Thought maybe a few people on here would appreciate. I am really into building vipstyle cars but there is a special place in my heart for jeeps. I've had 96 2 door 4.0l 4x4, a 06 4.7 l commander, and now my 01 cherokee.
So I had a **** ton of materials sitting around to do the interior of my S500. But since I'm selling it to get a different Mercedes it was all going to waste in my storage closet. Then I was going to use it on my Lorinser SEL but I think I'm going to ebay that car shortly. I really want a 03+ CL500 next. My work truck is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0L 4x4 65th Anniversary edition. The interior was dark grey with cloth seats and so horribly boring I finally said '$#@& it' and pulled it apart. I also used the opportunity to do a few video DIY's (how to properly dye seats/doors; dealing with heat stamped door panels; and a couple other) as well as a general video to show some of the processes I used. By no means a VIP car, but the same design principles apply; and if it was a LS instead of a Cherokee, it'd fit right in.
I tweaked the pictures so they would look (at least on my screen) as accurate to the colors in real life as I could get. I have a few more pieces to dip, 2 more to wrap, and 2 more seats to sew and i'll be ready to put it back in the car. Here's a few pictures of how it is coming along so far. Cellphone pictures but you get the idea. I'll have good pictures taken when its done and in the car.
SEM Carver Coco dyed doors, Cinnamon burlwood door handle buckets and surrounds with satin silver handle and switches, Rawhide upholstery material. (The surround gets clipped in after installation into the car so I have it resting on there loose)
Cinnamon Burlwood and Rawhide glovebox.
Window control surround as well as center console accents, center dash, steering wheel accents got done in a dark nutmeg ripple.
Coco is the main color for the interior plastics that didn't get wrapped in rawhide or dipped. Satin silver AC vent with brilliant gold accent.
The surround is done in espresso burlwood (as was the domelight and sunvisor mirror covers, it matches the tone of the brown quilted satin fabric I used for the headliner. The needles are antique clock hands I modified to work with the OEM needle mounting brackets. Then I made a template of the hash marks on the speedo, drilled out the holes for the new dash lights, then covered it in aluminum turn foil vinyl. Then I used a image transfer process and added swarovski crystals. Finally I used these polished aluminum surrounds that I think are used for jeans(?) and trimmed the vinyl thru the back of the cluster and glued them into place. Then I clear coated it 3 times for a deep rich glaze. Then added a crystal to each of the freshly painted piano black needles, cleared them, and installed them into it. The last thing I did was pull all the dash lights from the back and paint them with a candy mint green for stained glass so they light up mint green. A dab of hot glue on the back of each of the metal rings ensured proper light diffusion because originally I did not have that and when I tested it at night it was ridiculously blinding bright.
As a WIP:
My old 96 cherokee 2 door was a 5 speed. I took a ax and cut a foot and a half of the end off and wrapped it in grip tape effectively making it an ax handle shifter. My 01 being a automatic I had to get creative. Ax handle set the bar pretty high for me, but I feel like I've outdone myself with the shotgun shell push button shifter.
Here she is gutted after I added a ton of thermo-acoustic insulation. The other side is foil like dynamat but you have to use trim adhesive to glue it into place. I think I paid ~$50 for everything seen in the picture, plus enough to go 3 feet back on my headliner.
I'll update as I progress. Definitely having fun with it.
So I had a **** ton of materials sitting around to do the interior of my S500. But since I'm selling it to get a different Mercedes it was all going to waste in my storage closet. Then I was going to use it on my Lorinser SEL but I think I'm going to ebay that car shortly. I really want a 03+ CL500 next. My work truck is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0L 4x4 65th Anniversary edition. The interior was dark grey with cloth seats and so horribly boring I finally said '$#@& it' and pulled it apart. I also used the opportunity to do a few video DIY's (how to properly dye seats/doors; dealing with heat stamped door panels; and a couple other) as well as a general video to show some of the processes I used. By no means a VIP car, but the same design principles apply; and if it was a LS instead of a Cherokee, it'd fit right in.
I tweaked the pictures so they would look (at least on my screen) as accurate to the colors in real life as I could get. I have a few more pieces to dip, 2 more to wrap, and 2 more seats to sew and i'll be ready to put it back in the car. Here's a few pictures of how it is coming along so far. Cellphone pictures but you get the idea. I'll have good pictures taken when its done and in the car.
SEM Carver Coco dyed doors, Cinnamon burlwood door handle buckets and surrounds with satin silver handle and switches, Rawhide upholstery material. (The surround gets clipped in after installation into the car so I have it resting on there loose)
Cinnamon Burlwood and Rawhide glovebox.
Window control surround as well as center console accents, center dash, steering wheel accents got done in a dark nutmeg ripple.
Coco is the main color for the interior plastics that didn't get wrapped in rawhide or dipped. Satin silver AC vent with brilliant gold accent.
