3rd gen interiors, what can I say.....

Most of us are stuck in the thousand shades of grey area, it was a popular neutral color.
Please do not complain because i did not use the correct color name.
Then there was the red, tan, light blue, dark grey and black.
All stuck with the black dash and top of door panels.

Some of us want to stick with a factory look.
This is not always as easy as it seems.
Plastics are getting older and are deteriorating as well.
Armrests on the consoles are turning up at the sides and of course,
what to do with that crack in the dash.

Then there are the ones that want to stand out.
There color choices and the proportioning of mix of colors
don't always appeal to everyone, but they do stand out.

But upholstery is not inexpensive to have redone, correctly.
You can save costs trying to do it yourself, some have success
and others have a what looks to be a shop project gone horribly wrong!

As for who I am:
I have done automotive upholstery for more than 20 years.
I have done some cars that have won a trophy or 2, even at a world of wheels show.
I have done interiors that do not agree with my taste, but the customer got what they wanted!
I will try to help anyone on this site with what I know to help them with an interior issue.
I have learned not to give my opinion, unless asked for it.
Even then - I try to be tactful - I said try - sometimes I fall short.
My job is making upholstery panels and such for New Firetrucks that sell between
$500K - $1.2 mil (each), been at this for a few years now.
I rarely do sidework. I have my own f-bodies to work on on my own time.

My tastes are more towards a modified factory look.
It isn't factory, but it looks like it should of been.

Some things I have found to be true on all 3rd gens:
Yes dash pads can be recovered, but most of these cracks are caused by the foam - not the vinyl.
Fix the foam - recover with vinyl.
Putting a new vinyl cover over it is a temporary fix at best.

Third gen seat frames were not built on the sturdy side.
If you are a person of generous proportion, you may break a seat frame.
If you look through the back window and see one of the seat angling towards the center -
you have a few spot welds broken or the seat frame is bent.
Yes 4th gen seats are built better, but the colors do not match the interiors of a 3rd gen -
they look out of place, until being reupholstered.

With a some exceptions, an "all black" interior is boring.
They just do not hold my attention for long.
Painted plastics, unless done correctly, will flake off in time.
People have told me that a white interior gets dirtier faster than a black interior.
NOT REALLY, it gets as dirty as a black interior, you just don't notice it as much.

As for the seen here.
Being supportive over something attempted is one thing, but.......

IF ANYONE IS ATTEMPTING TO DO AN UPHOLSTERY PROJECT AND THINKS SOME GUIDANCE OR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE HELPFUL, JUST SEND ME A PM OR RESPOND TO THIS POST.

I usually go out to my shop on Friday's and return Sunday's.
If you send something to me on those days, I will not respond usually until Monday or Tuesday.

 

I went the other route and spent 4 years and close to $3,000 to find NOS interior pieces.

 

Ive been thinking of wrapping my interior plastics in vinyl (big pieces between back seat and hatch) and the bottom of the center console.

Is there a special material or adhesive i should use?
Could you recommend where to get the best vinyl for my application?
Any Tips?

Got any pics of your cars interiors?

 

Is your plastics getting "chalky" yet?
If so you would have to sand them down before covering them.
Remember, not all vinyls are as stretchy as you would like them to be.

I use the Weldwood Vinyl top contact adhesive.
Prep work would include washing and drying it thoroughly and i would wipe it down with alchohol before applying the adhesive. Follow the directions on the can.

Keep in mind that sides of some seats are vinyl as well.
If the two touch it will squeek and such.
I carpeted the sides of the lower console in my 84, quieted it down.

I am still recovering things from a corrupted hard drive, i had to replace.
When I recover pictures - I will have more to show.
The '29 Model A Coupe Hot rod
The '67 Toronado
The '84 Trans Am

I am currently working on my 89 Camaro interior/exterior.
Right now it is in pieces.

Here is what I do have -a pic of some seats I did for a friend on a very slim budget.
It is in a 98 Camaro SS. He went from a tan interior to ebony/black.
I replaced a bolster panel on the the driver side and made/stitched in the red houndstooth inserts.
He removed the old stitching and hand stitched the red stitching on the outside - so to hit every hole correctly.
(remember he was on a budget) He just paid for material - no labor.

IMG953592.jpg?t=1348799594

 

You know I had my '84 T/A for about 9 years, before a combination of rust and repairs ended its life.
For about 7 years it was finished and looked good.
I remember more about restoring her, than I remember what show or cruise night I drove to.
Sometimes the journey is more than the destination.

Your interior, from what I saw, looks great.
Did you ever get the seats to match the interior or are they still blue?

 

I am going to wrap all of my plastics this winter. I'm also going to reskin my door panels. I am thinking about outing my new vinyl over my old vinyl. Any ideas?

 

Where I work now, i get people that think that vinyl is this majic cover all.
It will cover any defect that it is attached to.
Quite the opposite. It will transmit any defect from the surface that it is attached to.

If you have the vinyl Camaro Door panels with the imprinted design,
covering it with another layer of vinyl will not have as sharp of a design.

Also remember a layer of vinyl will make the outside measurements grow 1/16"-1/8" each side.
Dependant on how thick the vinyl is and if you use foam or not
Some door panels,when covered with another layer of vinyl will not let the door shut.
This goes for the plastic panels as well.
I never have covered a 3rd gens plastics before, so I do not know if
the have the tolerance to fit all together with out a problem.

Use the right adhesive and strictly listen to the directions.
Also get an adhesive that can handle the temperatures the interior of a car can get to!

 

Gotta go for the weekend - be back Monday Night.
You all have a good weekend,

 

Hi, i'm looking to rebuild a 1988 iroc convertible. The interior is rough, where can i find that material for the seats? Interior is black/ charcoal

 

If you are trying to stay original

You could type in "oem automotive upholstery fabric" in any search engine on the computer.
Most will ask you for the year and exact color codes for the car.
Some may have it, some will not.

A lot of them bought up rolls of material when it was new or popular.
Now that it is discontinued - the price goes up, of course.

Find one near your area, if possible. It will save you on shipping