The Aquamino gets interior, 59 ElCamino

damn you!

 

I'm dreading doing mine, I gotta move one of the bows too, because my top is longer now.

 

Looks awesome, robot and all!

 

Oh crap Tyler....I wish I'd said something before you put the headliner in ...I glued a piece of that aluminum/bubblewrap insulation inside the roof skin on my Elky before the headliner---it made a REAL difference.....(but mine was black, so..)
The one time I'm sorry I didn't butt in oh well....

 

I am putting my headliner in soon. Where did you get the bubble rap?

 

cant wait to see the finished pics

 

My top bows are missing in action.
Are they repopped or does anyone have a dimensional patten I can make some from?
Thanks...

 

I too, was very satisfied with the quality and quick service of Ciadella interiors. I like your El Camino and can't wait to see the finished product.......Mike

 

I'll do it for you.

 

Much Thank's Nads!

 

I could have done the same if I didn't just install them.
There are three 1/4" bows and a skinny wire one that hooks into the roof piece.

should be pretty easy to make, just get the curve right in the corners or the headliner will never stretch right.

Good Luck

 

That interior is gorgeous!

Keep us posted on your progress. I love the colors you've chosen.

JH

 

Beautiful interior. Ciadella's knocked it outta the park. Love the screaming robot cup holder, too!

 

Crappy picture of the bows for DrJ, I did a drawing of the shape and size to scale for him, sending it out today, good luck.

I glued that Home Depot bubble wrap type insulation on my roof last night, getting it ready for the the headliner.

Here's a pic of the end clips for the bow at the back.

 

Nads,
Be sure to clean up the bows so the headliner can slide over them to get it adjusted.
I didn't realize the bow clips came out, mine were in good shape so I didn't touch it.

The forward two had 3 positions on the passenger side, all the others were fixed.

Did you stretch the roof or just lower it? can you use a stock headliner or will it be custom made?

 

Stock headliner.

When you chop a roof it automatically becomes longer, mine became about an inch longer which means the bow position has changed but it's easy enough to drill new holes, there's enough material to compensate for dimensional changes in the roof.

I just bought a $75 perforated white headliner off ebay, I wanted a light color so it didn't seem so claustrophobic inside with the lowered lid.

 

Just when you think you're done something else comes along.

The seat may have a new cover on it, but the quickie rebuild I did underneath wasn't holding up. I guess rusted springs and frame, mixed with a couple thousand miles and things finally break.

This is my seat spring reair kit, springs and a bag of new clips..

 

The Passenger seat back, it is in really rough shape, the perimeter wire is shot and a lot of the springs are broken or sagging

 

I went to the hardware store to get some wire to re make the perimeter and all the support structure, but they wanted $2.78 for a 3' stick of wire. I grumbled to myself and wandered the store to find a substitute. Lo and Behold, it was waiting for me in lawn and garden.
I was able to harvest almost 40' from one $6 yard fence. Plus it is Vinyl coated and shouldn't squeak or rust.


Next I had to make some detents in the wire where the clips attach

There are a bunch of these detented sections so I deciced to make a little jig to make it easier......Meet THE WIRE STOMPER

 

I got most of the frame copied from the rusted pieces, and started to lay out the spring pattern.
There are 6 individual pieces of wire that make up the frame, and each of the 6 spring packs has 3-4 sections of spring from 8" to 28".
I'll post the next instalment when I get one all assembled, then new foam and putting the old seat cover back on.

EDIT: Turns out the springs are only made from two pieces with a bunch of folds, it's hard to see even with it in front of you.

 

I love your cheap ways, that's what separates credit card slingers from true home builders........bravo

 

very resourceful, nice work.

 

Thanks Nads, I take pride in being creative. looking outside the box for a solution has served me well.

I didn't take any pictures yet, but there are 2 pieces to the springs, one is over 2' long and the other is about 18" with all kinds of bends.

It sounds trivial, but the biggest problem I am having is getting the spring off the coil, it keeps coiling back up. Once I finally get a piece cut off, I spend 5min making it straight before I can start shaping it. I ended up unwinding it 1/3 of a coil at a time and clamping ot to a board just so I can measure it.

 

I have the same gripe with the springs. Getting them straight after being coiled. Did you see the hand formers for the springs. They help but $50 is a bit much.

 

the wire stomper is awesome

 

Awesome!

If you want a cheap way to reupholster the seat (pad, etc - but not the seat cover) without buying and shaping foam, I can send you an article my wife wrote. She padded out the seat in my '59 for about $10 10 years ago and it's still the most comfortable car I've driven.

 

Please post that somewhere we can all see it. Or shoot it to me in a PM.

Thank you!!!

JH

 

Here is the spring clamped to the board,


It works, but what a pain. I have been sticking them in the vise and lightly bending them one coil at a time to get it flat before I can work the shape.
Here you can see a coil as cut from the roll,
A straightened piece,
and a shaped piece.


The other problem I have is the coil is smaller than the Original, so it doesn't fit in the hook holders on the frame so I have to bend new ends before getting started. Talk about a pain in the as with spring steel...

 

The closer I looked, there were no springs that could be saved, I was not anticipating replacing them all but it's the right thing to do when I am this deep.

I got a set of springs bent up and attached to the frame, but I may have gone a little fat with it. It's hard to see, but the top of the seat back is alot taller than the old rusted and broken one. I may pull it apart and remove a link from the top.

I'm worried about the top of the seat being thicker than the bottom, I need lots of lumbar support already, this would be backwards.

 

I have good foam, just bad springs underneath.
If you want to post it on here feel free.

Jim,
Maybe I'll send you the stomper when I'm done, I really don't want to do this ever again.


.