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Quad Cab Swap/Interior Restoration/NV4500 Rebuild

18240 Views 259 Replies 25 Participants Last post by  nuljas23, 
Stox225
6
So the time has come. My interior has been ripped out (minus seats and what’s left of the lower dash (picture attached)) since last Spring. Time to freshen it up.

Things I need to address:
- Rust on the floor. I’d like to strip it all down to bare metal, but I’m unsure on how to best go about that. I think my best approach is just to knock down as much rust as I can and hit it with Rustoleum. Then rough up the rest of the paint and lay down a nice coat of primer.
- I have a hole in the floor on the driver side next to the door. I have a buddy that is going to help me repair that.
- Leaky door seals. I’m bringing the truck to a collision shop to have them properly realigned. Passenger side close like new. The driver door I have replaced because the door jam was trashed. Since then, I’ve never gotten it to seal correctly. Seals I replace on my own. I also notice I get water on the floors after it rains under the doors.
- Leaky windshield. Unsure as of now how to go about that. I don’t have glass, so I’m thinking of just hitting it with some silicon from the inside.
- Leaky rear window. It’s a slider, but it looks to be coming from the driver side solid window. Not sure how to go about this either. Most of the replacement seals I’m finding are for the solid rear window.
- Dash board. Having a really hard time finding anything local. And I refuse to pay 600 bucks for one on EBay. My buddy who is going to help me with that hole in the floor, will be assisting me in designing a dash. My plan is to make it easily removable on the passenger side so I have access to the evap and heater core. Because the panels with be sheet metal, I will be using some butyl to deaden the vibrations.

Anyone know how to remove the original vibration dampening material???

I’ll document the whole thing of course.

Parts currently awaiting install:
-Noico 80 mil Butyl
-Noico 150 mil CCF
-Carpet with mass backing from Stock Interiors https://www.stockinteriors.com/AutoCarpet.asp?Itemid=694&ModelId=161&FilterYear=1997
-ABS uncovered headliner from Stock Interiors https://www.stockinteriors.com/HeadlinerBoard.asp?Itemid=7936&ModelId=161&FilterYear=1997

I’m hoping to at least start this by this weekend. This being my DD causes an issue. I would have to have all the rust addressed in a weekend and primered. Also, some skeleton of a dash in place so my HVAC ducts are set up as well as my display. Any ideas y’all have would be appreciated. As of now, I have a good plan moving forward this far.

Here’s the current dash situation. Cup holder is USELESS.



Here is the floor situation.
Front driver side.

Front passenger side.

Rear driver side.

Rear passenger side.



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country_hick
I would NOT use silicon on the windshield. They sell a product designed for windshields. Silicone can affect paint in the future.

If the floor is solid under solidly attached sound proofing material leave them both alone. If the soundproofing material is loose it will come with with a little help from a scraper blade.

That floor has crust not just rust. I would sandblast it clean but use a tarp to protect everything except the floor. Sandblasting is guaranteed to put more holes through your floor pan. Sandblasting will not make holes. It will open up holes you do not yet know about which feels the same after looking at the missing metal.

The cheap alternative is to get something like:

https://www.amazon.com/125mm-Strip-Wheel-Removal-Grinder/dp/B07NNWHNY3/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=abrasive+disc+for+drill&qid=1576557670&s=hi&sr=1-9

or

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Rust-Stripper-Brush/dp/B000BQT4UK/ref=sr_1_22?keywords=abrasive+disc+for+drill&qid=1576557670&s=hi&sr=1-22 <-- [I have used this myself. It works but do not get it near any jagged edges.]

to help remove your rust. Be aware that if you hit an edge of a rusty panel with either of these options you will shred this kind of disc making it unusable or very badly damaged as in pieces of the disc will get cut off.


Your floor needs some welding done. You can use pop rivets instead but that is not a high quality repair. The question is how much new metal is needed. If there are just small pits you can have them mig welded in by making weld dots. A flap disc on a grinder can bring the floor back to almost new status if you are lucky. The larger holes will need new metal panels installed. You may be better off replacing the entire floor pan under the drivers feet. You may not know how bad the metal is until it is cleaned up.

Any good paint should work under the carpet as long as the rust is removed. You could use any rust converting paint including rustoleum for that job.
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Stox225
country_hick said:
I would NOT use silicon on the windshield. They sell a product designed for windshields. Silicone can affect paint in the future.

If the floor is solid under solidly attached sound proofing material leave them both alone. If the soundproofing material is loose it will come with with a little help from a scraper blade.

That floor has crust not just rust. I would sandblast it clean but use a tarp to protect everything except the floor. Sandblasting is guaranteed to put more holes through your floor pan. Sandblasting will not make holes. It will open up holes you do not yet know about which feels the same after looking at the missing metal.

The cheap alternative is to get something like:

https://www.amazon.com/125mm-Strip-...ive+disc+for+drill&qid=1576557670&s=hi&sr=1-9

or

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Rus...ve+disc+for+drill&qid=1576557670&s=hi&sr=1-22 <-- [I have used this myself. It works but do not get it near any jagged edges.]

to help remove your rust. Be aware that if you hit an edge of a rusty panel with either of these options you will shred this kind of disc making it unusable or very badly damaged as in pieces of the disc will get cut off.


