Interiors

[Merle Coggins]

I got the headliner put in this weekend. It would have been easier with an extra set of hands, but I managed. I also got the rear cab panels installed. I wish it was 1 complete panel like the original, but I can see how this is easier to install.

I also got more of the floor insulation glued in place. The insulation pieces that they provided for the area of floor in front of the seat was two large pieces and one piece that covered the rear 2/3 of the trans cover plate. According to their instructions they have you cover it all and tape it up to be like one big panel. However, this would make it VERY difficult to remove any of the floor panels in the future if you needed to do any service work. So I cut out the various pieces individually and began gluing them down and taping them seperately. I now have the main floor section done, with the trap door for the battery still removeable. I also have the trans cover plate done. It was a little trickier because the front 1/3 of the insulation for it had to come from the piece that is supposed to cover the whole front section. Once I matched it all up and cut that piece out I was able to finish the trans cover plate.

I got one of the front floor pieces done, and I'm working on the other one, In the picture they are bolted together to help with the lay out. I've got a little more trimming to do on that last piece, then I can glue it down, tape it off, and I can put the floor back together. Then all I need is a good floor mat.

Merle

[BulldogTom]

How did the painting on the panels go? What type of paint did you use? Did you have to do any prep sanding or priming before painting? I looked at that web site and am thinking this could be a good thing for my son's truck.

Since the windows are out of the truck now, would you advise installing after the panels are installed? Was it an issue? Looks like a tight fit against the rear window.

Thanks, and sorry for all the questions.

[Merle Coggins]

Don't be sorry for trying to learn something. Ask away.

Quiet Ride suggested a SEM paint for the ABS plastic panels, but I couldn't get it in the color I wanted. I found Krylon Fusion paint for plastics and vinyls at my local hardware store in a color that looked much closer to what I wanted. They also had it in a Satin finish. That's what I used and so far I am happy with the results. All I did was wipe the panels down with lacquer thinner and let them dry completely, then sprayed on the paint. I found that the edge trim stayed tacky even though everything else was set and dry, but it didn't seem to cause any problems. Maybe it just feels different being a different type of material.

As for installing the rear panels before or after installing the glass, I can't comment on that. When it came time to install my glass I cheated and hired the glass company to do it. Putting the rear panels in place was actually not too bad. The lip on my molding was pliable enough to work it around and over the panel. My rubber moldings are new from Steele, so they are very easy to work with. The hardest one was the center section. I would think that having the panels in place before installing the glass would make that project more difficult. The panels would probably be in the way for installing the glass.

Merle

[Young Ed]

Merle I'm glad to hear its going well. I've been considering ordering a headliner for my 46 from them. Not quite as expensive as yours at 219 plus shipping.

[DanOlson]

Merle,

Interior is looking good. Can I ask a few questions about the construction of the headliner?

Is is ABS?

Are the pieces held together by some sort of binding?

Is the center seam covered with anything?

Does anything cover the seams on the 3 rear pieces?

Dan Olson

[Willis Pingel]

Merle, inside looks great,great,great. Now that you know what you're doing you can come and do mine. Please,Please,Please. Bill

[Merle Coggins]

I wouldn't say that I know what I'm doing, Bill, I'm just fumbling along as I go.

Dan, yes it is ABS plastic. The headliner is 4 pieces sewn together with a binding material. The two main overhead pieces have the binding material holding them together. It also allows the two panels to move side to side a little bit for allignment. However, I found that mine ended up being apart some at the front and tight together at the rear. This makes the binding flat, and looking nice, at the front but bunched up and sticking out at the back. The side panels are also attached to the main pieces in the same manner so that the binding material helps fill the gaps between the two pieces when installed.

The 3 rear pieces jsut fit together tightly enough to not need anything. However, where the center and left side pieces meet one of them doesn't want to lay exactly flat so that you can see between them to the silver insulation. I pulled them open enough to spray some of the brown paint back onto the insulation to help mask that issue. I wish the rear cab panels had been one piece like the original was, but I think this made installation easier.

Merle

[DanOlson]

Merle,

Thanks for the information. I'm going to attempt a hybrid version of the headliner. I bought Reg's patterns probably a year ago and headliner material when I did my seats. I have discovered that I have a local source for the ABS that is used for interiors. So I'm going to try my hand at covering the ABS with the fabric assuming I can get the patterns transferred and cut out.

It has been such a long cold winter and I'm really restless to get out and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Dan

[Reg Evans]

Better hurry and use those patterns Dan. I used ink that disappears in 12 months and 1 day;)

When I made mine I glued vinyl on upholstery board and then took them to an upholstery shop and had him stitch around the edges and add some piping. They are still holding up after over 13 years. I made this interior for a 50 Truck I had but removed it before I sold it to install in Old Yeller.

I made the door panels go all the way to the bottom of the door for more sound deadening.

[DanOlson]

I better check and see if they are still readable. I used the same pleated material I used on the seats, for the door and kick panels. It added a little cushion.

Dan

[Merle Coggins]

And now for another update.

