Interior Restoration Made So Cheap And Easy, Even A Journalist Can Do It!

With the low-buck Maaco paint job done on the Sound Classics 1979 Chevy K10 project truck, it is time to turn our attention to finishing it all off with an interior upgrade. Let’s face it, the ripped-up Saddle Tan interior just isn’t going to cut it on a shiny black and silver 4X4.

In keeping with the guidelines set forth before the exterior restoration, the challenge remains to do this on the cheap-as-a-Trenton, NJ-hooker. Since there’s no budget for a professional upholsterer and I’ve never done any serious interior work in any of the previous Sound Classics projects, nobody is expecting a miracle.

Continue reading after the jump!

The process started by doing some parts ordering. The dashpad couldn’t be saved as it suffered from dozens of cracks and decaying foam… and the ill-fitting carpeted mat on top didn’t make it look any less horrible. The options are simple: a cap over the existing pad for $90 or a completely new dashpad for $180. In this case, twice the price seemed worth it.

Similarly, the seat had been covered with a traditional saddle blanket-type cover. Not horrible looking, but entirely the wrong color for a black and silver exterior. With a complete vinyl bench seat upholstery kit available for just $118, it’s a no-brainer to order it… Of course, success hinges on me figuring out how to install it.

While waiting for parts to be delivered, I removed the existing interior. The dash pad took just ten minutes to unscrew and find its way into the garbage – although I kept the all-important retaining clips, which need to be transferred to the new pad. Four bolts were all that stood in the way of removing the bench seat from the truck…and then with the extra room, accessing all the screws for door and kick panels, header trim and rails was a breeze. As with any dismantling project, there was one nasty time-consuming task – drilling out a bolt holding the passenger seatbelt after the head snapped-off.

All trim panels were treated like they were entering prison – being introduced to high-pressure cleaning in all crevices to remove all unwanted grease and gunk. After drying, metal and plastic pieces got black primer then black paint. Vinyl visors and armrests, as well the carpeted sections of the lower door panels received a few coats of spray-on dye. After plenty of time to sit and set in the garage, the panels were returned to the freshly wiped-down and vacuumed cabin.

The door rings and it is the UPS man with the upholstery kit. So without further delay – we can find out if Sam can do seats!

The big bench seat first needs to be stripped. I already cut off the saddle blanket, so now it is time to separate the seat back from the bottom. This is pretty simple, with just a couple pieces of hardware on each side. Next it is time to relieve the units of the factory-original seat fabric. A pair of wire cutters makes quick work of the rusty old hog rings – although I’m making a mental note of how and where these magical pieces of metal are attached. With nothing retaining the upholstery, the fabric simply peels back from the foam and frame.

While I’ve been doing all the removal of the old covering, the new upholstery has been sitting out in the sun, making the vinyl stretchable. First I take on the seat back. The vinyl rolls easily down over the foam and frame. I grab the cheapo hog ring pliers that came in the package and load a ring. Grasping the stretched fabric and holding it around the metal frame structure, I squeeze the hog ring pliers to make a permanent loop of metal. Is it really this easy? Evidently so, because within five minutes I’m done with the seat back.

The old bottom upholstery required dozens of hog rings, but some nifty use of long plastic catches on the new seat bottoms seriously reduce the time dedicated to squeezing in the new rings. I take my time on the placement of each required hog ring, ensuring that even under the heaviest ass, the seat material will never pull loose. As I squeeze the pliers for the last time, only an hour has gone by since I first started dismantling the seat. Just fifteen minutes later, the reconditioned bench is back together and I’m bolting it back into the truck.

As easy as the upholstery is, the dashpad is even simpler. Really? Just transfer over the trim pieces from the old one and slide it into place. There are many little screws to go in, but almost all are in plain view.

With minimal material cost and just a little time, the 1979 K10 interior renovation is complete – which means the restoration is done. We’ve drained just under $1600 for the whole truck and restoration bill. It has taken more hours to finish than a Wagner opera, but the team is actually impressed how much an amateur with little experience (and a lot of drive) can really accomplish.

Did we do ourselves and the Chevy truck faithful proud? Give us your feedback!