Tag Archives: Materials and Supplies

Karl Kustom – Part II

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WOW…I apologize for leaving you hanging for so long without finishing this interview.

Here is the link for Part I.

So while at first glance it did appear that there were just newly built vintage shaped bodies, placed on the C6 chassis, a really close look and you can see something very different about the shape.

The door is clearly still a C6 and the windshield is C6.

 

So you can tell that they didn’t just pull off that old C6 body and dump it out behind the barn.

You can tell this is the original C6 hatch. The rear end is has been changed but where the hatch meets the roof line is the same.

So how do they do it?

Well the make body panels that fit to the framework of the exiting parts.  For instance, the rear hatch is striped of the outer panels leaving just the framework and the split window panels are fitted.  The rear panel is pulled off and the rear panel with the split bumpers is placed on.

Jim showed me the shop photos of a C6 – skinned.   They also retrofit C5.

C5 Rear hatch frame. The split window panel is manufactured by Karl's Kustoms to snap right on.

 

It is a pretty intense process.

They all the do is custom bodies?  Oh wait until you see what’s next.   (Yes I promise I’ll get right to it.)

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

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