This past weekend I finally got some more garage time, so I finished getting the floor insulation glued and tapped down, and got the floor all back together. Then to protect it for now I layed the cheap piece of indoor/outdoor carpet, that I made last year, back over the new insulation. Eventually I'll find some good floor mat material and make a "real' floor covering.

I also get the kick panels installed. I wanted to mount speakers in the kick panels to go along with my upcoming radio installation. I figured that the ABS panels would be a little weak to hold the speakers, so I made up some heavy sheet metal panels to go behind the ABS panels. I screwed the metal panels in, then put the ABS panels over the top. The speaker holes were cut through both panels and speakers mounted. It's good and solid, and thr first stage of havin' tunes.

Once I get the radio installed I'll put the seat back in and rehang the doors. Then I'll install the door panels and it'll be ready to roll again. :) Good thing, spring is almost here and I need to get the truck out of the garage so that I can get out my motorcycle and prep it for the riding season.

Merle

[grey beard]

Neat arm rest, Reg. What's it from?

[48Dodger]

Its all looking sa-weet Merle. Just curious....what kind of tunes are we talkin here? Are those 6" speakers gonna handle it all, or is there gonna be a pair of 12" monsters under the seat?

48D

[Merle Coggins]

Nothing elaborate Tim, I'm still running a 6V system. I have a 6 amp voltage convertor from Meyers Electronics http://www.pressenter.com/~cmeyer/MES612PG6A.html and it will be powering a basic 60 watt Kenwood connected to the two 5" speakers shown and another pair that will sit behind the seat. Currently the rear speakers are connected to my garage stereo. They are a pair of Pioneers that I had in a Plymouth Horizon way back when. Once that's done I'll have to find new tunes for the garage.

Merle

[Reg Evans]

Neat arm rest, Reg. What's it from?

Something like these Dave. Could have been similar vintage DPCD.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1949-1950-1951-PLYMOUTH-DODGE-DESOTO-CHRYSLER-ARM-RESTS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a13Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem370168005333QQitemZ370168005333QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[Merle Coggins]

Since my last post on this thread I've had further contact with Quite Rides. They emailed me again with an appology about dropping the ball on my earlier questions regarding the mistery pieces. They also sent me a file that showed that two of the mistery pieces are indeed the cab corners for cabs without corner glass. The other mistery piece is still a mistery. It seems that they got the patterns from someone wanting them to make up the interior for him, and since then I was the first sale on these. I offered some of my knowledge on our trucks and gave them a link to this thread. They thanked me for my input and said that the link to our forum really helped them understand our Dodge trucks. I also asked if it would be possible for them to make up new door panels, with the raised upper edge like would be correct for a '48-'50, if I sent them my originals as a sample. They sent me their shipping address and offered to make them for me at no charge. So as soon as I get a chance I'll package them up and see what they come up with. They seem to be good people to work with.

Then this weekend I got a little more garage time and finished the radio install, except for the antenna. I'll need to get one mounted yet. I also got my mess cleaned up and the seat remounted. I like how the colors matched up nicely between the seat fabric and the painted panels. Then I fired it up and backed it out of the garage to rehang the doors. I'll wait to finish the doors until I get the "correct" panels from Quite Rides.

Then I figured I might as well go for a spin while it's "out". So I made a run to a couple of local parts stores to see what they had available for radio antennas. I didn't like any of their choices, but I did like the improved ride. I can actually hear myself think now. WOW what a difference!!!

A few more pics...

This picture you can see my bike peaking out from under it's covering. It's wanting to get out too.

[Merle Coggins]

I also found some rubber mat material that I'm going to attempt to make a floor mat from. I was at my local Farm & Fleet store and found rolls of Universal floor mat for a multitude of uses. It came in different sizes and I picked a 5' x 8' roll. I should have plenty left over.

One side has raised bumps and the other side is ribbed for ventilation. I'm hoping that it'll make a decent floor mat. Time will tell when I can find time to work on it again.

[Frank Elder]

That is the same rubber mat I use in my trunk, used what was left of the original as a template.

[woodscavenger]

Are you going to use those rubber boots over the spot where the pedals go through the floor? If so, who has the best ones?

[jpwuertz]

Hi

I also ordered the cab panels for Quiet Ride last week. There was some confusion on what panels I would need but they were very helpful in getting the correct pieces for me. I have a 3 window cab. I would like to thank Merle for helping them and me out. They are good folks to work with and I would recommend them.

I live in Bloomington MN and it is getting time to start working on the truck again.

J Wuertz

[Young Ed]

Hey from MN. I'm just up the road from you in the first round of Northern suburbs. Got a pic of your truck?

[Young Ed]

here you go. if you paste the link info from the direct link box on photobucket into the insert image line it will show in the post

[BulldogTom]

It looks great, but where are the mirrors?

Tom

Lodi, CA

[jpwuertz]

I added a mirror inside the cab on the windshield divider bar. There is a small mirror mounted on the drivers door but it cannot be seen in this photo. My projects for this spring will be to install a new headliner from Quiet RIde and replace the wooden floor in the box.

[Young Ed]

Here you go a little inspiration. My advise is to do it before the humidity gets crazy. I did mine late in the summer and had to wait 48 hours between coats.