Hot rod case study: "Fine Wine"

Using traditional tuck-and-roll methods, upholsterer creates “old style” custom interior to fit classic Buick.

Upholstery Journal | August 2008

by Al Berndt, Rapids Upholstery

  • The customer came in with this 1995 Steve Sanford rendering of a ’58 Impala interior from The Rodder’s Journal. He always thought it would make a cool-looking interior, so he added some modifications to fit his style and vision for the car and the per
  • Before any work begins on the car, the paint must be protected. I wrap the nicely painted dash and steering wheel. Then I tape off the door edges, jambs and sills. A roll of tape now is cheaper than touching up chipped and scratched paint later.
  • Layered plywood is adhered to the roof. I made recess cuts for the bows from the stock headliner. Insulation was installed after the plywood strips. Bows were cut and reshaped to allow for the plywood strips.
  • Overlay cut out of 1⁄8-inch plywood and fastened to the layered plywood that was previously installed. The front had to be cut away from the windshield to allow for the sun visors.
  • The overlay was sewn in majestic pearl purple vinyl with 31, 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleats, glued and wrapped to the 1⁄8-inch board, then outlined with a color-matched welt. Now it’s ready to install.
  • The headliner overlay is installed over the pearl white vinyl stock bowed headliner. It will be finished off at the rear window when the garnish trim is installed.
  • Door panels and rear panels are fitted and ready to be covered in a 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleat using the stock trim and moldings. Special ordered purple Daytona weave carpet is cut and sewn.
  • I foamed up the seat following the basic design. The insets are 1-inch foam, and 2 ½-inch foam on the rest of the seat. A rolled contour to the insets is ground and shaped to give a nice smooth look.
  • Here, the rear seat is foamed up and fitted in the car. Seats have a tendency to grow while you’re building them. At each step in the process, from springs to cover, the seat must be sized and fitted.
  • The base is sewn and fitted first. Then the backs are test fitted with foam only to insure that patterns line up. Next the backs are completed. The tricky part is making all the design lines flow perfectly.
  • The front seat finished up and ready to install.
  • The trunk was finished off with the matching tuck-and-roll theme. The center panel is removable for access to the battery and additional storage.
  • At the customer’s request, I made a radiator and an inner fender well cover that matched the interior. It had the pearl white vinyl and majestic pearl purple, tuck-and-rolled. He uses these pieces only when showing the car.
  • The 1950 Buick Roadmaster with the proper stance and modifications makes a killer custom right out of the late ’50s.

Share This Article

  • Del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmark
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • Twitter

Tags

The customer brought this 1950 Buick Roadmaster two-door sedan from Connecticut to Minnesota approximately six years ago as a retirement project.

This project was unique in that the customer wanted the “old style” custom. As a kid he saw these cars customized in magazines, and wanted to build one for himself. He named the car “Fine Wine.”

When I got the car it was a bare shell, but is was ready for upholstery. On my web site, rapidsupholstery.com, I have an article called, “Are you ready for upholstery?” This customer always follows the tips and makes sure his vehicles are upholstery-ready when he brings them to my shop.

He had the seats and frames stripped of all the old fabric, and prepped for the new materials. All door hardware and trim was original, cleaned and polished. Door panels were fabricated new, and simulated from the original design. The design for the headliner came from a hotel note pad that the customer sketched during one of his car cruises.

This project won a Gold award in the 2008 Upholstery Journal Design & Craftsmanship Contest.

