Swanny1953
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Good luck with your new adventure!!
Imperial Journey - a Restoration Saga
- Thread starter rdoty
- Start date
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
I almost traveled down that rabbit hole. My Facebook marketplace started showing up with sewing machines all over the place. I was fortunate enough to realize I start a lot of things, but don’t finish. I’ll be following along because You have been very informative on everything you do.
ambenz
Well-known member
Good luck on the interior. I reskinned my seats from cloth to katskins myself and you will find muscles in your hands you never thought you had! My hands were sore for a week and that was when I was 55....
You might have a easier time than I did with the carpet replacement as your surface area is larger and might lay easier...might even be 2 pieces. I suggest using no hard backing and glue it to Dynamat.....will be watchng, it one cool ride!
You might have a easier time than I did with the carpet replacement as your surface area is larger and might lay easier...might even be 2 pieces. I suggest using no hard backing and glue it to Dynamat.....will be watchng, it one cool ride!
ambenz
Well-known member
It is a bit obivious it is my 2007 Ford S197 Grabber Orange (factory color) Mustang Pony Package convertible, as seen in my avatar and in my signature....just wanted to match the exterior color to tie it all together... thanks for the kudo's! Now back to the Imperial Journey!
Since upholstery work is completely new the workshop needs to be reconfigured a bit to support it. The main features are a work table and an industrial sewing machine. I don’t have a sewing machine yet, but I have tracked down a source and hopefully will have one in a few weeks. In the meantime I can start work on some trim panels that don’t require sewing. Step one is a round of Shop Tetris to free up space around the welding table and empty a location for the sewing machine when it arrives.
While the welding table is great, a steel surface isn’t ideal for upholstery. Some scrap plywood and a chunk of outdoor carpet dropped on top of the welding table converted it to a very sturdy work table. To make the table more productive I added a triple air outlet (to simplify the use of multiple air tools) as well as an electrical outlet.
Welding Table with Upholstery Top
Trim panels make extensive use of staples. A special type of staple – ones only 1/4″ long which don’t penetrate completely through the thin cardboard or hardboard used in these panels. Since you will be using literally thousands of these staples an air stapler is definitely the way to go. After a bit of research I ordered a Meite pneumatic stapler and a box of 10,000 staples.
The next item needed was fabric to build the test parts – specifically some fabric backed vinyl material. She Who Must Be Obeyed took me to JoAnn Fabrics where we found some vinyl on sale at 1/2 off and bought 6 yards. This was the first time I had been in JoAnn Fabrics as a willing participant. One thing to know is that they have a central station where they cut fabric to length and give you a slip of paper with the information you need to check out and pay. While standing in line at the register the cashier called out to me “excuse me sir – do you have the slip for that fabric?” I was able to answer “yes; I’m here with someone who knows what she is doing”. Apparently most guys don’t know how the store works…
We also picked up a couple of yards of 1/4″ thick fabric backed foam which is used on trim panels to give them a more luxurious feel.
While the welding table is great, a steel surface isn’t ideal for upholstery. Some scrap plywood and a chunk of outdoor carpet dropped on top of the welding table converted it to a very sturdy work table. To make the table more productive I added a triple air outlet (to simplify the use of multiple air tools) as well as an electrical outlet.
Welding Table with Upholstery Top
Trim panels make extensive use of staples. A special type of staple – ones only 1/4″ long which don’t penetrate completely through the thin cardboard or hardboard used in these panels. Since you will be using literally thousands of these staples an air stapler is definitely the way to go. After a bit of research I ordered a Meite pneumatic stapler and a box of 10,000 staples.
