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1990 Ford Mustang Coupe Interior Restoration Part 3MM&FF Concludes its Fox-Body Interior Restoration Series. From the January, 2010 issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords By Steve Baur Photography by Kevin DiOssi
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Part 3
Over the last two issues, we've gutted our resident '90 Fox-body Mustang coupe, insulated the interior cabin with sound-deadening material from Thermo-Tec, and begun reassembling the interior space with new and reconditioned components. It's been an arduous journey, but in the end, we were rewarded with a luscious, semi-custom black interior that's clean, comfortable, and quite inviting-one that really makes us want to drive our coupe. For this installment, we went to Latemodel Restoration Supply (LRS) for the majority of components. It specializes in Mustang restoration and knows the platforms extremely well-we don't know of anyone else that offers such a comprehensive line of restoration parts for the Fox-body Mustang. LRS's multi-piece bolt and screw kit is a must for anyone considering a full-tilt restoration like we just did. It'll save you time, not to mention that the screw and bolt heads all have a new appearance to them. Believe us, rusty old ones will show up, especially in a black interior. When we were pulling the dash... When we were pulling the dash apart, the ignition switch plug crumbled in our hands. While the switch itself is available, the plug is not, so we called up AMP Performance and asked for a used one from its salvage yard. In addition to selling hundreds of new parts, AMP also has a full Mustang salvage yard for those hard-to-find or out-of-production parts. As extensive as LRS's product line is, though, there are some items that it just doesn't have yet. When it comes to that point, you have to use what you have in the car already, or maybe a slightly better used version from another car. We found on several occasions that we had broken or completely missing parts that we needed. To that end, we relied on AMP Performance in Phoenix, Arizona, to provide us with fine used examples from the company's salvage yard.re. While AMP has a huge inventory of new performance parts for your pony, it also keeps a salvage yard full of late-model Mustangs for times like this. According to AMP's Tom Thompson, approximately 50 percent of those in need of salvage parts are Fox owners, and the '94-'98 and '99-'04 owners make up the rest of inquiries. AMP sent us a number of parts that we would have otherwise been in bad shape without. This month, we reassemble the coupe's interior, adding new carpet, a package tray, and a headliner, as well as new door panels and power switch gear. We also bolted in the new Corbeau GTSII front seats and the recovered rear seat. One of the most noticeable... One of the most noticeable improvements we made to the interior was this new gauge lens from Latemodel. We had cleaned the stock one and it was still messed up a bit, but you don't realize how much until you look through a new one. The black suede leather really turns up the luxury factor in our otherwise inexpensive Fox coupe. Corbeau worked tirelessly with LRS to get a product line of rear seat covers for most late-model Mustangs, whether you have the factory upholstery or aftermarket threads like the Corbeau seating that we have. While we opted for the black microsuede, Corbeau and LRS also offer polished leather, and even two-tone leather in a couple combinations. Other key components that have turned this Mustang into a proper ride include the LRS leather-wrapped factory steering wheel, the crystal clear gauge lens, and a new car scent. The end result turned out way better than we expected. It has a factory look, but it's more modern and more luxurious. If you're not lucky enough to have purchased a clean, low-mileage late-model Mustang, you can get the same feeling or better by restoring the interior yourself-with help from Latemodel Restoration Supply, Corbeau, and AMP Performance, of course. If you're unsure of how to do it yourself, just follow along as we cover the entire restoration in depth. The light dimmer switch often... The light dimmer switch often fails in Fox-body Mustangs, so we ordered a new one from Latemodel. Another problem area is the multi-function switch or turn-signal lever. Ours was on its way out, but Latemodel offers a new replacement. Now that we've had the interior apart, it occurred to us that the sound system is lacking quite a bit. Sounds like its time for an upgrade.  Assembling the new economy...  