bench seat

[85Ram50]

Has anyone tried the Seat Covers Unlimited cover?
Does anyone know of a maker of covers that go directly over the foam?

I put add a leaf springs in and it rides a lot harder now. So It motivated me to go to the upholsterer shop and I got some foam. 1" #70 2.6lb. Apparently the 70 indicates firmness. They let me try two a 52 that was 2.9 lb and a the 70 -2.6lb It was like a brand new car seat sitting on that sample! I want to remove the existing vinyl and glue it to the bench and shape it then I was hoping to get a new cover to slide back on.

[geezer101]

There 'might' be reskins available for seats, but where - I don't know. Every possibility there will be something close in dimensions that will fit. Is the vinyl shot? If it's not, they are actually pretty easy to take apart. There's a bunch of small metal rings that are crushed closed on them around the wire seat chassis. Just pry them apart gently and peel the vinyl cover off. There are possibly some other wire retainers running through the seat cover inside of calico fabric pleats as well. I've done seat upholstery as a course and skinning most old school seats are easy as

[85Ram50]

It's split on a seam where I sit. I am going to take it off and if it comes easy I may ask a seamstress shop in the next town over to repair the seam and put a patch over the seat area that is wearing through. The worst part about this truck has always been this seat. It felt so nice when I test those pieces yesterday. $40 for foam plus some work and whatever sewing and patching will cost as opposed to the $500-$650 dollar rebuild. I'll take it.

[Chargerx3]

I hate the stock bench seats. They dont support your lower back and make it uncomfortable for long drives. I yanked mine and found a pair of supportive, but not bulky Hyundai Tiberon Seats I fabbed up to fit. Even have adjustable back lumbar settings. Much nicer.

[85Ram50]

i've already invested in some foam. I found a thread by Noahwins while searching for factory replacement seat covers. He found some but his amazon link is dead. I've messaged him hopefully he remembers the brand name or company.
I've taken the covers off and the bench is in good shape I cleaned it and painted it. The cover is bad. When I removed the cover on the back it had old black mold looking stuff on it. I would assume that is from before I solved the water intrusion issue. So I am definitely not going to reuse it. The back pad is still hog ringed to the frame and since it otherwise looked to be in good shape I decided not to remove it. I will probably be adding a layer of that same foam to it as well.

[Chargerx3]

All the power to you then. I just couldnt stand the lack of support they had and mine was still in like new shape.

[85Ram50]

thanks. I ended up sewing it myself The top cover looks a lot better after sitting in the sun sprayed with bleach so I'm gonna try a vinyl repair kit on the few bare spots that still show cloth and then some vinyl paint.

[85Ram50]

Progress so far Bench with added foam. bottom back.jpg bottom front.jpg
This is what the bench looked like before I tore it down. bench.jpg

[85Ram50]

So the other day I was trying to pull the newly painted bottom cover back on over the new foam and it was not going well. I took a break. When I came inside I had more email responses from seat covering places. as usual they were saying no then one guy who said no sent another saying that he had just realized the D50 was the same as a mighty max and he had a pattern for that. We exchanged emails and this morning we spoke. He was worried his pattern had different seat belt loops, He called them pull through. Turns out he has two MM patterns 79-80 and 80-86 is how they are labeled. He did not know the difference or why. Anyway I sent him my seat cover so that he can compare them. Looks like I should have a new seat cover in a week or so!

[geezer101]

Cool - fresh comfy seats! Yeah there were some design changes from the first production run which would've been the 'MA' model Mitsubishi L200/Forte as far as the interior is concerned (and the low spec engine options) I'd like to get new carpet but they aren't cheap. I may opt for a JY scrounge and see what carpet from a newer car might fit with some jigging. There's going to be overhang I can trim off and some holes that will be exposed but but it can't be worse than worn out, caramel coloured carpet...