The next item needed was fabric to build the test parts – specifically some fabric backed vinyl material. She Who Must Be Obeyed took me to JoAnn Fabrics where we found some vinyl on sale at 1/2 off and bought 6 yards. This was the first time I had been in JoAnn Fabrics as a willing participant. One thing to know is that they have a central station where they cut fabric to length and give you a slip of paper with the information you need to check out and pay. While standing in line at the register the cashier called out to me “excuse me sir – do you have the slip for that fabric?” I was able to answer “yes; I’m here with someone who knows what she is doing”. Apparently most guys don’t know how the store works…
We also picked up a couple of yards of 1/4″ thick fabric backed foam which is used on trim panels to give them a more luxurious feel.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Very nice start! I’m rounding up parts and pieces too. Once I’m a little further down the rabbit hole, I’ll make some posts. I’ve been warned about JoAnn Fabrics! We used to have an upholstery supplier in Louisville, but has closed down. Online might be the way that I go. What type of vinyl did you end up with? I’m looking into a 4way stretch marine. I saved the stapler. The last seat cover I did on a Seadoo, I used a hand stapler……..Can you say Popeye arms?!?
Ohmthis, looking forward to your posts!
Jumping ahead a bit, I ended up going with SoftSeat automotive vinyl from Your Auto Trim Store. I ordered several different sample sets from them and liked the SoftSeat the best.
If you have a compressor the pneumatic stapler is the only way to go. I get nightmares thinking about trying to do that with a hand stapler! Plus automotive trim is usually thin panels so you are using 1/4" long staples. Dozens and dozens of them for each panel. I've been really happy with the Meite.
And, while I'm thinking about it, any compressor is enough for a Meite stapler. You do enough stapling on an interior that it would be worthwhile getting a cheap pancake compressor just for a single job.
You also end up using a lot of spray adhesive. The stuff in spray cans gets expensive and doesn't work as well as the professional adhesive in a gallon can. The cheapest Harbor Freight spray paint gun works great. For the small amount of time you are spraying a small compressor is enough.
You also end up using a lot of spray adhesive. The stuff in spray cans gets expensive and doesn't work as well as the professional adhesive in a gallon can. The cheapest Harbor Freight spray paint gun works great. For the small amount of time you are spraying a small compressor is enough.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Thanks for giving advice! I have several compressors……….Maybe too many! I got my servo motor in a couple of days ago. I should (I’ve got a couple of small Honey-Do jobs) be setting up my space in a week or so. I have found some vinyl locally, but I’m not completely sold on it yet. Usually, when something is inexpensive……….It’s cheap and won’t work like I want. It’s a lot of labor to have something last just a couple of years.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
I did order a sample of vinyl. This vinyl sold locally would be to practice on and make “Mistakes” on. I may go check it out.
I knew I’d get that reaction on the compressor comment!
Ohmthis
Well-known member
We must be researching the same things! I’ve been watching “Old School Auto Upholstery Techniques” on YouTube. I have a spray gun that should work, the adhesive is on my list.
I had enough scraps of 1/8″ hardboard left over from other projects to make the test panels and the first trim panels I wanted to do. Add in a can of spray contact adhesive and I was ready to get started! These first test pieces were just that – test pieces to be discarded after creation.
Getting started of course means reading the books on automotive upholstery I had previously purchased and spending many hours studying You Tube videos. I finally screwed my courage up to the sticking point, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started making a mess.
The process for making trim panels is basically cutting the backing to size, stretching the foam and vinyl over it, and stapling it on the back. With no bubbles, bulges, puckers, or wrinkles. Most trim panels have curved edges, making this a bit tricky.
Upholstery Test Pieces
“Mistakes were made”. The first test pieces had significant room for improvement. No surprise; that was why I was starting out with throw-away pieces. As She Who Must Be Obeyed has observed several times “it isn’t as easy as they make it look on You Tube.” I’m aware, I’m aware…
Go back to You Tube, study details that I missed the first time around, and head back to the workshop.
The next test pieces were better. Still not perfect, but considerably better. Hmmm, almost like this is a learning process…
Getting started of course means reading the books on automotive upholstery I had previously purchased and spending many hours studying You Tube videos. I finally screwed my courage up to the sticking point, grabbed a cup of coffee, and started making a mess.
The process for making trim panels is basically cutting the backing to size, stretching the foam and vinyl over it, and stapling it on the back. With no bubbles, bulges, puckers, or wrinkles. Most trim panels have curved edges, making this a bit tricky.
