Building and upholstering the wraparound piece behind the seat was next on the agenda. We knew that to do this with one piece of upholstery was going to be a challenge, but then a build-it-yourself street rod is a series of challenges anyway.
EZ Boy Rod Interiors supplied ABS board material for use in fabricating panels. Luann board, chipboard, etc., can also be used to fabricate panels. The rear wraparound was actually made from two pieces (a left and a right) and attached to another small strip of ABS board on the backside at the center seam. Regular plumbing store PVC cement was used to secure the two pieces to the strip.
Patterns were cut from Thermo Ply insulation board and bent to fit the contour of the body to form the rear wraparound. Available at most home improvement stores, Thermo Ply insulation board forms easily without distorting, folding, etc., and it tends to hold its shape when in place. Quarter-inch holes were drilled in the patterns and into the upper body lip and the rear doorframe areas and the patterns were secured with quarter-inch panel clips. These shapes were then transferred to the ABS panel board along with the location of the holes for the panel clips. We cut out the panels using a sharp utility knife, and we also drilled the holes for the panel clips. Utilizing a heat gun, the panels were heated in place and, with gloved hands, we formed the two panels that would make up the wraparound. We secured them to the body with the panel clips as we formed the panels.
At this point, we decided to add a 1/2-inch-thick piece of foam from the craft store behind the bolster area of the upholstery to create a more padded look. After marking the panel with a line that matched where the upholstery seam on the wraparound would line up with the seat back seam, we again used 3M 08090 adhesive to attach the 1/2-inch-thick foam to the wraparound panel. We also masked off much of the car to prevent adhesive overspray.
3M 08090 adhesive was then applied to the back of the bolster area of the upholstery and to the surface of the added foam, which we covered with shipping paper after the adhesive was dry to the touch. Remember, this is a contact adhesive and it will not stick to the paper after the adhesive is dry to the touch. We then attached the upholstery to the foam, and we removed the strips of shipping paper as we worked our way across the panel. This is called the "slip paper" method of installation, which allows you to keep the upholstery lined up without sticking as you work your way around. Seeing my dilemma, my wife came to the rescue to lend the extra hands needed to perform this task. With the bolster in place, we attached the lower rolled 'n' pleated portion with some more 3M 08090.
We then removed the panel and wrapped the upholstery around the edges-3M 08090, staples, and the heat gun were utilized to accomplish this part of the job. Carefully heating the vinyl where we planned to wrap it around corners allowed us to pull the vinyl tight and stretch it to conform to the corners. We also made sure we sanded the sharp corners of the panels to a radius so the sharp corners did not puncture the vinyl. Remember to cover the work area with a blanket or make sure you have a smooth, clean surface to work on. You do not want to nick or tear the vinyl.
The wraparound was reinstalled, the seat was once again mounted, and the interior was beginning to take shape. Door panel and kick panel templates were cut from insulation board, transferred to the ABS board, and cut and upholstered in the same manner as the wraparound panel. Quarter-inch panel clips were used to secure the door and kick panels. Don't assume that one pattern will fit both doors; in our case, there were slight differences in panel size and in the location of the door pulls. Again, we lined up the upholstery seams with the wraparound and the seat back.
In addition to the upholstery, a shelf was made to fit under the dashboard. The shelf and back were constructed from 1/2-inch-thick poplar and a half-round molding was nailed to the leading edge of the shelf. The inner shelf and shelf back were covered with carpet, while the half-round molding and the underside were covered in red vinyl. The shelf was bolted to the steel bracing in the cowl sides. There isn't a lot of storage, but there is a place for iPods, cell phones, shades, and maps (maps for your wife or girlfriend to use to give you directions, of course).
Like most home-garage street rodders, we believe we can do almost anything. And, while we did complete the interior, it was challenging. We had to continually tell ourselves that we were not Sid Chavers, Paul Adkins, or even upholsterers. And, on occasion, we had to remind ourselves that this is a hot rod, a daily driver, and not a pro-built show car.
Garbage bags were wrapped...
Garbage bags were wrapped around the batting and foam to prevent either from bunching, and to ease the effort of sliding the tight-fitting seat back cover over the padding. The cover slid on easily and the garbage bags were removed once it was in place.
We followed the EZ Boy Rod...
We followed the EZ Boy Rod Interiors instructions (yes, we read the instruction book) and pulled the covers tightly around the seat back frame, keeping the seams lined up on the edges of the seat back, and stapled the cover in place. An air stapler is nice, but a hand stapler will work just as well.
We installed the seat cushion...
We installed the seat cushion cover using the same technique. This cover wraps around the seat and attaches to the bottom edges, unlike the full sleeve-type seat back cover.
We used a rattle-can spray...
We used a rattle-can spray paint made to adhere to plastic to paint the plastic caps that hide the seat hinge mechanisms before we assembled the seat. To our surprise, the red matched perfectly.
The seat is finished and ready...
The seat is finished and ready to be re-installed, and that's good news because there is a cruise-in tonight.
Left and right templates were...
Left and right templates were made to define the rear wraparound. Quarter-inch holes were drilled in the template and the inner body lips and the templates were held in place with quarter-inch spring panel fasteners.