CHECK OUT PAGES 2 AND 3 FOR ADDITIONAL WEB ONLY SEATCOVER AND HEADLINER INSTALL PHOTOS!
Eleven years is a long time, especially for a daily driven truck’s interior. The seats and carpet take the most abuse as they soak up spills, sweat, and dirt day in and day out. Luckily, our S-10 was equipped with a dark gray interior because the stains and the areas showing the most wear would’ve appeared a hundred times worse on a lighter color. But what snuck past the eyes, couldn’t sidestep our sense of smell. The inside of this truck straight up stunk! The best way to describe the odor would be to imagine an old pile of dirty laundry that had been slowly baking in a dusty oven for a decade. Who wants to sit in traffic and suffer through that kind of torture everyday? Not us, that’s for damn sure.
We had enough of the foul smell and decided to finally do something about it! We called on Roadwire Leather Interiors to help ditch the two grime-scented air “freshners” we’ve been calling seats as well as the factory headliner that’s also been soaking up stench over the years. Next, we contacted LMC Truck and begged them to send us one of their fresh carpet kits and all the trimmings to help freshen up the stale air inside of our S-10’s cab.
1. Before. Here’s the problem:...
1. Before. Here’s the problem: 11-year-old factory seats and carpet. While they look decent enough at first glance, believe us—the cab was in need of some love.
2. We stopped at Roadwire’s...
2. We stopped at Roadwire’s headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, for the first step of project “Interior Un-Stink”—new leather seatcovers. Roadwire sells vehicle-specific covers with many trim options to choose from.
3. We opted for black leather...
3. We opted for black leather with silver French stitching and high-end Alcantara perforated inserts. Alcantara is commonly used in Maserati, Porsche, and Lamborghini interiors. Fancy, huh?
4. The install team at Roadwire...
4. The install team at Roadwire also tore down the old headliner and sunvisors and covered them in non-perforated Alcantara.
5. This material is comparable...
5. This material is comparable to the feel of suede, and it is completely washable. And to make Roadwire’s products even better, they do offer installation at their location.
6. Once the Roadwire staff...
6. Once the Roadwire staff finished up their role in cleaning up our act, we drove straight to Gold Star Audio in Irvine, California, where our crusted-up minitruck was going to be treated with a fresh LMC carpet kit, which came complete with necessary insulation.
7. We also ordered spray and...
7. We also ordered spray and weatherstrip adhesive, and even took the extra step of ordering enough sheets of their new Sound Control Mat to cover the floor. We highly recommend this extra step because the less road noise the better, and who knows when you’ll have the entire carpet ripped out again?
8. Liborio Salazar was our...
8. Liborio Salazar was our point man for this phase of the dirty work, and he started by yanking the freshly covered seats and center console. What we were left with was a great view of just how bad the carpet was.
9. Notice the nasty stains...
9. Notice the nasty stains near the console, and the collection of crap that accumulated under the seat. And this is just half of the old carpet! Oh, and we found exactly $1.08 in change lurking under the seats. Score!
10. Here’s a look at what...
10. Here’s a look at what 11-year-old carpet looks like compared to the brand-new rug. Notice the areas of heavy filth around the console and on the sides of the seat. The hot sun didn’t help matters for the old carpet, as it just heated up the grime and released its potent, putrid stink. Yes, we are intentionally trying to gross you out here. LMC carpet kits are pre-molded for vehicle-specific applications and even feature footpads on the driver side just like the factory one.
11. With the carpet out, Liborio...
11. With the carpet out, Liborio used this time to completely cleanse the entire floor of contaminants with mineral spirits. This quick step will help the Sound Control Mat bond to the floor much easier.
12. The trick to laying down...
12. The trick to laying down the sticky side of the Sound Control Mat is to have a steady hand, and of course a roller by your side.