Upholstery Test Pieces
“Mistakes were made”. The first test pieces had significant room for improvement. No surprise; that was why I was starting out with throw-away pieces. As She Who Must Be Obeyed has observed several times “it isn’t as easy as they make it look on You Tube.” I’m aware, I’m aware…
Go back to You Tube, study details that I missed the first time around, and head back to the workshop.
The next test pieces were better. Still not perfect, but considerably better. Hmmm, almost like this is a learning process…
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Great start! What were some pitfalls that you learned from? I can see that stretching the vinyl over some of those curves would be a bear.
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
So are those test pieces just stapled or are they glued also? I have no idea about upholstery, but I am intrigued.
Thanks! There weren't really any major pitfalls - just do it several times, learning to do it better each time. The curves were a bit tricky, but experimentation and practice ended up with a good fit. When I'm learning something I practice until I'm happy with the results and then do a real one.
From what I've seen, in auto upholstery there are many different ways to do everything. So you just need to find something that works for you - and the particular part you are working on.
I will provide a full write-up on the process I followed. I glue the foam to the backer board and to the fabric - this keeps things from moving around when stapling. After gluing everything together, wrap the fabric over the edge, notch and trim as necessary, and staple.
Plenty of staples - I use a staple every inch or so on straight lines. For curves I often end up with the staples almost touching. Overkill? Maybe. But to quote Schlock Mercenary "There is no overkill. There is only open fire and time to reload". I figure there is a reason those staples come in boxes of 10,000.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
Thanks for keeping us informed! Did you need to do anything to keep the vinyl clean? One of my thoughts are how to keep the whites/creams/beiges clean. If they get adhesive on them, how easy is it to clean?
Hmm, that's a good question. Let me ponder it for a moment...
The first step was to clean and arrange the workshop. Then keep it clean - often vacuuming every day. The new top for the welding table was largely to provide a clean work surface. It also got regularly vacuumed.
Put things away as soon as you are through with them - this both minimizes the chances for spills and makes it easier to find them the next time you need them.
Ah - and organization. The classic "a place for everything and everything in its place" makes projects much more enjoyable for me.
Virtually all of the use of adhesive was spraying it on the back of the vinyl, sew foam, or hardboard. This kept the adhesive on the back of the fabric and there were almost no drips or runs. I put down a protective sheet of plastic before spraying, and then removed the sheet before continuing with the next step. Spray adhesive dries in a few minutes, so it was never more than tacky when being handled.
I had some other work tables to stack things on when not in use and kept these clean. Rolls of vinyl were stored in the trunk of the Imperial or on the back seat when I didn't need them.
One surprising secret for keeping things clean was to completely finish each sub project before moving on. Work on the passenger side rear seat back, finish it, and store in the back seat area. Work on the driver side rear seat back, finish it, and store in the back seat area. Work on the back seat center arm rest and finish it. Assemble the passenger side, arm rest, and driver side of the seat back and install it. When happy, check it off the list and move to the rear seat bottom. This approach minimized the chances for things to get dirty, since the only things exposed to dirt were the pieces I was actually working on.
For marking on the visible side of the vinyl I used special erasable pens designed for this - Leather Mercury Marking Set, This was used for things like decorative stitching lines and came off with a light application of acetone. I also used acetone in the few cases where I had to clean off adhesive.
I guess the summary would be "keep the vinyl away from dirt"!
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
Rdoty’s, it’s looking good. FYI regarding glue removal of either Titebond or 3M spray adhesive. Any manufacturers wax and grease remover will take it right off along with most dark marks too but not ball point pen ink! It won’t hurt your vinyl, even old vinyl.
I usually start by covering my 8’ long plastic table with masking paper or unfold a large cardboard box and use that for my clean surface.
