Classic panels

An experienced upholsterer creates door panels for a “Grand Old Cad.”

UpholsteryJournalMag.com | January 11, 2012

By Marshall Spiegel

They roll in the door at upholstery shops across the world, much like this 1952 Cadillac convertible. Call them “relics” or “antiques” or “classics,” cars like these are usually what’s left of what were once proudly hailed automobiles. They all have a few things in common. They are old, show the scars of hard use and abuse and they usually have parts missing. These vehicles are barely running—if they are running at all—by the time their owners have chosen restoration over the junkyard. And they almost always show up at the upholstery shop before receiving any other attention in the restoration process. How lucky can the world’s upholsterers be?

As fate would have it, this ’52 Cadillac had been to the body shop to have some ripples straightened and to receive a fresh coat of its original stock light green paint before it arrived at the upholstery shop.

The task of reupholstering the old Caddy fell to Max Chavez, a master upholsterer with more than 30 years of experience at Bud’s Auto Upholstery, a shop that has become an institution since its founding in Long Beach, Calif., in 1947. “Maestro Max” had completed reupholstering the Caddy’s seats in two-tone green leather before he began “creating” door panels to match.

When the Caddy arrived, there was nothing left of the 55-year-old stock door panels. However, a pair of plain door panel covers had been added many years earlier over the stock covers, and an impression of the original cover design was still visible on the inside surface of the replacement covers. From this impression—and drawings of the original ’52 Caddy interior found by the Caddy’s owner—Chavez was able to create close replicas of the original upholstery.

Chavez began the door panels by crafting a pattern from chipboard. He translated the pattern into waterproof panel board. He also sewed a pattern of vinyl and foam bearing the simple (but interesting) original design for the light green lower section of each door panel. Next, he made a pattern of “bowdrill” fabric so he could reproduce the plain dark green upper section of each door pattern.

After fashioning a cover for each door panel of leather and quarter-inch foam, Chavez made matching welting of leather, and stapled the leather covers to the form boards.

The finished door panels are flawless reproductions of the stock design that Maestro Max reproduced for the seat upholstery.

After the floor is recarpeted, the seats and the door panels will be installed. Thanks to its new interior, the ’52 Cadillac convertible can do its owner proud once more.

Classic panels: start to finish

Max Chavez, a 25-year veteran upholsterer at Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif., began creating new door panels by fashioning a pattern out of chipboard.

From the chipboard pattern, Chavez produced two door panel forms of waterproof panel board, one for each door.

Before Chavez began the new door panels, he had reproduced the stock design in two-tone green leather on the freshly reupholstered seats.

The customer, very interactive in the restoration of the interior of his car, found these sketches of the original ’52 Caddy convertible interior.

Chavez followed all the tedious steps to create the new door panels by cutting the leather and foam, bonding them together and stapling the covers to the forms.

This well-preserved metal trim piece, painted in the two shades of green used for the upholstery, was a stock finishing piece at the top of each original door panel.

A pair of old, deteriorated Cadillac armrests acquired by the owner were not from the correct model year, but Chavez managed to rebuild them and make them fit.

Chavez test-fits the stock metal trim on his remarkable replica of the factory ’52 Caddy door panel—complete with upper trim, armrest and original design.

Marshall Spiegel is a freelance writer based in San Pedro, Calif.

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