Assembling the new economy door panels took quite a bit of time, but spending the extra minutes to stretch and pull the material to get the wrinkles out is well worth it in the end. We need to harvest the metal upper panel from the stock door panels so start by removing the staples that secure the inner doorbelt weatherstrip. Don't try and cut the staples. Just twist them out.  Now peel back the vinyl from...  Now peel back the vinyl from the factory door panel to expose the metal pan. You will also need to remove the door-lock bezel at this point. We'll reuse those since they seem to be in good shape.  Gently pry the metal pan from...  Gently pry the metal pan from the cardboard. Once you have it free, grab a Scotch-Brite pad or steel wool, along with some lacquer thinner or brake cleaner and give it a good scrubbing to remove any rust and/or glue residue.  Position the pan on the new...  Position the pan on the new door panel. Starting on the side closest to the door handle opening, make a mark in the last hole, then skip two holes and make another mark. Do this until you reach the open area for the armrest, and then move to the other end of the panel, and repeat these steps working back towards the center. There should be ten holes marked. Use the giant pop rivets and rivet gun to secure the metal pan to the door panel.  You can pull the material...  You can pull the material over the top of the panel, secure the inner doorbelt weatherstrip and then glue the sides, or do this in reverse order. We prefer to glue the sides first, and then pull the vinyl and screw in the doorbelt strip. It helps greatly to have some clamps like the one pictured to clamp the parts you need to glue. A good spray adhesive will hold it in place, but it's better to glue it, clamp it, and let it set up to be sure it doesn't move.  Cut the hole for the door...  Cut the hole for the door lock knob from the backside, pop the bezel through, and bend the tabs over to secure it. This is a bit of a tricky area, as you have to make sure the bezel doesn't distort the vinyl along the top.  From the backside, cut out...  From the backside, cut out the areas for the door armrest.  We ordered new speaker grills...  We ordered new speaker grills from LRS as ours were trashed. The back of the door panel is marked, but you'll need to cut the vinyl.  The speaker grills are secured...  The speaker grills are secured using these flat clips. We found it easiest to place a small deep well socket over the clip and tap it down to set it.  The armrests, now painted...  The armrests, now painted and dried, are ready for assembly. We placed the chrome trip strip on the armrest and stapled it in. You may need to use a nail set of something similar to drive the staples all of the way in.  We had to order to armrest...  We had to order to armrest plugs as we were missing all but one. They're side specific, so make sure you have the right side before you go pounding them in.  The car's door locks didn't...  The car's door locks didn't work, nor did the power mirror switch, and one window switch worked, so we thought it best to replace all of them. They simply plug into the harness, just make note that they are side specific.  The door switch bezels were...  The door switch bezels were also shot, but LRS offers new replacements. Not only do these look brand-new, but we can tell you after going for so long without power door locks that it is truly a joy to have everything working now.  The finished door panels look...  The finished door panels look sweet, and add to the rich appearance that our interior now has.  The dashboard kneepad was...  The dashboard kneepad was badly cracked and falling apart, so we opted to recover it in some matching black suede leather. In hindsight, we should have trimmed the top and bottom a bit to lower the overall profile but it still looks pretty good. Corbeau provided us with the material, and some spray adhesive and creative trimming was all it took. LRS is working on offering new pads, but until then, you can reuse yours, recover yours, or repaint another used one from a salvage yard like the one AMP Performance has.  To recover the back seat,...  To recover the back seat, gently pull up the material from the cardboard backing, and then pull it around the front.  The seat cover is secured...  The seat cover is secured with hog rings on the front side. Use some needle-nose pliers to remove them, rather than cut them.  Position the new Corbeau seat...  Position the new Corbeau seat cover on the seat cushion, and start by securing it with the hog rings on the front side. LRS offers hog rings, as well as the pliers you need to install them.  With the front of the seat...  With the front of the seat cover secured, you can pull the material over and around the back of the seat. We used a staple gun with 3/8-inch staples to fasten the material to the cardboard backing. Be sure as you are doing this that you are pulling the material evenly over the top and bottom.  