As far as staples, it may not be necessary to use any. Leave at least 1” overlap on the back side and if you have sprayed the panel back and the overlap vinyl and have waited the desired 10-15 minutes it will have tacked enough to grab and not peel off. If you get in a hurry, spray the glue and rush it to where it is still a little bit liquid, it will not stick and stay.
When you make your door panels use a large sheet of heavy paper like a grocery bag and mark all the round spring clip attachment holes. The holes in your panels will be rectangles and if your boards you use are too thick the spring clips won’t slide into the rectangular holes. Hopefully you have at least one original panel so you can copy what they look like.
Practicing is a great idea. Time to make some speaker boxes and cover those.
I usually start by covering my 8’ long plastic table with masking paper or unfold a large cardboard box and use that for my clean surface.
As far as staples, it may not be necessary to use any. Leave at least 1” overlap on the back side and if you have sprayed the panel back and the overlap vinyl and have waited the desired 10-15 minutes it will have tacked enough to grab and not peel off. If you get in a hurry, spray the glue and rush it to where it is still a little bit liquid, it will not stick and stay.
When you make your door panels use a large sheet of heavy paper like a grocery bag and mark all the round spring clip attachment holes. The holes in your panels will be rectangles and if your boards you use are too thick the spring clips won’t slide into the rectangular holes. Hopefully you have at least one original panel so you can copy what they look like.
Practicing is a great idea. Time to make some speaker boxes and cover those.
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gahrajmahal,
Wax and grease remover will certainly take off dried adhesive. I'm concerned that it might be strong enough to damage the vinyl. From what I've read, acetone is one of the milder solvents. So I start with acetone and it usually does the job.
For interior work I try to stick to water, isopropyl alcohol, or acetone. Or a 70/30 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol.
For mechanical parts there is always brake cleaner and wax and grease remover. Or mineral spirits in the parts washer. But not gasoline!
Wax and grease remover will certainly take off dried adhesive. I'm concerned that it might be strong enough to damage the vinyl. From what I've read, acetone is one of the milder solvents. So I start with acetone and it usually does the job.
For interior work I try to stick to water, isopropyl alcohol, or acetone. Or a 70/30 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol.
For mechanical parts there is always brake cleaner and wax and grease remover. Or mineral spirits in the parts washer. But not gasoline!
That's a good idea on using heavy paper. I usually use cardboard for this, but paper would work better for locating the holes.Rdoty’s, it’s looking good. FYI regarding glue removal of either Titebond or 3M spray adhesive. Any manufacturers wax and grease remover will take it right off along with most dark marks too but not ball point pen ink! It won’t hurt your vinyl, even old vinyl.
I usually start by covering my 8’ long plastic table with masking paper or unfold a large cardboard box and use that for my clean surface.
As far as staples, it may not be necessary to use any. Leave at least 1” overlap on the back side and if you have sprayed the panel back and the overlap vinyl and have waited the desired 10-15 minutes it will have tacked enough to grab and not peel off. If you get in a hurry, spray the glue and rush it to where it is still a little bit liquid, it will not stick and stay.
When you make your door panels use a large sheet of heavy paper like a grocery bag and mark all the round spring clip attachment holes. The holes in your panels will be rectangles and if your boards you use are too thick the spring clips won’t slide into the rectangular holes. Hopefully you have at least one original panel so you can copy what they look like.
Practicing is a great idea. Time to make some speaker boxes and cover those.
Those old style clips are surprisingly hard to find these days - thank goodness for the Internet!
I use oaktag for stuff like that. (Oaktag is what Manila file folders are made of. Historically, clothing patterns were made with it, and it is still used for that by small scale producers and serious hobbyists. ).
I have used high strength N52 neodymium magnets on door panels and other trim pieces and its worked pretty great. They don't move at all and are pretty hard to get off. Hate dealing with those scratchy finicky clips.
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
I’ve never had an issue with wax and grease remover with vinyl. I found some photos of my door panel recover when I did your electric window relay conversion. You can see my stock panels were a little warped and the clip holes were soft so I reinforced them with small pieces of 22ga. Ductwork metal. I ground the warps out and also the glue surface of the sheetmetal to help the glue grab. You can see no staples on my panels.
