Hey fellas, Been doing some research on doing some of my own interior on my '56 Pontiac and was wondering about materials to use. I'd like to know if any of you have successfully used hardware or fabric store supplies for seat covers, padding, carpet, windlace, headliner, the fiberboard supporting stuff, and mounting clips etc. I searched here and learned a lot on techniques, but not so much on affordable materials. More specifically, will vinyl or fabric from a place like Jo-Ann fabrics not hold up as well as, or cost more than buying through an auto upholstery supplier? Any recommendations on a type of foam and backing cloth for panels? What type of fabric for windlace and headliner (i.e. cotton, nylon, rayon, etc.) will hold up best and shrink with heat enough to get wrinkles out? Finally, the cardstock or fiberboard used for kick panels is stumping me. I used a heavy cardstock for framing pictures in the past and after about 4 years it got soft and no longer held its shape. I need something flexible and sort of springy and was hoping for an idea of something I may find at a home improvement type store or something. Thanks for any advice you guys could offer. I know I'm gonna hear a lot of "just spend the money on good stuff" or "pay someone else to do it", but my goal here is to learn how to do this stuff and spend more on better materials down the line when my kids are old enough to not destroy the inside of a car with Goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, and spilled juice! Thanks! Johnny
There was a social group that covered this as well as many threads. I am trying to find a scotch plaid to match some vinyl and have found most of the quoted sources on the web are not real great.
I've made door cards out of Masonite panels with the coated side that were made for bathroom use. I put the coated side toward the door guts so any moisture that made it past the wind lace wouldn't soak into the Masonite. It will flex a little, but not a lot. Very easy to cut and drill though.
There is a forum the hog ring just for upholstery and the like and if your like me you can lose hours looking at the projects and techniques.
These people are great to deal with, quick shipping, usually free... http://www.albrightssupply.com/ Rich
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