If you will, please take a moment and make a mental list of all the labor-related things you can't-or won't-do yourself to your hot rod or custom. Hopefully, changing the oil wasn't on that list, otherwise, put the magazine down and get out in the garage! If, on the other hand, upholstery happened to be one of the items you won't ever see yourself doing, you may continue
Taking on the task of upholstering is taboo for many people. And that's completely understandable, as the majority of those individuals probably wouldn't even consider darning their own socks either. While there is an art to the trade, upholstery is not a form of rocket science. Still, not everyone's "cut" out for a career in automotive interior design, which is why it's not always easy to find the right person or shop to handle your stitching needs, especially in a hobby so diverse in upholstery styling and trends-from high-tech hardform to diamond-tuft, tweed to synthetic leather.
Fortunately, the traditional style of upholstering hasn't lost its mass appeal, and it's not likely that it ever will either. However, since the days of the first tuck 'n' roll jobs, where it was commonplace to stuff pleats with newspaper or even horse hair, not only have the methods of doing this type of interior improved with age, so too have the materials. While you can actually purchase pre-fabricated bulk rolls of tuck 'n' rolled vinyl, purveyors of the true old-style know there's only one way to get that period look-finding an upholstery artisan who's as good with an industrial sewing machine as Larry Watson was with a paint gun! On the flipside of that, upholsterers now have the resources of companies such as Auto Custom Carpets (ACC) and Original Parts Group (OPG) that offer new and improved materials that afford them the ability to create vintage-looking interiors without having to rely on vintage materials.
With the masters such as Eddie Martinez slowly fading into the history books, it's a good thing we've got a wave of young, up-and-coming talents like Roger Starkey-people with the desire to not only learn a trade, but perfect it, and to carry on the tradition of old-school upholstery for generations to come. Roger was kind enough to allow us to peek over his shoulder whilst he plied his craft, and he even let us in on his secrets to pleat success. Check it out, and see why upholstery might just remain on that "never to-do" list a bit longer.
First things first-prior to...
First things first-prior to firing up the sewing machine or even making patterns, you have to pick the right material.
After matching the paint as...
After matching the paint as close as possible using a blue pearl vinyl from OPG (a late-'60s OE Chevelle material) and multicolor weave (Tuxedo Blue) carpet from ACC, we picked a nice pearl white Madrid vinyl (center swatch) for the main interior color.
And here's where all that...
And here's where all that fancy material's going to end up ... sooner than later.
Above and beyond having the...
Above and beyond having the ability to make tight, even pleats and trim out carpet perfectly, a good upholsterer knows that, like with any good paint job, surface prep is everything.
Taking matters even further,...
Taking matters even further, Roger trims out the underlying insulation along areas like the transmission tunnel so the carpet will have smooth, flowing transitions and no air gaps in tight spots.
Roger lays the carpet in the...
Roger lays the carpet in the same manner, opting for panels or sections for the uneven sections of floor.
Each sectional piece is ultimately...
Each sectional piece is ultimately trimmed with binding (like piping) using both colors of vinyl that will be used on the seats, door panels, etc.
Roger created the floor mats-which...
Roger created the floor mats-which actually look too nice to serve their intended purpose-with integrated pearl white tuck 'n' roll inserts.
To prevent the center console...
To prevent the center console from looking too modern, Roger had to put his thinking cap on to come up with a design that would lend itself to the interior's overall theme, not distract from it.
The pleated insert patterns...
The pleated insert patterns drawn directly onto the center console were transferred to Roger's special tracing paper, which he uses to reference design into perfect-fit material sections.
While nothing you'd find in...
While nothing you'd find in an actual custom from the '50s-the DVD head unit and iPod are a bit out of place, for starters-at least Roger was able to make the center console look more at home with the rest of the interior ensemble.
Same goes for the bucket seats,...
Same goes for the bucket seats, which are second-gen T-bird units from the mid-'60s. While the cushion portions of the seats were no problem to work with, the rear panels were at first, as they weren't upholstered in the first place.
As mentioned previously, there...
As mentioned previously, there was no back seat for Roger to work with whatsoever.
Normally, headliners aren't...
Normally, headliners aren't a huge ordeal-unless you're dealing with a chopped top, which we were.
The headliner base consists...
The headliner base consists of a one-piece (full-length) shell with individual side/corner pieces that help capture the headliner in place and also blend it into the sharp contours.
The end result is a very dramatic-looking...
The end result is a very dramatic-looking headliner; instead of the customary side-to-side sections, the headliner complements the flow of the chop, all while giving off a surprisingly spacious look in otherwise cramped quarters.
Though it wasn't as crucial...
Though it wasn't as crucial to obtain a pure vintage-looking trunk, it was vital to maintain as much storage space possible, since the added payload of the amps, air tank, and battery were already claiming a lot of real estate.
With formed wood panels covered...
With formed wood panels covered appropriately, there's still plenty of room for luggage and/or an ice chest-but behind the blue pearl access doors is even more storage room for tools and whatnot.
There's more than one way...
There's more than one way to skin a cat-just like there's more than one way to do tuck 'n' roll.
Each pleat is first sewn oversize...
Each pleat is first sewn oversize onto a piece of scrim-backed foam (which can vary in thickness depending on where the upholstery is being used).
Smaller panels like this aren't...
Smaller panels like this aren't quite as difficult as doing a complete seat bottom, as that requires more effort to ensure evenly sewn pleats.
Roger first makes sure each...
Roger first makes sure each one is uniform in shape and size before sewing the backside of the pleats.
With small hash marks for...
With small hash marks for sizing reference, each pleat is doubled over and sewn.
Next, to separate the pleats...
Next, to separate the pleats from the solid sections of upholstery, strips of piping are created using either a contrasting color (in this case, the pearl blue) or the same-color material as the pleats.
The piping is then sewn into...
The piping is then sewn into the edge of the tuck 'n' roll pattern along the edge that will separate it from the solid panel.
And this is the resulting...
And this is the resulting piece, and possible further proof why most of us will continue to leave upholstery up to the pros!