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Spring cleaning - GVR4 style.

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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9,009
Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
I will be removing the interior from 425 and dying the carpet, re-sound proofing the floor pan, installing new vibration foam tape on all the trim, wiring, and anything else that can rattle and I have a question from anybody that has "professinal detailing" experience.

I will be bringing the seats into the house and have an opertunity to really clean and condition the leather. My seats are still somewhat soft and the stitching is still holding on the back seats.

I have the ability to even let them sit for a few days and "soak-up" whatever is the best stuff if needed.

What do you guys suggest?
 

JNR

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Apr 23, 2004
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9,814
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ca
Any leather conditioner and especially leatherique (if that's what you're going to use) needs heat to let it really soak into the leather...Not sure how warm it is in your house, but perhaps you could put them in a small room with an electric heater or something.

Is your carpet faded really bad, or you looking to darken it up? Was going to suggest steam (or hot carpet machine) cleaning it first, along with some good carpet cleaner; just make sure it's rinsed off real well, of course.

Woolite, mixed with water (~1:8 IIRC) works pretty good as a cleaner for the more delicate fabrics, like the headliner and faux suede, etc.

Haven't really torn apart the galant interior myself, as it's in good enough shape not to go thru all that work, but it is nice to pull everything out and go from the 'ground up'...sounds silly, but since it's out and if it's exposed, may as well put a coat of wax on the floor (paint).
 

Terry Posten

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Davenport, Iowa USA
I have the interior removed, seats, carpet, pillar trim, console, etc...

Seats are in the basement and I will go get some conditioner tomorrow or Monday. I think I will get some big trash bags and coat the seat and bag them for a few days.

The carpet is being taken to JC's house next weekend and he is going to clean it with his carpet cleaning van. I will then die it due to a large white spot on the rear d-side footwell. Looks like laundry soap got spilled there.

I have the 1st 18"x40" "Fat-Mat" sheet laid down and will start up again tomorrow. I took next week off to be home with the kids during spring break so I hope to have the sound/rattle proofing done by the end of the week, get the carpet and seats done following week and have it back together by the end of the month so it can go to the painter to be finished in early April.
 

misterfixit

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Aug 4, 2004
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Midlands, UK
Paint it first..... Then put the interior back..

Rich
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
It is painted already, he is just going to do the chip touch-up and wetsand/buff/polish.

The car was never finished two years ago due to a tranny failure and my lazy ass not taking it back to him after I re-assembled it and fixed it.
 

Terry just get the leatherique rejuvenator and pristine clean combo best 1-2 leather combo in the business there is detailed writeup on the stuff on the site too best combo I have ever used beats out lexol and all that other crap out there. This is the real deal stuff.
click
click
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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Davenport, Iowa USA
Ordered the 32oz 2 part kit of Leatherique today (WOW, pricey), finished the bottom floor pan and reassembled the shifter/e-break/seatbelt assembly. Will do the rear seat floor pan tomorrow and insulate the pillar trim.

Time to rest my back and knees.
 

Pricey yes but you wont be disappointed.The longer and warmer you can let the rejuvenator oil permeate the better your ends results will be.Your idea of covering with plastic garbage bags is excellent will give you some great results. Hope you ordered from either autopia or autogeek they were running 15 and 20 percent off leatherique.....
 

Terry Posten

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Davenport, Iowa USA
Hit up WalleyWorld and got some 55gallon trash bags, plastic cleaner for the trim, and some all-weather HD Velco. Spent the evening cleaning all the trim and replacing all the old velcro.

My plan for the seats is to oil them up really good and bag them Thursday night and let them sit all weekend.

I will try and get some pictures of the floor of the car posted up tomorrow.

I hope to have the trim back in and the rest of the sound proof stuff done by the end of the day tomorrow.
 

3rdstrikedsm

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Feb 17, 2008
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3,402
Location
32159, FL
Leatherique Rejuvenator is good as it gets! Just use hot water and simple green 10:1 mix with a microfiber towel to clean the leather prior to using the Leatherique Rejuvenator and the results will be as good as you can get /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

jepherz

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Aug 8, 2004
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KC, Missouri
I'm curious for those of you who have used leatherique, does it really soften up hard leather that well? That seems impossible.
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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9,009
Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
We will see. My rear seat back is very hard, but still holding the stitching.

