Interior Input

[LEB Ben]

Hey Fellas...I need your input. I am thinking out loud right now, so sorry if this is scrambled and incoherent. The summer is approaching quickly, and I planned on redoing the interior of Red. I plan on upgrading to the 'xlt' interior...so all 'woodgrain.' Problem is...I want to integrate the red/white exterior with the interior. Currently my interior is black bench, black carpet, black door panels, black dash pad. I would like for my seat to be white on red...not really sure how I want it yet though...any ideas? Then everything that is black would have to be red...but do you guys think that would be too much red? And how would I incorporate the white as a highlight to the red...to try and break up all of the solid red? Then, the instrument panel is black and gauges are black...and that would just piss me off. It's easy enough to give the gauges a white face, but what about the panel? Any ideas? And then you have the whole issue of a black steering wheel and column. Ideas? I already have everything to go 'xlt' in black, but now I would need red xlt door panels...and no I don't want to paint the ones I have.


So here's what I have for now and need help figuring out how to make it still look stock and classy:

Seat: Just have figure out the proper scheme and still look classy. Maybe have the piping be white and make some of the separate panels white????

Door Panels: Find a red set of XLT panels...and dunno yet, but possibly put the white insert in that goes above the armrest and flows down to the window crank

Gauges: Get a set of 100mph white face

Instrument panel: ???????????, paint it red??? Really need ideas with this

Dash Pad: easy enough to get a red pad from JBG

Carpet: Get red carpet...any bright ideas how to incorporate any white? Or keep it all red for fear of dirt and stains

Steering column and wheel: paint the column red and the wheel white or vice versa...or paint the wheel one color and highlight with the other...while maintaining the integrity of the 'woodgrain' around the pad

Headliner: I was thinking about putting in one of those headliners with speakers in it. I would paint it red...but again that's alot of red...any idea how to break it up.



Again...I'm throwing out ideas and searching for some answers/ideas to set in stone. I would like to maintain the factory/stock look but color coordinate. I'm definitely going to keep the integrity of the woodgrain to show off the class. I just don't want to spend the time and money and end up having it look like a cheesy clown car or something. There are no stupid ideas...so please start shooting some my way. Thanks

 

[jcduerr]

if you have a old donor convertible f150 like me you can just hit it with a rattlecan to get ideas
and honestly i think red interiors look horrible. more to come when i think abouts it
EDIT.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars....c0.m245&_trkparms=72:317|65:12|39:1|240:1308

 

[LEB Ben]

Thanks Josh...that's really a good idea. I've got a couple parts trucks, I might just use that idea over spring break. As for Red interiors...I feel the same way, but I think if the right amount of white is incorporated it looks reeeeeeeeeeeally good and classy, not enough it looks bad...too much and it looks cheesy. That's why I was so assertive in it must remain classy and classy, yet break up the the red just enough. Guess I shoulda mentioned I'm not dead set on the red/white combo, hence the reason I already have everything I need for the black/red combo. I just wanted something different, but realized it would be extreeeeeeemely difficult to do it and make it look right/good.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

I would say paint the metal on the dash white then a red pad. Door panels red plastic with white vinyl inserts, white face gauges, NPD has a red headliner with speakers. I would paint the column red and then the seat I would do leather and make the outsides where its smooth red and the part where your butt and back go white. For carpet I would go red.

Oh yeah and go red in between where the driver and passenger sit.

 

[jcduerr]

maybe do the red black interior with white pinstriping? and if you have a steady hand you could paint the gauge cluster white with red or red with white

 

[flareside_thunder]

if the headleiner is too much red.....do a checkerboard effect on the top or section it off neatly....look into some older mustangs or 50's cars for some inspiration....

 

[LEB Ben]

Dan...almost exactly what I was thinking with the seat...but I had mine reupholstered with cloth with the same stitching...like cloth better than leather for some reason. But the same would apply...just with cloth.


Josh...loooooooove your idea with the gauges.


JR...like the idea of the headliner...but seems a little too 'low rider' for me.

Keep em comin fellas...and if anyone has any pics of a 'custom' red interior post them up.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Well if ya think the red headliner would be too red then maybe do the same thing with that as ya do to the seat red around the edges and center then white inside of the red. How about doin the gauges white face and then the plastic red.

 

[jcduerr]

all you gotta do it just come up ith a idea and run with it. if you have a donor truck spray paint and making tape are CHEAP, work you magic with that before you go with other materials. i went through many color combos on my donor before i settled with my primer and flat black paint the primer will eventually turn to silver it all had to be primered any way. the interior was trial and error even though it is not finished. i have a pic of my semi painted cluster in my gallery i think

 

[LEB Ben]

Alright...thanks for the input fellas...really appreciate it and brought some ideas to my attention that I hadn't thought of.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Yes sir thats what were all here for.

 

[LEB Ben]

Tryin to rep for the help...but I've spread too much in 24 hrs. Keep it comin...I got about 2-3 months before I do this, so lots of time for suggestions.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Why thank ya sir. And heres some for you.

 

[dakonthemountain]

Ben,
This is a totally different look, but I have seen numerous red or red and white trucks with all saddle (tan) interiors, including the headliner, and I really like it. I think they are "classy".. expecially if you get tan XLT door panels, with darker (or close to) seats/carpet/dash, while leaving the metal dash Red. Personally, I would prefer that over too much red (though I like red)
Dak

 

[LEB Ben]

Not a bad idea at all Dak...I know what you're talking about, would be more of modern interior vs exterior color scheme...don't think that would look too bad. Only problem I have...is if I do decide to get away from the black/red interior...I'd want to completely get away from it. And then the steering column, steering wheel and instrument panel/gauges would still be black. And I think trying to color match those would then make those pieces stick out like a sore thumb. So I guess trying to make those pieces flow with the rest of the interior are really my only problem areas. Hell I don't care if my interior was neon green as long as it flowed well and still looked classy.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Theres a bumpside in NPDs catalog and its red and white interior its on page 23 it has the red colum and wheel with white dash and red pad, red carpet, and red seat, it also has white doors and red armrests with red window crank knobs.

 

[LEB Ben]

Thanks Dan...I'll check it out.


On Edit...just took a look and hot damn...looks good to me, and the column looked good in red too.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Yeah I thought maybe do the seat with white inside the red to break it up a little more.

 

[LEB Ben]

My thoughts exactly...just gotta transfer that to dentside styling and schemes. But that's exactly the kinda thing I was looking for.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Ya gonna paint the doors white or keep em red with white panels?