Custom upholstery is one of those good news/bad news subjects. Some facets of upholstery are very complicated and require a great deal of skill and experience, but other parts are amazingly simple and can easily be done at home. The trick for the do-it-yourselfer is to plan an interior with more of the basic stuff than the leave-it-to-the-pros stuff.
Street rods and classic trucks lend themselves to lots of easy upholstery treatments. The many flat panels and areas that were originally uncovered are easily updated with basic upholstery tricks. RB's Urban Suburban was mostly painted metal with two jumbo bucket seats when the project started. There wasn't a back seat, headliner, door panels, or kick panels.
The upholstery in the Urban Suburban is pretty slick and some pretty high-tech equipment was involved. However, the same basic work can be done on a much simpler level at home. The difference is mostly a matter of time and effort. Computerized equipment made short work of some tasks, but entry-level power tools can achieve similar results.
Jim Carr is the craftsman responsible for the Urban Suburban's modern interior. You might have unknowingly sat on some of Jim's upholstery, but you can't get it for your street rod unless you're one of his buddies. RB's Ray Doe is very fortunate to count Jim as a close friend.
Jim shared some basic techniques that are common to much of the interior in the Urban Suburban. These techniques involve items like a custom center console, door panels, and kick panels. Similar steps are used on the various components. That's why the photos show a variety of pieces under construction. The parts may be different, but the materials and techniques are the same.
The interior tricks covered in this installment don't require sewing. If you were to use aftermarket seats or seats from a newer car, you could do a street rod/classic truck interior without sewing.
The basic process is making a pattern, transferring that pattern to bender board, cutting it out, padding it, adding any accessories, installing fasteners, covering the item with fabric, trimming the edges, and installing the part in the vehicle.
Study the accompanying photos to see how easy it is to do high-quality upholstery at home.
Jim Carr did the upholstery...
Jim Carr did the upholstery for the Urban Suburban. Many of the techniques employed are easy to duplicate in a home shop because they don't require sewing. It's easier to work on items like door panels when the doors are off the truck, but great care needs to be taken to protect the fresh paint.
Bender board is a key component...
Bender board is a key component of any custom interior project. This special laminated wood veneer (available at any building supply store) is very flexible but tough.
A custom center console (as...
A custom center console (as well as side and kick panels) was built for the truck too. Bender board was used for the gracefully arched top of the console and other trim as well. Here, Jim demonstrates how the bender board was used. The center console framework was constructed out of 3/4-inch exterior-grade plywood. The removable side panels have routed edges so the panels fit easily in place.
The door panels were fabricated...
The door panels were fabricated with 1/4-inch bender board for a base. A piece was cut to size and attached temporarily to the door with Cleco fasteners. A 1/8-inch bit was used to make the Cleco holes. A reference line was scribed around the edge of the door panel, and the fastener holes were placed approximately every 6 inches. The Cleco fasteners secure the panel during the layout stage, but they are quick and easy to remove.
After the door panel was secured...
After the door panel was secured with Cleco fasteners, 1/4-inch holes were drilled for the Christmas tree-serrated fasteners. A wooden mallet works well for installing the Christmas trees.
A molded fiberglass armrest...
A molded fiberglass armrest base from Smart Parts was positioned on the door panel. It's a good idea to sit in the truck and determine the best height for the armrest. The base is tapped with a threaded insert and screws are run through the panel into the armrest. Blue leather was later stretched and glued to the Smart Parts armrest.
Closed-cell upholstery foam...
Closed-cell upholstery foam (1/4-inch) was used between the bender board bases and the tweed upholstery on the various interior panels. The wood panel is placed on an oversized piece of foam and trimmed to fit with a single-edge razor blade. Contact cement is used to secure the foam to the bender board. Jim used a commercial pressure pot and remote spray nozzle, but you can buy the adhesive in aerosol cans.
The panel with the foam padding...
The panel with the foam padding was placed on a piece of tweed and cut slightly oversize. There only needs to be enough material to fold over the edge and staple it to the board.
There is a trick to smoothly...
There is a trick to smoothly gluing fabric to foam or bender board. Do the job in halves. Position the fabric on the panel and fold it back. Then apply contact glue to the foam and the fabric. After the glue is tacky (follow manufacturer's directions) slowly place the fabric on the foam. Slowly lay it down from the middle to the outside using your hand to prevent any wrinkles.
Even though the panel is glued,...
Even though the panel is glued, it also needs to be stapled on the backside. Start by folding the fabric over the edges and placing a staple at each corner. Then thoroughly staple the areas between the corners. Work from the middle to the corners so the fabric is bunched as shown in the corners. Use a razor blade to trim away the excess bunched up material in the corners.
To add interest to the interior...
To add interest to the interior panels and the headliner, Jim Carr replicated sections of the ripped designs in the Urban Suburban's paint scheme. He made the bender board templates with Cad Cam computers, but it could also be done using poster board for a pattern. Long, orange tweed rips were inset in the side panels of the back seat/cargo area of the Urban Suburban. The effect looks almost like the paint went through the metal into the interior.
Recessed areas were cut in...
Recessed areas were cut in the 1/4-inch foam on the door panels before the tweed was glued on. The orange rips are 1/8-inch bender board and 1/8-inch foam, so the finished rips are flush with the rest of the door panel.
Here is a finished door panel....
Here is a finished door panel. It is very simple because the power window switches are located on the center console and solenoids are used to open the doors. The balance of the interior panels were constructed in the same manner as the door panels. You could achieve similar results in your home shop.