There is a lot of discussion about seats, but I'm curious what you Panel truck guys are doing with the area behind the seats in your Ford Panel trucks. What type of interior finishing are you doing? What are you using on the sidewalls and the roof? Rear seats? (I assume with a folding passenger seat?) How is access to any rear seats for adults?

If you point me to any galleries that show Panel truck interiors I would appreciate it. Mine is a 55 F-100 but any Panel truck ideas would be helpful.

Great forum. Lots of good ideas.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

 

Hey Jeff, welcome aboard!! I am an upholsterer and I give alot of tips and such on here on upholstery. I've been meaning to tell alot more on panel's since I own 2 of them right now, I'm on my way to my 2nd job right now, I'll have to post some more later. But for now, the best advice on rear seats is out of a late model Windstar or Aerostar? The advantage is if you can get a chunk of the floor around the rear seat mounts, you can you can take them out if you need more hauling space. I'm goin to use the whole floor out of one for mine since mine has NO rear floor at all!


As far as the sidewalls, headliner are concerned, I use either a suspended type headliner, or a "chip board" type, which is a fancy word for tempered cardboard. You can also get a thin good grade of plastic and do the headliner and sidewalls.

That's all I have time for now, I'll post more in the future. Maybe someone on here will post some pics. I know AX has a killer panel truck, I dont know if he has his interior done yet or not?

Later dude

 

unfortunatey i ain't got no pics of my int. & the way it's packed into the garage for the winter won't be gettin any anytime soon.
dunno where you live, but here we have a product called flexiply which is a 3/8 plywood that can be bent easily to a 12 inch circle if need be.
i found some flame print polar fleece material @ a local fabric shop sprayglued it to the flexiply & now havva real hip flamed headliner....front to back....walls were done with 1/4 ply with 1/2 foam sprayglued to that and an orange polarfleece over that nice soft puffy finish... the orange matches both the orange in the flame pattern but also the orange of the entire truck. this is a very low pile polarfleece & looks almost exactly like headliner materials you see in modern cars. we also put a bed that folds out ahead onto the bakka the seat (92 chv c-15) when it's slid & folded ahead, works out to about the size of standard double bed, well as sink & icebox,closest to the backdoors & lotsa storage under the bed. this setup allows us to take off for a few days at a time if we wanna go to shows/cruises further afield sure saves on hotel bills, either stay in friends/relitives yards, wal mart lots, campgrounds even stayed & freecamped at deserted waterfront/beach areas a few times.
i think the key with a panel int. is LOTSA insulation. what i found works excellent and can ofttimes picked up for free those fiberglass drop ceiling tiles, peel the white finish offa the outside of em layer m' up thick as you needta. bag em in garbage bags and tape em shut so's you don't end up with fiberglass dust floatin' around your int. between this and good soundeadener under the carpets we've gotta nice quiet ride goin down the road @ 65mph
Mikie
near ottawa canada
58 merc 100 panel, 64 econo p.u

 

right now my interior is just insulation and carpet. I expect to use abs or similar for the base under padding and upholstery including the headliner. There was an interesting long article in one of the street rodding magazines from Buckaroo publications I just got showing how someone made a FG headliner for a 32 coupe by laying up the glass directly over the outside of the roof using waxed masking tape as a release layer, then narrowed the finished panel to fit inside the top, added garnish moldings all around etc. A unique approach, but pretty applicable to a panel truck!

 

I will be putting one of these headliners on Ebay within this week. Possibly $165 ea. Fits -1948 1949 1950 1951 1952- Ford Panel Truck I have made Brown and Gray headliners for my two panel trucks that I developed using a rare surviving original headliner from a 4600 mi. truck from Texas as a pattern. Also have plain material with no color texture or edge binding that can be covered with fabric for a custom truck. I had material custom colored and textured and have bought from Carpenters their remaining stock of the gray and brown edge binding so that my headliners match the sun visors and kick panels they make. I have reinforced the visor panel so that it will not get out of shape as the original ones did. Very slightly thicker material, better fit and better durability than original. It's an incredible difference to finally see a real original type headliner in my trucks. I have watched for this to be available from anywhere for the last 30 years it has not been reproduced ever by anyone, anywhere, as I am told due to the difficulty, low demand, and no one having a decent original to take a pattern from. I had material left over and have made some duplicates of this headliner in hopes of regaining some of the extreme cost and effort it has taken to do. This will be shipped in a nearly bulletproof or UPS proof rigid, flat envelope made of eighth inch masonite 58 by 29 inches. Total of shipping material and UPS cost will be about $32 to almost anywhere in the lower 48 states. I am charging nothing for handling.

