WH Statesman & Caprice: The Ultimate Interior Restoration Guide

The WH Statesman and Caprice represent a high point in Australian luxury motoring, but even the best-kept examples show their age. Is your original carpet looking tired, stained, or torn? Finding quality, factory-spec replacement parts can be a frustrating exercise, often leading to compromises with used components or ill-fitting generic alternatives. That once-quiet cabin might now suffer from increased road noise, diminishing the premium driving experience you value. For owners dedicated to a proper restoration of their classic wh statesman caprice, a solution that honours the vehicle's original quality is essential.

This guide provides the definitive path to restoring your interior to a true showroom standard. We will detail the process of selecting and installing Australian-made, custom-moulded carpet flooring and accessories engineered specifically for your model. With components backed by over 40 years of manufacturing expertise, you can eliminate the guesswork and achieve a perfect "Tru-Fit" result that protects your investment, significantly reduces road noise, and recaptures that factory-fresh appearance. It’s time to restore the comfort and prestige your classic Holden deserves.

Identifying Your Model: WH Statesman vs. Caprice Interiors (1999-2003)

The Holden WH series, produced from 1999 to 2003, represents a high point for Australian-built luxury sedans. Built on a unique long-wheelbase platform, these vehicles offered exceptional interior space and comfort. Before beginning any restoration project, it is essential to correctly identify your specific model and assess the condition of its original components. This ensures you source the correct materials for a factory-quality finish, especially when it comes to moulded flooring designed specifically for this larger chassis.

Statesman vs. Caprice: What's the Difference Inside?

While the core interior structure is identical, the primary distinction between the WH Statesman and Caprice lies in the level of standard appointments and trim materials. The flagship Caprice models were specified with higher-grade materials, often featuring premium velour or full leather upholstery and plusher, logo-embroidered floor mats as standard. The Statesman was also luxuriously appointed but more commonly featured high-quality cloth or standard velour, with leather being an optional upgrade. For a detailed breakdown of features, the Holden Caprice model history provides a comprehensive overview. Critically for any flooring replacement, both the Statesman and Caprice share the exact same floor pan mould, meaning a single, correctly manufactured moulded carpet set provides a perfect fit for either vehicle.

Common Interior Wear and Tear

After more than two decades on Australian roads, even the most well-maintained wh statesman caprice will exhibit predictable interior wear. Identifying these areas is the first step toward a complete and satisfying restoration. Key points to inspect include:

• Driver's Side Carpet: Significant wear is common in the driver's footwell, particularly under the pedals and on the heel mat area where friction is highest.
• Parcel Shelf Fading: The large rear window exposes the parcel shelf to constant sun, leading to severe fading, discolouration, and material breakdown.
• High-Traffic Floor Areas: Look for stains, matting, and flattening of the carpet pile in all four footwells and the central rear floor hump.
• Foam Underlay Deterioration: The original foam underlay beneath the carpet can crumble and compress over time, reducing its acoustic and thermal insulation properties and creating an uneven feel underfoot.

The Foundation: Why Moulded Carpet is Essential for Your WH

The carpet is the single largest surface in your vehicle's cabin, forming the foundation of its entire look and feel. When restoring a luxury vehicle like the wh statesman caprice, settling for a generic, flat-cut carpet simply won't do. A Tru-Fit moulded carpet is engineered specifically for your vehicle, offering a level of precision that generic alternatives cannot match. This isn't just about aesthetics; it's about restoring the factory-quality finish and feel that defines the Statesman and Caprice models.

The Perfect Fit: Benefits of a Moulded Floor

Unlike generic carpets that require extensive trimming and often result in a poor fit, a Tru-Fit moulded carpet is pressed into the exact shape of your WH's floor pan. This precision engineering, backed by over 30 years of manufacturing experience, delivers significant advantages:

• Total Coverage: Follows every contour, transmission tunnel, and footwell precisely.
• Effortless Installation: No cutting or trimming is required, saving time and eliminating guesswork.
• Factory Finish: Provides a professional, seamless result that looks like it came straight from the Holden production line.
• Enhanced Safety: Prevents dangerous bunching or movement under the pedals, ensuring a secure footing.

Choosing Your Carpet Style and Colour

Restoring your interior means matching the original aesthetic or choosing a subtle upgrade. We offer options to suit any restoration goal. Choose from a range of factory-correct colours to perfectly match your door trims and dashboard. For the material, consider the two primary styles:

• Loop Pile: This is the classic, authentic choice for many Holdens of the era, offering a durable, hard-wearing finish that replicates the original texture.
• Plush Pile: For a more modern and luxurious feel, plush pile (or cut pile) offers a denser, softer finish that enhances comfort and cabin acoustics.

Every Tru-Fit carpet also includes an integrated driver's side heel mat, welded into place to prevent wear and tear in the most high-traffic area, ensuring long-term durability.

