Last month, we installed Design Engineering's Boommat sound-deadening into our Coyote coupe, and also measured and cut our quarter-trim pieces for the Kenny Brown rollbar. We also installed the weatherstripping supplied to us by National Parts Depot. In this issue, we get to the meat and potatoes and finally begin installation of our all-new interior.
Before we could start assembly, we wanted to give our interior trim pieces a makeover. As we mentioned in our last issue, we decide to dye our original pieces black to do away with the factory blue trim color. National Parts Depot (NPD) sent us several of its cleaning and prep products, along with factory black dye to help us to make the change.
National Parts Depot supplied...
National Parts Depot supplied us with an assortment of SEM preparation materials to clean our interior pieces before we dyed them.
To begin the dyeing process, a thorough cleaning of all the interior pieces was needed. This is probably the most crucial step when dyeing or painting anything. We went to work scrubbing each piece with NPD's soap cleaner (PN 39362) and a hard-bristle brush. It's a good idea to scrub each piece multiple times to ensure cleanliness, and using a bristled brush helps to clean inside the porcelain crevices. Once clean, we set each piece aside to dry, making sure to place them away from potential dust and fine particles that could adhere to the pieces.
Once dry, it was time to begin the second phase of cleaning. Using the plastic and leather prep from NPD (PN C-CPA), we sprayed each interior piece with the cleaner one at a time, using a microfiber cloth to wipe them clean. This should leave a very dry, textured feel to the pieces.
Once our interior pieces were prepped and ready for dyeing, we set up a wind-free work area to begin the process. Before dyeing the pieces, we sprayed each with a medium coat of sand-free adhesion spray (PN AP-SF) from NPD. We started by placing the piece upside down to spray the edges and ensure the whole piece was properly covered.
After spraying the adhesion, we immediately sprayed the piece with the new black dye. After about three to five coats with about five minutes of drying time between each coat, we then flipped the piece over to spray the front.
Spray the dye from about 6 to 8 inches away from the interior piece. This may seem like a very light coat, but after about the third coat, you'll begin to see the results piece together.
After about two hours, we were finally finished and it was time to begin installation.
01a. We first laid out all...
01a. We first laid out all the interior pieces that we were going to use.
01b. ...and then cleaned them...
01b. ...and then cleaned them using the SEM soap (PN 909-15) and a hard-bristle brush. In order to ensure all the contaminants are removed, it’s a good idea to wash them multiple times.
02. Once all the pieces were...
02. Once all the pieces were washed and clean, the second phase of preparation was applying the SEM plastic and leather prep (PN C-CPA). We sprayed it onto the interior pieces one at a time and wiped it off using a microfiber cloth. (Do not wipe the pieces with something that could leave behind fabric or lint, such as a paper towel.)
03a. With the interior pieces...
03a. With the interior pieces prepped and ready, we were ready to spray.
03b. Before spraying the black...
03b. Before spraying the black dye (PN LP-946) from NPD, we applied a medium coat of sand-free adhesive (PN AP-SF). Immediately following, we sprayed the black dye onto the piece from about 6 to 8 inches away, giving it a light coat. Four to five coats were necessary.
04a. While we waited for the...
04a. While we waited for the interior pieces to fully dry, we installed the new package tray from Scott Rod Fabrication ($60).
04b. This must be installed...
04b. This must be installed first before any of the quarter-trim can be placed in the car.
[5] Carefully taking our freshly...
[5] Carefully taking our freshly dyed quarter-trim pieces and rear rollbar bars, we placed the rear bars through the trim and bolted them loosely into position.
06a. Before we could screw...
06a. Before we could screw our quarter-trim in place, we had to install our new headliner from TMI Products (PN 20-73005-1559).
06b. Once it was position,...
06b. Once it was position, we tightened the quarter-trim into place.
07. Next up, we installed...
07. Next up, we installed our Kenny Brown rollbar. Once installed, we needed to drill out the necessary holes to secure it together.
08. Anxious to get our Coyote...
08. Anxious to get our Coyote coupe looking like a Mustang again, we installed our new black carpet, also supplied to us by NPD (PN M-CA-122-801).
09a. Since our new carpet...
09a. Since our new carpet doesn’t come pre-cut, we had to cut out the necessary holes for the seats, dash, seatbelts, and around the rollbar mounts.
09b.We wanted to keep a clean...
09b.We wanted to keep a clean and sleek look for our coupe, so we cut meticulously around the rollbar and tucked the remainder of the carpet underneath the interior trim pieces.
10a. National Parts Depot...
10a. National Parts Depot supplied us with its interior screw kit (PN M-03000-1K), along with other necessary hardware to bring our interior back to life.
10b.
11a. Once we finished installing...
11a. Once we finished installing and cutting the carpet, we installed the kick-panels and other interior trim pieces into place.
11b.
12a. Scott Rod Fabrications...
12a. Scott Rod Fabrications supplied us with one if its rear-seat delete kits ($320).
12b. Here you can see we needed...
12b. Here you can see we needed to trim it in order to get a tight fit. Use tin-snips to cut it to the desired length.
13a. We screwed the rear-seat...
13a. We screwed the rear-seat delete into place with a few screws, and began to drill and rivet it all together.
13b.
14a. Since we plan to use...
14a. Since we plan to use this as an open-track car, we contacted Corbeau and had the company send us a pair of its FX1 Pro race seats ($399), along with a pair of matching seat brackets ($99).
14b.
15a. Here we are installing...
15a. Here we are installing the dash from NPD (PN M-04282-1AVB) into the coupe.
15b. Once in place, we laid...
15b. Once in place, we laid out our Scott Rod dash pieces.
16. To shed even more weight...
16. To shed even more weight off our coupe, we decided to install Scott Rod Fabrication door panels as well ($215.00). We choose the black finish to match our interior.
17a. To install our new pieces,...
17a. To install our new pieces, we had to rivet the door panel into place.
17b. We first measured and...
17b. We first measured and taped off the area for our rivets. Using a center punch, we marked where the rivets would go and spaced them equally. Using those marks as our guide, we used an 1/8-inch drill bit and drilled the necessary holes. With the holes in place, we could now rivet the door panel.
18. Here you can see our finished...
18. Here you can see our finished product. It was great to see our Coyote coupe’s interior finally together. Stay tuned for upcoming issues to see the coupe’s new gauges and steering wheel as we end our interior madness!