Projects Anyone done a seat in white? Do you regret it?

Maybe you are better than I but no way could I be trusted with any white in an interior, I cant even wear white T-shirts....

 

I don't have enough pearl white material to do anything more than a bike seat left. I wish I had 10 yards stashed away.

 

I've never owned a white interior, but as messy as I am, I know I would regret it.

 

Not all white but I wouldn’t have any other way!

 

Two weeks after HS graduation I bought a white 62 Impala that the owner had installed a white 64 Impala SS interior in. It was my daily for the 2 years I owned it and surprisingly it survived with no major incidents before I sold it. In the 50+ years since I’ve never owned another. Love the looks of them but not the upkeep.

 

Hello,

As teenagers, we went to many car shows and cruised all over So Cal places of interest. It was to see other hot rods and fast cars mostly, but there were times we just went to a specific area to be a part of the cruising scene.

As the oldest guy in our cl*** just happened to be the first guy to customize his car. It was a standard two tone light blue and white model and he wanted to get it painted first. So, as teenagers are, price was the cost efficient item. And guess who had the best price, yes, Earl Schieb and his paint palace was just down the street in downtown Long Beach near our high school.

He had the money to get a custom paint job, but he had other plans for his money. So, the lowest cost paint was the choice. It actually looked good and he always got a lot of praises from all sorts of folks. Teenagers liked it because it was a different color from the stock versions and other teenager’s cars.

But, the interior was a funky combination that needed to be changed to a custom car version. We saw all white tuck and roll on custom cars at the local shows. The rolled pleats looked outstanding and the choices were black or white. The other colors by them selves and with a combination of red/white or blue/white were ok, but the all white was the best.

So, his bank account now getting very low called for custom all white tuck and roll upholstery. Not from a high end custom upholstery shop in Long Beach, but a couple hour drive south to the border for a custom pleated upholstery job.
Similar color and white tuck and toll upholstery

Jnaki

Yes, he asked me to go with him late at night and we crossed early enough that the sleepy border guards just waved us through. We had the name of the shop and found it in an unusual location. Near a couple of old tire shops and a bar. The whole area was questionable, but was a block or two from the main drag and lots of locals going to and fro.

When my friend saw the selections, he picked a one and a half inch rolled pleat version. All over the seats, the trunk and above the heads on th e inside roof. Even the package tray was given the pleat look. If he wanted a two inch version of pleat, it would almost cost double. So, he stuck to the one and a half inch pleat. The one inch pleat was too stiff for the seats and the two inch pleat looked better, but eventually squashed after sitting on it for long periods of time.

One our ride home, it was a night and day change from a stock upholstery from the factory to this version of all white Naugahyde material pleats. It was a little stiff, but as we got back to the Long Beach coastal area, the seats felt comfortable and looked awesome.

Over the years, we noticed that the blue jeans were the biggest culprit to mark up an all white upholstery fabric. But, a little cleaner spray took it right off of the seats.

Note:

About a couple of months later, another friend had just painted his 46 ford two door coupe a bright purple and had chromed reverse rims on blackwall tires. But, his interior was stock pattern and needed to get changed. During this time, no one wanted to go across the border to get a custom upholstery job, despite the low cost. The local USA shops were well beyond what any teenager could afford. So, south of the border was the only choice for good material patterns and low cost.

He asked me to go with him to the same shop below the border and get all white for his coupe. He wanted a two inch pleat and did not want it to sag, so he had them put in more filling. No, it was not straw or horse fur. The material they used was strong enough to not sag as two teenagers sat in the display models. It was packed in more to not have as much space inside of the sewn in tubes. That made it not squash as much as a one inch or one and a half inch model. More stuffing, caused less depressions across the wider pleats.

But, not, the all white pleated seats would require more cleaning, since we all wore Levi Jeans. Although the Levi Jeans were the culprit for most marks on the all white upholstery, the well worn jeans washed many times gave off less blue marks across the white material.

