thanks!

bobs66440 · March 12, 2011, 04:16:07 PM

Quote from: A383Wing on March 12, 2011, 02:17:31 PM
Uh...yer "go" pedal is still missing....probably under all that carpet

Bryan

jaak · March 12, 2011, 05:28:41 PM

Looks great!

Keep up the good work,
Jason

tan top · March 12, 2011, 06:33:55 PM

nice job on the interior

looks real good

Ghoste · March 12, 2011, 09:08:38 PM

Very nice, I agree on the unique interior thing. I redid the seats on my 67 a few years ago and I still can't get over what a difference it makes. Seeing as I only did afraction of what you are doing your results should be stellar.

bobs66440 · March 14, 2011, 06:29:35 AM

I started re-covering the seats and it went surprisingly well. I began with the rears as I think they are the easiest and good to learn on. Most of the time was spent slowly taking them apart and learning how they are put together.

Once I figured it out it went pretty fast. The only real issue I had was on the seat backs. The fit was really tight in one spot and the seam began to tear as I was stretching it over. I tried applying some heat to the area but it didn't really help. I think the covers were stitched just a tad too small. Fortunately it's hidden so it doesn't matter. Otherwise I think the fit is excellent.

One major help was that the foam on the bottoms and the cloth for the backs were in near pristine condition, so all I had to do was put the covers on and I was done. I won't get that lucky with the front seats. Those I will tackle today.

Also, a tip I learned was to put a trash bag over the foam before the cover so it slides on easy. That was a huge help!

bobs66440 · March 14, 2011, 06:30:55 AM

More

67440chrg · March 15, 2011, 04:32:12 PM

Your interior is looking great. When I get all my mechanical bugs worked out I am going to start saving for carpet and seat covers. As good as yours is looking it is going to inspire me to buckle down and save.

bobs66440 · March 15, 2011, 05:49:45 PM

Thanks! I appreciate it!

bobs66440 · March 15, 2011, 06:14:21 PM

I started to do the front seats. First I took one of the bottoms apart...easy enough.

Then I prepared the new foam for the fabric strips inside the cover that have to be pulled down and hog-ringed to the springs, creating the contours...easy enough.

Then I installed the new burlap on the frame...easy enough.

Then I began installing the new foam and cover on the frame...that's precisely when the whole thing went horribly wrong. No amount of pulling, squeezing, twisting, yanking, stretching, cursing or swearing would get this thing on there. I wrestled with it for about an hour with nothing to show for it except a bunch of cuts and puncture wounds...and blood. I used the methods suggested by others that have done it before, but no luck. Took a break, came back at it and it just kicked my a** again.

There has got to be a trick to this that I am missing. The whole problem is getting those fabric strips pulled to the springs. There is just no way I can see to do it.

So I loaded the remaining seat into the back of my truck and drove it to the interior shop in town for an estimate. Expecting a crazy number, he said "$250.00 for both seats." SOLD! So I drove back home, loaded everything and brought it back to him. He said it will be about a week.

It really upsets me that I failed at the very end of this project as I was determined to do the whole thing myself. But I know when I'm licked and I'll let a pro fight this battle. In the meantime I will install the rear seats and repaint & carpet the front seat panels.

Big Sugar · March 15, 2011, 09:48:34 PM

LOL Bob I can feel your pain, I had mine sent out as well, Did you try laying them out in the sun ?

Oh yeah....What flippin Sun

Ron

moparheater · March 15, 2011, 11:22:57 PM

Looking good! Wish I had some after pictures, got plenty of before pictures!

67440chrg · March 16, 2011, 04:02:48 PM

Dont feel bad I have heard the reason the pros take several days every time is that they stretch the covers. $250.00 sounds like a fair deal to me. Keep up the good work.

bobs66440 · March 16, 2011, 04:29:06 PM

Thanks guys!

I got the rear seats installed and it went a lot easier than I thought it would. I also started the engine and ran it for a while (first time in months). The oil is really dirty so an oil change is in order.

I am hopefully getting the front seats back from the trim shop this week so it should be ready to go in a couple of weeks!

bobs66440 · April 02, 2011, 07:59:27 PM

I finally got the seats back from the trim shop and they look GREAT!

I will try to get them installed tomorrow and post some pics when it's all done.

A383Wing · April 02, 2011, 08:30:06 PM

it's tomorrow somewhere...get off the 'puter, and yer ass...and get busy....we ain't getting any younger waitin' around for you

done yet??

bobs66440 · April 09, 2011, 11:02:22 AM

The interior is finally done, with the exception of the diver's door panel. Here are some shots while I had it outside washing it for the first time of the season. Hoping to go on our weekly cruise tomorrow if the weather cooperates!

440 · April 09, 2011, 11:17:16 AM

All I can say is wow that's a cool interior. Well though out design and quite functional but expensive to restore I bet.

A question or two - How well did the Herbs paint match the original and how's it holding up so far? I know you don't have much time on it but please do let us know.

bobs66440 · April 09, 2011, 11:33:29 AM

Quote from: 440 on April 09, 2011, 11:17:16 AM
All I can say is wow that's a cool interior. Well though out design and quite functional but expensive to restore I bet.

A question or two - How well did the Herbs paint match the original and how's it holding up so far? I know you don't have much time on it but please do let us know.

Thanks for the comments! I LOVE this interior...it's my favorite part of the car. But yes, VERY expensive to restore if you are missing pieces. The Herb's paint is a near exact match to what was original (in this car anyway). The only thing is that it took a lot more coats to cover than I expected (when painting over darker colors) so I had to order more cans to finish. I used about 7 cans total. As you mentioned, I don't have much time with it so it's hard to comment on the durability, but if there are any issues I will post them up.

67440chrg · April 11, 2011, 07:11:04 PM

Oh Man! It looks great! Everything turned out perfect.Now that you are up on 1st gen interiors come on over and we will do mine next. You do work for beer & food right? Mine is not a total wreck but someone in the past had died the seats from white to black. It came with black interior but it must have ben changed and died so I put armerall on them and the die started comeing off.

bobs66440 · April 13, 2011, 06:12:18 PM

Hi, thanks!

Sure, drive it by, I'll help you!

Probably the best thing to do with the seats is to strip the dye off with lacquer thinner or acetone. Mineral spirits may also work. Test a small area out of sight before doing it to make sure you don't ruin the vinyl. Then use a good quality dye to re-color them.

440 · April 13, 2011, 08:37:23 PM

I just noticed something. Whats with the belt between the rear arm rest and window crank?

A383Wing · April 13, 2011, 08:54:42 PM

Quote from: 440 on April 13, 2011, 08:37:23 PM
I just noticed something. Whats with the belt between the rear arm rest and window crank?

shoulder belt assembly for the front seat driver & passenger

440 · April 13, 2011, 08:58:33 PM

Am I missing something? It seems to be at an unusual height

bobs66440 · April 13, 2011, 09:42:09 PM

I retrofitted aftermarket 3-point harnesses in this car, as I have in others, and that was what I felt was the best location based on the available space on the inner panel to locate the plate for the pivot. It is lower than optimal (it should be at approx shoulder height or just above) but it lays well across my chest and is very comfortable.

Here's the thread I posted on the 66-67 Charger site that illustrates the install if you want more info

http://66-67charger.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=104366&page=1

Paul G · April 24, 2011, 11:02:47 AM

You did a fantastic job! It just amazes me how regular guys can do proffesional looking work, or even better. I have seen work people paid good money for that doesnt look this good.

bobs66440 · April 24, 2011, 05:57:21 PM

Thanks. It means a lot.

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'66 Charger New Interior Thread