13. Every exposed centimeter...
13. Every exposed centimeter on the floor was covered to ensure optimum performance.
14. The insulation was laid...
14. The insulation was laid out and cut to fit the space.
15. The spray adhesive was...
15. The spray adhesive was applied to hold everything in place.
16. With the entire floor...
16. With the entire floor insulated, Liborio laid the LMC carpet kit down and began measuring. The kit comes oversized to make sure there’s enough to properly cover the area.
17. The Excess carpet was...
17. The Excess carpet was trimmed off.
18. The factory sill plates...
18. The factory sill plates were snapped back into place to seal the deal on this interior overhaul.
1. The difference between...
1. The difference between our S-10’s stock seats and the Roadwire covered seat is night and day.
2. And to get there, the seats...
2. And to get there, the seats were first unbolted and removed from the interior.
3. This is the last time we’ll...
3. This is the last time we’ll see this boring factory cloth. Finally!
4. The seat had to be completely...
4. The seat had to be completely disassembled, and the recliner lever was the first part to be removed.
5.
6. The clip holding the factory...
6. The clip holding the factory cloth cover was pried from place using a Flathead screwdriver.
7.
8. The upper and lower portions...
8. The upper and lower portions of the seat were freed of each other.
9. Now the stock cover can...
9. Now the stock cover can be peeled off and discarded.
10. The exposed foam of the...
10. The exposed foam of the seat’s bottom half was then treated to an even spray of adhesive.
11. After 10 years of abuse,...
11. After 10 years of abuse, the original foam was starting to show signs of fatigue. A dose of fresh foam padding is just what was needed to ensure extra comfort.
12.
13. The Roadwire leather was...
13. The Roadwire leather was then centered over the seat.
14. And the cover was stretched...
14. And the cover was stretched over the seat.
15. The fit was perfect.
16. The upper portion of the...
16. The upper portion of the seat was now stripped and treated the same as the lower half.
17.
18.
19.
20. A few love taps help the...
20. A few love taps help the foam and the new cover to form and fill out properly.
21. A steamer was used to...
21. A steamer was used to make the leather more flexible and easier to work with.
22. The new Roadwire skins...
22. The new Roadwire skins secure underneath the seat just like the factory cloth covers.
23. A small incision was made...
23. A small incision was made for the recliner knob to be reattached.
24.
25. Everything that was taken...
25. Everything that was taken off to put the covers was now reattached to the seat frame.
26. The finished product consists...
26. The finished product consists of Roadwire’s plush black leather and perforated Alcantara inserts.
1. The factory headliner wasn’t...
1. The factory headliner wasn’t in bad shape but since the seats were going to be receiving a premium set of leather Roadwire covers, we decided to yank it and cover it in luxury Alcantara.
2. To free the headliner,...
2. To free the headliner, the sun visors were unscrewed.
3. And the pillar covers were...
3. And the pillar covers were pulled free.
4. Next, the grab handles...
4. Next, the grab handles were removed.
5. Next in line to be removed...
5. Next in line to be removed were the seatbelts.
6. And the dome light came...
6. And the dome light came after that.
7. Once plucked from the...
7. Once plucked from the cab, the headliner was placed on a worktable for its transformation.
8. A sheet of Alcantara was...
8. A sheet of Alcantara was draped over the old headliner.
9. To bond the new material...
9. To bond the new material with the factory headliner, a healthy layer of spray adhesive was applied.
10. The bottom of the Alcantara...
10. The bottom of the Alcantara was also sprayed.
11. The quick drying adhesive...
11. The quick drying adhesive allows for a fast job. The Alcantara material is smoothed down and stretched to cover the natural contour of the headliner pan.
12.
13. A heat gun was used to...
13. A heat gun was used to give the material more flexibility around the concaved sun visor area.
14. With a little heat and...
14. With a little heat and muscle, the Alcantara was glued down and perfectly molded.
15. The headliner was then...
15. The headliner was then flipped over and the excess material hit with more spray adhesive.
16. The edges were carefully...
16. The edges were carefully cut and slit with a razor, then strategically folded up for a presentable finish.
17. A blast of air sent the...
17. A blast of air sent the leftover dust and lint particles packing. The new headliner transformation is now a wrap.