Of all the features that make up a street rod, one of the most critical is the interior. And while the paint and the exterior features are often the first to catch your eye, the interior is where you spend your time. So, not only does it have to look good, but it has to be durable, functional, and most of all, comfortable.
Like most street rodders, we've tried most facets of building a street rod at home, admittedly with varied levels of success. But upholstery is something we've never had the nerve to even try, until recently. What prompted the change was the opportunity to study under a master; we found out that Ron "The Stitcher" Mangus was teaching a class at a nearby community college, so we went back to school. If you want to learn something, you might as well study with the best.
For our first attempt at upholstery work we decided to build a Model A pickup seat from scratch, create door and kick panels, cover the entire interior in vintage-style pleated red vinyl, and finish up with a tonneau cover. But before you can run, you have to walk, so the first step was to learn some basics.
Before Mangus even threaded a sewing machine, he spent a good deal of time in class discussing concepts. One of the more obvious considerations are the seats: Will you use the originals, something from a late model car, one of the aftermarket designs available, or build something from scratch? Once that decision is made, the seats have to be positioned so you can reach the pedals, see the instruments, and even get in and out easily.
When you start locating controls, you'll realize how many there are: there's the gas and brake pedals, and in some cases a clutch pedal, dimmer switch, emergency brake handle, door handles, window cranks or buttons, etc. (and that's just the basic stuff). Are you going to have armrests or a center console? Where are you going to put your sound system, interior lights, storage pockets, and one of the most often overlooked items until it's too late, the fuse panel. And, "Oh damn," were are you going to run the wiring and how about seatbelts? Point is, there's lots to think about, so come up with a plan. And then make sure the plan fits the rest of the car. Do you really want old-school tuck 'n' roll in a high-tech coupe, or velour in a vintage roadster? When you think of concepts, think in terms of the whole car.
What You're Going to Need:Sewing MachinesAlthough most sewing machines look similar, they come with major differences in design. For the most part, those differences have to do with the weight and thickness of material they will handle and how they feed that material as they stitch.
Light-duty machines, like those for home use, will only sew thin materials and have a feed dog that moves the material from the bottom. Machines suitable for upholstery have what's called a walking foot, which means the material is moved through the machine by a feed dog below and the walking foot above. This helps keep heavy layers of material aligned. A variation of the walking foot machine is the compound feed, which combines a walking foot and a needle that moves as the feet pull the material through the machine. For upholstery work you'll need a walking or compound feed machine with reverse.
While used machines are available, there are several new versions on the market that can be purchased for what used machines often cost. Quality Sew offers the Mini-Brute for under $500. A popular machine, Quality Sew sold 30 of them at last year's NSRA Street Rod Nationals. Larger machines are also available. The compound feed machine we selected from Quality Sew retails for $998 and includes a worktable, light, and thread stand.
Upholstery MaterialsThere are a host of materials available. However, make sure that whatever you choose is automotive grade. Automotive materials are made with the necessary UV tolerance and are better able to resist abrasion.