Interior swap

So I bought an auto 87' Chief about a month ago..150k mi for $1850..flawless interior and exterior isn't too shabby.. had month old 31" mudders...4.5" lift etc...still missing some minor things... like quick discos.. ridin sway bar free atm. Oh, and it came with a ginormous roof rack that could hold a twin size bed.... no joke. So my question is this... it's a butt nappy red/bourghandy inside and it's getting kinda old... like i'm tired of looking at it and I plan on painting it black soon. The bourghandy ext isn't too hot and I have also loved black..so I was wondering what would be easier..

1. Swap out all the plastic molding inside with a dif Cherokee, headliner, carpet etc..
or
2. Get some of that interior vinyl car paint stuff and just pain it?

I'm not sure which would be easier? Time isn't an isue.. I do nothing on Saturday's and my girlfriend loves to work on my Jeep with me... I was planning on going with grey or beige interior...beige because black on beige is kinda sexy and sharp lookin' ... anyways... your input would be greatly appreciated!
Also...what XJ models came with leather seats that would work with an 87... if any? Thanks!
:dunno:

I've swapped interiors on two different XJ's. I recommend repainting it even if it is the right color. The dye in the plastic fades and starts looking like crap. A fresh coat of paint does wonders. Just wipe it down with ArmorAll when the paint is dry.

Ok, thanks for the input =) I'll just paint my bourghandy a jazzy black or beige...also... how hard is the headliner to replace? I can't have a black or beige interior with a bourghandy roof... not cool.
Thanks!

Bdiddy11 said:

Ok, thanks for the input =) I'll just paint my bourghandy a jazzy black or beige...also... how hard is the headliner to replace? I can't have a black or beige interior with a bourghandy roof... not cool.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Fairly easy since I hope you'll have all of the trim pieces out to paint anyways.

Yeah... how hard is the piece on the dash to remove? The top part nearest the windshield? Does it just screw on or what...? The rest of the molding shouldn't be problem... but around the dash i'm not sure? Thanks!

just look out for where they like to hide screws. there everywhere!

some auto restoration shops that cator to the hotrod/classic restoration projects sell a interior trim die/paint specialy designed for inteiors. i have never dealt with the stuff, just seen it on "horsepower tv" on spike. from what i could tell, it worked great. they took a split pea soup green interior SS and made it a mean black color. ooooohhhh so sexy.

dying the interior pieces can be tricky, especially what the plastics, vinyl & leather do...they are need seperate bonding agents to make them stick.

i know, i recondition interiors for a living.

the hardest to get to stick is hard plastics.

DO NOT do what the guy said up there and get any armor all or silicone near your dye work.

if that happens it will never stick.

i suggest prepping everything good with a light preps all solvent..

remove all the loose parts that you can...its easier than taping everything off.

best of luck..depending on the conditon of the interior, some come out better than others.

cheers.

PS.

keep in mind that alot of interior plastics (like your dash) is a color-molded plastic & has not been painted.

you painting it will create a film or coat of paint ontop. this can be scratched or could peel if not prepped the right way. or can boil if silicone is put on it after the fact (from sunlight exposure)

Bdiddy11 said:

Ok, thanks for the input =) ...also... how hard is the headliner to replace? I can't have a black or beige interior with a bourghandy roof... not cool.
Thanks!

Click to expand...

The headliner is fairly easy to take care of. I resin coated mine and painted a speckled gray. If had to do it again I would add fiberglas mat fabric for extra strength as I have a sun roof and a crack developed where the infrared receiver door opener and sunroof meet.

Here's a few pixs of the process:

http://homepage.mac.com/johnvito/PhotoAlbum37.html