The car's package tray was...  The car's package tray was not only grey, but severely damaged as well, so we ordered a new one from Latemodel Restoration. After test fitting it and marking the holes for the upper seatbelt brackets, Mustang specialist George Xenos trimmed the panel for the holes and then set it in the car.  From inside the trunk, you...  From inside the trunk, you can mark where the third brake light comes through. Pull it back out and trim it again; then you can install it for the last time. Here, Xenos is installing the brake light using the hardware from the LRS Fox-body screw kit.  The seatbelts in the car were...  The seatbelts in the car were torn and tattered, not to mention grey in color. LRS sells brand-new seatbelt kits (PN LRS-61109HK) that will give your interior the new car feel, and new car safety. They include a pair of buckles, retractor assemblies, inner and outer sleeves, and a Torx bit set to secure the bolts. LRS doesn't currently offer rear seatbelt assemblies, and unfortunately AMP Performance's salvage yard was out of used ones, so we'll have to keep our eyes out for a used set for the rear.  On the rare occasion that...  On the rare occasion that we have backseat passengers in the coupe, they should find the new Corbeau rear seat cover quite comfortable.  The new headliner was next...  The new headliner was next on the list. Like everything else in the car, it too was falling apart. LRS sells replacements that use an ABS board fitted with fabric, instead of the factory, and quite flimsy, cardboard headliner. We had to trim the sides just a tad for proper fitment, but front to back was spot on. Start the install by loosely installing the visors, followed by the dome light.  The A-pillar moldings are...  The A-pillar moldings are next, followed by the front molding. We used screws from the LRS interior kit to secure everything.  With the seatbelt retractor...  With the seatbelt retractor assembly bolted in, we can now install the rear side panels, along with the rear roof molding and upper door moldings.  The center console is next,...  The center console is next, and four screws at the front and four bolts at the rear secure it.  Since we ordered a new console...  Since we ordered a new console top plate, we had to install all of the components from the old one. The new emergency brake boot is secured using the included clips, and we also installed the cigarette lighter and power mirror switch.  While our ashtray door was...  While our ashtray door was still in good shape, we had modified it in such a way that it would not work in the new top plate, so we had to order a new one. The hardest part is getting the spring orientation correct-this is the way it should look.  We ditched the cheesy aluminum...  We ditched the cheesy aluminum pedal covers for something more in line with the overall interior plan. These stock replacements from LRS did just the trick.  When switching interior colors,...  When switching interior colors, you'll want to pull the HVAC vents and disassemble them to properly paint them. About eight pieces make up one vent so be certain you remember how they go back together. You also don't want to load the internal parts up with paint too much otherwise it may inhibit operation.  Yes, the rear-view mirror...  Yes, the rear-view mirror was shot too.  Rather than just go with stock...  Rather than just go with stock replacements, we opted for these new Mustang-emblazoned rocker sill moldings from LRS. Since they were already black in color and close in shade to the rest of the interior, we did not paint them. They're a high-wear part, and we didn't want to take the chance of wearing through the paint at some point if we could prevent it.  High-mileage Fox-bodies will...  High-mileage Fox-bodies will most likely have a steering wheel that looks like this at the top. LRS offers a leather wrap recovering service, and we took advantage of it by sending them a wheel to replace ours. Since our original wheel was in such bad shape and missing both horn buttons, we called up AMP Performance for a used one in better condition and had LRS recover it for us. Once we got it back, we hit the steering wheel and airbag with some of Turtle Wax's interior cleaner to bring it back.  Soft leather is good. So are...  Soft leather is good. So are working horn buttons. The LRS-wrapped wheel looks great and goes a long way toward renewing the interior. After all, when you're in the car, the steering wheel is the thing you're in touch with the most.  The interior of this Fox-body...  The interior of this Fox-body coupe Mustang never looked this good even when it was new. We think it's time to bring the audio electronics package into the 21st century next, so stay tuned.
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