Restoration Suggestions

[ZohanIsBack]

Alright guys. I want the interior of the car to look like this (well, with these colors and seats (http://www.zcars.com.au/userimages/user1093_1175231422.jpg). So I have two questions, both of which I am stuck on:

1. Candy apple or ruby red? I am thinking ruby red because it has an ever so slightly darker and richer look to it.

2. Here is the one I am really stuck on....what kind of car upholstery should I get? I am doing it myself, but should I get tweed or vinyl? I know vinyl holds up a bit more, but I like the feel of tweed a little more. Suggestions?

Thanks!

[240ZGL]

Your the one that has to live with it. Everyone has there own idea of what looks great.

[ZohanIsBack]

True, then I guess my real question is what type of material will hold up best on the door panels and back strut towers.

[FastWoman]

Vinyl is pretty robust stuff. Your location is "undetermined," but if you're anywhere near the water (coastal or lake), there may be sail and bimini makers in your area that could sew pieces for you very economically.

[tlorber]

This is what I would like to do with my interior some day-My Exterior is a dark silver. I think this shot is of a BMW.

[ZohanIsBack]

Great, exactly what I wanted to hear. I was looking back over it and decided that I liked vinyl better, anyway.

Alright, so my next question is, what do I place under the material if I want it to be soft? The doors are metal, and I just don't want to glue the material right on. I would rather put a thin layer of some kind of foam under the fabric first. What do you call that stuff and what kind should I get?

[DaveBonds]

Upholstery padding can be made of just about anything from high and low durometer foam to burlap (made from palm tree )

If you find anything at a fabric store that suits the density and thickness you are looking for, you can use just about anything, but I would not use felt, as it doesn't have a very consistant surface when adhesive is applied to it.

I'm a bit confused about your inner door panel being metal. The door shell is metal, but the inner door panels that finish them are usually made out of mold formed or flat masonite, insulated with a spray cement and a thin layer of soft foam, with a cloth covering of some kind.

Sometimes they will use stamped sheet metal or plastic in conjunction with or in place of the masonite for shaped areas, like the top of the window channel area of a door panel. New cars have injection molded plastic door panels that are foam and cloth covered.

The insulating foam is commonly used in lots of fabric industries. You can find it at fabric shops for cheap.

As far as paint colors go, I will say that Candy Apple Red is a Ford color, but is commonly referred to as a tint of red.

I would suggest looking through House Of Kolor for custom, deeper or more eccentric color tones with or without metallics and pearls. They usually have a less expensive custom line than just about any other major manufacturers color selections of the same nature.

If you want a deep red, I would suggest a tri stage of some kind.

Edited August 25, 2010 by DaveBonds

[ZohanIsBack]

Dave,

Thanks for the suggestions, they were very helpful. I suppose then that the door panels are missing altogether, because directly under the fabric is what appears to be sheet metal. Not very impressive, in my opinion.

What I intend to do is place the padding on the metal, then the upholstery material over this. It's really all I can think of right now since a previous owner just glued fabric on the metal.

[pbarcher]

Try Your Auto Trim Store for a great selection of materials. Search for a coupon first.

[d240zx2]

You may want to scour some junk yards for 260s and use the door trim panels you may find. That'd be a lot easier and give you a better fit and finish.... besides, you can remove the vinyl from them and apply your own selection.

[ZohanIsBack]

Fantastic idea. Yeah this car is awesome, but it needs a new dash, two gauges need to be fixed, and the panels are missing. Besides that, mechanically perfect. I think I will go ahead and look for some junked 260s, then. Thanks!