 

I like Terry's idea of the Aerostar seat and floor release mechanism. And the front seats with swivel captains chairs so that all four can gather around and play a good game of cribbage. And blacklight posters stitched in with the blacklight strobe, and whatnot. And the 8 gallon keg with table-top, etc...

 

Hey Havi, you make sound so easy a caveman could do it. I've been waiting for a good opportunity to use that one on you forever!!! The Aerostar or Windstar seats are the best choice in my opinion, if you get the mounting then you can remove them if you need to haul something.

later dudes

 

Mark thechassisman, You might want to call Todd and offer him one of the headliners for his 51 marmon herrington. If you have lost his contact info PM me

Kevin Bigwin

 

I've been agonizing over my interior !!! My whole goal was to make a "period" hot rod so a fancy modern interior won't do. We've sprayed two coats of sound deadening in the entire interior plus inside the doors. I've been planning to use bubble-wrap type insulation, can be purchased with one side adhesive. It's light, inexpensive and should insulate quite well. I'm concerned about condensation building up between the interior and the outer shell. The bubble wrap will allow air to circulate freely and maybe reduce condensation. I am a novice at this and any input from you old pros will be apriciated.

Also been agnoizing over design. One concept is tie-dyed, black lit, superhippyfreak, early 60's. Other end of the spectrum is the typical period white (with small pin-holes) headliner materal. I think it would look tastefull, maybe with chrome bows holding up the headliner and similar material (contrasting color???) on the sides.

I guess the design is something each of us needs to decide what's going to best reflect our personality ...............






















Superhippyfreak it is!!!!!

DB

 

Hi Jeff, I just posted some pictures of my 55 Panel Truck and included a shot of the interior. I had mine finished by a professional but he shared some info that may help. He uses a white plastic material aprox 1/8" smooth on one side and a slight texture on the other side he purchaced at Home Depot. He then cuts panels to fit the various areas then covers them with material and fastens them with screws using cup type washers with a cap covered in the same material that snaps over the cup washer. Using a plastic material there is less chance with moisture problems. Also before I took it to the shop I covered the entire interior with Dynomat then with the 1/4" quilted foil insulated material that is available thru many supplyers. Hope this is some help, John john/hlptruck

 

John,
NICE TRUCK!!!
Welcome to the board and the smaller group of panel owners.

 

This is a great thread for me also! My 52 F 1 Panel Is bare bones right now. Just picked up a decent set of bucket seats out of a Taurus for $50. I also am concerned about the condensation issues. Right now it's like driving in a big steel drum. I am not looking to do a show quality, just a respectable old fat fender. Tracking the VIN and history on mine, it seems it was a U.S. military order, requested in 51( vin is 51 ) but not delievered until 52(registered in 52 ). Has a set of side windows ( which will add to the interior finishing challanges ) and mount holes on roof for something/lights ? It's a good bet that these mods were done real early in its life, well if,....comparing the consistancy of all the window rubber is a good indicator. I have heard these panels with this window mod referred to as a "shop truck" I am seeing some great ideas here folks.Thanks for the input panel owners. John S

 

I did one back in 76 when it was brand new. Used 2 inch fibergalss batts and then a vapor barrier 5 mil plastic, covered it with 3/8 plywood sprayed glue contact cement on it and added plush carpet.
On the floor used 2 inch styro-foam covered with 3/4 plywood, then carpet over that.
Made up a storage bench on both sides of the rear of the Van which would seat 2 on each one, hinged the tops and used for tools dept., or which ever else you could fit in there.
Now between the 2 benches I cut a piece of 3/4 plywood to fit nice a tight on a lip on bith benches. Went to the Van shop and bought a pedestal and floor mount and under table mount so this piece could be used for both a table and a bed, and it sat 4 slept 2 queen size bed.
I used this van as a work truck and as a daily driver it was my first new one, it was fully loaded up front with all the accessories, but not one window in the back, not even the side door.
Used to go snow mobiling and we slet in this Van at -40 below zero.
That is no B/S we were way up north where its a dry cold never-less it was cold. He did have a heater in the van on low and not the truck heater, but there was no vapor issue.

 

Forgot to mention have a nice 53 Deluxe Panel with Factory O/D, Dealer installed Radio, plus.
This is a Western Prairie Truck that has very minor Rust Issues, Very Minor. The sides have not been cut for windows and the roof & hood are straight truck does run but engine is tired. Has the both original seats in it, and rear doors work well and, truck is totally complete.
Don't have time for it so its got to go.

 

How many extra side windows does it have? One extra on each side or two?
Thanks, Mark