5 Ideas to makeover the interior

My truck is old. Yes its true. Its a 96. In my head and my heart I don't see it as old but damn, its time I acknowledge...my truck is old.

BUT

All it needs is a little life and maybe a spruced up interior. My floor mats are long gone, the carpeting is haggard and stained. The fabric covering on my seats, armrests, and door panels is either ripped, stained or permanently dirty. My drivers seat has a hole with foam coming out, my dash, glovebox and plastic interior trim is scratched or dented.

Its time for an interior makeover. The current trim is the brown/tan from 1996. What should I do?

1) The carpeting HAS to go. I'm going for looks, comfort and quietness. (no rhinoliner interior, no husky floor mats)

2) What I do about the door panels?

3) What can I do about the scratched plastic trim/glovebox/dash?

4) Slapping okeole seat covers seems like a copout. Is reupholstering a realistic option? Or should I be looking at new seats?

5) I want a quiet, clean nice interior. What would you guys recommend?

Thanks,
Bruno

 

i would look into new seats altogether, they'll be more comfortable and look better. the carpeting can probably be redone for $$$, but as for the door panels and plastic i think youre looking at factory replacements.....

 

have u tried a junkyard? sometimes u can come across good finds there. I basically redid the interior of my '88 model from junkyard trucks. just an idea

 

Get a new carpet kit for your truck which you can look on jc whitney for some good inexpensive carpet kits, Before you install put down some fatmat or dynamat sound deadner. You can even put this behind your dor panels and inside your doors. The get a leather kit like katzkin and redo your seats. The interior door panels you can probably go to an upholstery shop and have them redone.

 

stockinteriors.com sells carpet kits

 

Check out this guy's build thread. he's painted and dyed most of his interior trim. Won't do much for the scratches but it revives the look of the interior. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-builds/98326-madjik-mans-laugh-him-build.html

I would get one of those carpet kits (I've seen a link to one before, they're not too expensive) and new seats if you have the cash.

 

After some research, I've decided I need to decide on what I want to do about the seats first. Seats take priority. Katzkin is waay out of my price range. After looking at some Okole seat covers, they actually don't look bad.

I have the 60/40 split bench in my 96 ext cab MT. Is it possible to take some bucket seats from another tacoma or 4Runner year? I don't have access to a welder so a direct bolt-on replacement is ideal. What options are there?

 

You know you got a good truck when all you can complain about is the interior on a truck over 15 years old.

Long live Toyota!

 

Swapping in bucket seats is generally painless, as the holes are there.

(read) http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/236174-bucket-seat-bench-seat-swap-1st-gen.html

If you're looking for comfort and quietness, I'd say seats takes num 1 priority, then depending on how bad your carpets are either get some sound deadner (some brands already mentioned) to put under your carpet now or do both new carpet and sound deadner at the same time.

 

Seats are easy. Found a spotless Ford Ranger 60/40 split bench with console at the junkyard, the guy says he wants $100 for it. Bought it, took it back to the shop and installed it in a 95 Tacoma. Took the Tacoma bench seat (stain-free, but worn out springs) back to the junkyard and the guy bought it for $60.

Color is perfect and it's a great fit. Several people looked at it and no one has any idea it isn't original or cross-branded, lol.

 

I installed some new carpet in my truck to give it a fresh new look and feel inside. Overall REALLY impressed with this carpet and the results. It's from ACC which actually makes carpet for many of the auto makers. Cost was about $150 for the carpet, $15 worth of install tools and misc supplies. I also opted to install some Dynomat sound deadening material to cancel out the road and wind noise although that is optional. Install time was a total of about 12 hours over one weekend. I probably could have done it quicker, but I really wanted to take my time with this and get a perfect professional looking install. Also wanted something completely different so I opted for a Graphite (Charcoal) gray color.

 

I got a black carpet from stock interiors.com, it's great and I'm really happy with it. Just the regular carpet, not the ultra plush or backed one. Swap in some seats from a tc or matrix or something. It would be a nice refresher. I have an 02 so idk what 96 door panels look like

 

4Runner seats don't fit, just other 1st-gen Tacomas. I'm doing the same with my 98. It has the 60/40. I bought a center console from a junkyard, so once I find a driver's side bucket seat I'm doing the swap. I hate bench seats.

 

1

I've been looking at the carpets from stockinteriors.com, just ordered a bunch of samples. I was thinking about the backed one, any particular reason you went with the regular? Also, are the TC/Matrix seats a direct bolt-on, I'm not opposed to some custom work but I don't have access to a welder or experience with seats. Finally, maybe I can get some stock replacement door panels...I wonder if the later first gen door panels would bolt up.

Def some nice pictures and interior going on there. I'll check out ACC, haven't looked at them yet. What is your impression of the dynomat job, was it worth it? Custominteriors.com sells a "mass backed" version of their carpet that is said to make the carpeting more molded, heavier and resistent to sound. I think its like an extra $50 to get the mass backed. How much dynomat did you use? $$?

