Installing An Interior In A Model A Pickup Truck - A Stitch In Time

The same procedure was followed for the seat cushion, except after we attached much of the top and bottom we fit the seat cushion in under the seat back to assure ourselves that the pleats would line up between the seat back and the seat cushion. It is all in the details.

As an added detail, we ordered extra 3/8-diameter wind lacing and attached it around the seat cushion and the seat back. This added a more finished look to the seats and filled in the area between the seat back and the rear of the roadster body.

With the seats upholstered we turned to the shoulder panels, door panels and kick panels. The shoulder panels, door panels, and kick panels came pre-cut, upholstered, and with a binding sewn around them. Since the Model A pickup trucks were no frills, Henry just attached those panels with small nails, and that is what we had in our kit. We choose to attach our panels with industrial Velcro. If Velcro were available in 1931 maybe Henry would have not nailed the panels in place. Before we attached the chip board panels we coated them with several coats of clear polyurethane to help repel moisture.

n order to keep the doors from swinging open and banging into the fenders door check straps were installed. They too came with the LeBaron Bonney kit. The Brookville body has threaded inserts in the doors and the cowl for attaching these straps. The trick is to locate the holes in the upholstered panels so that they line up with the threaded inserts. We fashioned locating dowels by cutting the heads off several #8 fine threaded screws and grinding points on the ends. We installed the screws in the body with the pointed end out and attached the panels in the proper position. By pushing the panels against the pointed screws we were able to locate where to punch holes in the panels for mounting the door check straps.

We also glued and stapled some wind lacing to the edges of the kick panels and shoulder panels. The reason for glue (3M 08090 Super Trim Adhesive or 3M Weather Stripping Adhesive) and staples was that the panels are only about an 1/8 thick, so the staples must be very small and as such have little holding power, but combined with an adhesive the wind lacing should stay in place

With the LeBaron Bonney upholstery kit installed it was time to move on to the carpet. Before we began the carpet layout we covered the floor and firewall with Hush Mat, an OEM sound deadener and insulation, available from Speedway Motors. Hush Mat comes in kit form, as well as bulk. The peel and stick product does not require any special surface clean up, is extremely pliable, and is a breeze to install. We also applied some Hush Mat to the inside of the doors and the inside of the cowl. The doors now sound much more solid when they close.

We chose a dark brown, German Square Weave carpet to compliment the cream interior. The carpet was available by the yard from E-Z Boy Rod Interiors.

We began the carpeting process by cutting many patterns from craft paper. Paper is much less expensive than carpet. Once we had the patterns to our liking we began to cut out the carpet.

Before we began installing the carpet we constructed floor panels from 1/4 inch thick mahogany plywood. The passenger and driver side wooden panels are easily removable for cleaning and drying-if they got wet, and to access the below the floorboard master cylinder. Like the door and kick panels, a coat of clear polyurethane was applied to the floor panels to further protect them from the elements.

Since we will be tracing the patterns onto the backside of the carpet it was very important to know front from back on our patterns. We marked the patterns with "Back." By marking the patterns we were assured that the carpeted side of the carpet would be on the proper side of the pattern.

We utilized a utility knife and a straight edge to cut the straight edges of the carpet. For the several curved shapes, we carefully followed the markings with our utility knife.

After all of the carpet pieces were cut we made a trip to our local upholstery shop. In our case it was Del Lyons, The Upholstery Man in Port Orange, Florida. After we selected a dark brown vinyl that worked well with the carpet, Del sewed a vinyl binding around the edges of the carpet and a pair of floor mats that we made out of surplus carpet. The binding around the carpet for the wooden panels was sewn to the edges of the carpets; however, it was not sewn to the backside and a strip of material was left to wrap around the floor panels and staple in place.

Before we installed the floor carpeting and the floor panels we made another pattern and created a firewall cover. The firewall cover, as well as all of the other carpet pieces, is held in place with industrial Velcro. This attachment method allows easy removal for cleaning, drying, and even replacement should the carpet get wet, damaged, or stained.

Using the existing shifter and hand brake boots as patterns, we sewed up new boots using the same vinyl as the carpet binding. My wife was able to sew these on a regular home sewing machine. An option would be to have the boots made at the same time that we were having the carpet binding installed at the upholstery shop.

The final step was to install the boots using the trim rings that came with the transmission and hand brake boots. A note of caution: Do not attempt to drill through the carpet. The drill bit will catch the carpet and it will pull or create a run in it. Always cut or punch holes in carpet.

With everything in place the interior is complete. Those many how-to-do-interior articles we have read over the years, along with some careful planning and a good pre-sewn upholstery kit from LeBaron Bonney Co., resulted in a great looking interior. We are very satisfied with the results, we have saved a few dollars, and most importantly, we have the pride of doing it ourselves.