Question about the interior?

[Ford_Crazy]

My 1965 car came completely disassembled, and I have no clue how these cars came from the factory. I'm working on the body shell and need some advice. The metal shelf behind the driver's seat is heavily pitted. It's structurally sound with no holes, just looks bad. In pictures I can see that this area is covered with carpet. Is the carpet glued to the shelf or just laying on it? Is the fuel pump access door carpeted? Is the shelf painted body color or something else? Should I take the trouble to finish off the shelf and make it look pretty? Anyone have some pics behind the seats without the carpet so I can see how it's suppose to be? Thanks!

 

[michael-king]

The rear shelf should be body colour.. the whole body underside and interior should be body colour. The access hatch was not carpeted, the rear shelf is covered by a thin pleated vynil seat cushion thats held on by snaps. There is carpet glued over the diff hump and the vertical face infront of the shelf and just behind.

I can probably grab some pics and email to you of a couple of unrestored cars. For the MKII i think they may have just had a carpet mat over the shelf (not glued) as they didnt have the battery hole and cover.

 

[Ford_Crazy]

Interesting. Love to see the pics. Thanks!

 

[VaCat33]

Here are a few pics showing the shelf behind the seats in my Mk1...with the pleated cushion in place and raised so you can see underlying body. It is a very early model and has the contrast piping.

Hope it helps.

 

[Ford_Crazy]

Very interesting... I assume the pleated cover is available? What keeps the cover from sliding around? I noticed that the wheel wells have some sort of leatherette covers? Are they glued on? How is the carpet held in place? I know it's original, but does everyone paint the inside of the car to match? I was thinking about using some sound deadening on this shelf and on the floor. Sorry for all the questions..

 

[cadreamn67]

Hi, I for one, and I dare say most of us on the Forum appreciate and enjoy the questions. Afterall, that is what a Forum is mainly about: asking questions and getting/providing answers and prior experiences. They give the rest of us a sort of vicarious way of participating in your project and getting updates on progress.
I plan to install Thermotec heat and sound barrier underneath everything on the floor and rear shelf when I replace the carpet later this year. I do not know where to get that pleated rear shelf covering. My Mark IA did not have it. I did get a somewhat thickly padded, pleated, fitted cushion sort of thing meant for an Alpine many years ago from Victoria British. Just laid it over the carpet back there for the grandkids to sit on. (I did put some lap belts in for them as well...)
It occurs to me you might find some interesting reading in the Classic Motorsports Tiger Restoration project they undertook and published over several years. It can be found on the web at http://classicmotorsports.net/project-cars/1965-sunbeam-tiger/ which is where I learned about the Thermotec material. But please, please do not substitute that for asking us questions! There could be better answers than that story gives, and how else are we going to keep up with your progress and learn ourselves from your experiences?!
Cheers, Gene

 

[Ford_Crazy]

The Classic Motor Sports article was very helpful. I know I'll have a bunch of questions as I go through this project. I've restored a number of classic Fords in my life, but this project is pretty intimidating. You don't see one every day and it's hard to figure out what goes where. I've always wanted one of these cars ever since I saw a new one on the showroom in 1965. I have a lot of patience and time... I've already gained something good from the car. I've lost 20 pounds so I can fit into it....

 

[michael-king]

Very interesting... I assume the pleated cover is available? What keeps the cover from sliding around? I noticed that the wheel wells have some sort of leatherette covers? Are they glued on? How is the carpet held in place? I know it's original, but does everyone paint the inside of the car to match? I was thinking about using some sound deadening on this shelf and on the floor. Sorry for all the questions..

The rear seat cushions are available from Sunbeam Specialties and probably classic sunbeam as well, as are all the other vynil trim. I mentioned in the previois post the cushion is held on my snap fittings, 4 on the vertical face between the floor and the seat, the others on the deck.
The carpet on the rear is glued down. The vynil on the wheel arches is glued, the triangular shaped panels that border them and cover the access hole to the drain tubes are secured with concealed trim clips (like the door card ones)and the vertical panels on the inside of the B-post is held on with 2 trim screws.

As for what you do with your car.. if you are painting the interior its nice to do it body colour.. but your car and it's up to you. As for sound deadening, go for it, just depends how you want to apply it and what type you are using. Are you thinking of applying to the metal on the interior one of the lizard skin type coatings then painting over it? or glueing something like the thermoteck insulators? Either way, choose what nest suits you. i thnk the best way to approach things is make things as you want them, but ifg you are modifing try and do it so its unobturisive and reversable if needed.

 

[65beam]

interior

the heat pleated covers are getting very scarce. i recently bought the last one in black pebble grain that rick had. he may have a few others ,but many i have seen recently were machine sewed.

 

[Ford_Crazy]

I think the best way for me to go is to use sound deadening on the floors and firewall. I'll probably glue black carpet to the rear shelf and to the top of the fuel pump access door to finish it off. I've done that with other cars and it comes out nice. I was thinking about moving the driver's seat back by cutting a notch out of the rear tray. I installed the driver's seat and the seat location is not a big problem, so I'm not going there. The pedal location seems very tight, but I have been told I can get used to it. I am also going to look for a smaller diameter steering wheel. Any other suggestions?

 

[michael-king]

I think the best way for me to go is to use sound deadening on the floors and firewall. I'll probably glue black carpet to the rear shelf and to the top of the fuel pump access door to finish it off. I've done that with other cars and it comes out nice. I was thinking about moving the driver's seat back by cutting a notch out of the rear tray. I installed the driver's seat and the seat location is not a big problem, so I'm not going there. The pedal location seems very tight, but I have been told I can get used to it. I am also going to look for a smaller diameter steering wheel. Any other suggestions?

Ford (whats your name?)

I wouldn't cut the rear shelf, you could look into some thinner seats or mounting the seat lower to the floor, cutting the rear shelf you would probably have to cut the vertical face.. body mods that are not desireable.

Smaller steering wheels will help with the leg room, 13 or 14" nardis look nice (period correct) as do mota-litas. They give you some more leg room. As for the pedal position you can adjust the accelerator, make sure you can still get full throtle on the cable and dont over extend it. you could lower the throttle stop bracket and rubber to give it more thorw (but as above.. check the cable.. maybe need a longer one) The tunnel gets in the way on LHD cars.

I'm 184cm and i find that on a long drive on the freeway after 1.5 hours + my right knee gets very sore from being bent back holding the car at 60mph.. i am going to look into allowing the pedal to go lower beyond the stock adjustment, but i think without putting in a new cable i would likely break it.... maybe i should convert to RHD, more leg room on those!