Junkyard Find - nearly complete 89-90 GW w/Original Sand Seats, Leather-wrapped Steer

[MysticRob]

Sweet!
Great score, and nice job by the restorer with everything.

[Theodore]

Sweet!
Great score, and nice job by the restorer with everything.

Hey, Rob - question for you; one thing that bothers me, is the sun damage on the plastic back of the steering wheel makes it look like coral; know you worked at a resto shop - wondering what to do about it? Armor-All & leave it alone? Replacing it with a nicer example looks difficult, as the collar is staked. The existing steering wheel is worse.

[MysticRob]

I've honestly never tackled something like that pitted plastic, but I wonder if using a heat gun close to it to pull the oils back to the surface would help on the majority of the surface, then follow up with something like JB Weld Kwik Weld to fill in the pitted areas prior to repainting. Certainly would take a while to do, but results would likely look much better than what you started with.

[rang-a-stang]

Good lawdy!! Those look amazing!!

[Theodore]

Picked up our GW junkyard-find seats today from CCI, a leather reconditioning company; am very pleased - look even better in person. Will probably be Spring before they're in; have a few things ahead of them: EFI-related wiring work under the dash, fix the A/C, replace the carpet, then we'll be ready for seats.

[bluehwy]

Sweet nectar pie! They look great!

[rang-a-stang]

Sweet nectar pie! They look great!

There is the understatement of the day!! Those look epic! Wow! From a junkyard no less!!

[Theodore]

It's been a while since i've given an update; but, have made quite a bit progress; Also have been working on putting together a Build Thread; assembling the independent threads into one (never thought i'd need one, but things got away from me); watch for that. In the meantime, am excited to show how far we've come in the 18 months since finding the leather interior in a local Junkyard.

Most of the work over the last 18 months has been mechanical: EFI wiring, cooling, A/C refresh, etc., with no apparent visible cosmetic progress the wife can see. Have had the seats sitting around the shop under sheets in the way; stepping over them for over a year... It's time to dive into cosmetics & clean out the woodshop.

For reference, here's what we started with:



Have been daily driving it, with only front seats, floormats & seat belts for the last 7-8 months... Wife hated it.


Last summer, in August 90+ degree heat, we stripped the interior, and installed Dynamat for sound/heat proofing. Make sure you mark the screw & bolt holes - blue painter's tape marks them here. Can say, it made a huge difference heat-wise - especially with trans tunnel & roof - having no headliner.




Next up, we need to build the cargo area underlayment that goes under the carpet. Kudos to MysticRob on ifsja.org for posting pix of what he had, to give others an idea of what should be there.
Link here - Post #24: https://forums.ifsja.org/forum/tire-...er-restoration

Using the pictures as a reference, i made up a reversible pattern that could be used to lay out the cuts on 3/16" plywood. While i started out with the full curve of the raised platform, i cut it down to match how the factory underlayment is shaped, which allows the carpet to laydown on the sides.



Laid out the measurements on paper to figure out how much plywood to buy, it came down to one 4x8 sheet of 3/16" plywood; there was very little scrap left over once everything was cut. To make the plywood easier to deal with, i had the 4x8 sheet cut in three pieces, 1 @ 35"x44", 1 @ 30"x51", and the rest based on measurements i'd captured on the patterns. The rest is cut into ribs & installed underneath for support.




Sidebar: the arm rest mounting brackets needed cleaning up & painting.


All underlayment fitted & test fit:


Ribs cut, installed & stapled:


Backside of piece 1:


Backside of piece 2:


With holes drilled for seat belt attachment - am thinking i used a 2 1/4" holesaw:


4wd hi/lo shifter: I disconnected the linkage underneath to allow pulling the shifter from up top. If replacing factory carpet with new with Mass-Backing, go ahead & find longer bolts (1/4-20x1) - or you'll fight short bolts unsuccessfully. At carpet install time, i fought short bolts for an hour or so before, giving up & hitting the hardware store for hex-heads. Also, the white grommet in the center, along with 2 layers of carpet is sandwiched between 2 identical triangle shaped plates - is a bear to work with - be patient. Multiple picks are a lifesaver to ensure screw hole alignment.


The carpet comes in 3 large sections: front, mid, & cargo. The middle section goes in first; then the front & cargo lays over it. After finding a hot/sunny day to work, i disconnected the battery & opened up all doors to lay out the carpet & let it soak up the sun for 1/2-day; then dove in. Used a small pick to locate the holes (thankful i'd marked all of them with blue tape).

