'94 XL Sport - Dark Plum

[PoodlePuncher]

Before i can start driving this thing, we've gotta address the smell.
I'm no stranger to Varmint infested vehicles dragged out of a field, but this truck is rank...
The only way i can describe it is "mouse piss and Axe body spray..."

Yesterday i pulled the seats and carpet, which helped a lot

What I found underneath the carpet, was not surprising...
actually, it's better than expected

it's still pretty solid, so i should be able to clean it up for the time being...

 

[PoodlePuncher]

last night i started cleaning the disgusting seats...

Before:

After (First pass):

not perfect, but it'll do for now...
The amount of filth i extracted from just the drivers seat belongs in that thread about disgusting things found in a vehicles...

 

[PoodlePuncher]

Today, I installed the passenger seat on the drivers side (to allow me to move it around), and i started cleaning up the passenger seat tracks.
Knocked off the crusty rust with a wire brush, then coated what it left with Naval Jelly.
once they were clean and dry, i sprayed them with rust encapsulating primer.

Next weekend i'll give em a coat of enamel to protect them, and move on to the drivers side

with those drying, i moved on to that sloppy shifter.
it appears someone had started, because the rubber boot was already unscrewed from the floor, and the shifter bolt (don't know the technical name) was already backed completely out. i just had to give it a light tap with my hammer, and it popped loose.

(Note: look at that nice clean seat )

based on how the shifter was moving, i expected the top bushing was shot, and the pins were sheared off...
NOPE!
Pins were fine, but there were no bushings at all!
just the wave washer sitting all lonely at the bottom...

it was evident that someone had been in there before based on the orange RTV (WTF!?)
but why would they completely remove the bushings? (Double WTF!)

Either way. 10 minute job, and the shifter feels good now.
nice positive engagement into each gear.

Next weekend, i'll give the cab a deep clean, and address the rust on the floor.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

You may want to check the seat upholstery. Some of them come off and can be tossed in a front loader.

Have done it. A lot easier than rug scrubber.

 

[PoodlePuncher]

You may want to check the seat upholstery. Some of them come off and can be tossed in a front loader.

Have done it. A lot easier than rug scrubber.

yep, i'll do that later, if i make a second pass...
the benefit of taking the time with the extractor, is to get the stuff that's soaked into the foam.

if this had been a daily driver, and not some vermin infested farm truck, i would've just disassembled them.

Also, these seats were so disgusting, i didn't want them anywhere near my washing machine

 

[SenorNoob]

Somebody may not have removed those bushings. I've put them in before and gone back a few years later to find the same thing. Just gone. I suspect they wear enough to break up and fall into the gears. Or the ones I had were made of something that dissolves in ATF.