Your floor needs some welding done. You can use pop rivets instead but that is not a high quality repair. The question is how much new metal is needed. If there are just small pits you can have them mig welded in by making weld dots. A flap disc on a grinder can bring the floor back to almost new status if you are lucky. The larger holes will need new metal panels installed. You may be better off replacing the entire floor pan under the drivers feet. You may not know how bad the metal is until it is cleaned up.

Any good paint should work under the carpet as long as the rust is removed. You could use any rust converting paint including rustoleum for that job.
Click to expand...

I’ll look for the sealant. I’ll add, I will be applying it to the inside so I don’t disrupt what’s sealed on the outside.

Yeah, the floor is bad. I doubt I’ll be able to find a cheap solution for sand blasting as I’ll be doing this in my driveway. Thank you for those links. Any area with rust will be made as smooth as possible before applying a rust converter.

I may have to cut out and weld in a new piece on the passenger side as well. Same spot as the driver side. Once I get as much of the rust removed as possible, I will have to reassess. Right now, I’m confident it’s just those two spots that will need repair. I’ll love to find a 98-01 quad cab and just swap everything, but same story. Difficult to find on a budget.


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alanack6795
Fyi it costs about 150 to get a window. Put in, might be easier that way.
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Stox225
alanack6795 said:
Fyi it costs about 150 to get a window. Put in, might be easier that way.
Click to expand...

Windshield, or rear window?


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Loki223
Do you have a relatively high volume air compressor? If so you can get a DIY sand blaster kit for relatively cheap. Another option might be to use a wire wheel to clean it up. Either way, (and i can not stress this enough) WEAR EYE PROTECTION, AND RESPIRATORY PROTECTION. I know a lot of people that have done stuff in the past and figured they'd be fine, only to regret it. If the DIY sand blasting isn't an option, go talk to some of the local sand blasting shops. You might be able to drive in and pull your seat out to let them sand blast it while you wait. Any repairs you do without fully removing the rust is a wasted effort, as the rust will come back to haunt you. There is a reason rust is normally called cancer. It will not go away unless all of it is removed. Once fully removed be sure to protect both sides of the metal with paints. If sand blasting isn't an option, invest in replacement floors, and weld them in. that would be my 2 cents
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jimduchek
Subbing to this thread. Always interested to see pics of interior teardowns.... this is in my not-too-far-off future as well, though I doubt I've got the rust situation you do.
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98whitelightnin
My 95 had a little rust in the floor board and I laid down a few coats of pour15. That stuff dries like glass and is super tough
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Stox225
Loki223 said:
Do you have a relatively high volume air compressor? If so you can get a DIY sand blaster kit for relatively cheap. Another option might be to use a wire wheel to clean it up. Either way, (and i can not stress this enough) WEAR EYE PROTECTION, AND RESPIRATORY PROTECTION. I know a lot of people that have done stuff in the past and figured they'd be fine, only to regret it. If the DIY sand blasting isn't an option, go talk to some of the local sand blasting shops. You might be able to drive in and pull your seat out to let them sand blast it while you wait. Any repairs you do without fully removing the rust is a wasted effort, as the rust will come back to haunt you. There is a reason rust is normally called cancer. It will not go away unless all of it is removed. Once fully removed be sure to protect both sides of the metal with paints. If sand blasting isn't an option, invest in replacement floors, and weld them in. that would be my 2 cents
Click to expand...

I assure you, the rust will be entirely removed. The outside of the cab looks pretty good. The issue was the PO. He had it in mud holes a lot and clearly got in and out of the vehicle frequently with people in the back. I discovered today (thanks to the rain) that the worst leak from the rear window is coming from the passenger side. Still unsure on how to seal that correctly. Thank you for the mask and eye protection tip. I probably would have skipped the mask!!!

jimduchek said:
Subbing to this thread. Always interested to see pics of interior teardowns.... this is in my not-too-far-off future as well, though I doubt I've got the rust situation you do.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I’ll be sure to be as detailed as possible. Try to make this picture heavy. Hands shouldn’t be too oily/greasy, so I’ll grab my phone for pictures more frequently.

98whitelightnin said:
My 95 had a little rust in the floor board and I laid down a few coats of pour15. That stuff dries like glass and is super tough
Click to expand...

How long ago was that? I may get some instead of Rustoleum.

However, before any finishing to the floor happens, the cab needs to be sealed. Maybe the windows I can address this weekend. The door seals might be another. However, the Army is on a half day schedule through the Holidays (off at 1200), so I can chip away at things during the week, weather and family permitting lol.


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98whitelightnin
It was about 5 years ago. That stuff really goes along way, or I made it go alone way. I bought one of the little kits and had some left over.
POR-15 40909 Gloss Black Stop Rust Kit - Permanent Corrosion Preventive System
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country_hick
Go through this thread. It includes links to several body repair and window leak threads.

https://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/...lmost-everything-not-posted-tech-section.html

Everything is alphabetized and categorized making it easy to find the information you seek.
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Stox225
country_hick said:
Go through this thread. It includes links to several body repair and window leak threads.

https://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/...lmost-everything-not-posted-tech-section.html

Everything is alphabetized and categorized making it easy to find the information you seek.
Click to expand...