See all the round holes around the door border? Easiest to see on bottom. Those are what you want to transfer to your paper pattern.
I used high power magnets to attach the grey waterproof boxes the door relays went in. My windows zip up and down now with 12 ga. Wire feed and my expensive rebuilt door master switch now sees micro volt load to trip the relays.
Sticky sound insulation makes the doors sound like late model doors when closing. No more, DONG when you shut the doors.
Nice! I also like the trick you are using of making sheet metal patches to hold the clips. My cardboard is rather chewed up - this gives me another way to deal with the door panels if I ever have to take them off again.
Hmm.... What about designing a piece of sheet metal with a hole in the center and having it laser cut at someplace like SendCutSend? That would reinforce the cardboard panels even more. You could probable get 40 or 50 of them done for the $30 minimum charge. Make them out of something like 22ga stainless steel. You could even put them on both sides of the panel to really reinforce it.
Great ideas here!
Hmm.... What about designing a piece of sheet metal with a hole in the center and having it laser cut at someplace like SendCutSend? That would reinforce the cardboard panels even more. You could probable get 40 or 50 of them done for the $30 minimum charge. Make them out of something like 22ga stainless steel. You could even put them on both sides of the panel to really reinforce it.
Great ideas here!
With the shop and materials for upholstery work coming together I ran out of room for stalling on material. Time to make some decisions and place an order.
The first big question was leather or vinyl? Leather is the leader for luxury – and is by far the most expensive option. Vinyl is good, widely used, and can be relatively inexpensive. The deciding factor was that I’m going to be making mistakes. I expect to make and re-make things several times while learning how to do this upholstery thing. It would drive me nuts to destroy or waste several hundreds of dollars of leather! So, vinyl it is.
I couldn’t find a local place stocking automotive fabrics, so it was on to the Internet to find out what was available online. Searching quickly turned up several suppliers. Your Auto Trim Store seemed to have what I was looking for, so I ordered several sample kits for different types and colors of automotive vinyl fabric as well as samples of foam backing.
With a sample kit you can see and feel the actual fabric you will be using. Going through the sample kits I decided that I liked the texture and feel of SoftSeat brand automotive vinyl. SoftSeat is available in both solid and perforated, allowing you to build more comfortable seats. Softseat also had a good match for the factory interior color.
I (of course) had trouble deciding what color to choose. A black car with black interior is classic. A black car with white interior is really sharp – and a stain magnet. Red? Kind of dramatic, but works with black. Rose is a bit more subtle but could look really rich. Gray? I like gray, so this could work. Hmm, some shades of blue work well with black; maybe teal or turquoise? Or maybe go with something really dramatic, like screaming banana yellow!
After enjoying prolonged indecision I finally decided to go with the factory color – a sort of cream. The existing seats had been re-upholstered at some point and were a completely different color, but the door cards were still the factory color. Well, a dirty 60 year old version of the factory color… Further, the headliner was close to the factory color. Also, the dash is brown. Changing the color of the dash and the plastic dash pad would be a major project.
With the SoftSeat sample ring in the car I determined that SoftSeat Light Cashmere was a good match for the factory color. The plan was to use solid for most of the seats with perforated inserts where you will be sitting. I think that having contrasting inserts in seats provides a richer appearance, so I decided to also order SoftSeat Medium Prairie Tan for the inserts.
With colors chosen the next question was quantity. Automotive Vinyl is typically around 54″ wide and is ordered by the yard. I did a rough calculation of how much material each part of the seats, door panels, and trim would require, allowed plenty of allowance for cutting the pieces out of the roll of fabric, and then added another 25% for safety and mistakes.
To give myself flexibility I planned on getting enough Light Cashmere to do everything plus enough Medium Prairie Tan to do the inserts.
At this point She Who Must Be Obeyed pointed out the importance of getting everything you need at the same time. If you don’t have enough fabric and have to order more, there is a good chance the new order will be from a different dye batch and the colors won’t match. OK, add another 25% or so to the order. Realistically I probably have enough vinyl to do two complete cars.
