Thread: Roadster Pickup Upholstery

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Well, I'm off and running. Yesterday morning I made cardboard patterns for the kick panels. Tonight I made cardboard patterns for the doors. Today when I had to go down street, I stopped at the Audio Shop, and determined that I can mount a 6" diameter speaker in my door panel, and the magnet on the back side will clear the inside of the metal door skin by about 5/8". (this is great, because when I built the glass 27 roadster 10 years ago, I had to put a spacer ring about 3/4' thick on the outside side of the door panel to get clearance for the speaker magnet, and the speaker cover always interfered with my left knee) My upholstery guy says "do not use the plastic christmas tree type fastners on a steel car"---the sharp edges of the drilled holes in the steel door will quickly destroy the plastic". He recomends Chrysler panel clips---they are a steel wire type thing, (which I haven't seen yet). I am still undecided as to what material I will use for the panels. The 1/8" mahogany door skins that I have always used are relatively cheap, easy to work with, and it won't hurt if they get a bit wet---(the marine vinyl upholstery is waterproof anyways, so it keeps the wood dry).

Moisture was run reason I liked the abs plastic. In either case, once you're done with your panels, I'd run some sheet plastic (visqueen). Just like the moisture barriers used on new cars.

Can't wait to see this thing done man. You got an awsome project going. What kind of speakers are you using? Going to put some subs in it and some rap music? Hahaha.

FMX---Sorry guy---I'm more of a Bob Seager and Jan and Dean kind of guy. Rockin Geezer/old Biker music. Rap music makes me want to run in circles and bite myself.

"/8" mahogany door skins that I have always used are relatively cheap, easy to work with, and it won't hurt if they get a bit wet"

Perhaps seal the mahagony with a polyurethane finish prior to upholstering?

Originally posted by brianrupnow
FMX---Sorry guy---I'm more of a Bob Seager and Jan and Dean kind of guy. Rockin Geezer/old Biker music. Rap music makes me want to run in circles and bite myself.

Haha I hope you don't like rap. I was being sarcastic about it, I hate rap as well. But thing I don't like is you didn't mention Led Zeppelin!!! Well you said Bob Seager so that is cool enough.
I am sure you can't wait to get the thing done though, then you call roll down the street singing The Cars' "Good Times Roll" haha.

You guys amaze me...hey, after listening to all you guys talk about making patterns and how to remove old rubber residue...i'm not for 1 minute going to believe again that guys can't do laundry or dishes lol...

Would love to see some process pics Brian...maybe one or two pics of you and the cardboard patterns...lol...try to look happy and not like you were just swearing at it ok?

Jerrilynne----It's been a long time since a pretty girl asked for my picture. This is stage 1 off the interior upholstery---making cardboard patterns and figuring out where everything is going to go. The patterns are finished in this picture. Next step will be to trace them out onto my 1/8" mahogany door skin ($10.40 at building supplier for 36" x 84" door skin). Then cut them out and trial fit them to interior with one sheet metal screw in each corner.
After trial fit of actual wooden panels, I will install the speakers and door handles (trip to auto wreckers on Saturday morning). Will post another pic at that stage.

I can't wait to see what you come up with on that. Maybe you will give me some idea's, heh. I have always wanted to learn to do interior work. There are so many ways to do it, some people use wood on the panels, some use foam, some use fiberglass and metal.

Brian...lookin good! It doesn't look quite as complicated now that I can actually see what you are doing...I like it...I am also surprised that you are getting "parts" for your car at the local building supplier...that's really cool... thanks for the pic...i'll add it to my stash he he he

."......i'm not for 1 minute going to believe again that guys can't do laundry or dishes lol..."

Hot rodder definition:

luandry: The clean T shirt that comes out of the goody bag you get when you register at the car show.

Dishes: The paper wrapper the hotdog comes in and the can the beers in.


(back in my single days before my current wife "taught me better" she say anyway)

Panels look good Brian.
Lots better than the chipboard ones in my 32.
They're hanging in there ok though, even after getting a little rainwater inside now and then.

What do you have your car sitting on?
I used a pair of ramps up front and jackstands in the back to get my 32 up in the air when I wired it.
(Much of the wiring is under the seat.)

Sure looks like getting your car up high will help out in the creaky back dept.

This is what it sets up on 2 cement blocks and a peice of 2 x 10 under each wheel, with wheel stops.---I don't want 40 people telling me how unsafe cement blocks are. Cement blocks are made to take compressive static loading when it is a uniformly distributed load. I have a safety chain around the rear axle with the cherry picker hoist attached to it as a safety back up. My floor jack is under the center of the front axle as a safety backup. It makes working under the car possible, and its cheap. The car has been up like that all winter, and I will be glad to get it back down to earth. I have a small oil leak to hunt down, and then I can take the car down.---I have it elevated like that more for working under than anything.

Thanks.
Not quite as high as I thought, but considerably higher than I had my 32.

Maybe it's time to raid my friends stash of square tubing and knock out some tall stands that fit under the wheel/tire combo.

Sometimes it seems like we spend more time building the tools to build the car than we do building the car.

Did I say that right?

Looking good Brian, seems you are a whirling dervish going at this project, got something new to show us every couple days! I'm impressed, it's almost like you were working for someone else and getting paid!

Pat