Preparing Your Statesman for New Carpet

Proper preparation is key to a flawless installation. Start by carefully removing the seats, centre console, and any lower trim panels. When unbolting seats, it is crucial to be aware of regulations governing vehicle modifications and safety systems, as outlined by the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). Once the old, worn carpet is removed, thoroughly clean the floor pan of any debris or rust. This is also the perfect opportunity to install a layer of sound-deadening material to significantly reduce road noise and improve cabin refinement. With a clean, prepped surface, you are ready for a new foundation.

Ready to transform your interior? View our WH Statesman/Caprice Moulded Carpets.

Soundproofing Your WH: Recapture That Luxury Quiet

A core part of the premium appeal for the Statesman and Caprice, as detailed in its extensive Holden Statesman model history, was its quiet and refined cabin. However, after more than two decades, the original factory sound deadening materials have inevitably degraded. The felts, foams, and adhesives become brittle, compressed, and lose their ability to absorb noise, allowing road harshness and mechanical sounds to intrude on the driving experience. Upgrading your sound insulation is a critical step in restoring the vehicle's original luxury character.

Modern acoustic materials offer far superior performance compared to the original factory fitment. By strategically applying new insulation, you can significantly reduce unwanted noise and restore that serene, isolated feeling that defined these flagship Holden models.

Identifying Common Noise Sources

For any wh statesman caprice owner, identifying the primary sources of noise intrusion is the first step toward an effective solution. The most common problem areas in these vehicles include:

• Road Noise: The large, flat floor pan is the primary conduit for transmitting road texture and tyre noise into the cabin.
• Exhaust Drone: A common issue, especially with aftermarket exhaust systems, where low-frequency drone can resonate through the floor and boot area.
• Tyre Noise: Sound generated by the tyres is transmitted directly through the front and rear wheel wells, becoming particularly noticeable on coarse-chip road surfaces.

Tru-Fit Underfelt and Insulation Solutions

Tru-Fit Automotive provides a comprehensive, two-stage solution engineered to exceed original factory specifications and combat these common noise sources. Our system begins with a dense, high-quality underfelt layer that is precision-cut for the WH floor pan. This specialised material is designed to absorb low-frequency vibrations and drone before they reach the cabin.

The second stage is our pressure-moulded carpet, which acts as a final and effective barrier against airborne sound. This dual-layer approach provides significant benefits:

• Acoustic Insulation: Drastically reduces road, tyre, and exhaust noise for a quieter, more comfortable ride.
• Thermal Insulation: The dense materials help regulate cabin temperature, keeping the interior cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
• Improved Audio Quality: By lowering the cabin's noise floor, your audio system will sound clearer and more dynamic, with improved bass response and clarity.

Finishing Touches: Floor Mats, Kick Panels & More

With your new moulded carpet perfectly installed, the final stage of your interior restoration begins. These finishing touches are not just optional extras; they are essential for protecting your investment and achieving a complete, factory-fresh finish. Overlooking these details can leave an otherwise perfect job looking incomplete. From day one, protecting your new carpet flooring is the highest priority.

Custom-Fit Floor Mats for Ultimate Protection

Generic, one-size-fits-all floor mats simply do not provide the coverage or stability required for a premium vehicle like the wh statesman caprice. Tru-Fit’s custom floor mats are engineered using precise patterns to ensure a perfect fit for your vehicle's specific footwells. This eliminates shifting and bunching, providing superior protection and a clean, integrated appearance. They are the most effective way to prevent premature wear, stains, and damage to your new carpet.

• Precision Moulded: Designed to follow every contour of the WH Statesman and Caprice floor pan for complete coverage.
• Colour Matched: Available in a range of durable carpet materials to seamlessly match your new interior flooring.
• Investment Protection: Acts as a sacrificial layer, absorbing daily wear and tear to keep the underlying carpet pristine.
• Non-Slip Backing: Features a high-quality non-slip backing to ensure the mats stay securely in place, enhancing both safety and aesthetics.

Replacing Kick Panels and Parcel Shelves

After two decades, original plastic and composite trim pieces are often the first to show their age. Kick panels become scuffed and brittle from entry and exit, while the parcel shelf is typically faded and warped from years of sun exposure through the rear window. Replacing these worn-out components is a simple yet highly effective step. New, colour-matched kick panels and a sturdy, new parcel shelf instantly restore sharp, clean lines to your cabin, removing the final signs of age and completing the 'new car' feel of your restoration.

At Tru-Fit, we understand that a true restoration is comprehensive. That’s why we supply a full range of interior trim components to complement our moulded carpets. By addressing these final details, you elevate your project from a simple repair to a professional-grade restoration. Explore our full range of products for your wh statesman caprice at trufitauto.com.au to ensure every element of your interior is perfect.

