Sid Chavers was responsible...
Sid Chavers was responsible for the outstanding example of a traditional interior in the '07 Road Tour coupe.
When it comes to stitching an interior, traditional or otherwise, Sid Chavers is one of the best-known names in the business. He has upholstered more award-winning, high-profile feature cars than we can count, and he's also the man behind the Bop Top that so many roadster owners have come to know and love. So, we looked to Sid when it came time for an interior in the Road Tour coupe, confident the results would be spectacular.
From a design standpoint, Sid breaks interiors down into four styles: original, traditional, newstalgia, and high-tech. Original-style interiors follow the look of the '30s and '40s, with subdued colors and a simple overall design. Traditional interiors are in the late-'40s and '50s style; the design is generally more complicated, often incorporating tuck 'n' roll and multiple colors. Newstalgia is a blend of old and new, modern lines, materials and colors, and is generally more contoured, often using broad, flat pleats. Finally, there is the modern, high-tech look. These interiors feature lots of dimension with high and low panels, and highly bolstered seats with panels that blend together. Of course the important thing is to match the interior styling with the rest of the car, and as our coupe was being built in the style of the McMullen roadster, traditional was the way to go.
Kirby Kendall traces a chipboard...
Kirby Kendall traces a chipboard pattern of the firewall panel onto carpeting.
All the interior panels of our coupe were built from scratch. Generally, these pieces are based on one of three types of material-waterproof panel board, chipboard (a heavy cardboard), or 1/8-inch mahogany. Aluminum is used in some cases where the panel has to hold its shape. Aluminum panels were formed for the rear corners of the body, the header above the windshield, and the cover for the air conditioning hoses. Mahogany doorskins were used for door and kick panels; inexpensive and easy to work with, after being covered with upholstery material, they are held in place by modern plastic panel retention clips.
There are a number of choices when it comes to choosing a seat-an original can be redone, a built-in can be fabricated, or the route we chose, an aftermarket bench design from Wise Guys. Built with 16-gauge steel frames, Wise Guys seats are available in solid and split-back bench designs, as well as buckets. An array of features come standard, including no-sag springs, multi-density foam, reclining mechanisms, fold-down center armrests, and 12-volt power receptacles, to name a few. In addition, power slide, power six-way pedestals, power lumbar supports, and seat heaters are optional. Sid re-covered the seat with black pleated inserts surrounded by smooth, white vinyl to follow the McMullen theme.
Sid begins the process of...
Sid begins the process of making a pleated panel. He sprays light adhesive onto scrim-backed foam.
Attention to detail is something that will set the interior of one car apart from another. As an example, even though the area is mostly hidden, there is an upholstered panel behind the bench seat, and another panel hides the stereo equipment in the trunk. But while attention to detail is standard procedure for many stitchers, Sid has a few tricks that set his work apart from most others-like the way he does carpeting. Rather than simply cutting the carpet and gluing it to the floor, he treats it like another upholstery panel. By covering wood panels with carpet, the edges stay perfectly straight and don't curl, which often happens.
While there isn't adequate space to show a stitch-by-stitch account of upholstering the coupe, we would like to cover the high points and pass on some of Sid's techniques. And if you're ready to tackle stitching an interior yourself, we highly recommend Sid's two new how-to videos-one is on seats, the other on panels, and there are more to come. Maybe you'll get the same spectacular results we did.
With the material stretched...
With the material stretched and smoothed over the foam, Sid lays out the pleats. Sid's layout lines are 3/4-inch farther apart than the 2-inch width of the desired pleats-you'll see why shortly.
The first step in making pleats...
The first step in making pleats is sewing the material to the foam from the top.
After the pleats are top-stitched,...
After the pleats are top-stitched, they've narrowed up a bit and are about 2 1/2 inches wide.
Each pleat is then folded...
Each pleat is then folded back onto itself, and the edge of the fold is stitched.
Look closely and you'll see...
Look closely and you'll see the second stitch line adjacent to the folded edge.
Known as a blind pleat because...
Known as a blind pleat because the stitching can't be seen (compare the pleats under the tape measure to the one on the left), the pleats are now down to the desired 2 inches-pretty cool.
Before the upholstery is applied...
Before the upholstery is applied to the panel, Sid trims the excess material from the double-sewn pleats. The trick here is to not cut too much.
Both surfaces are covered...
Both surfaces are covered with contact cement before attaching the pleated material to the panel.
Sid carefully aligns the material...
Sid carefully aligns the material to make sure the pleats are straight. Alignment marks help the process.
Here's a slick trick-Sid makes...
Here's a slick trick-Sid makes notches in the mahogany with an air grinder so the thicker sewn seams don't make bumps and the pleats wrap around smoothly.
Another trick: Sid cuts away...
Another trick: Sid cuts away the foam before wrapping the material around the edges of the panel to reduce its bulk.
With the pleats aligned with...
With the pleats aligned with the notches and the foam removed from the material, the cover is stapled to the mahogany backing.
This is what the backside...
This is what the backside of our door panel looks like stapled and with the excess trimmed away. Note the holes for the door handle and window crank.
For the traditional look we...
For the traditional look we were after, Sid added a plain white band to the top of the pleats and carpet to the bottom.
In some instances, Sid forms...
In some instances, Sid forms aluminum panels and then glues material to it. In this case, the windshield header and posts have received aluminum covers.
The panels around the rear...
The panels around the rear window and the rear corners of the body are also aluminum.
Regardless of what the panels...
Regardless of what the panels are made from, they have to be attached somehow. Plastic "Christmas tree" retainers, metal clips, and, as a last resort, screws can be used.
In the case of the panels...
In the case of the panels next to the rear window, plastic retainers push into holes in the wood framework to secure the upholstery.
Holes were drilled in the...
Holes were drilled in the wood framework and the aluminum before the material was applied, so it snaps in place perfectly.
Here's the finished corner....
Here's the finished corner. The panels around the rear window are constructed and installed the same way.
The rest of the panels have...
The rest of the panels have been installed around the rear window, as has the panel that goes behind the seat. Note the built-in speakers.
In some cases, material has...
In some cases, material has to be wrapped around a curve. Pie cuts are made in the fabric to make a smooth edge.
Viewed from the back, this...
Viewed from the back, this is how the material was wrapped around the arc of the transmission hump.
The Wise Guys bench seat was...
The Wise Guys bench seat was re-covered to match the style of the interior. The black and white combination is about as '50s as it gets.
George Atkins cuts a piece...
George Atkins cuts a piece of mahogany that will be covered in carpet.
George stitched white piping...
George stitched white piping to the edge of the black carpeting.
The white edge material was...
The white edge material was wrapped around the edges and stapled in place.
The trunk of the coupe was...
The trunk of the coupe was finished in black carpet with white piping.
With the panel closed, the...
With the panel closed, the trunk is clean, simple, and still attractive with a '50s flare.