Interior Swap: 04 Eddie Bauer to 05 King Ranch

[Oefootball_70]

That looks so freaking sick, I would love to do this swap. Only issue is I don't have captin seats in the second row. How hard of an issue is that to resolve?

And where did you find these? And what did they run you? I'm VERy interested in getting these.

 

[kmh1596]

Thanks!

In regards to you not having buckets, I did not have buckets either. As long as you had the 40/20/40 seats, you will basically replace the two outer seats with buckets, (direct bolt in) and remove the center, without replacing it. The only "problem" was that the holes where the center seat used to bolt in, are now exposed. I put a all-weather floormat over that spot,it matched the weathertechs I have all over the rest of the truck. I could install a Navigator center console (was told that they bolt right in), but it is so much easier to get to the back now.

As for cost. I worked with a recycling yard online(they were out of a wrecked 05) on the items in the interior that were KR specific:

Seats (3 rows, 3rd row being powered)
Center Console(lid was specific)
Door Panels
Steering Wheel
Grab Handles on A and B Pillars
Wood Grab handle on the passenger dash
Floormats

Sealed the deal at a little under $1500 for everything, shipped ($450 of that was freight from VA to MA). When it arrived, the seats were in poor condition due to neglect (still shocked they came back as good as they did, but it was a lot of work), as well as a lot of damage from poor packaging, as well as a few parts missing. After sending the pictures of the poor packaging and condition of the non-heated seats (were represented as electric and heated), the owner of the yard refunded me quite a bit of it. I was not demanding a hefty refund, just wanted something to be done, so I could cover the costs of making the seats heated, and (hopefully) treating/restoring them.

It worked out well, after a lot of work cleaning and conditioning them. I LOVE The look and feel of the seats.

 

[GAINMOB]

you can buy a cernter console and put in there

 

[dadamaja]

nice job, i would lie to get the seats to an 06 limited

 

[gkelly]

Damn those seats were dirty as hell!....... Looks good

 

[kmh1596]

FYI: Saw these seats pop up on ebay for sale.. Looks complete, only thing missing are the 4 grab handles that mount to the roof and A pillars, the steering wheel, and the wood dash grab handle. A bit pricey, but they are in mint condition.

King Ranch Ford Expedition Leather Front Seats Rear Seat Third Row 3rd Console | eBay

 

[Wildtim]

Just saw this resto over on Autopia and had to come here to see more pics. Awesome job. I love the king Ranch interior but knowing leather I know how hard it is to keep the looking good let alone restore ones that bad.

Anyway I have this old saddle I could send.........



Nice job.

 

[TexasAngel34]

WOW, looks really good, what a diff in the before and after... Love the king ranch look

 

[BIGRED03]

Sweet!

 

[Nathanialson 08]

Nathanialson: Check your PMs.

jjbusa: Tough call on how it would look with a grey interior.. Not much different than the 07+ KRs, in my opinion, being that they use all black other than the seats, if I'm not mistaken?

My interior was all completely 100% black on black but due to issue after issue with my Expy ever since i wrecked it I ended up trading it in for a car.

but i like your Expy btw you did a good job.

 

[2003BlueBauer]

How do you swap out the steering wheel? Is there a spot online you used a a reference? The leather on my 03 is looking terrible on the top of my steering wheel, so I purchased a used king ranch/wood wheel from eBay.

Also, saw a wood grab handle on there and was wondering how I would access the area to remove the current passenger grab handle and replace with the wooden one?

 

[kmh1596]

How do you swap out the steering wheel? Is there a spot online you used a a reference? The leather on my 03 is looking terrible on the top of my steering wheel, so I purchased a used king ranch/wood wheel from eBay.

Also, saw a wood grab handle on there and was wondering how I would access the area to remove the current passenger grab handle and replace with the wooden one?