It turns out that ordering automotive vinyl online is much cheaper than I expected. The SoftSeat vinyl was under $14 a yard for solid and under $19 a yard for perforated! The initial order I put together was under $600; going in I expected materials to cost over $2,000! Hmm, at this price might as well add another yard or two of each vinyl…
In addition to the vinyl I also needed foam: 1/4″ fabric backed foam ("sew foam") for most of the trim work, 1/4″ or 1/2″ fabric backed foam for seat backing, and 1″ or 2″ high density foam for seat cushions. The same online store carried foam so I went ahead and ordered everything I needed.
Even after adding more vinyl and adding the foam the order was under $800. Placed the order and the materials have arrived. I’m now committed! I'm also committed to doing the interior work...
The first big question was leather or vinyl? Leather is the leader for luxury – and is by far the most expensive option. Vinyl is good, widely used, and can be relatively inexpensive. The deciding factor was that I’m going to be making mistakes. I expect to make and re-make things several times while learning how to do this upholstery thing. It would drive me nuts to destroy or waste several hundreds of dollars of leather! So, vinyl it is.
I couldn’t find a local place stocking automotive fabrics, so it was on to the Internet to find out what was available online. Searching quickly turned up several suppliers. Your Auto Trim Store seemed to have what I was looking for, so I ordered several sample kits for different types and colors of automotive vinyl fabric as well as samples of foam backing.
With a sample kit you can see and feel the actual fabric you will be using. Going through the sample kits I decided that I liked the texture and feel of SoftSeat brand automotive vinyl. SoftSeat is available in both solid and perforated, allowing you to build more comfortable seats. Softseat also had a good match for the factory interior color.
I (of course) had trouble deciding what color to choose. A black car with black interior is classic. A black car with white interior is really sharp – and a stain magnet. Red? Kind of dramatic, but works with black. Rose is a bit more subtle but could look really rich. Gray? I like gray, so this could work. Hmm, some shades of blue work well with black; maybe teal or turquoise? Or maybe go with something really dramatic, like screaming banana yellow!
After enjoying prolonged indecision I finally decided to go with the factory color – a sort of cream. The existing seats had been re-upholstered at some point and were a completely different color, but the door cards were still the factory color. Well, a dirty 60 year old version of the factory color… Further, the headliner was close to the factory color. Also, the dash is brown. Changing the color of the dash and the plastic dash pad would be a major project.
With the SoftSeat sample ring in the car I determined that SoftSeat Light Cashmere was a good match for the factory color. The plan was to use solid for most of the seats with perforated inserts where you will be sitting. I think that having contrasting inserts in seats provides a richer appearance, so I decided to also order SoftSeat Medium Prairie Tan for the inserts.
With colors chosen the next question was quantity. Automotive Vinyl is typically around 54″ wide and is ordered by the yard. I did a rough calculation of how much material each part of the seats, door panels, and trim would require, allowed plenty of allowance for cutting the pieces out of the roll of fabric, and then added another 25% for safety and mistakes.
To give myself flexibility I planned on getting enough Light Cashmere to do everything plus enough Medium Prairie Tan to do the inserts.
At this point She Who Must Be Obeyed pointed out the importance of getting everything you need at the same time. If you don’t have enough fabric and have to order more, there is a good chance the new order will be from a different dye batch and the colors won’t match. OK, add another 25% or so to the order. Realistically I probably have enough vinyl to do two complete cars.
It turns out that ordering automotive vinyl online is much cheaper than I expected. The SoftSeat vinyl was under $14 a yard for solid and under $19 a yard for perforated! The initial order I put together was under $600; going in I expected materials to cost over $2,000! Hmm, at this price might as well add another yard or two of each vinyl…
In addition to the vinyl I also needed foam: 1/4″ fabric backed foam ("sew foam") for most of the trim work, 1/4″ or 1/2″ fabric backed foam for seat backing, and 1″ or 2″ high density foam for seat cushions. The same online store carried foam so I went ahead and ordered everything I needed.
