Interior – Before & After

[Foster48x]

Rick,
I think you should add that before you cut your patterns, You have to think about how the material is going to sit on the seat. Vinyl stretches in one direction. So you want to cut the pattern in the way that you want it to stretch. Just trying to help.

Good point Brady. I just tested the Vinyl I used and your right it does tend to stretch more in one direction than the other. I'll add that to the write-up.

Nice write up. I've done a few cars myself including my '80 Spider. The head rests were the hardest part!
Never thought about orienting the fabric for stretch, but that make a lot of sense. Some one makes a 4-way stretch vinyl which, I believe, Fiat used on the 2000 cars.

I agree! the headrests were the hardest part of the job. I was fortunate to have mine turn out as nice as they did on the first go around. Beginners luck was on my side .

Rick

[azygoustoyou]

Talking about head rests. I put mine together for the older style and they came out great. I tried to do the newer style and they didn't look as good. I know what your talking about. It the pattern that you use that makes or breaks them.

[samthedog]

I am blown away that you did yor own upholstery work. Can't imagine doing that myself.

Back the the dash cap.
did you paint it, or is it the black that it is molded in from Vicks?
Wondering if it is possible to do the necessary trimming to allow the dash cap to be wrapped in
the same upholstery material as the interior?

[azygoustoyou]

Hi Rick,
Do you have the links to the Youtube video's on the different stitches?
Thanks so much.

[azygoustoyou]

Here is a link to a good video of sewing seams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawRXvTZ ... re=related

[samthedog]

Coils you tell me what year the Pininfanrina badge began being placed on the glove box ?
I like the brushed aluminum you selected for your interior. I am replacing mine,but in wood. I like being able to select the color stain and gloss and it's actual real wood. Just seems to fit the cars age.
Anyway I like the badge but don't know when it was added. Perhaps when they moved the actual complete .manufacturing.

Also congrats on a Quality interior restoration.

[azruss]

Here is what i did with my dash. I loved the look of the original dash, so didnt want to stray too far. Also wanted a working glove box, so that eliminated a one piece. This is wood from a 1890's english 84 key upright piano. What you see is actually the back side of the wood. Tried to use the front with all the carvings, but couldnt make it work. I have a matching piece for the shifter plate in the console. The wood has no stain but coated with 4 coats of rattle-can Urethane spar-varnish. sanded with 600g between coats. last coat untouched.

[fiatfreak]

I really like what you did with the recessed center area. That's the best solution I've seen. The others are too plain and asymmetric. BTW, is that an OEM dash or a repro?

[azruss]

its a repro. bought it at a time when they were very scarce and this was the only one i could find. its not very straight as you can see following the windshield line. It does have a nice finish and was very easy to modify.

[Foster48x]

I am blown away that you did yor own upholstery work. Can't imagine doing that myself.

Back the the dash cap.
did you paint it, or is it the black that it is molded in from Vicks?
Wondering if it is possible to do the necessary trimming to allow the dash cap to be wrapped in
the same upholstery material as the interior?

The dash is a molded cap from Vicks. You could wrap the cap in vinyl if you wanted but if you planned to go that route I would bypass and cap and just have the old dash upholstered.

Rick

[Foster48x]

Here is a link to a good video of sewing seams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawRXvTZ ... re=related

Brady,
Glad you found them. Sorry I haven't been on for a while the Holiday's are insanely crazy around our house.

Rick

[Foster48x]

Coils you tell me what year the Pininfanrina badge began being placed on the glove box ?
I like the brushed aluminum you selected for your interior. I am replacing mine,but in wood. I like being able to select the color stain and gloss and it's actual real wood. Just seems to fit the cars age.
Anyway I like the badge but don't know when it was added. Perhaps when they moved the actual complete .manufacturing.

Also congrats on a Quality interior restoration.

That version of the Pininfarina badge was never a original piece on the Spider I just liked it better than the original. It's actually a Pininfarina emblem from a Cadillac Allante.

Rick