Thread: First ride in 11 years!!!!!

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Well, I'm an idiot. Dan and I just got back from his place and while it isn't exactly what I had envisioned, I am going to go with it. In person it really is different than the pictures show, and even critical Dan said he would accept it if it were his car. The more I looked at it the more I realized it had to be the way he did it.

The proportions are thrown off by the camera shots I took, when you view it live it is not the same. He offered to do whatever I wanted to make it different, even starting from scratch, but we couldn't come up with anything we would change. Even the pleat width seems ok now, and he and Dan agreed it would be too busy if it had lots of narrower ones. He slipped the seat bottom in and it changed the look too. He taped up some white pleated material to simulate what a straight side would look like, and I had to agree the little dip in the black broke up an otherwise boring side view.

As for the seat back being split like that, yep, that was my call. This car has no doors to break up a large, boxlike interior, and running the bolster around the whole interior with no interuption would have made it look T-buckety. Nothing wrong with that in a bucket, but for this one it looks better if the seat seems to be separate.

I really appreciate all the feedback, and while the interior isn't what I had in my mind, I had to accept that with the deep channel, no doors, and me needing every inch of space so I can drive it, the interior had to be this way.

As for the workmanship, he is doing a great job. His corners have no wrinkles, the stitches are totally invisable, and generally it just fits nice. He is also not finished, has to put piping around the entire edge. I had to apologize to him for my first reaction, and he said that didn't bother him, he just wants me to be happy when I leave.

So...........I am an idiot for lighting a fire where there shouldn't have been one. This interior isn't perhaps totally traditional, but the rest of the car isn't either, so I will just enjoy driving the wheels off of it and quit second guessing myself.

Again everyone, thanks for the totally honest feedback. This car is a driver, and I left some of the old scars on it when redid it on purpose, so with this interior I can get it wet and dirty and not sweat it.

Don

Oh, and Dan is very willing to let him do his car too, after seeing the quality of the work.........so that is nice too.

BTW, here is a picture Dan took tonight after the upholstery guy wrapped the seat material around the foam and temporarily set it in place. Once I saw this it was acceptable to me, and I had to admit it is comfortable to sit on. When I build my Ridler car I'll put a better interior in that one.

Don

The only audience that really matters is satisfied and more, and that's all that matters!! It does look different with the seat bottom in place, too.

Yeah, Roger, it had to grow on me. As I kept looking at it, I kept disliking it less and less. Then, when he offered to do whatever we said and we couldn't come up with anything better, that sort of sealed the deal. I guess if this is the biggest problem I have in life things can't be too bad.

As I mentioned, I really appreciate the frank, honest opinions all of you gave. I would have done exactly what you guys did and said if that were my opinion and I were asked. That is what friends are for.

I have a habit of going off half cocked sometimes and ranting and raving, only to have to back pedal sometimes............I guess Old Dogs never change their habits.

Don

Glad to hear that you're "comfortable" (pun intended) with the way it's coming together. If we all liked the exact same thing, it would get boring right? And yes, it does look so much different with the seat bottom installed!

Congratulations, Don. I just discovered this thread (haven't been on here much recently) and was tickled to see that the '27 is up and running again. Eleven years is a long time and I have seen many hotrodders tear down a car for a rebuild and end up selling them half re-done because life just got in the way. I look forward to seeing this one in Daytona...

Don I've held back on this one because I'm not sure what traditional really looks like, but, I like it as it is! I think the guy did a fantastic job on it, and the black bolster size to pleat size seems perfect. I looks like it would be quite comfortable to sit in too!
Way to go, I think it will grow on you.

Don, The only thing I can add is that you have to like it. It just doesn't matter what the rest of us think if you like it. As for 'traditional', isn't just another way to say old fashioned? ;-)

my old tuck and roll was that wide in my chevy .i will say with out the seat bottom it did not look like much. but with the seat in the over all looks good . but what the hell do i know

Jim, looking forward to seeing you in Daytona too. I'm ready for it!!

Thanks guys for understanding why I decided to just go with the interior as is. In perspective, with a horrible war in the mid east, kids going to bed hungry at night, millions of people out of work..........how goofy is it for me to be sweating how a car interior looks? Every once in a while I have to vent, whether it is justified or not. Just ask Don and Dan, they will confirm that fact!

The guy is doing a nice job and I was just wrong for thinking otherwise. He has done interiors on a lot of magazine cover cars, like Minotti's black coupe, so who am I to judge him? I also like him as a person.....very stand up kind of guy.

Don

Hey Don it also takes a real man to admit that they got it wrong. I will have to agree that it looks more complete with the seat base in place. And if he explained to you that was the only way to run the pleats up to the corner and you understand and except it then all is well in the rodding world.
Thanks also for the reminder about the larger picture of what is happening in this world of ours as I too are guilty of venting when in reality the pot boiling over the cooker is absolutely nothing to be getting upset about.

I think it looks pretty good, Don. The colors are right and it's nice and new looking.

Now the seat base is sitting in there,it has definitely changed..I looked at it yesterday,and thought ,yuck....and then went back to it once or twice..still think it needs a tiny bit more padding,but its what you want,not me,,and the colors work,,and after looking at it again today,it does grow on ya,,

Don how did i miss this thread, its up to 4 pages and i only just noticed it

Congrats on driving the T, nothing like that first drive is there, looking forward to a ride, well done

I just got off the phone with the wife of the upholstery guy, my car is done. I can't pick it up until Friday though as that is Dan's day off and I need a lift there. Plan is to pick up a trailer for Dans car Thursday night, load up his rpu, and take it there Friday to swap it out for my 27.

We got to look at the upholstery material that came in for Dans car the other night when we went up there. The top and seat materials are off white and are a pretty good match for the firewall color. He is also using black square weave VW carpeting for the floor sections. Dan got a 32 window frame from LeBaron Bonney this week that will go in a snap out center section of the top. He figures 99% of the time he will not even have that section zipped in there, but it will be there just in case he wants to have it in.

We are exactly one week away from getting ready to leave for Turkey Run. We are taking a motor home this year (too many cars being stolen from hotel parking lots at events for our liking ) and Don will trailer his T behind while I drive my 27. I want to get a few miles on the 27 before making that long drive, and not sure how those 4:30 gears will be on the highway. I know from the little bit I have been driving it around town it LIKES Premium gas a WHOLE lot! Every time I turn around I am putting gas in it, it seems. I was spoiled by the 23 that got great gas milage.

It looks like the weather forcast is for days in the 80's and nights in the high 60's to 70's Thanksgiving weekend. Hope that is true, we've benn to Turkey Run on years where it was colder, and cruising at night is NO FUN when you are freezing.

Don