Fourteen years takes a vicious toll on a truck. Even on the interior. When we plunked down the cash for our project '92 F-150, the carpet was threadbare and stained in spots, the seats were worn and semi-dilapidated, and the right side of the dashboard was literally falling off the firewall (a common problem with this era F-Series). Initially, we reattached the dash and cleaned the interior as best we could, but there was still one problem: the worn interior looked horrible and it smelled the same way. The reality was that the previous owner had ignored the interior for so long, odor and dirt had permeated the carpet and seats to a point where no amount of cleaning and even vast amounts of spray cologne (we were desperate) could overpower the foul odor created by years of use. Did we mention the seats and carpet looked horrible?
Well, thanks to help from the folks at Stylin' Concepts, the Redhead now has a brand-new interior--with a twist. Stylin' has been around for more than 20 years, so they know what they're talking about when it comes to automotive accessories. In addition, they offer a wide range of products from more than 300 vendors. After the knowledgeable staff at Stylin' listened to our story, they recommended that we install some brand-new Outland truck seats by Smittybilt and new molded Pro-Line replacement carpet by Nifty. They assured us that these two items would make spending time in the cab of our truck a much more pleasant experience. When we told them we also wanted to quiet the interior of our truck with sound deadener similar to what we've seen audiophiles use (that's the twist), they surprised us by saying that they stock just what we needed--Boom Mat Performance Acoustical Material by Design Engineering.
With our shopping done in one convenient stop, we had Stylin' ship all of the components to the Redhead's Official Buildup Shop, Attitude Performance in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where the Attitude team installed all of our new stuff while we shot photos.
The result? We're delighted. The new interior has completely eliminated the funky "used truck" odor and look; the Outland seating is outstanding and far more comfortable than the stock seats; the carpet is bright and pleasing to look at; and the Boom Mat has radically decreased interior road noise. In addition, we're enjoying increased interior storage and a pair of cup holders, thanks to the multitasking center seat/console. Follow along as we highlight some of the steps in this easy and effective upgrade.
BEFORE
DURING
 The first step was to remove...  The first step was to remove the stock seats, center seatbelts, carpet, kick panels, and rocker-panel covers. Since the truck has spent its life in the Rust Belt, we saturated the seat mounting bolts, rocker-panel cover screws, and seatbelt bolts with penetrating oil several times in the week preceding the install to aid in disassembly. Prior to installing the Boom Mat, we removed the small amount of factory sound deadener from the body tub. Most of it detached easily using just compressed air. |  Boom Mat is a neat, self-adhesive...  Boom Mat is a neat, self-adhesive insulating product that you can simply trim with scissors and press on. It's flexible, so it conforms to uneven or contoured surfaces too. We simply wiped down the body tub, test-fit each piece, trimmed if necessary, peeled off the backing, and applied. It's available in spray-on form too. |  We covered the entire floor...  We covered the entire floor of our F-150's tub with Boom Mat. Clearly, this offers far more insulation than the factory sound deadener, and the results are spectacular. To cover the floor we used a box of 10 1/2 x 23-inch sheets (PN 050210) and a box of 8 1/2 x 11 1/2-inch sheets (PN 050204). Installation was a breeze and took less than an hour. |
 Prior to installation, we...  Prior to installation, we unpacked our new Nifty Pro-Line carpet and opened it up for a few days so the creases could flatten out. The new carpet fit very well, and there were no surprises during the installation. Our rig has a manual floor-mounted transfer-case shift lever, and we were pleased to find that the underside of the carpet was marked to aid in trimming a hole for the lever. The hole is not opened at the factory because the same carpet is used for electronic-shift F-150s. |  In addition to the two front...  In addition to the two front seats, the Outland seat kit for our regular-cab F-150 came with a center console/seat, subframe, adapter brackets, hardware, and instructions. The seats recline and have spring suspension and adjustable headrests. |  The first step to installing...  The first step to installing the new seats is to attach the mounting brackets to the subframe. Next, the subframe assembly is test-fit to the truck (shown). This will ensure that the assembled unit will fit easily once the seats are bolted on. This is also a good time to reinstall the center seatbelts and kick panels. |
 After the test fit, Attitude...  After the test fit, Attitude Performance owner Matt Dinelli removed the subframe from the vehicle and bolted on the seats and center console using the supplied hardware. |  The seat assembly is then...  The seat assembly is then lifted into the truck and bolted to the floor using the OEM bolts. The last step is to route the seatbelts between the seats and the console and attach the recliner knob and cover. | |
AFTER