Period correct diamond stitch interiors

Work like this by Tony Nancy is what seperates the true artists from the rest of us. Notice how the s***ching that follows the cushion edge on one side becomes the cross s***ching on the other side, and the pattern comes together in the middle where Tony incorporated his traditional seahorse insignia.

 

Car Craft 1955



Car Craft 1958

 

Did it mention the craftsman's name?

 

they have been useing diamond tuft for centurys in coaches and furniture.

 

"Suggestive designs by three top custom upholstery shops in the country" (cc 1955).

Jack McNeil's Top Shop - LA
Gaylords's Upholstery Shop - LA
Scott's Top Shop - San Diego

 

Rodding and Re-Styling, July 1958, featured a rod with a genuine leather, ****oned and cushioned interior. It's hard to tell from the picture whether or not it's diamond-s***ched, but if you're building a late '50s car, it's definitely kosher in my book.

 

Here is the headliner in my '54 Buick just finished by Stich*****. The rest of my interior will be similar to the headliner when it's done.

I think she also did the interior in the car in the pic in post #27 of this thread.

 

Here are a variety of magazine photos of diamond s***ched and diamond tufted interiors I’ve collected over the years. The earliest photos date from 1963 or 1964. A few are tufted but most are sewn.

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Here are a few more:

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Here’s one final batch. The last two photos are of my 1960 GMC interior:
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Here's white diamond I had put in my 62 Wildcat. The car is long gone though, it went to Oklahoma, and I think it's still there. I absolutely loved this interior even though it was a ***** to keep clean. Anyway, here's the pics.

 

The seats going in my late 60's period 56 chevy g***er.

 

I did do that headliner as well. It is in a 60 Chevy Impala owned by my friend Stacie.

 

Diamonds are forever! Lots of it in my little books from mid 50s-60s.

 

A little peek of mine.....

 

Here's what my wife done in my 34

 

The OP asked about history. I see diamond tufted and diamond pleated lumped together in this thread and I think you first need to differentiate the two.

As was stated in this thread already, diamond tufting predates the automobile. It's labor intensive and was used extensively in customs from the early days through the 60's and beyond.

Pleats, straight or diamond, were considered an economy alternative to get a tuck and roll or diamond tuft "look" in the early days, but took off as a huge fad by the late 60's. I remember the time line same as stated in superiorslots post.

By '70, it was in most every drag car, van, truck, dune buggy, motorcycle seat and whatever you can think of.

The first "pleat look" embossed padded vinyls I can remember seeing was in the early 70's, which was an economy alternative to real pleats, which was an economy alternative to real tuck 'n roll..........and now we have Harbor Freight and Walmart...which.....

 

Not quite diamond but they look cool and are out of this world for comfort.
1970 Chrysler Imperial seats in my '49 Lincoln.

 

I am glad to get some history on diamond s***ch. My 50 Chevy pu came with it and I was sure it was straight out of the 70's (or at least that is when it seemed to be most popular). I am glad to know that it was at least around earlier than that. Maybe I will leave it for a while...

 

The Hirohata merc has diamonds on the firewall cover and kick panels. It was done in 52-53. Also check out the model T steering wheel on the 40 ford. The 40 deluxe steering wheel is so sought after now, it's wierd not seeing 1 in it's original habitat.
Matt

 

That interior is way cool and in a three window?!?! Awesome.

 

My bud Deek had diamond-tuck in his '34 Tudor. He had a cool blonde girlfriend he stole from the '50s nite honcho, and they would cruise around **** in his '34!
They cruised '50s Nite (John's in San Jose) and Deek parked, Sandy got out and wrapped a towel around, but not before someone said, "Wow...Diamond Tush!"
Her posterior had ***umed the pattern....

 

had em in the trunk too.

 

i like the old diamond ****on tuck myself ..................

 

Rick Sis has it right. Doing it right was very labor intensive. The true thing was not s***ched, but tucked in and the ****ons held it together. Later it was s***ched and ****ons were placed at the points to look like the original. I first saw the cheap fake vinyl diamond in 1957 in Lincoln Park, MI where you could buy it off a roll. It was used in drag cars because it was cheap. No comparison with the original hand tucked ****on.

 

A seat I did for my friend Lenny's truck.

 

there was a issue of hotrod magazine that showed how to do the ****on diamond interior in a bucket.. man wish i could find that as i plan on doing the inside of my project bucket to keep cost down ( and a long ways away hah, so lots of time to research.)
plus it will be fun to learn something new.w. some great looking threads in here.
chris.

 

I wanted an early feel to my modern T Bucket so I had a local guy do this for me recently. all cloth and very comfortable.



Russ

 

turned out nice.. looks comfy.
chris.

 

Here’s an early Street Rodder how to article:
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