After a considerable amount...
After a considerable amount of hard work, the results speak for themselves. With the interior finally completed on this '72 convertible, Ed Zoellner and son, Caleb, have a foundation and some inspiration for other projects with the car. New upholstery for '71-'73 and older vintage Mustangs is available from CJ Pony Parts.
We've done it. After three trips to Mustang Country International where we shot photos all day during three 10-hour stints, the interior in this '72 Mustang convertible is finished.
Keep in mind, though, that all the work wasn't completed while we were there. Mustang Country's restoration shop probably spent another two days working on this project to redo the seats, get both new door panels built, restore and repaint the console, repaint the rear trim panels, and generally do all sorts of other tasks.
For those of you following along, this is the third and final installment of this undertaking. The best way to get a clear idea of what was done is to go back and reread the previous two stories in the Sept. and Oct. issues.
To summarize, we began with redoing the door panels, installing a new dashpad, and putting new carpet in place. While the car was getting new floor pans installed at Crook Brothers Body Shop, Mustang Country rebuilt the seats using new upholstery from CJ Pony Parts. That second how-to, presented last month, focused entirely on rebuilding the car's driver seat since it was totally worn out.
Once the car was back from Crook's, we jumped right into the work shown here. The interiors in '71-'73 Mustangs are complex and some items might require special attention. But once they're done, they look nice. Take a look at the finished results and see for yourself.
In the beginning, the interior...
In the beginning, the interior in our subject car looked like a bomb went off in it-a big bomb. In reality, time and leaving the convertible top down too often is what contributed to its dramatic wear. This is the same photo you'll find in the first part of the three-part series on restoring this car's cabin. We thought it the best way to describe what we started with-no further words needed.
With everything removed, thoroughly...
With everything removed, thoroughly vacuuming out the car was the first order of business before installing the new and restored bits.
All cleaned out, the car benefits...
All cleaned out, the car benefits greatly from new floorpans installed by Crook Brother's Body Shop. Mustang Country supplied the new floors and has others in stock, or they can get them for less common Mustangs such as the '71-'73 convertibles.
With the new upholstery and...
With the new upholstery and door panels, the interior would have looked terrible if we hadn't done something about the inner rear quarters. They had to be cleaned and repainted. Removal began by carefully prying off these small covers over the window cranks and removing the cranks with a screwdriver.
Once several small screws...
Once several small screws are removed, the panels easily come out of the car.
After a thorough cleaning...
After a thorough cleaning with a solvent-based cleaner, we used a matte-black interior paint on the panels and let them dry in the sun.
You can see the difference...
You can see the difference in the painted panel. Sometimes (oftentimes, in this project), a well-timed picture does all the explaining.
The freshly repainted rear...
The freshly repainted rear trim panels make a huge difference in the interior's finished look.
The single largest component...
The single largest component of a car's interior is the carpet. Installation involves setting the two pieces in place, trimming the edges along the sides, and cutting the appropriate holes for the seatbelts. These things need be done before installing the seats and console.
With the recovered rear seatback...
With the recovered rear seatback already in place, the recovered bottom is next. It locks into place when the wire underneath the bottom snaps into the metal tabs welded to the car's floorpan.
Can you imagine what this...
Can you imagine what this would look like if we hadn't painted the trim panels? Some things are skipped over in an interior restoration when the project needs everything. New seatbelts are still needed or the existing ones can be dyed to get some color back into the belt's fabric. That's next on the agenda for Ed and Caleb.
A huge help in expediting...
A huge help in expediting our project, Mustang Country had already cleaned and repainted the console when we arrived to photograph the interior being reassembled. It's one of the few things in the car that was in pretty good shape initially. A repaint and a new console lid from CJ Pony Parts had it looking new again.
With the carpet and seatbelts...
With the carpet and seatbelts reinstalled, placing the console back into position was the next item on the agenda.
The console's fasteners go...
The console's fasteners go through the new carpeting and into the existing holes in the floor.
Next, the seats drop into...
Next, the seats drop into place and are bolted down with their fasteners. Last month, we showed the driver-side seat being rebuilt. The passenger seat shown here was less work as its frame was in better condition.
With the carpet and seats...
With the carpet and seats installed, all that's left is install the door panels. But first we're going to look at a couple of small details that need attention. As you can see, the glovebox mirrored the rest of interior's condition when we began. Removal wasn't difficult as it was already basically falling out.
For illustration purposes,...
For illustration purposes, we're showing the plastic trim piece that was reused. It goes around the glovebox and holds it in place along with a series of screws. As with the main interior pieces, the new glovebox shown here came from CJ Pony Parts.
The new glovebox slides into...
The new glovebox slides into place through the door and dash.
Next the trim piece is set...
Next the trim piece is set into place.
Five screws secure the glovebox...
Five screws secure the glovebox in place, three run along the bottom, and there's one on each side.
Much better. Now small items...
Much better. Now small items can be placed inside without falling through and ending up on the floor.
CJs Pony Parts also supplied...
CJs Pony Parts also supplied a pair of new sunvisors, which the car desperately needed. Removing the old ones involves firmly pulling them off the visor rods. You can also cut the old material away, but you'll still have to remove the metal part that attaches the visor to the rod. With everything else out of the way, this can be done with a pair of locking pliers.
The new visors install by...
The new visors install by pressing them onto the rods. Some spray lubricant is helpful since you have to be a little more careful installing the new visors than removing the old ones.
Door-panel installation was...
Door-panel installation was the final step. Be careful with the clips that hold the door panel in place. Make sure they're properly aligned in their holes in the door so when you press the panel in place, they don't pop through on the outside of the panel. If they're not lined up and you hit the panel hard enough, you could end up with one or more popping through-not a good thing with brand-new door panels.
Mustang Country supplied a...
Mustang Country supplied a new pair of window cranks to match the appearance of the new door panels.
Installation of the door panels...
Installation of the door panels was completed by installing a new pair of door-lock soldiers.
It was a big job, but the...
It was a big job, but the results were worth the effort. The carpet, seat upholstery, door panels, and dashpad are the main pieces in a new interior. But as you've seen with our three-part series, there's much more to it than those main pieces. These door panels don't look good on their own; they need to be assembled with refurbished or new parts to get them to really shine. Now this car has a fresh, new look inside that's all set to go for another three decades.