Interior Opinions....

So I have a 85' F-250 XL with the explorer package, which includes having the straight rubber floor. I have to repair the floor boards due to rust and while I have it out I plan on fixing up the interior a bit. My thoughts were to remove the rubber flooring and replace it with a layer of sound deadening material and insulation in order to keep noise and the cold out, and then on top of that place some OEM style carpeting like what would've been included in a Lariat model. Does anyone have any pictures of what such an interior looks like or any opinions on if this would be a good decision? I have the Saddle colored interior btw

Many have said that the rubber mats collect water and encourage rust. So I agree that going with carpet is a good idea. I have Big Blue’s carpet out and can take some pics tomorrow if you’d like. What ones would help you?

If you are just looking for some photos of carpet in a Bullnose, check out the Picture Gallery under Documentation.

Here's a similar color example: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/1984-ford-f-150-xlt-pickup.html (scroll down a ways)

I favor carpet for the reason Gary mentioned... rubber can trap moisture and rust out the floor. If you live in mud the removable mats for your feet make better sense anyway for ease of cleaning and protection from wear.

It seems to vary by year and trim line, but the diesels often had more insulation and sound deadening materials than gas engine trucks. Your floor may already have dyno mat type material on it. Diesels also had a hefty amount of jute and rubberized insulation on both sides of the firewall. The engine bay side is frequently missing, and had to be removed if a turbo kit was added. The inner fender skirts on diesels also had thick jute insulation that is so gross with grease and dirt by now that many owners have removed it. On 1983 diesels I have found a thick, heavy foam rubber body profile clipped inside the front fenders where the doors close.

As far as how the carpet interior looked on XLT’s, this is a F150 but should give you an idea:

I always have, and I always will disagree that rubber flooring traps water and rusts out the floor. I have rubber flooring in my Ranger, and it's been there for 17 years without any sign of rust. Rust on your floors will ALWAYS come down to poor owner maintenance. I clean my interior out at least four times a year, which includes lifting up the vinyl flooring and vacuuming out dust/dirt/grime/manure/etc and wiping the floors down. I also verify that both the firewall, and the rear window have not developed any signs of leakage. It's a simple part of vehicle ownership, and will keep your floors rust free for many years. Granted I don't live in a salt state, but salt state vehicles just need to be cleaned more frequently.

I ran carpet in my F150, and there were a few times it became wet from firewall leaks. I didn't perform the same maintenance on that truck, nor did I fix the water leaks, and rust started to form under the carpet, which had trapped water on the floorboards. There is no difference between carpet and vinyl flooring (aside from the smell when wet), but there is a difference in how well you maintain your vehicle.

I agree, that if properly maintained, the rubber floor won’t cause the floor to rust. My objection is that if there is a leak, excessive condensation, a window left open in the rain etc., that it traps the moisture whereas jute with carpet over it will dry out. I have picked at many, many Arizona junkyard trucks and almost every one I’ve seen with the rubber floor has had floor rust issues, where it is rare on trucks with carpet. To your point, I am sure poor maintenance is to blame, but the correlation is strong enough to steer me away from rubber floors knowing that life is imperfect and I would rather not stress about the floor mat if moisture gets in. To me the appeal of rubber floors is to not stress about the elements ruining the carpet... but ruined floor pans and rocker panels are much harder to replace than carpet. Carpet just seems more forgiving. Maybe it is equally bad in wetter climates, but in AZ wet carpet dries out fairly quickly.

Ford F834 wrote

Maybe it is equally bad in wetter climates, but in AZ wet carpet dries out fairly quickly.

This may be the difference, it rains ALOT here in the center of the sunshine state, and with the high humidity, that certainly doesn't help. I can go to the junkyard and even on a closed truck the carpets usually smell awful from retaining moisture.

I'll second that it rains ALOT down there.  Just got back from there a week ago and it rained some every day for the week we were there.  On top of that, I got a cold and bought Hall's cough drops, which were fine when we got them to the kids' house from the store.  A couple of days later we couldn't peel the paper wrapper off, it was soggy and stuck on.  And that was in an air conditioned house.  

By the way, from my perspective the moniker "The Sunshine State" is a lie.  My son says it is my fault, that every time we come it rains.  But we've rarely seen the sun while there.  

We only see the sun in the morning, and right after a cold front. It's very rare to go more than a few days without rain, although droughts do occur occasionally during the summer.

But to go back on topic, I have sound deadening in my Ranger, and plan to put some in my F350 as well. It makes a huge difference and really separates the exterior noises from the interior. That along with carpet would really make a great insulator and really keep the external noises to a minimum.

Once place I wish I had sound deadening on my Ranger is on my firewall. I can tell the firewall is pretty thin by the amount of vibration I feel in the pedals. By 2003, Ford still didn't get their firewalls figured out. With the elimination of manual transmissions from pickup trucks, I guess it no longer matters. The only good thing about the Ranger's firewall is that the master cylinder mounts to the pedal assembly, and not the firewall, which keeps the clutch pressure off of the firewall. I can still feel the flex in the firewall though.

Gary Lewis wrote

By the way, from my perspective the moniker "The Sunshine State" is a lie.  My son says it is my fault, that every time we come it rains.  But we've rarely seen the sun while there.  

I lived in Florida for a year and this was referred to as "liquid" sunshine!!!

I"ll buy that!  I don't seem to have a dark cloud over my head.  In fact, today there's not a cloud in the sky in Okiehoma.  But when in FL it rains.

The last two days were nice here, not a cloud in the sky. I'm sick, so I haven't ventured outside yet today, but peering out the window I can see blue skies for a third day. It's also cold. High of 65 today.

Gary Lewis wrote

Many have said that the rubber mats collect water and encourage rust. So I agree that going with carpet is a good idea. I have Big Blue’s carpet out and can take some pics tomorrow if you’d like. What ones would help you?

Every bullnose I have put my hands on with rubber mats, if you put your hand under the mat it is wet. They every screw through the floor and rockers bleeds water under that mat at some point.

mine was chestnut brown, changed to saddle tan. If you look at my project thread it has the pictures of that color.

There is a chance yours is actually Chestnut and not Saddle.

Have 1986 F350 std cab,  Need a passenger bucket seat (tan), and the panels behind the seat.... and some assorted interior parts... Anyone have or know of a F350 being parted out? Should find a donor vehicle methinks!

When I pull my rubber mats out while my seats are out I plan on fixing any damage on my floors and I am going to use some of that brush/roll on sound/thermal barrier that is kinda like a bed liner in that it seals the metal.  I figure this would be my best bet since I do wash my rubber floor mat with a hose and soap.

I find its easier to clean than trying to use that carpet cleaner.

dont really clean my interior that much and I have a leaking dealer A/C unit that will slosh condensation onto the floor some times.  Even then the only rust I have is a slight little bit that was patched with a piece of aluminum riveted over the small rust through.

I really plan on fixing this spot right and then I want to brush/roll on this thermal and sound barrier that I found.  Should make life real easy for me in the long run as I like the rubber floor mat over carpet.