Ok my 66 needs some interior work done to it. I want to replace the floor liner and find the door panels or make some. My question is does anyone one have any ideas for this? I will restore the truck sometime but right now I would like to make it a little easyer on the eyes before I do a restoration as I am driveing it in the summer. ( Probley 3-4 years away from trying to restore) So I am looking for creative cheep ideas. What was the orginal door panels made out of? ( my truck is a custom cab) By door panel I mean up around the chrome trim, not the lower metal panel. Would a Mat out of any other trucks work? Has anyone made there own panels or floor covering? All imput and Ideas I am willing to hear. The dash pad is black, the seat a cloth grey, the dash white, and the rest is a beage. I think black or grey for right now would be ok. Lastly does anyone make an insert for new guages?( thinkign for down the road) Or know how to fix a cracked stock cc sweep spedo? Like I said before I what to do this cheep but still look better than nothing for the most part. It will be made right when i get closer to a restoration. For pics look in my gallery. Thanks

 

Well for starters the diet rite would have to go. That is drawing all my attention to it. Well with that said maybe it would be better off staying.

Ok being serious now. You can make the door panels out of 1/8 inch birch or another nice plywood or paint/stain them to a color of your liking. The originals were made out of plastic fyi. The floor can be covered with a 1/4" black plastic anti fatigue mat or you can pick up some cheap loop carpet for now. But I would seriously check for any leaks before you do that. Any water that gets trapped under it will accelerate rust or a moldy smell. The interior isn't all that bad concidering how bad it could be.

The cracked speedo can be repaired by a few shops. Do a google search for speedometer repair and a bunch will pop up. You can also go the custom route with an old guage panel insert. Check out the classifieds on this site or contact Mike54 since he is about to get rid of a 66. In the next month I will be getting rid of mine but its for a 64. Just drop me a PM if you want to see it. So there are a few options for you.

 

Several suppliers have reproduced the upper door panels, and Bob Drake now has reproduction door pockets that went where those rectangular metal panels are. The zippered pockets were an option on all 1961/66 pickups except the Rangers, which had them as standard equipment.

Check our FTE sponsors for the upper panels, I forget who makes them..but someone may come along with that info.

No all cloth or cloth vinyl interiors of any type were offered. Only a woven vinyl combo (crush vinyl with woven plastic is what Ford called it) was offered for Custom Cabs.

Black was the only color available for padded dashes for this series of trucks.

 

Ha ha he said, "Diet Rite". Anyway, I'm planning on making my door panels (66 Custom Cab) out of the stuff they make the pick guards on guitars, using a white pearl material. It's fairly cheap and very durable. And, yes, I stole the idea from an episode of "Trucks".

 

I have a 66 also in the same predicament as you. I know the headliners were made out of fiber board and I was wonder if anyone had a template to make a repro?? I will follow your thread to see what you come up with!

 

Where do you get that stuff?

 

You can "Google" pick guard material and get several hits. I haven't picked a vendor yet as I haven't gotten to the point to do the interior yet.

 

Fiberboard headliners, uhm, well, there's no nice way to say it. They suck. And I like original stuff, but it's just a lousy design.
You can get a plastic one that is form fitted from Roddoors and I think NPD (same part) that fits like a glove. Won't sag like the fiberboard and isn't subject to humidity and dampness warping it. They are not cheap, however.
Go to your local bulk fabric store and select a material you like, as the cloth Roddoors offers is, IMO, way too expensive for what it is.
Don't forget to Dynamat the heck out of the roof, door insides and floorpan so you can actually hear yourself think when driving as well.

 

Made my headliner out of formica, the kitchen counter top stuff,comes in any color you want. Found a old ratty headliner in a junk yard & used it for a pattern, they make a special knife for cutting the stuff, if not careful you can crack or split the stuff. Practice on small piece first. I thought it worked good & not to expensive. GOOD LUCK

 

I also just remebered that I have an industural sewing mechine so I should be able to sew vinal. Has anyone made there own door panels? Have a pattern? Would the wood make the bend in the door?? If not what could I use that would make the bend and still all me to uses the chrome trim to attach it and possibly cover it with vinal?? any ideas? thanks

 

One other question, the lower chrome bezel on the round custom cab trucks that say custom cab, will they work on all years? In addation does anyone make the white overlay for the custom cab guages? thanks

 

Well atleast you got the chrome trim for your door panels; My 65's P/O use a coke cola plastic advertisement board for my door panel. (I might still have them) While your door trim is on the door; just measure the height between the upper & lower trim arms, near the door hinges; then remove your trim pieces and lay it on a cardboard template attach. Place the same distance height at the front end and trace your outer trim, then cut about a 1/8" to a 1/4" inside your line. I would use about a 1/4" or 3/8" thick panel material, this will fill the thickest of the trim pieces. Once you got it cut out lay it on your door to find the hole markings for your window & door cranks. Use the cardboard as a template and then once it fit's properly use it as your pattern to some other material.
I've seen new replacement panel in three colors, (Red, White & Black). The red & white run about $149, while the black are $49. All are made from a plastic material.
Hope this gives you an ideal.

Mitch

 

We have door panels made from the inside of two donor doors. They are going to be covered with cloth it will mimick the new removeable plastic door covers but they will be all steel.