Update Your Tetnus Shots!

[Ishpeck]

Forthcoming is the first summer in-which I'll have my Pathy -- the first 4x4 I've owned in four years. I'm giddy like a school girl on prom night.

 

First things first: As soon as it gets warmer (if it gets warm -- damned weather!), I want to fix the interior of this vehicle: Change the apholstery in the most cost effective and expedient way I can.

 

I don't even know where to begin on such a project: Where to get supplies or what kinds of tools I may need. Any advice? Novel ideas?

[88pathoffroad]

Define "change the upholstery". Do you want new carpet and seat covers?

[csutke]

get them professionally cleaned (sorry i work for stanley steemer)

[jj big shoe]

You can swap in front seats from just about anything relatively easy. Mine are from an Integra and others have installed some from Maximas and whatnot. Just graft your old seat rails to the new seat bottoms and be sure the drivers seat is lined up with the steering wheel. Mine was an inch off and drove me nuts until I fixed it.

Rear cargo carpet is a snap, too. I used some grey indoor/outdoor with rubber backing from Home Depot. It looks great and cost about $35 where a replacement set would've been $80 or so. Best thing is its easily replaceable when it gets stained. Passenger area carpet has too many contours so you'll want to get a moulded piece, about $100.

The spray paint for plastic works really well but not so good on armrests or other areas you'll be rubbing on.

If your dash is split or torn, you could get a dash cap (that's cap, not mat) which is a moulded plastic piece that slips over your dash for about $100. Looks good, nobody can tell I have one.

Some fabric stores (Joanne Fabrics for one) sell foam-backed headliner material. Make sure you use the super-duper spray adhesive they sell. Expensive at $20 a can, but will out stick any 3M stuff you get at the auto parts store.

Umm....thats about it.

[MikeV]

curtains & a fridge

[vengeful]

curtains & a fridge

 

Don't forget the shag carpeting and the water bed! :tonguefinger:

[NismoSkyZ]

Learn how to sew.

[mws]

The most cost effective sulution is heavily dependent on your available resources and skills.

 

I picked up my Maxima seats and metal to fab custom bracketry for well under $100. BUT, they were filthy (windshield was missing out of the car at the JY) and definitely NOT a bolt in as the drivers seat was the multi-adjustable version.

 

Several hours of work with shampoo, brushes, and our upholstery steam cleaner had them looking and smelling brand new. That can be a crapshoot with JY seats - is there any deep goo in the foam that will smell rank forever? In this case, the car was relatively low miles, the vehicle died in a rear end collision, there was no blood stains, and it had only been in the yard for a couple months. So I felt it was low risk and it was.

 

And then making them fit and safe was a full day of fabricating. The passenger was about an hour, the driver's many hours of design, fab, and modification to make right and ultra secure.

Edited April 25, 2007 by mws

[trogdor]

Back when your car was mine I thought of doing this but decided i was like

 

 

Edited April 28, 2007 by trogdor