1953 Chevy Truck - Interior

The interior needs to be stripped and prepared for refinishing.

Patch panels were then fabricated from metal of the same gauge and welded into place.

The interior parts were examined and organized after removal. A list was made of items either missing or needing replacement.

Removal of the floor mat revealed some relatively minor rust holes. Those floor areas were then cut back enough to ensure only solid metal remained. The center cover over the transmission was a little more like swiss cheese. Fortunately, a reproduction is available that will be like new.

Some of the interior pieces will be powder coated. Two window garnish moldings each had a small crack. The powder coaters recommend JB Weld to repair the cracks. The JB doesn't warp the repair area, will supposedly withstand the heat of the cleaning and curing ovens, and will conduct electricity for the powder coating process. A larger area is prepared and patched, then finished back to make sure no original paint remains under the repair area.

Running board removal required cutting off most of the bolts. Fortunately they're a type of thin-headed carriage bolt that should be available through one of the many restoration suppliers.

The dash was carefully disassembled and all wires marked for easier reassembly. The vent windows, glass runs, window regulators, latches, handles, etc. have been removed from the doors. All 9 pieces of cab glass were removed during this process.

Removal of the spare tire revealed that the fender relief had been home-made. This will be fairly easy to clean up when re-finishing the fender.

The interior got 2 coats of epoxy primer, then the original '53 Chevrolet truck white in single stage PPG enamel.

The dash, door jambs, headliner area, etc. were stripped to bare metal.