Even after adding more vinyl and adding the foam the order was under $800. Placed the order and the materials have arrived. I’m now committed! I'm also committed to doing the interior work...
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
Good Luck!
www.garagejournal.com
Show us your sewing projects!
With all the recent mentions of sewing and GJ'ers making things with sewing machines, a couple great guys twisted my arm into starting a sewing projects thread. If anyone has any hand sewn or machine sewn projects or questions, please post up! To kick it off, I will post a pic of some seat...
www.garagejournal.com
Good idea. I'll do a post on the sewing thread when things are a bit further along.Good Luck!
Show us your sewing projects!
With all the recent mentions of sewing and GJ'ers making things with sewing machines, a couple great guys twisted my arm into starting a sewing projects thread. If anyone has any hand sewn or machine sewn projects or questions, please post up! To kick it off, I will post a pic of some seat...
Ohmthis
Well-known member
So what are you going to do with the extra vinyl?
I usually figure 5% waste on things I do know how to do and 10% on things that I’m new to. You just took it to a whole new level! I do appluade you for being cautious. I too have wondered how close “batches” are to each other? How much different are they in color and texture. On my boat, I plan to get enough to do the back. Remember this is an experiment to my wife. If I **** at it we will be paying someone, if I succeed, I get to do the whole thing! I figured that they have to be semi close in color and texture. I’ll do the front with a different order (batch). They are separated by 4 or 5 feet. If someone can tell the difference and question it, they can swim home!
I usually figure 5% waste on things I do know how to do and 10% on things that I’m new to. You just took it to a whole new level! I do appluade you for being cautious. I too have wondered how close “batches” are to each other? How much different are they in color and texture. On my boat, I plan to get enough to do the back. Remember this is an experiment to my wife. If I **** at it we will be paying someone, if I succeed, I get to do the whole thing! I figured that they have to be semi close in color and texture. I’ll do the front with a different order (batch). They are separated by 4 or 5 feet. If someone can tell the difference and question it, they can swim home!
Extra vinyl? What is that???So what are you going to do with the extra vinyl?
I usually figure 5% waste on things I do know how to do and 10% on things that I’m new to. You just took it to a whole new level! I do appluade you for being cautious. I too have wondered how close “batches” are to each other? How much different are they in color and texture. On my boat, I plan to get enough to do the back. Remember this is an experiment to my wife. If I **** at it we will be paying someone, if I succeed, I get to do the whole thing! I figured that they have to be semi close in color and texture. I’ll do the front with a different order (batch). They are separated by 4 or 5 feet. If someone can tell the difference and question it, they can swim home!
I ended up ordering close to three times as much vinyl as I originally calculated was needed. The reasoning behind this?
1. I'm learning. I'm going to make mistakes. If I don't like the way something turns out I will throw it away and start over.
2. The order consists of primary solid color (the biggest part), perforated primary color, trim color, and perforated trim color. I wanted options on how to handle each panel.
3. I'm going to make mistakes.
4. Scope creep. I have a "strong suspicion" that I will end up doing more than just seat covers and door cards.
5. I'm going to make mistakes.
6. There will be future projects.
7. I'm going to make mistakes.
8. The vinyl was more affordable than I expected.
9. I'm going to make mistakes.
Ohmthis
Well-known member
So are you saying that you are going to make mistakes???
So what are you going to do with the extra vinyl?
I usually figure 5% waste on things I do know how to do and 10% on things that I’m new to. You just took it to a whole new level! I do appluade you for being cautious. I too have wondered how close “batches” are to each other? How much different are they in color and texture. On my boat, I plan to get enough to do the back. Remember this is an experiment to my wife. If I **** at it we will be paying someone, if I succeed, I get to do the whole thing! I figured that they have to be semi close in color and texture. I’ll do the front with a different order (batch). They are separated by 4 or 5 feet. If someone can tell the difference and question it, they can swim home!
