Interior fiddling, pitfalls?

Interior fiddling, pitfalls?

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Discussion

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Friday 10th March 2017
quotequote all
I'm planning to get cracking on an interior refresh on my Chimaera around easter, I expect with the time I have available it will take me 4-6 weeks. I'm wondering what pitfalls and problems might await me, forewarned = forearmed and all that.

Job list

1. Clean and re-colour carpets (turquoise-pinky to dark blue)

2. Re-finish and re-colour seats/dash/centre tunnel/door cards (two-tone Portland to light Portland grey all over). Probably the Bespoke Leathering or Furniture Clinic kit

3. Strip cracked/peeling dash veneer and refinish, this will probably be filler/smooth/prime/piano black for now and see ow it looks. Veneer is beyond salvation so it's this or a new dash fascia.

4. Replace LEDs on heater controls (red/blue for the warm/nuclear switch, ice white for the up/down)

5. Upper wishbones need a strip/clean and paint and wheels are lined up for a colour change.

Vague plan is to jack the car up, remove battery and get it on a conditioner, wheels to the reburbers at some point; seats out, dash top and centre tunnel out, door cards out; try to free off the seat belt bolts, if they come, then seat belts loosened. Re-colour carpets in situ, re-colour everything else off the car, sort the wishbones and any chassis parts that need attention, then a bit of solder around the LEDs and refit the lot.

What can possibly go wrong?

wuckfitracing

990 posts

142 months

Friday 10th March 2017
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What can possibly go wrong ? The sun comes out and you wished you had left it till winter. Drive it now tinker later.

TR4man

5,207 posts

173 months

Friday 10th March 2017
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The decent weather is nearly here.

Put those jobs on hold until October when the grotty weather arrives.

trev4

736 posts

161 months

Friday 10th March 2017
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I tried colouring the carpets with spray on dye but was really disappointed with the results, I ended up having them replaced.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
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Those seat belt bolts can be really rusted in. Be careful not to shear them off.
I need to replace my heater LEDs and dash veneer too, so do document how you did it all please.

swisstoni

16,849 posts

278 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
I'd be inclined to buy a replacement dash panel. Unless talented, likely to stick out like sore thumb when it's all back together.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
swisstoni said:
I'd be inclined to buy a replacement dash panel. Unless talented, likely to stick out like sore thumb when it's all back together.
TVR MADS sell them

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
Yeah I know about the dash panels, I've been looking at TVR Mads site. I figure it's beyond salvation as it is, so provided getting it out isn't too much grief I've got nothing to lose in trying to tart it up first. £10 rattle can plays £200 for a new panel. A new dash will have to work with the overall colour scheme I go for in the end, this is just the first stage to obtain a blank canvas if you like.

TJC46

2,147 posts

205 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
2gins said:
Yeah I know about the dash panels, I've been looking at TVR Mads site. I figure it's beyond salvation as it is, so provided getting it out isn't too much grief I've got nothing to lose in trying to tart it up first. £10 rattle can plays £200 for a new panel. A new dash will have to work with the overall colour scheme I go for in the end, this is just the first stage to obtain a blank canvas if you like.
Ebay is your friend..........sticky back plastic silver carbon fibre effect............from this




Too this



From memory about a tenner inc delivery

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
Looks good but If I go CF I'll spend a little more and skin it properly. I've dabbled in the past. thumbup

Fastpedeller

3,848 posts

145 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
Rather than clean/recolour carpets would it be a similar price just to replace with new?

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
quotequote all
It's around £50-70 for enough dye to do a good job on the whole car, I gather new carpets are ~£400-500. And I still have the seatbelt bolt issue to contend with, an essential for new carpets but not a biggie for a re-colour.

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
quotequote all
Had a good look at the carpets today. Driver's is going threadbare in places and both the floor mats are full of dust, 15 minutes solid beating and it was still coming out. New carpets looks like a better plan.

How do these seat belt bolts come off then? I've read a few sources... is it just LOTS of plusgas and take it steady?

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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2gins said:
......How do these seat belt bolts come off then? I've read a few sources... is it just LOTS of plusgas and take it steady?
Very difficult to get any release agent near the problem.
All you can do is take it gently winding it back in if it starts to bind up.

Steve

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Steve_D said:
2gins said:
......How do these seat belt bolts come off then? I've read a few sources... is it just LOTS of plusgas and take it steady?
Very difficult to get any release agent near the problem.
All you can do is take it gently winding it back in if it starts to bind up.

Steve
I had trouble with one of the ones in the centre of the car. Was worried I would shear it off.
In the end I took it to Nick at Willow (now Str8Six) in Newark, who cut away everything around the bolt head (with my permission), squrited lots of freeing stuff in, and finally managed to get it moving.
IIRC it's am imperial bolt, not metric.

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
QBee said:
Steve_D said:
2gins said:
......How do these seat belt bolts come off then? I've read a few sources... is it just LOTS of plusgas and take it steady?
Very difficult to get any release agent near the problem.
All you can do is take it gently winding it back in if it starts to bind up.

Steve
I had trouble with one of the ones in the centre of the car. Was worried I would shear it off.
In the end I took it to Nick at Willow (now Str8Six) in Newark, who cut away everything around the bolt head (with my permission), squrited lots of freeing stuff in, and finally managed to get it moving.
IIRC it's am imperial bolt, not metric.
Seatbelt fixings are 7/16UNF a universal standard even in current cars.

Steve

Fastpedeller

3,848 posts

145 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
I may be stating the obvious here, but is it corrosion on the very end of the thread which is the problem, so that as soon as it's unwound it binds? Is it possible to access the very end of the bolt to get corrosion off prior to turning?

Steve_D

13,737 posts

257 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Fastpedeller said:
I may be stating the obvious here, but is it corrosion on the very end of the thread which is the problem, so that as soon as it's unwound it binds? Is it possible to access the very end of the bolt to get corrosion off prior to turning?
Inboard ones are in the chassis box section so you can squirt some release oil down the hole.
Outboard you may be able to do the same but there is not much room between body and outrigger tube.

Neither of them can be wire brushed.

Steve

portzi

2,296 posts

174 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Steve_D said:
Fastpedeller said:
I may be stating the obvious here, but is it corrosion on the very end of the thread which is the problem, so that as soon as it's unwound it binds? Is it possible to access the very end of the bolt to get corrosion off prior to turning?
Inboard ones are in the chassis box section so you can squirt some release oil down the hole.
Outboard you may be able to do the same but there is not much room between body and outrigger tube.

Neither of them can be wire brushed.

Steve
mine were both rusted in solid, bolt heads grinded off, body off chassis refurb, then bolt shank was drilled out. A job you only want to do once. biggrin

2gins

Original Poster:

2,839 posts

161 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
The previous owner had the outriggers done in 2012, the invoice states body off, which must have been at least a partial lift; cut away outriggers and 'other areas', weld in fresh and refit. Hopefully the seat belt bolts came out then and new ones went in. Fingers crossed. She goes up tomorrow.