I don't have anything to reference, but i used a steering wheel puller, after I pulled the airbag out. I let the battery discharge for an hour (much longer than is required/recommended), then used a steering wheel puller once I removed the steering wheel nut. Make sure it goes on in the exact same spot the last one was... If I am not mistaken, it has a keyway, so has to go on a certain way.


I had to swap my grab handle, too. I did so by lowering the glovebox, and I think it was 8mm or 10mm nuts on the back. If you buy the one on ebay, when you receive it, you will see how it mounts. Not much to it.

Good Luck, be sure to post before and after pics!

 

[kmh1596]

Despite my liking the idea of the second row buckets, I did not like that I had to have a floormat over the open holes where the original center seat used to mount, and I hadn't found a center console from an 03-06 Navigator that included any of the hardware, aside from the fact that one didn't exist with matching King Ranch leather. SO: I sourced a 40/20/40 King Ranch second row, from a junkyard, and had it shipped.





I was worried when I saw part of it protruding from the packaging upon arrival. Thankfully, the only damage were to the plastic trim covers around the latches, which I had from my previous seats. This is a very poor picture taken a few mins after install, and before I lathered them up with Leather CPR. They didn't really need it, but is it possible for them to be TOO soft?



I miss the buckets, but this is more functional for us, and I can always swap them back in. Unlikely I will find someone with an 05-06 (or 03-04 Conversion) KR Expedition who is looking for just the second row bucket seats.

Before:



After:

Newest AFTER:

 

[Beardskii]

So I have been looking for a Gen 2 king ranch JUST for the seats. If I read correctly by previous posters these could be switched out with my Gen 1, correct?

 

[5.4T]

is that 20 seat from another expedition? never seen a full KR bench seat. PS Don't let the dog sit ontop of the seats!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Great swap, I was surprised at how clean the front seats came out. What did you use to clean them?

 

[kmh1596]

Thanks for your feedback!

I used the "spa technique" that I found on an F150 forum, specific to the King-Ranch leather. You see, the King Ranch leather up until the past few years (not sure on the exact year it changed) was uncoated analine leather, straight from the King Ranch leather supplier. Being uncoated, it absorbs anything that comes in contact with it, unlike other leather seats in most cars that are vinyl coated, and essentially you are cleaning/conditioning the vinyl coating on those, and not the leather. On the Analine leather, you need to pull the dirt/soiling out of the seats.

I used a capful of baby shampoo (tearless, lol) with a pan full of HOT water (as hot as your hands can stand) with washclothes, and kept the seat damp/steaming, alternating washcloths. It steamed the dirt up and out of them, and then I applied Leather CPR as a last step, WHILE they were still wet. Repeated the leather CPR conditioning (but not the Spa treatment) over the next month, and now apply the leather CPR every 3-4 months as I think of it.

I may need to do the spa-treatment again soon, but I am careful about any grease I have on work clothes, etc.. to avoid soiling them as much as I can. I love the KR leather, but it's a different kind of cleaning/conditioning from regular leather seats.

The only other brands I have heard of having uncoated (analine) leather are Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Ferarri, some Mercedes, BMW, etc. I love these seats!

 

[kmh1596]

is that 20 seat from another expedition? never seen a full KR bench seat. PS Don't let the dog sit ontop of the seats!!

5.4T: Sorry, I just saw this post. Yes, it was from another Expedition. Most who opted for the KR package also opted for the buckets, but the 40/20/40 was available. I could have just found the "20" and it would have bolted in, but I would have had to cut the stub off of where the armrests used to be, and there would be a corresponding hole in the leather where they used to be. The correct 40/20/40 out of an 05 KR was a much better option, IMO. Looks factory. The only way you can tell that my truck is not an original KR is that it is an 04; they didn't offer the KR Expedition until 05 and 06.

 

[5.4T]

that and the roof racks, but no ones going to notice that

 

[kmh1596]

that and the roof racks, but no ones going to notice that

The king ranch had a roof rack as well. No change there, that I know of.