There's a lot of variation in how close colors are. Some are very close, some are very not. they're usually close enough no one will notice if they're not next to each other.
While sewing is needed for the seats and door panels there are a couple of trim pieces that don’t require sewing – I can start with those. The back seat has a trim panel that goes between the seat and the side of the car. These will be a great place to start.
These trim panels were not installed. I found parts of these panels in the trunk of the car. They were in terrible shape – worn, dirty, water damaged, and torn in half. Complete replacement was required!
Original Trim Pieces – the parts I could find
Time for some CAD – cardboard aided design. Create, trim, and adjust a cardboard template until it fit the space.
Template for trim piece
Once the cardboard template fit, trace it onto a piece of 1/8″ hardboard and cut it out.
The next step was to cover it with 1/4″ fabric backed foam and some of the JoAnn test vinyl, stretch the vinyl, and staple to the back. The result was OK, but had some wrinkles and was a bit thick. But it did fit properly.
Since I now had the real fabric I started on the actual panel. Once again, cut out a piece of 1/8″ hardboard. This time I applied spray adhesive to the hardboard and a piece of 1/4″ fabric backed foam and secured the foam to the hardboard. I then trimmed the form to the hardboard so that the foam didn’t wrap around the edge. This should help with the "too thick" issue.
The next step was to cut out a piece of the real vinyl – SoftSeat Light Cashmere – about 3/4″ larger than the template. Spray adhesive on the foam and vinyl, carefully position the vinyl, and apply the vinyl to the foam. After it was in the right position I rolled the vinyl to the foam to secure it in place.
I then flipped the panel over and started notching the vinyl close to the edge – but not so close that the cuts would show from the front or side. Starting from the middle of an edge carefully stretch the vinyl over the back and staple it in place.
The end result was this complex shape with no wrinkles in the vinyl and good definition along the edges. I’m rather proud of the result! With the first piece a success, make and install the second trim panel.
Rear Seat Side Trim Panel Installed. The screw will be hidden by the seat back.
If only the rest of the interior could go this smoothly! I rate the chances of that happening as somewhere between zero and zero, but I’m an optimist…
These trim panels were not installed. I found parts of these panels in the trunk of the car. They were in terrible shape – worn, dirty, water damaged, and torn in half. Complete replacement was required!
Original Trim Pieces – the parts I could find
Time for some CAD – cardboard aided design. Create, trim, and adjust a cardboard template until it fit the space.
Template for trim piece
Once the cardboard template fit, trace it onto a piece of 1/8″ hardboard and cut it out.
The next step was to cover it with 1/4″ fabric backed foam and some of the JoAnn test vinyl, stretch the vinyl, and staple to the back. The result was OK, but had some wrinkles and was a bit thick. But it did fit properly.
Since I now had the real fabric I started on the actual panel. Once again, cut out a piece of 1/8″ hardboard. This time I applied spray adhesive to the hardboard and a piece of 1/4″ fabric backed foam and secured the foam to the hardboard. I then trimmed the form to the hardboard so that the foam didn’t wrap around the edge. This should help with the "too thick" issue.
The next step was to cut out a piece of the real vinyl – SoftSeat Light Cashmere – about 3/4″ larger than the template. Spray adhesive on the foam and vinyl, carefully position the vinyl, and apply the vinyl to the foam. After it was in the right position I rolled the vinyl to the foam to secure it in place.
I then flipped the panel over and started notching the vinyl close to the edge – but not so close that the cuts would show from the front or side. Starting from the middle of an edge carefully stretch the vinyl over the back and staple it in place.
The end result was this complex shape with no wrinkles in the vinyl and good definition along the edges. I’m rather proud of the result! With the first piece a success, make and install the second trim panel.
Rear Seat Side Trim Panel Installed. The screw will be hidden by the seat back.
If only the rest of the interior could go this smoothly! I rate the chances of that happening as somewhere between zero and zero, but I’m an optimist…
stinkity stoink
Well-known member
That looks really good! Especially for never having done it before