The Aquamino gets interior, 59 ElCamino

The replacement pull handle is a new 64 Impala unit with a chrome plastic base and new pad/foam on top from Ciadella.

the chrome plating is nice, but the plastic underneath is rough. It looks like the injection molds have seen better days. However I'm not going for show points so I am happy.
I did have to drill new holes in the door for the back mount, and poke new holes in the fresh door panels (I measured 4 times before I did it).

 

I used vinyl windlace on my 59 and it didn't wrinkle as much as I thought. You can ceck it out on Sunday if you're going to be at the BBQ. I also did the headliner myself. It's pretty easy, especially if you read all the threads I did. Do you have the tack strips? I got them locally. Also, I have a can of really good spray headliner adhesive that you're welcome to use

 

Unfourtunatley I'm not going to make the Rust Revival or the CzarBQ. Road tripping to PA for the Jalopy Showdown this weekend. Although I would like to look at the rest of your interior closer, before I finish up mine.... you probably have a few lessons learned to share with me.

Ciadella has already ordered the different cloth material to make the new windlace so that should help make that an easy project.
My new tack strip came in yesterday, I ordered it with all the other interior stuff in my package deal

Where did you use the adhesive? Everything on the Elcamino looks like it attatches to either a tack strip or the saw tooth tucking bar thing over the windows. Might be a coupe thing Vs my ElCamino, it's like upholstry light, since there is less of it.

 

Wow! My initial thoughts were "Too bad the dragster had to go...", but after seeing that interior, I say "NICE WORK!!"

It looks awesome. After finishing that robot, I think I would have had to make a wall hanger out of it and build another one for the car! Great idea!

 

When I first got it pieced together and walked into the house Cariann asked why I made an Iron Man Mask. I still prefer Screaming Robot AAAAaaaaaaaa

 

Very nice.

 

I assume the elky is similar to the BelAir. Mine had a really thin cardboard tack strip (or what was left of one) on the header bow (above the windshield). It couldn't have been used for much more than holding the headliner in place while the glue dried at the factory, so I didn't bother replacing it. I sprayed the glue on the header bow, and on the headliner, let it get tacky, then stuck it together. It stays tacky for awhile, so you can reposition the material, but it holds really well, even when the fabric is stretched taut. I want to say there was one other place, but the sides were held by saw-tooth things, or a cardboard thing at the back. I used a regular old stapler to attach the material to the tack strip.

If you can wait until after the Heads Up, I can probably give you a hand. I'll also be at the Blacktop Baron's Road Block on 6/2 and you can check out the Bel Air there.

 

Great 59. Good ideas for own project. Should do all the same things. And the cup holder rules!

 

Add a couple of LEDs to the base of your "cup holders" with clear glue to the red plastic and your cup holds could have a nice red glow at night.....

Just a thought....

 

very clean car. I love the cup holder/shifter cover.

 

WOW, dude, Looking good!

 

makes me want to finish the 60's interior. I gotta get that turnpike first!

 

Really like the seat as well as the rest of the build.
Just wondering, did you also get the seat cover from same place as the rest of the interior stuff?

 

Vey nicely done, really digging the console.

 

Like i said at the showdown to you i love your car , we only spoke for a couple of minutes and i told you a little about my 59 wagon , the interior looks amazing , i to have been working with gina from ciadella on my interior for my wagon .we've been back and forth for about 2 months now and got everything finally fugared out , they are great bunch of people .. i wish i could have chatted with your longer saturday , but aneyways keep up the great work . and i look forward to seeing your elky in the near future.

 

I got the seat cover several years ago from EZ-Boy interior..
Seems to be hit and miss with them, I was lucky enough to have a hit, but many others have had a lot of troubles.

 

It seems that things with Z in the name are always questionable, Zardoz, shitty move, Bumper BoyZ, shitty chrome, etc.

 

Hey hey, not all of them

 

Man oh man Tyler, have you ever done anything half-assed in your life? That looks awesome.

 

That's funny, My last name starts with a Z, and I have been called questionable more than once.

 

Love it.

 

After a mishap with the post office, I finally got my samples of welting material. I think the darkest one matches the carpet pretty well, and it blends into the paint color.

I got some 1/4" staples and will pick up a heat gun sometime next week. Can't wait to get after the headliner and button up this project.

Then I have a leaky power brake booster to deal with.

 

I finally got all the pieces to do the welting and headliner.

Pretty straight forward.
Install the new tack strip around the door openings using the tabs that are part of the pinch weld. A few of them needed some massaging but that's normal.


In this picture you can see where I had to screw the new tack strip into the roof. Originally it was stapled and I had no way to do that. I drilled a countersunk hole into the tack strip and marked the roof, then I drilled a hole in the roof. the screws sit flush so the garnish molding does not hit them.

If I was doing it over I would have put all the tack strip in before the glass. The section over the dash for the front of the headliner was a bitch.

 

I was dreading the headliner.
my prep work included cleaning all the top bows to ensure they were not rusty and they would slide into the listing.
Everything had to come out, all the garnish moldings, visors, etc.


It was a nice hot weekend so I set it out in the sun to warm up while I finished up the welting.


And the ugly Before picture.


There is another hour and a half getting that stupid dome light wire up the A pillar, and I still need a new socket before I can get it to work.

 

Step 1 was to watch the video of Gil from Ciadella Interiors doing a headliner on a 56 chevy. I have watched it several times.

http://ciadellainteriors.blogspot.com/2011/10/ciadella-headliner.html

Then I hung it from the middle bow


This is the starting point for it all.

 

I started in the back middle and slowly pulled the headliner taught and stapled it into the tack strip. This involved several passes and some work with a heat gun.


When I got to the sides over the door, there is a serrated metal strip that grabs the material after you tuck it underheath. I thought a putty knife would do the trick but it turns out it is too thin and sharp, so I had to make my own thick version with a bull nose.



So with the Tucking tool made I started to tuck it all under the edge and pull it straight.


I still have quite a bit of work to do.

Once again I have a new found respect for upholstery, I'm not sure I would want to tackle this on a full size car.

 

I need to take some more pictures of the mostly finished product. The corners turned out OK, and the garnish moldings really cleaned up the edges.
It looks a lot better than the old yellow crappy headliner that was in it before, and much better than no headliner at all.

I need to do some touch up work this week, then it's off to the Hunnert Car Heads Up for a little drag race action, I wonder if the new interior will make me go faster????

 

very nice job, love the elcos

 

It won't make you go any faster, but you'll look a lot better when you get there.

Nice work!

 

But Joe, I already look good.

No really, I was hoping it will help me beat PBRmeASAP with his new Blown Chev tub.
We never got the rematch last year and he sold his truck.