I certainly hope so.

I may use a hair dryer and fashion a hot air balloon out of the trash bags. Put little holes in the bottom end see if I can make an oven for the seat back to soak in.
 

pot

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Oct 28, 2003
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Fayetteville, NC
Terry, whats "Fat-Mat?" I'm going to be deadening my floor pan from firewall to trunk and possibly the roof later this spring but I was going to use HD Dynomat and perhaps finish it with carpet pad.

Is there a brand that you know of that is cheaper and better than Dynomat? Also, if you had the time I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd thoroughly enjoy a write up on this to include conditioning the seats!
 

Terry Posten

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Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
click

But that is not enough to do the entire floor pan. Really need about 40sqft to do the whole floor.

It does not take much skill to put down, just plan out the piece before peeling and only peel a little bit at a time. The hardest part is the labor. Takes a lot of sweat and elbow grease.
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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Davenport, Iowa USA
Here are some pics of the floor pan. It is not perfect as I would have had to gut all the wiring also and I was not willing to do that. This is a labor intensive job. you will have a good upper body workout molding this stuff to the contours of the pan.










I also trimmed every trim piece with foam tape to reduce plastic-on-plastic squeeks.

Here is an example.



Dash comes tomorrow.
 

Quoting jepherz:
I'm curious for those of you who have used leatherique, does it really soften up hard leather that well? That seems impossible.



I use it on all the leather interior cars I detail as well as the galant and I always get the same response from people. What did you use on my leather seats they feel and look brand new again and they are so soft. Believe me this stuff is the real deal take it from someone who's tried quite a few leather cleaners and conditioners. Ask any professional detailer i.e. paint correction specialist(not that I am lol) whats their go to leathercleaner/conditioner and see what they say. I bet 8 out of 10 will tell you leatherique is the best stuff out there heating it up by bagging it or using a blow dryer makes it work even better.My friends cant believe the seats in the galant are 20 years old either......Try it.
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
Messages
9,009
Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
Can I leave the oil on them for 3 or more days days before wiping it off?
 

Terry 24-48 hrs is the recommended dwell time I don't think another day would hurt it just be prepared to clean up all the dirt and grime that this this will pull out of the leather and just be careful not to get in on non leather surfaces it eats dirt and grime and maybe too strong for non-leather surfaces. Make sure you have a nice leather brush,micro fiber towels and a nice clean bucket of water. Here is a link with some before and after photos from detailedimage.com and Todd Cooperider one of the top real detailers in the country you will see what I am talking about enjoy and please report back after you're done...
click
 
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mikus

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Jan 11, 2007
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2,763
Location
Aurora IL
All spot on for leather. I'd only add to not worry too much about damaging the carpet, it can handle simple green & power wash just fine. Tho JC's got that covered I'm sure.

Oh and make sure to route your trunk/gas pulls OVER teh carpet when putting it back in /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

Terry Posten

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Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
9,009
Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
Ok, started on the dash today.

I did not remove it but did pull all the lower ducting down and inspected all the wiring and nuts/bolts.
I re-adjusted the venting controls (the recirc cable had slipped causing the recycle selection from latching on).
Wrapped the loose wiring harness plugs (only found two that did not have a clamp of some sort) with foam tape to keep them from making noise.
Wrapped all the ducting with foam tape inside the slip-on joints.
Put foam tape between all the mounting tabs.
Trimmed all the dash switches, gauge panel, gauge bezel, clock, climate control panel and glovebox parts with foam tape.
Trimmed the WBO2 brain-box with thick foam and mounted along side of the ECU.
Mounted the hidden IPod amp and wire loomed the stereo and gauge wiring.
Removed the dash plaque, cleaned and remounted.

Now I need to wait to get the Leatherique kit, have the carpet cleaned, and re-install them.

I think I may put it on stands tomorrow and drop the driveshaft. Have all the parts to finally rebuild it and finally get that done. Need to do a detailed inspection on all axles, fluid levels, brakes, and anything else that I can get to. Will also re-undercoat the Curtis bars while I am down there.

Fun, fun, fun.
 
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