How to Order Your Complete WH Statesman/Caprice Interior Kit

Restoring the interior of your WH Statesman or Caprice is a rewarding project, and ordering the correct parts is the critical first step. At Tru-Fit Automotive, we have streamlined the process to ensure you get the exact moulded carpet and accessories you need. With over 30 years of manufacturing experience, our system is designed for accuracy, guaranteeing a product engineered for a precise fit.

Follow these simple steps to select and purchase your complete interior kit.

Step 1: Select Your Vehicle and Model

Our website's vehicle selector makes finding the right product simple and efficient. To begin, navigate to the Holden section on the Tru-Fit website. From there, choose the Statesman/Caprice model and then specify the WH series. Finally, confirm your vehicle’s year model, which covers the 1999-2003 production range. This ensures the pattern used for your carpet is an exact match to the original factory floor pan.

Step 2: Choose Your Products and Options

Once you have confirmed your vehicle, you can select the components you require. Whether you need a full moulded floor carpet, a set of custom-fit floor mats, or a complete restoration kit, we have the products to suit your project. After selecting your items, you will be prompted to customise your order with the following options:

• Colour Selection: Use our digital colour swatches to match your new carpet to your vehicle’s original trim or choose a new custom colour.
• Material Type: Select from our high-quality material options. Choose classic Loop pile for an authentic, factory-correct appearance, or upgrade to Plush pile for superior comfort and sound deadening.

Step 3: Finalise Your Order

With your products selected and customised, simply add them to your cart and proceed to our secure checkout. We offer Australia-wide shipping for all products, delivering your new interior components directly to your home or workshop. Our team is dedicated to providing superior products for your wh statesman caprice restoration. If you have any questions during the process, our experts are ready to provide support. We are confident in the quality and fit of our products, ensuring your project is a complete success.

Get started on your WH restoration today!

Your Complete WH Interior Restoration Solution

Restoring your vehicle's interior to its former glory is a systematic process. As we have covered, the foundation of any premium restoration is a precision-moulded carpet, which eliminates gaps and provides a factory-finish look. Complementing this with high-quality soundproofing not only reduces road noise but recaptures the original luxury feel of your wh statesman caprice.

At Tru-Fit Automotive, we leverage over 30 years of manufacturing experience for every component. All our interior kits are 100% Australian made and backed by our guaranteed 'Tru-Fit' for a professional finish you can achieve yourself. Don't settle for less than a perfect restoration for your classic Holden.

Ready to transform your vehicle? Shop the complete range for your WH Statesman/Caprice now. Give your car the premium, factory-fresh interior it truly deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Tru-Fit carpet for the WH Statesman the same as for a VT/VX Commodore?

No, the carpet is not the same. The wh statesman caprice features a longer wheelbase than the standard VT/VX Commodore sedan, resulting in a different floor pan shape, especially in the rear. At Tru-Fit, we use precise moulds specific to each model to guarantee an accurate, factory-quality fit. Using a VT/VX carpet in a WH model will lead to poor fitment and an unprofessional finish.

Can I install the moulded carpet myself, or do I need a professional?

Our Tru-Fit moulded carpets are designed for straightforward installation by a competent DIY enthusiast. The pre-moulded shape significantly simplifies the process compared to fitting flat carpet. However, for a flawless, showroom-quality result, we recommend professional installation by an automotive trimmer. They possess the specialised tools and experience to ensure a perfect fit around consoles, seats, and sill panels for the best possible outcome.

How do I clean and maintain my new Tru-Fit carpet and floor mats?

For regular maintenance, we recommend frequent vacuuming to remove loose dirt and debris. Address spills immediately by blotting the area with a clean, absorbent cloth. For more stubborn stains, use a high-quality automotive carpet shampoo, following the product's instructions carefully. Avoid harsh chemicals or abrasive brushes, as these can damage the carpet fibres. Proper care will maintain the appearance of your carpet for years to come.

What is the difference between loop pile and plush pile carpet?

Loop pile carpet has a durable, low-profile construction where the fibres are formed into tight loops. This style is authentic for most Australian vehicles from the 1960s to the late 1990s and is exceptionally hard-wearing. Plush pile, or cut pile, has a denser, softer feel because the tops of the loops are sheared off. This provides a more luxurious appearance and is the standard for most vehicles manufactured from the 2000s onwards.

How long will it take to receive my order?

As our moulded carpets are made-to-order in Australia to ensure premium quality, please allow approximately 5-7 business days for manufacturing. Once dispatched, delivery times vary based on your location. Metropolitan customers can typically expect delivery within 2-5 business days, while regional or remote areas may take longer. You will receive tracking information via email as soon as your order has been shipped from our facility.

Are your interior kits made in Australia?

Yes, absolutely. Tru-Fit Automotive Products is a proud Australian manufacturer with over 30 years of industry experience. All our moulded carpets and interior restoration kits are produced in Australia by skilled local staff. This allows us to maintain strict quality control over the entire production process, ensuring you receive a premium product specifically designed and built for Australian vehicles and conditions.