Note:

Our current daily drivers have black seats. Since 1972, we have had black seat surfaces, leather or not leather in all of our cars. The old idea that black seats are hotter in the summer is false. One of our sporty sedans had grey leather and that felt just as nice as black. Yes, a leather cleaner took off any Levi Jeans marks or any of my wife’s jeans pants. It is just an “old wife’s tale” about black is hotter in the summer. Park in the shade and/or garages all of the time. YRMV

 

That T-shirt trick even works for bench seat backs if you have a 2-door with a split backrest. Did that in my Chevy II, not to keep upholstery clean but to cover the ripped fabric. Might need at least an XL or **L size tho...
Never had a white interior in anything but my feeling is, if you want it do it. Just know that it might require some extra maintenance. When you wash the outside, take a few minutes to give the seats a quick once-over too. No biggie.

 

Where can you buy that?

 

I saw some on Amazon. Maybe I oughta buy some to have…

 

The seats in my merc were done in the 50s by a gm designer.

 

I went back and looked at it. It’s some sort of pre cleaner. Not the same.

 

I had a 1949 Chevrolet sedan with a tan/light brown interior. I never drove it without a cover on the seat. I was working from my shop and no job and drove it like a regular car. I had a buddy who never drove his car unless it was to a show.

 

If that stuff is truly discontinued- this is the jam right here. When I was at the Speed Shop, Craig swore by it and he wasn't kidding:

 

Two new cars (just a little off-topic, but not much); plus one that the wife and I redid (yes, she sewed all of the upholstery). No regrets. And one of the new ones while I was working construction. As previously mentioned, just throw a couple of large bath towels in the trunk for use if necessary.

And (opinion) both baby blue and dark blue go great with the white interior.

Jon

 

So a double duty rig? Sometimes work and sometimes fun? I got 2 words for ya, Indian blankets. Yank em out for evenings and shows, less need for deep cleaning. Don't throw in a new one unless you wash it really good 1st. Might bleed dyes. Just sayin...

 

Here’s another tip, keep an eye on those brainiacs that toss car show flowers on your seat at car shows. It started sprinkling one day, top down and the ink bleed onto my white bucket seats. I got it out with a struggle. The rugs are black, toss em there Dumb ***es. I hate those fliers. I have never been to a show they advertise for.

 

Same here. I parked overnight at a three day event in San Diego on Mission Bay, minus a top. The dew was minimal, but enough to bleed the bright pink car-show flyer into my white naugahyde seats overnight ...

 

I liked that but I didn't like that.

 

Add teal blue to that list (avatar)

 

That's what I am leaning towards.

 

I made a seat in natural (off white) waxed canvas for my '26 coupe. It's already getting dirty, but that was sort of the idea. The whole car is kind of crusty.

 

I’ve had several cars and boats with white interiors. White is definitely my favorite. Most times I’ve had an accent color. That blue you posted would look great with white T&R inserts. Maintenance is no big deal unless you’re some kind of clean freak. I’ve always carried a beach towel just in case, (with black, it’s to prevent scalding my delicate flesh). Do something with style like Kosmos55 or 51 Mercules, something that makes you smile every time you open the door to get in.
Jimmy six’s interior with the freize inserts is just awesome!
My ‘55 F100 got traditional black and white. The headliner stayed black because it was in pretty good shape. All white where you sit because it gets mighty hot here in NorCal.
I’m hoping to do the interior of my ‘33 pickup in white and gold.

 

Vertical T&R have always been great if they line up…. I’ve looked at more than didn’t than did. Your Ford pickup is definitely traditional.

 

Thanks. Loved my truck but it was starting to need another round of repairs and upgrades and with other projects, I let it go. Rust bubbles in the roof and cab corners was the deciding factor. Served me well.

 

Had an old Harley with a white two up seat , looked like a marshmallow sitting on top of s**** iron

 

Not bright white but white none the less. The top and the wheel well inserts were also done in the same color. It was really easy to clean all of it.

 

White interior on my '64 Camino and you have to be very careful! Had a few black marks on the driver's seat,had no clue what caused them,couldn't clean them up,so had to get a guy from Fibernew to respray them.