That is a good thread, I read through it. It sounds like the most common swap is putting in the bucket/center console seats from later first gens in place of the 60/40 split bench which is what I have now. Direct bolt on is ideal. I've heard conflicting info about the comfort though...are there any other toyota model seats that bolt right up and are markedly more comfortable? My 60/40 sucks so bad.

Here are some pictures of what I've got going on:

Pic 1: Hole in the lumbar, and also hole in the upper right of the picture where I slide out.

Pic 2: Years of grime on the armrest, so gross.

Pic 3: Scratches on the glovebox, similar scratches all over. I heard a hair dryer would make these less visible. Thoughts?

Pic 4: Door panel, grime on fabric, dirty armrest/handle, window sill panel is dented in center from me punching it. maany memories in this truck (good and bad). Its funny just from writing that sentence how many memories are actually in this truck. I got it when I was 18, and I'm 32 now. Its driven to Costa Rica, spun out in ice on the highway in Big Bear, driven drunk waaay to many times, countless BJs and random girls. I've hated it, fixed it, then fell in love with it again. I swear to god I will never sell this truck. Everything I've ever learned about cars I learned on this truck. It moved with me to maybe 10 cities. Every girlfriend I've ever had has been in this truck. It is the one and only thing in my life that has ever been stable. Its been pulled over by multiple law enforcement agencies for random stops, been towed 3 times, been searched maybe 20 times from the Mexican Army, it has seen every coastal city and surf spot from San Diego to Costa Rica and from Costa Rica to Brownsville, Texas back to San Diego. It has driven the hills of San Francisco and the swamps of Louisiana. It has been to the tip of the everglades and to the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. I've slept in the front, back and next to it. I was chased by motorcyle guys in tapachula Mexico. i surfed some of the biggest waves of my life in puerto escondido, mx while it waited on shore. I picked up the hottest most spectacular girl I've ever met in my life for a first date, who is now my GF of three years. It has keyed marks along the drivers side from another first date that ended pretty badly. Not once, I mean not a single time ever has it ever left me stranded. Not a single time. Only twice was I left on the side of the road, and it was because I ran out of gas. Im getting emotional, I've never thought about this before. It carries my tools, my camping gear my soul. I've driven it to every job interview I've ever had, every school I've ever attended and every apartment I've ever rented. In 15 years, I have been the only one to ever change its oil, I can do it in about 4.5 minutes now. It has carried me to the beach to surf probably 2000 times. It has taken me to parties, football games and solitude. It has seen me cry, laugh, and worry. It has given me shelter, stored my food and carried my water. It has seen my bare ass and back of my nuts hundreds of times. More importantly it has seen the bare ass and sweet lips of so many girls, it gets me going just thinking about it (and them). Ive pissed in it, came in it, f*cked in it, cried in it, laughed in it. All the people who have ever meant anything to me have been carried in it.

This is more than a truck. This is more than a memory. This is my life. This truck represents my life. Fuck. I gotta get away from this computer for a minute.

 

You could ask a body shop or google a shop/company that redoes scratches in interior and even new dye job.
If you even did a few pieces at a time buying OEM panels and such would be brand new!

 

reupholstery was the route I went. he added some more padding to the seats too and it ended up being just over $500 for all of it and is holding up well. just ask around for someone in your area and I'm sure you could find a guy that does quality work for a fair price.

 

This is awesome and pretty much sums up my feelings for my truck as well. I'm hoping if I ever have the misfortune of having a kid, they're gonna get the exact same vehicle I had for my first vehicle.

Back in May a buddy of mine was waffling back and forth on trading his truck in. He was like "I really want a new truck, but I don't think I can detach myself from this think. You know how many times I've almost died in this thing? You know how many booze cruises it's been on and somehow gotten me home? (He was real bad about this, we started taking his wheels off and hiding the lug nuts every time he started drinking and he's since shaped up) Fuck man, I lost my virginity in this thing! I can't get rid of it"

Then he just went outside and sat in it haha. He did end up trading it, but I don't think I could ever do the same.

I know that's way off topic but was just glad somebody else has the same sentiments and hopefully mine is still in my possession when I am your age. I'm thinking if she can make it through my entire highschool and college career, we're home free. Got about 2 years left (hopefully ) of the latter and we're good. Best of luck with whatever choice you come up with on the interior.

 

I used the Dynamat extreme trunk kit which has about 20sq ft of sound dampening material. The install was not difficult by any means, you just clean the floor pan and roll it on. I also have an Aero Turbine exhaust which can be deafening at times especially on long commutes, so that was the main purpose as well as the wind and road noise from the tires. Cost was about $85. The interior is definitely much quieter, but that may also be from the ACC carpet which surprisingly is about a 1/4 THICKER and with more jute floor padding than the OEM Toyota carpet!