The surround is done in espresso burlwood (as was the domelight and sunvisor mirror covers, it matches the tone of the brown quilted satin fabric I used for the headliner. The needles are antique clock hands I modified to work with the OEM needle mounting brackets. Then I made a template of the hash marks on the speedo, drilled out the holes for the new dash lights, then covered it in aluminum turn foil vinyl. Then I used a image transfer process and added swarovski crystals. Finally I used these polished aluminum surrounds that I think are used for jeans(?) and trimmed the vinyl thru the back of the cluster and glued them into place. Then I clear coated it 3 times for a deep rich glaze. Then added a crystal to each of the freshly painted piano black needles, cleared them, and installed them into it. The last thing I did was pull all the dash lights from the back and paint them with a candy mint green for stained glass so they light up mint green. A dab of hot glue on the back of each of the metal rings ensured proper light diffusion because originally I did not have that and when I tested it at night it was ridiculously blinding bright.
As a WIP:
My old 96 cherokee 2 door was a 5 speed. I took a ax and cut a foot and a half of the end off and wrapped it in grip tape effectively making it an ax handle shifter. My 01 being a automatic I had to get creative. Ax handle set the bar pretty high for me, but I feel like I've outdone myself with the shotgun shell push button shifter.
Here she is gutted after I added a ton of thermo-acoustic insulation. The other side is foil like dynamat but you have to use trim adhesive to glue it into place. I think I paid ~$50 for everything seen in the picture, plus enough to go 3 feet back on my headliner.
I'll update as I progress. Definitely having fun with it.
Junior Member
Quote:
The shell is an amazing touch, you should wire up and audio trigger of a shot going off for shifting when your press it in, epic gear changing.Originally Posted by JayHedrick
im lovin that shifter dude!!! great work
Senior Member
Typically not my style of vehicle, but the workmanship is A+ work mate. Loving the detail work you are putting into it. Mind posting up some of those how to vids? Id like to learn a few things when I redo the interior on the bird.
Junior Member
Quote:
I'd really like to know how you dealt with the heat pressed door handle surrounds, we've had stand off but that's as far as it went. It would be great to get another take on things..Originally Posted by sam24th
Typically not my style of vehicle, but the workmanship is A+ work mate. Loving the detail work you are putting into it. Mind posting up some of those how to vids? Id like to learn a few things when I redo the interior on the bird.
Quote:
one of the diy's is on heat pressed door panels. Its actually not that difficult, although it is time consuming. I got a bunch more done to the truck last night on post up pictures tonight or tomorrow.Originally Posted by iamajeep
I'd really like to know how you dealt with the heat pressed door handle surrounds, we've had stand off but that's as far as it went. It would be great to get another take on things..
Little more progress:
Not to sound like a snob but going from AC/heated S class seats to cloth manual cherokee sport seats was a noticeable difference haha. I'm going to foam pad and cushion the crap out of them. Turn them into plush caddy-like seats. Nothing crazy here, trying to make them like my buddies couches (if they had suede inserts).
Junior Member
Quote:
Little more progress:
Not to sound like a snob but going from AC/heated S class seats to cloth manual cherokee sport seats was a noticeable difference haha. I'm going to foam pad and cushion the crap out of them. Turn them into plush caddy-like seats. Nothing crazy here, trying to make them like my buddies couches (if they had suede inserts).
Hats of tae ya man, your attention to detail really is highly admirable. Like many might mention the exact syle and choices aren't what I would choose (damn close), but then it's almost pointless saying it, I'm me and your you, each to their own. I was close to buying a sewing machine myself to add a suede centre but opted for a couple bottles of dye and indeed foam pads instead to save time (having to learn how to sew and such, very do-able with practice though I'm sure). I was going to upload a tutorial in the XJ section for tutorials running through leather seat dying to save people some search time but maybe yours covers the bases, would have saved me like a week of information gathering if I'd had one. If you don't have one I'll make one.Originally Posted by Green Poupon
one of the diy's is on heat pressed door panels. Its actually not that difficult, although it is time consuming. I got a bunch more done to the truck last night on post up pictures tonight or tomorrow.Little more progress:
Not to sound like a snob but going from AC/heated S class seats to cloth manual cherokee sport seats was a noticeable difference haha. I'm going to foam pad and cushion the crap out of them. Turn them into plush caddy-like seats. Nothing crazy here, trying to make them like my buddies couches (if they had suede inserts).
Pretty disappointed about last night. The huge centerpiece was supposed to be my grand finale. After all the other stuff I dipped I only had enough for one shot. Damn thing slipped out of my hands halfway through and is unsalvageable. Pretty limited on what I can do with that piece now. Got the dome light and visors done and assembled along with some other little stuff. I hope to have it done monday. Could be sooner depending on how long install takes. Completely forgot I need to sew and wrap the steering wheel. I've only lost one piece so far but its the return spring for the glovebox. May have to do without or rig something else up. Can't waste anymore time searching for it.
LED's loaded and ready to go:
Headliner is same material. Has a very nice satin sheen in person.
LED's loaded and ready to go:
Headliner is same material. Has a very nice satin sheen in person.
It was so much work to craft loop pile carpet to cheap OEM scrotchbrite pad carpet I don't think I want to ever do it again.. ALL BUILD I was like "do I like this color? was this the right choice?"
Now I can safely say YES! I LOVE it.
Now I can safely say YES! I LOVE it.
Junior Member
nice work! im loving the whole color scheme and the rawhide looks amazing. do you know how many square feet of dynamat you used?
