308/328 Original Interior "Survivor" Methods

Now THAT is nice. You need to start your own thread - no kidding - on 'nice as new' 308s. Your car has NO PLACE in a thread about my redo of a poorly done previous attempt! My car, and yours, are likely embarrassed to be seen together. Gorgeous.

 

Finally, the car came 'home' and after being professionally 'paint corrected' (see 'exterior survivor methods' thread) it's time to put the interior back together.

The rear panels at the deck, near the rear and quarter glass, were apparantly never intended to be removed. If so, never to be resintalled. This took me WAY too long. The tightness of fit, exactness, alignment of the planets, and your Zodiac sign matter significantly upon reinstallation. Eventually, after cursing many people in Modena, they went together.

None are 'permanently' attached, so you may see gaps awaiting this step. I just 'set' them in place to get the order of reassembly correct. Lord help me, I sure do NOT want to have to un and re install again, ever, ever.

The redyed and lovely carpet is going back in, bit by bit. All tucking in nicely. It's gonna be a car again!
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I got the passenger door panel on easily enough, and then went for the carpet and rear trim. Then...

Photo 1 : After cursing in Italian, finally got the rear shelf, carpet, and console laid, yet with 12,000 wires to sort. The carpet that was redyed, and some rebound, really fits nicely. I used heat barrier liner under some of it, namely the rocker and console.

Photo 2: Seatbelts, retractors, guides, and the fiddliest e-brake box known to man, now in its little keeper. Looking good.

Photo 3: Wires fed, switches switching, lights lighting. OMG! The power window accelerators WORK. (Thanks Rodney Dickman.) With all the switches cleaned, lubed, reattached, I PROMISE the lighting in them is twice as bright.

Next steps in this odyssey: Driver's door panel (had to resolder the mirror switch, thus a delay.) Then the seats, and I'm done!
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Wow, after what seems like 11 years of hard labor, my interior is done. Still need the stupid mirror adjusting switch to install the door handle, and I'm done. Got about a half dozen screws I don't like the looks of that'll be replaced, but for now, a happy camper.

Amazing how well fitted these cars are. I'm not exaggerating, but the assembly of this puzzle called an interior is so nicely done, tightly assembled, with the occasional 'hand built' shim (honestly, in wood!) just let you know these are object of love and craftsmanship. Remembering I'm 'only' talking about the interior, and when you consider the hard parts... wow. A whole different level.

Anyway, here it is all together. Seats were the last to go in, and the most notable. They're soft and pliable (the flash makes it 'appear' like there's a shine; there's not.) The seat mechanisms glide again! The rake adjust smooth (full of gunk before). The whole interior just feels, smells, and looks fresh. Yet I only replaced minimal parts.

Thanks to Leatherique for awesome customer support and to you guys for input - and ultimately patience - for watching this through. Time to go enjoy my 'new' car!
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