First hole is the scariest...


Both back seat mounting brackets in: The carpet has slight humps in it behind the brackets, but it'll lay down once the cargo carpet & back seat are installed. Also, i've not yet cut the middle piece around the wheel wells, which will also help it lay down.


Working one section at a time, from trans tunnel toward doors, then one side then the other, i went about locating & punching holes, and placing bolts as i went to ensure alignment. Note there wasn't much scrap to trim from the front section of carpet -both sides had similar trimming.



Roasting marshmallows: Saw a YouTube where someone recommended using sockets to melt holes in carpet that perfectly fit the bolts going in. Worked well! Got this set at Harbor Freight for $6.99!



Front carpet is in: Time for front seats!



Junkyard front seats are in! Back to a drivable car.


Is still hard to believe these seats came from this car:


In celebration of being able to drive, I ran over to a couple local car shows; One held downtown by the Kingsport Antique & Rod Club, and the other the Gate City Jeep Jamboree, just over the state line in VA. Was more interested in getting to the Jeep Jamboree to see what FSJ's were there. I didn't think to take pictures, but i did see Scotty54 & his
Gorgeous 10 Footer Cherokee, along with a silver Wagoneer - no wood; a couple of Willys-era trucks: a 1955 Green pickup truck - restored to original; a 1947 Maroon panel delivery, along with a restored 1981 Red Scrambler, a few CJ-5's, & a WWII-era military restored Jeep. Other than that, it was an sea of Wranglers. Hopefully, i can make the Jamboree next year with ours.

Now for the hard part: wheel wells & managing the merge where 3 sections of carpet come together. Today it's raining, so there'll be no carpet progress; though i'm planning on pulling the seat belts and cleaning them with an upholstery cleaner & swapping the steering wheel to finish things up front.

[Theodore]

Got outside early this morning ahead of the rain to swap in the junkyard steering wheel. Made a huge difference in the interior’s appearance.

Going in:


Before:


After:



Also have a wife-approved science project going on in the kitchen - seat belts soaking in OxiClean; am excited to see the difference. Def a lot of bubbling going on…

[MysticRob]

I tried to soak and scrub my original seat belts but nothing worked till I got out the pressure washer and just blasted each side.
They came out looking like new, but the fraying was so bad (due to age, not the washer) I just decided to get new belts from BJ's.

[Theodore]

I tried to soak and scrub my original seat belts but nothing worked till I got out the pressure washer and just blasted each side.
They came out looking like new, but the fraying was so bad (due to age, not the washer) I just decided to get new belts from BJ's.

Hey MysticRob, saw similar; seat belts def hard to clean; in addition to normal skin oils, there were a few black oily stains. We did 3 passes with different options, with all resulting in black suds & nasty water, but though lessened each time - the stains remained. Best thing we tried was Dawn PowerWash spray, which along with hand scrubbing with a washcloth - completely removing the stains the others couldn’t; leaving them looking like new once dry.

Other methods we tried:
1) upholstery machine - same one we used to clean the junkyard seats
2) soak in OxiClean

If we had it to do over, we’d go to Dawn PowerWash first.

[Theodore]

1990 Grand Wagoneer - Carpet Update - Theodore - 1990 GW

Before we get started, am happy to say we made it our first cruise-in of the year on Friday night. Prob 150-200 cars there, everything from the crowd favorite, a 1929 Packard in Black w/rumble seat and a small 3rd door meant to haul golf clubs. I had the only FSJ, which drew quite a few selfies.

On the way home, was a little low on gas, hand showed just above E; I daily drive it - generally quick trips to work & grocery store, but have never run it low enough to run out - til then. As a cruised by the last gas station on flat ground on the way to the house, it coughed & recovered so i kept going(found an intake leak last weekend, & have seen a few misfires lately)... for another 400-500 yards & started up a slight hill & cough/dead... Had enough momentum to turn into a parking lot & rolled thru to a stop. Engine restarted fine, & it's now have downhill to the gas station. Pulled out & accelerated to get enough momentum to make it w/fingers crossed; At about 100 yards left, the engine died & i coasted into the
station & up to the pump. Whew.


Now back to our regularly scheduled program:

Wheel wells were the hardest part of the carpet install - requires gluing with Contact Cement. & quite a bit of trimming to fit. Having never installed carpet before, i intentionally went slow to avoid mistakes. Used a few bricks wrapped in kraft paper to weigh it down in places & a few clamps to ensure a good bond.