[85Ram50]

When I first got her she was bare floor like I have now. I got some batting and cheap carpet at a fabric store and used spray glue to lay it down. There is this on RA but IDK that shipping would be worth it https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...,flooring,1264

[MrPaco]

Could you do the same spray you did on the bed to the floor of the cab while you have the seats out?
The prep work might not be worth it, although there's probably a lot less rust, if any...

[85Ram50]

It seems silly to make a new thread since this is all one project.

Yes Mr Paco I was thinking that same thing. It will be a pain to get rid of the fuzz though. I might, will probably, go with a cheaper roll on version. I had rust on a couple of the freeze plug drains and the jack storage mount.

OK Today I took off the dash pad and the defroster cowl. I have pics and questions.Mainly does the rest of the dash come out without cutting it?
The pictures are of what looks like might be a computer, I think I had AC in this before I owned it and there is a rusty spot on the left hand under the dash that looks foreboding and I do not know what the plate bolted over it is for. Maybe access to the wipers? Oh yea I need to get the air directional registers? for each end of the dash pad.

Rusty spot first left side under dash.jpg Then is this a computer?? Did I have a computer.jpg Can I remove this without cutting? can I remove.jpg

Two pics of the removed dash pad painted and sanded to be coated again then repaired. Oh the screws had torn free or the hole expanded. The defroster cowl is what was holding it down.
dash pad top.jpgdash pad left.jpg

Edit-Forgot to mention the bottom screws were already out on the pad. Forgot I did that years ago. The thing holding it from me pulling it was a threaded rod with a 8mm nut on it directly above the ebrake pull and the four nuts holding the defroster cowl down. Take the gauge cluster out to get at it. it will save you time. I only had to loosen the nuts on the cowl. If yours is in better shape than mine there is a string of screws across the top that you have to take out the defroster cowl to get at. You need a 2" Phillips head screwdriver for this job for the glove box and those screws on top.

[geezer101]

Yeah unfortunately if you need to do anything more than a surface rust repair, the entire dash chassis is spot welded into the cab. The only thing you can remove without drilling or cutting is the steering column/brake booster mount (on my to do list is mod and paint this thing). The Gen 1 dash pads look sooo much better in black, don't they? I did my column cover too while it was all apart. My '85 Gen 1 didn't have the feedback system for the carb.

[85Ram50]

Geezer, Are you saying that computer thing is a carb feedback unit for the Mikuni?
I had to quit for the day since I ran out of paint. That nut has a matching one just above it and that metal piece comes out. I think I will remove it tomorrow and investigate.
Any suggestions for things to fix while this is all open?

[geezer101]

Geezer, Are you saying that computer thing is a carb feedback unit for the Mikuni?
I had to quit for the day since I ran out of paint. That nut has a matching one just above it and that metal piece comes out. I think I will remove it tomorrow and investigate.
Any suggestions for things to fix while this is all open?

Err, I'm pretty sure lol. There isn't anything else the truck would have that required that kind of module (your truck is a manual shift so there isn't a control module for the trans anyway) Easy way to be sure is trace the harness out to it's source and you should find it's connected to the carb systems. Another thing you can retire from the truck to tidy it up, along with the spaghetti can of vacuum hoses.
What were they thinking when they made these things.. vacuum control circuits, solenoid shut-offs and a complicated carb set up - fun

[85Ram50]

They were thinking "why don't we just use what we have instead of spending money on doing it better."

Mr Paco, I got a can of spray on Dupli Color bed liner I am going to try on the cab floor.

[85Ram50]

It started raining on me so I figured it was a good time to post this. The thing with the rust under it is a cleanout door for the cowl. That rust is from the mouse nest I was told was in my heater and had been removed for $225! After I vacuumed it a lot of the metal is gone. I have ospho'd the heck out of it and the insides and will rebuild it with JB weld once that works its magic. A couple pics of the passenger side which is clean.
so that is where the mouse was!.jpg passenger cleanoutclosed.jpg passenger cleanout open.jpg

[geezer101]

That isn't pretty. So someone scammed the PO on alleged repair work done to fix this? How there wasn't rivers of filthy water running down from there is beyond me. At least this isn't directly a structural part of the cab like a door jamb or a cab pillar.

