Are any of the aftermarket interior parts, ie, dash pad, door panels, weatherstrip, etc worth anything or are they all junk? I've had mixed experience with aftermarket parts for other cars, some are nice and some are complete junk. What are ya'll's thoughts?

Thanks,
~John

 

My experience with aftermarket dash pad (covers) and interior door panels have been all JUNK.

 

My dad has the door panels and a hard dash overlay. they are decent and much better than the chalky panels. They are made of a different material and look okay as a group. Individually and they will look pretty tacky.

 

I bought a truck that had some aftermarket dash cover on it and it fit so well that it too RW's sharp eye to point out that it wasn't just a good dash. Don't know what brand it was, but the color wasn't a perfect match so it needed painted to blend in completely. However, it really did spruce up the interior. Given that, I'm going to order one for Dad's, probably from LMC.

 

Allow me clarify what I said earlier. "JUNK" is a strong word and purely subjective, and I don't want to mislead anyone here.

I am an extremely picky person, especially when it comes to my beloved Ford! For me, genuine Ford parts are hard to beat. For someone who is doing more of a restoration, I have found that interior aftermarket trim parts are just not good enough for someone who has an emotional attachment and spends too much time staring at their truck.

That being said, the aftermarket dash covers do look good compared to a cracked dash pad when installed correctly, and if the color is painted to match the rest of the interior. However the speaker grille doesn't look at all like the one on the factory dash pad. But the bigger issue is the dash covers are slightly over-sized to glue over your existing dash pad, effectively covering up the screws that hold the dash pad to the dash hull. That means if the dash pad has to come off to get behind the dash for any reason, the dash cover will have to be cut off.

Like First Today said, the aftermarket door panels are actually made of a better material than stock. The problem with these is that the speaker grilles don't look at all like the factory ones, and the extra chrome trim or fabric trim is not included. The ones I have tried didn't fit exactly right either. I have found that the colors don't match up, and when they are re-painted, the paint doesn't hold up all that well when the color is changed. (I have heard of people having better results using SEM interior paints.) And I agree that if both the dash pad cover and door panels are used together as a group, it's harder to tell the aftermarket pieces aren't original.

The fact is, original Ford dash pads and door panels are extremely hard to find in good shape in the junkyards. And if the differences above don't bother you, the aftermarket dash pad covers and door panels are acceptable for someone who isn't really interested in originality or showing their truck.

 

I picked up a 86 F350 yesterday with aftermarket panels, dash and A pillars. I too am quite **** when it comes to my restoration projects. But I have to say the panels are very impressive. The pillar and dash panels are nearly perfect. I have electric window and lock switches on the door panels. The first thing I noticed on the panels is where the window sweep mounts and looks. It's sits a bit lower than the original height but still functional. The material used to make the panel appears to be of a heavier thickness. And the other is the padded handle. It is a bit more firm than OEM. This truck was a frame off restoration with no expense spared. The panels do do it justice.

 

I've done a few restorations and I agree that most aftermarket stuff, when compared to OEM/NOS is some variation of "not quite right". With that said when the options are: Trash, slightly better trash, Unobtanium OEM/NOS and Aftermarket... Well, you make due.

Some of the stuff is really well made and the differences are small. As for the color match; it's the same with exterior paint, it's hard to match something that's been slowly sun faded for 25 years. I'll bet if you look in an original interior you'll see some panels are different shades than others.

SEM paint, while expensive, works very well. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS... Painting over similar colors is preferred but I've painted almost every interior color over almost every other color with good results.

Also, if your interior panels are in good shape but the color's off you could simply repaint them.

 

Thanks for the thoughts folks, lots of good advice.

So what are the decent brands/sources for these parts? LMC?

Where do you get the paint? What is required to apply it correctly?

What I am looking at right now is replacing both door panels and all door weatherstrip, 'A' pillar trim pieces (I have good used for these) dash cap and the seat. Eventually I would like to add a headliner / rear trim pieces. I am also looking into installing bronco bucket seats in place of the bench seat.

Thanks,
~John

 

Painting Automotive Interior Plastic and Vinyl - FordMuscle

 

Just ordered a dash cap from "AZBOB" on Ebay. Will let you know how it is.

 

I just got my truck awhile back, I didn't know it had a dash cap until I went to pull the gauges out. Don't know what brand it is.

 

For replacement door panels and dash pads, and taking into consideration that you want the best for your restoration and are not concerned with the cost...

Go to your local Ford dealer, and order the interior panels for the F700-F800s. I believe they were the same interior all the way up until '01 or '02. Prepare to pay around $700 for the dash pad. I have no idea what the door panels cost. Get them while you can, Ford likes to get rid of parts after the trucks are 10 years old.

They come in any color you want, so long as it's gray.

I scored a ridiculously mint dash pad off of ebay for $100 in black. No cracks, no wear of any kind, it's a shame I have to paint it really, but I need it to be tan. The deals exist, you just have to keep a hawk-eye out.