Scrap from making the cargo underlayment came in handy


Roughing in the stainless ribs in the cargo area; these came from Jake's FSJ Junkyard in Burnsville, NC. Came up a few screws short as a few were usable due to nearly being rusted through. If you have a few spares, let me know.


While the glue was drying, it was time to work on one of the floormats. i'd ordered these last Summer, when i thought i'd be ready for carpet installation last Fall - opened & checked the color & closed them back up. Last weekend, i found that one of the new floormats had a drizzle of hot glue on it - great. Contacted the distributor to attempt an exchange, and was told it'd been too long - had 30 days for return/exchange, but manufacturer recommended removing it w/acetone. Used acetone on a paper towel & a toothpick to remove it. Happy to say, it cleaned it up.


Cleaned up really nice.


Mats installed



Cargo area


I didn't get a chance to install the stainless ribs yesterday, as i had to clean up rust on the backsides with rust dissolver, primer & paint. Paint is drying.

The quarter panel upholstery requires some sewing - will have to find a shop to help with that. Will post up a picture for others, as i expected these panels would be sewed similar to the cargo mat.

Overall i'm ecstatic with the results. Having never installed carpet before, the installation was challenging given the change for error & satisfying as each stage was done. Best advice, take your time & work from the middle to the edges; trim sparingly - you can always take more off, but you can't add back. Used paintable Weldwood Contact Cement for the wheel wells; i'd recommend it over 3M Super Trim Adhesive sprayable for a few reasons: 1) the sprayable didn't stick very well, 2) spraying requires masking & the risk of getting glue where you don't want it.

[rang-a-stang]

wow! What a difference! Looks GREAT!!! When I did my rear carpet (79 cherk, so it may be different than yours), the original crusty carpet was pinned down under that trim piece in under the tailgate, there. That keeps it from rolling up or puckering as you tighten down the ribs. Also, I recommend you get the sides done and installed before you do the ribs to keep them from pulling up, also.

I notice the thermometer in the A/C vent. I assume that means it works but you are watching it?

[Theodore]

wow! What a difference! Looks GREAT!!! When I did my rear carpet (79 cherk, so it may be different than yours), the original crusty carpet was pinned down under that trim piece in under the tailgate, there. That keeps it from rolling up or puckering as you tighten down the ribs. Also, I recommend you get the sides done and installed before you do the ribs to keep them from pulling up, also.

I notice the thermometer in the A/C vent. I assume that means it works but you are watching it?

Hey, Rang, thanks for the advice; I wasn’t sure whether to pull the rear trim piece or not; never had carpet in the cargo area.

re: thermometer - yes; A/C works & like watching the temp drop. Replaced everything with parts from JeepAir last summer.

[Theodore]

Back with this weekend's interior update. First off, kudos to rang-a-stang on ifsja, who recommended that the carpet be installed under the trim strip at the back & to install the side trim before installing the stainless ribs to prevent the carpet from curling up. Having never had carpet in the cargo area before, i wasn't sure how to go about it & would've installed the ribs first & wasn't sure whether the carpet went under the rear trim strip or not. Pulled the rear trim strip & cleaned & polished it the best i could in prep for carpet installation; looks much better.

With rear trim strip installed: Packages contain leftover parts headed for a couple fellow members.


Had to repair a couple of the backing boards. Fortunately, the material was still there & i was able to goop on contact cement & keep it separated by toothpicks to dry. Stuck the sides together & hold with a spring clamp. Also, dabbed contact cement into each hole to stiffen each one up, as some of the material was starting to delaminate.


Once repaired & set, i went back over each hole with kraft paper from a grocery bag; which helped the clips hold better & gave the tacky glue something from before something to stick to.


Glue drying on the left side panel. Panel looks terrible from water stains, but it works.


Kraft paper patches visible in this pic:


Moving along - attach carpet to panels. I did the gluing in 4 steps:
1) Flip the vinyl trim around & test fit the backer board. Had to trim this board slightly to round off a couple corners to fit. Fortunately, i'd picked up this backer from Jake's FSJ Junkyard in Burnsville, NC, a couple years ago, as the holes in mine were completely blown out.
2) Glue the carpet to the backer, leaving the vinyl trim for step 3
3) Glue the vinyl trim down
4) Staple with 1/4" staples


Once glued, The vinyl trim will curl up, so used small cardboard spacers to keep the 2 parts separate while the glue dries.


Stapled & Ready for installation - Back

Front


First piece installed


Second piece installed - still need to cut the finger & speaker holes; am waiting for the glue to dry.


2 down, 2 to go.