[85Ram50]

It was me who paid to get the mouse nest removed. The PO told me about it he did not know where it was. The shop I paid told me it was in the heater. He lived in the forest and it had been parked in a car port for a while. It is basically repaired. I have a piece of sheet metal cut and fit with the bottom bolt stuck through it. I have a rag soaked in Ospho sitting on the rusty stuff. I need to get more Ospho and I will really soak it until its black then I'll attach the sheet metal.

I've taken out the heater flushed the core with vinegar let it soak a bit then flushed it real good. It seems like it was flowing OK to me but IDK how much it should take. Any way there was a lot of dirt I could not see when I grabbed it and installed it. Those compression clips are no longer rusty anyway. I cleaned it of all dirt and I forgot to remove the little coil thingy and messed it up. The fan quit on me while I was refilling the radiator.
I'm going to a JY tomorrow that has one of these I hope there are enough parts to make the drive worth it.

EDIT- IN the FSM its called the Heater Resister in the diagram of the heater.
Anyone got a part number for the blower motor resistor?

EDIT2- I solved the problem. I got another used one that was not damaged.

[geezer101]

Well, it's keeping you entertained But on the upside you have been vigilant and taken pretty much the whole truck apart in your quest to fix it properly. Rust in a place like the air channel can manifest itself in much more serious problem like eating through the firewall or the hood hinge recess. I've used citric acid powder solution to clean heater cores (I pumped it through the heater core with a faulty pressure washer on continuous cycle and it really broke up all the crap in it) The heater blower units aren't too tricky to recondition. Once you pull one apart you're glad you did - you wouldn't want to breathe the stuff you find sitting in the casing or have it blowing around the inside of a cab.

[85Ram50]

Anyone know what tool is necessary to remove the nut around the light dimmer switch?

[geezer101]

Anyone know what tool is necessary to remove the nut around the light dimmer switch?

No special tool - use the tip of a flat blade screwdriver and rest it in one of the grooves on the edge of the plastic retainer ring and try to work the retainer anti clockwise like a regular nut or use needle nose pliers and gently twist it loose. Once you have it loose just use your fingers.

[85Ram50]

I was doing that and slipping off and cutting the plastic. I ended up using needle noes vise grips. <1/8 turn at a time until it was loose enough for my fingers.

[85Ram50]

No pics today. I am updating.
I had grabbed a broken dash pad with that heater the other day to experiment on. I tried some bondo glass but used too much hardener. it would ahve worked if I did it right. So if you want to flock your dash that is definitely a way to go. I also used contact cement and foam pipe covering cut up to fill the gaps. You want to do that before putting any coating on top. It works well. I also used VLP which smelled and worked a lot like Shoe Goo except it is more liquid. So I used shoe goo and it works pretty well. If I had more skill my dash would probably look nice and smooth. It does not sand easy. As it is at least my dash is solid again. Look on YT for dash repair vids to get an idea.
I got the patch in on that cowl cleanout, was only able to use the top screw, I attached sheet metal with self tapping screws and JB weld to fill out the gaps.
My dash is in with the new vents, all duct work has been washed and installed with duct tape on the joints.
On the dupli color bed liner spray, it sucked. It clogged frequently then worked randomly and without warning. I do not recommend it. But the quart can of the same stuff was fine with a paint brush. I sprayed the cab with primer and some color on the hard steel where the trim would mount if this was a better model. The color isn't as nice as it look on my computer but oh well it's new and clean.
I found some trim for a carpeted rig. Apparently the trim along the rocker is mounted in square holes in the rocker. I am going to cut off those square detent, there is only a hole for a screw on top, since I do not have those holes and use some adhesive caulk.