Interior - Custom Fabricators?
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Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: CT
Interior - Custom Fabricators?
I've been toying with an idea off and on. The time isn't right right now to dive at it, but I'm looking to gather information and determine if it is worth the attempt.
My interest is in customizing the interior of the car. The dash panel, seats, column and steering wheel.
I've always been interested in having better quality interior parts on the plasticy Corvette, but have never been the least bit inclined to spend the BUKU bucks you see invested in either the generalized or custom aftermarket kits.
I know where to get treated leather appropriate to the task, and also have samples of alcantara and other hide and chemical suedes as options.
What I don't have... wait for it... is experience with this.
I've refinished furniture (wood, leather, fabric) for years from auctions, etc, but this is different. With a car I believe my OCD would go to an extreme in wanting perfection of fitment.
The ace up my sleeve is my girlfriend... (maybe fiance?)... who has a comfortable side business in the summer of making and selling her own custom designer women's bags. But again, while she has a skill set which might translate well, there is no direct experience with car interiors.
Are there members here who have done their own interiors? Custom work?
So far, for giggles, I took some leftover distressed black leather hide and we made a nice cover for the center arm rest. The original vinyl has a 1cm tear in it which was annoying me. Where my ignorance of working with plastic came to light was in my choice not to use staples... which in the sizes I have, would pop right through. The factory vinyl wrap was stapled. Since this was a "let's just see how it turns out" project and I would but a replacement if I needed to, I just used a high bond form of crazy glue.
Knock on wood, it has been almost 6 months and it remains taut and in place. I don't know how much that is saying , though, since the arm rest pad itself is then held to the flip panel via screws and said flip panel has a large flat "plate" top which must help hold the leather in place. Still... leather is stronger than plastic and the uneven pressure applied by the plate... so I think if it was going to shift or come loose, between time and heat cycles it would have done so before now.
For interior ideas... I LOVE the feel of Alcantara. This is bascially a man-made faux suede with great strength. There are similar alternatives out there which yield equivalent touch, but the unknown factor to me is how they would stand versus age and sunlight. The only drawback in mind with the suedes is the propensity for them to collect and display dust and dirt. Easy to clean, but if you're like me you'd always be after "that last spec of dust." If I did large parts of a car in suede, it would have to be a vibrant color which would hide it. But I generally prefer dark interiors on sports cars.
So a leather dash. Leather arm rest (I would replace what I already did with better leather.) Seating... would absolutely have suede "butt" and central back plates to hold you in place better, but outer panels would be leather.
As for the wheel, I foresee complication if it was to be tried. The wrap can be done, but then how would you cover the center with the airbag and not worry about proper deployment? If I did the wheel, I would want the airbag cover to match and not remain plastic.
Anyway... so these are my diseased ramblings as I lay awake with the mother of all mid-summer flus at 4am.
My interest is in customizing the interior of the car. The dash panel, seats, column and steering wheel.
I've always been interested in having better quality interior parts on the plasticy Corvette, but have never been the least bit inclined to spend the BUKU bucks you see invested in either the generalized or custom aftermarket kits.
I know where to get treated leather appropriate to the task, and also have samples of alcantara and other hide and chemical suedes as options.
What I don't have... wait for it... is experience with this.
I've refinished furniture (wood, leather, fabric) for years from auctions, etc, but this is different. With a car I believe my OCD would go to an extreme in wanting perfection of fitment.
The ace up my sleeve is my girlfriend... (maybe fiance?)... who has a comfortable side business in the summer of making and selling her own custom designer women's bags. But again, while she has a skill set which might translate well, there is no direct experience with car interiors.
Are there members here who have done their own interiors? Custom work?
So far, for giggles, I took some leftover distressed black leather hide and we made a nice cover for the center arm rest. The original vinyl has a 1cm tear in it which was annoying me. Where my ignorance of working with plastic came to light was in my choice not to use staples... which in the sizes I have, would pop right through. The factory vinyl wrap was stapled. Since this was a "let's just see how it turns out" project and I would but a replacement if I needed to, I just used a high bond form of crazy glue.
Knock on wood, it has been almost 6 months and it remains taut and in place. I don't know how much that is saying , though, since the arm rest pad itself is then held to the flip panel via screws and said flip panel has a large flat "plate" top which must help hold the leather in place. Still... leather is stronger than plastic and the uneven pressure applied by the plate... so I think if it was going to shift or come loose, between time and heat cycles it would have done so before now.
For interior ideas... I LOVE the feel of Alcantara. This is bascially a man-made faux suede with great strength. There are similar alternatives out there which yield equivalent touch, but the unknown factor to me is how they would stand versus age and sunlight. The only drawback in mind with the suedes is the propensity for them to collect and display dust and dirt. Easy to clean, but if you're like me you'd always be after "that last spec of dust." If I did large parts of a car in suede, it would have to be a vibrant color which would hide it. But I generally prefer dark interiors on sports cars.
So a leather dash. Leather arm rest (I would replace what I already did with better leather.) Seating... would absolutely have suede "butt" and central back plates to hold you in place better, but outer panels would be leather.
As for the wheel, I foresee complication if it was to be tried. The wrap can be done, but then how would you cover the center with the airbag and not worry about proper deployment? If I did the wheel, I would want the airbag cover to match and not remain plastic.
Anyway... so these are my diseased ramblings as I lay awake with the mother of all mid-summer flus at 4am.
Last edited by Tusc; Jul 6, 2013 at 04:29 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,645
Likes: 65
Yes, I have done leather pieces from Redline Leather Good, now I'm about to start re-skinning a set of door panels. I would love to do my dash in leather but need to match the leather color I have used to date and Redline does not have a skin kit, color is Taupe and cream from Redline. I have to finish some honeydo projects today and plan to start the door panels tomorrow so I will keep you posted, by the way I bought a pair of project door panels from VetteNuts, so I am not tearing up a pristine set on my car.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,798
Likes: 8
From: It's true money can't buy happiness, but it is more comfortable crying in a Corvette than on a bicyc
St. Jude Donor '13
All I can say is if you pull it off with your level of ocd, quality control, you and the future misses would be able to turn her side business into a highly profitable venture. They want in the neighborhood of $1100. just to do 2 door panels.
They use a type of contact adhesive to glue interior stuff. Spray both sides, wait a bit, then stick them together.
They use a type of contact adhesive to glue interior stuff. Spray both sides, wait a bit, then stick them together.
