Tag Archives: Auto Upholstery

Car Upholstery/Interiors: “Muscle Car Interior Restoration” Book Review

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Every now and then I share a book that I’ve found useful while I’m doing a restoration or managing a restoration for some who loves their car and wants is restored, but doesn’t have the knowledge or time to manage it themselves (in progress a rare 1975 VW standard – article forth coming as we are just about to marry the body back on the chassis).

A few posts back I mentioned the upholstery project I did on my 1970 Mustang (now residing in a small collection in Nebraska).  Along with the upholstery I did a lot of work on the interior – dash, carpeting, headliner…the works.  I was reminded of the books I used for the process and one in particular was authored by Daniel Strohl entitled “Muscle Car Interior Restoration”.

 

There are a few books out there but this one covered the fundamentals very well.  So well, in fact that I’m going to give a copy away to one of my readers.  Drop me a note  at timsweet@cox.net or AGCarRestoration@cox.net or post up on my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AGCarRestoration with a pic and some info.

Muscle Car Interior Restoration by Daniel Strohl

Muscle Car Interior Restoration by
Daniel Strohl

 

You can catch Daniel’s writings over on Hemmings.com and the Hemmings Motor News.  As you know I love the Hemmings’ publications.  

Get me a pic of your project (completed or in progress – love the in progress photos) and get chance to pick up a free copy of “Muscle Car Interior Restoration”.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Post Script:  Other than a happy consumer, I have no relationship with Hemmings or Dan Strohl.

 

 

Artico – it’s vinyl upholstery by another name

Leathercloth. Naugahyde. Ambla. These are just a few of the words that car-makers have used to name vinyl upholstery. Name and euphemistically disguise a badly hidden truth in fact, because vinyl has almost always been seen as inferior to cloth trim or …
Warning: Hikers crossing in Bennington, Vt.

If that’s you, don’t miss the Hemmings Auto Museum (216 Main St., 802-447-2496, www.hemmings.com, open May-October, free), a small auto museum featuring vintage vehicles on display. And hiking deserves a second mention, as there are so many great …

 

 

Mustang Upholstery Part V

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I thought I’d take a minute finish up the write-up on the very first upholstery job.  I finished it up a two weeks ago and really missed driving the Mustang, but that’s what happens when you do your own work and you can only fit it between all the normal life stuff that needs to get done.

Yes, as I  was reminded twice by a couple of car acquaintances, I used a kit, some say they aren’t much different from slip covers, but as you can see in my shots here that’s a bit of an understatement.

Now these next two videos are not all that great but I think you can see the removal of the back and the fasteners.  I’ve worked with these type of fasteners before in my father’s body shop (back in the early ’70s) nearly all door panels and seat back were fastened in that way.  They work really well but bend them (and they do bend easy of they aren’t aligned with the hole and pressure is applied) and you’ll have to spend sometime reshaping them, even then they might not hold properly, or replace them.

Check out the videos:

 

 

 

Here are a few more photos and the finished product.  Not to bad for my first one.  I have the passenger’s side to do.

With the plastic seatback removed.

Needed to remove the back release

2 piece

release removed.

Helpful hint:  All the hardware and fasteners have to pass through upholstery.  Rather than  try to cut holes, I made X cuts and pressed the screw or hardware through.  This made it as tight as possible.

Markings on the Foam

Good shot of the cloth sleeve with the wire passed through.

Here you would pass the hog wire while in the hog-nose pliers through the cloth between the upholstery and the wire.  You then have to shove this down between the two pieces of foam and grab a spring.

Finished product.

Replacing the seat track was done before I married the bottom and back.  Placing it back in the car was a little tricky..until I figured out that moving the set on the track was the way to get the studs to drop back in to holes in the floor board.

Over all this was not as tough as I thought it would be.  The passenger side will be quicker.  I’ll post the final product on that side.

Thanks for reading.

Tim