Good look. I forgot this thread existed. I was going to be on the Google machine tonight. This may answer all my questions!


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Loki223
I will endorse the POR-15 as well, that stuff is incredible. I know many hot rod builders that use it, and my favorite sand blast shop heavily recommends it as well. Good stuff
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Stox225
Bought 6 sqft of POR 15. Hopefully that’s enough. If not, local auto parts store has more. This was just 8 bucks cheaper on Amazon prime lol


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98whitelightnin
Did you get the degreaser and metal prep too?
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Stox225
I did. I bought the whole kit. Along with some of the recommended 3M strippers and I found Permatex black window sealant. This weekend will most likely be tracking down and sealing leaks. I know of 2. Windshield above the rear view, and rear window. It looked to be coming from the passenger side. But my truck was parked slightly angled that way, so it could have just ran down that direction. 3rd brake light maybe?

Also came across an interesting thread in the “Valuable Threads” sticky regarding door weather stripping. It’s a fix I guess Ford guys did where they insert some rubber tubing inside hollow piece on the weather stripping. Supposedly improved a lot of their issues making it even more of a quieter ride even. I’ll be doing that as well as ensuring my doors are properly aligned at a collision shop.


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shouse
I found phosphoric acid and then a good quality epoxy primer was a better solution than the por15 garbage.

Por15 is just an outdated product with good marketing.
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Stox225
shouse said:
I found phosphoric acid and then a good quality epoxy primer was a better solution than the por15 garbage.



Por15 is just an outdated product with good marketing.
Click to expand...

Noted. I don’t think I have enough of it to cover everything. With what’s left, maybe I’ll give that a whirl and review both options.


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johnsnowkornar
Stox225 said:
So the time has come. My interior has been ripped out (minus seats and what’s left of the lower dash (picture attached)) since last Spring. Time to freshen it up.

Things I need to address:
- Rust on the floor. I’d like to strip it all down to bare metal, but I’m unsure on how to best go about that. I think my best approach is just to knock down as much rust as I can and hit it with Rustoleum. Then rough up the rest of the paint and lay down a automotive clear coats of primer.
- I have a hole in the floor on the driver side next to the door. I have a buddy that is going to help me repair that.
- Leaky door seals. I’m bringing the truck to a collision shop to have them properly realigned. Passenger side close like new. The driver door I have replaced because the door jam was trashed. Since then, I’ve never gotten it to seal correctly. Seals I replace on my own. I also notice I get water on the floors after it rains under the doors.
- Leaky windshield. Unsure as of now how to go about that. I don’t have glass, so I’m thinking of just hitting it with some silicon from the inside.
- Leaky rear window. It’s a slider, but it looks to be coming from the driver side solid window. Not sure how to go about this either. Most of the replacement seals I’m finding are for the solid rear window.
- Dash board. Having a really hard time finding anything local. And I refuse to pay 600 bucks for one on EBay. My buddy who is going to help me with that hole in the floor, will be assisting me in designing a dash. My plan is to make it easily removable on the passenger side so I have access to the evap and heater core. Because the panels with be sheet metal, I will be using some butyl to deaden the vibrations.

Anyone know how to remove the original vibration dampening material???

I’ll document the whole thing of course.

Parts currently awaiting install:
-Noico 80 mil Butyl https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URUIKAK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_b1c-Db307VR5S
-Noico 150 mil CCF https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TKXMPH7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_71c-DbBCZHGPV
-Carpet with mass backing from Stock Interiors https://www.stockinteriors.com/AutoCarpet.asp?Itemid=694&ModelId=161&FilterYear=1997
-ABS uncovered headliner from Stock Interiors https://www.stockinteriors.com/HeadlinerBoard.asp?Itemid=7936&ModelId=161&FilterYear=1997

I’m hoping to at least start this by this weekend. This being my DD causes an issue. I would have to have all the rust addressed in a weekend and primered. Also, some skeleton of a dash in place so my HVAC ducts are set up as well as my display. Any ideas y’all have would be appreciated. As of now, I have a good plan moving forward this far.

Here’s the current dash situation. Cup holder is USELESS.



Here is the floor situation.
Front driver side.

Front passenger side.

Rear driver side.

Rear passenger side.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Indeed, on the off chance that you are searching for something that will be powerful enough on your hustling car, making it simple to wipe off the soil while offering insurance?
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Stox225
johnsnowkornar said:
Indeed, on the off chance that you are searching for something that will be powerful enough on your hustling car, making it simple to wipe off the soil while offering insurance?
Click to expand...

I’m sorry Sir. I’m not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if I found something that will provide rust protection for a long time down the road? If that is what you’re asking, I believe my best chance is to remove as much of the rust I possibly can. What can’t be removed, I will use a rust converting primer to address. From there, the POR 15 will be the sealant, if you will, from future rusting in the particular area.


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