Interior Version TWO!!

Andy and I went shopping a couple weeks ago, at the Junkyard. We went looking for an electric rad fan for his new engine, and saw this Baby LTD (1983) with a nice carpet, decent door panels with Map Pockets, and seats. I was drooling, Andy was thinking, and we agreed that I should take it. $60 including a tailgate weatherstrip from an Aerostar (perfect replacement for the Fox wagon tailgate!)

Belts, handles, door panels, seats, carpet and the adjustable sail mirror for the passenger side (I've seen people ask up to $200 for the sail mirror alone!)

Steam cleaned the carpet and seats (Bissel carpet steamcleaner, with their PRO cleaners.)

Got the old (18 months ago from a 1982 Zephyr) ones out, carpet out and started installing.

There's a couple tricks to this. The seat brackets on the post 1981 Bucket seats are spaced further apart and fasten differently (more curves at the floor legs). You can use the stock brackets from any bench or bucket seat from a pre-1981 Fox car. 2 pairs required. The seat bottom has three sets of mounting holes for different models (luckily). Make sure you install the two springs (Adjustment Lever, and Seat Rail), before you install the seats. There's no way they'll go in after.

The other is the front seatbelt bracket. It just happens that there's a nice sized bolt (tempered 5/16") close to the same location on the seat bottom that you can use to mount the short buckle belt onto, Or use the original belt mount holes in the floor.

Comparing brackets. The foreground brackets are from the 1982/83 seats. They make a wider footprint of 14". The rear pair are from a 1978-1981 Fox bench (one pair) seat. They make a 12" footprint and bolt right up on the seat and the floor studs.


This is what they were until last evening:


The door panels on mine didn't have the vinyl top ridge, just bare metal, so I used the velour from my old bench seats (front and rear), to reupholster the 1982 door panels. Then I recently got and installed the stock speaker grilles from a couple 1973 Lincoln front doors:


They went below the window handle in the carpeted area. I'll post a pic before I take them off.


I still need the passenger side map pocket (front door), because it's broken up, and the passenger rear door armrest with the ashtray. I can use SEM's vinyl to paint them to match the new and gorgeous chocolate brown interior colours. (Coming in the next posts, later today.)

 

Got too cold to wrap up and get pics. Gonna be tomorrow now. We're at 54F going to 41 F tonite with a chance of rain and 30 MPH winds. Not nice.

 

Cold? I thought you didn't consider it cold until it was well below freezing. We were at 46F last nite. At least you are still in + territory.

 

Ah yes, the Deserts. Always wondered why cowboys wore those long coats.

 

Done until I find the other parts!

I was army, not marine, but we had to adapt as well. So I kept my rear armrests and front door speaker grilles the same colour. The one driver's side rear armrest has broken plastic mounting holes, and the passenger side was another Fox wagon rear armrest. Mine are in perfect shape and finished to match the upper trim with SEM's color coat vinyl dye/paint.

Here's the driver's door BEFORE the swap:


That lighter mark is the wear from the window winder on the SEM's dyed velours, not very durable. Now, notice that horizontal bar on the top of the panel? I think the new one looks classier, without it:


The map pocket on the passenger side (RH) is busted toward the front. Have to get another one. LTD II (1983 or 84), maybe a Mercury Zephyr or a Cougar? The fORD part number on that map pocket is E3DB-54642A54-BWH, if anyone spots one.

You can see the tan dash and the grilles. Two-Tone interior. May not be 'trailer queen' grade, but it does look fine in real life.

I still have to do the rear seatback mods, but I've got to delay it to deal with the contractors, for reno quotes, etc.:


Is that chocolate or what? Belts have all been swapped as well.

I took these almost at sundown, so the flash didn't do justice to the rest of the pics:

 

Norm, that interior is looking good and it looks like you got a very good deal as well. Why can't we just be happy with what we have? Why do we always have to change stuff? I guess that's what keeps everything so much fun. The thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction that we did it ourselves. You're doing a great job, keep it up!

 

Thanks G.

Here's an option I've never heard about. A pocket door!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kaiser_Darrin_rear.jpg

 

Ya know I have seen this car before. Not in person, but on TV. I want say it went across the block at Barrett-Jackson for auction. Very clever if you ask me.

 

I'll bet the Van door designers never looked at that. What a slick way to deal with getting the door out of the way. So you make the car a bit wider, so what? You'd have a wider foot-print and better handling on turns.

How many van roll-overs since the early 60's?

Heck you could run a solid steel 'beam', telescoping in and out and give better side protection.

Hmmm... I'll keep that in mind if I ever get a garage built and build my own woodie.

 

The VW beetles could interchange parts for decades and these Fox Fords probably had the second longest run of interchangeabilty, from 1978 to 1984 and even more if you include the Mustang powertrains up to 1996. At least it gives us a longer lease on finding parts.

 

Dang Norm. Ya gotta be careful with all that car porn.

 

Just the bareassed facts, bud!

 

Dirty young man

 

TBird, I didn't know you guys had red sand down there! I washed them up in the tub today. Clean as a whistle. That car had power windows and locks eh? I can replace the inserts with my delete panels. Came out nice and clean. Warmer weather to paint them by Friday. The wife goes bonkers with the SEM spray.

Just to let you know I'm makin' progress.

 

You should have seen them before I brushed them off! I got off the big chunks. I guess if customs had opened the box they would have stoked out.I exported some of our desert and didn't get caught.