  • The customer came in with this 1995 Steve Sanford rendering of a ’58 Impala interior from The Rodder’s Journal. He always thought it would make a cool-looking interior, so he added some modifications to fit his style and vision for the car and the per
    The customer came in with this 1995 Steve Sanford rendering of a ’58 Impala interior from The Rodder’s Journal. He always thought it would make a cool-looking interior, so he added some modifications to fit his style and vision for the car and the per
  • Before any work begins on the car, the paint must be protected. I wrap the nicely painted dash and steering wheel. Then I tape off the door edges, jambs and sills. A roll of tape now is cheaper than touching up chipped and scratched paint later.
    Before any work begins on the car, the paint must be protected. I wrap the nicely painted dash and steering wheel. Then I tape off the door edges, jambs and sills. A roll of tape now is cheaper than touching up chipped and scratched paint later.
  • Layered plywood is adhered to the roof. I made recess cuts for the bows from the stock headliner. Insulation was installed after the plywood strips. Bows were cut and reshaped to allow for the plywood strips.
    Layered plywood is adhered to the roof. I made recess cuts for the bows from the stock headliner. Insulation was installed after the plywood strips. Bows were cut and reshaped to allow for the plywood strips.
  • Overlay cut out of 1⁄8-inch plywood and fastened to the layered plywood that was previously installed. The front had to be cut away from the windshield to allow for the sun visors.
    Overlay cut out of 1⁄8-inch plywood and fastened to the layered plywood that was previously installed. The front had to be cut away from the windshield to allow for the sun visors.
  • The overlay was sewn in majestic pearl purple vinyl with 31, 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleats, glued and wrapped to the 1⁄8-inch board, then outlined with a color-matched welt. Now it’s ready to install.
    The overlay was sewn in majestic pearl purple vinyl with 31, 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleats, glued and wrapped to the 1⁄8-inch board, then outlined with a color-matched welt. Now it’s ready to install.
  • The headliner overlay is installed over the pearl white vinyl stock bowed headliner. It will be finished off at the rear window when the garnish trim is installed.
    The headliner overlay is installed over the pearl white vinyl stock bowed headliner. It will be finished off at the rear window when the garnish trim is installed.
  • Door panels and rear panels are fitted and ready to be covered in a 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleat using the stock trim and moldings. Special ordered purple Daytona weave carpet is cut and sewn.
    Door panels and rear panels are fitted and ready to be covered in a 2-inch tuck-and-roll pleat using the stock trim and moldings. Special ordered purple Daytona weave carpet is cut and sewn.
  • I foamed up the seat following the basic design. The insets are 1-inch foam, and 2 ½-inch foam on the rest of the seat. A rolled contour to the insets is ground and shaped to give a nice smooth look.
    I foamed up the seat following the basic design. The insets are 1-inch foam, and 2 ½-inch foam on the rest of the seat. A rolled contour to the insets is ground and shaped to give a nice smooth look.
  • Here, the rear seat is foamed up and fitted in the car. Seats have a tendency to grow while you’re building them. At each step in the process, from springs to cover, the seat must be sized and fitted.
    Here, the rear seat is foamed up and fitted in the car. Seats have a tendency to grow while you’re building them. At each step in the process, from springs to cover, the seat must be sized and fitted.
  • The base is sewn and fitted first. Then the backs are test fitted with foam only to insure that patterns line up. Next the backs are completed. The tricky part is making all the design lines flow perfectly.
    The base is sewn and fitted first. Then the backs are test fitted with foam only to insure that patterns line up. Next the backs are completed. The tricky part is making all the design lines flow perfectly.
  • The front seat finished up and ready to install.
    The front seat finished up and ready to install.
  • The trunk was finished off with the matching tuck-and-roll theme. The center panel is removable for access to the battery and additional storage.
    The trunk was finished off with the matching tuck-and-roll theme. The center panel is removable for access to the battery and additional storage.
  • At the customer’s request, I made a radiator and an inner fender well cover that matched the interior. It had the pearl white vinyl and majestic pearl purple, tuck-and-rolled. He uses these pieces only when showing the car.
    At the customer’s request, I made a radiator and an inner fender well cover that matched the interior. It had the pearl white vinyl and majestic pearl purple, tuck-and-rolled. He uses these pieces only when showing the car.
  • The 1950 Buick Roadmaster with the proper stance and modifications makes a killer custom right out of the late ’50s.
    The 1950 Buick Roadmaster with the proper stance and modifications makes a killer custom right out of the late ’50s.

Comments

Comments are the opinion of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Upholstery Journal or Industrial Fabrics Association International.

  • Tino Flores
    Tino Flores
    Feb 14, 2012
    6:46 pm CST

    Bam! That's how to do it.

    Wonderfully done. Great pictures. Question, how did you fasten the center channeled insert? I know some use hog-rings and I've seen Velcro, did you glue? Great concept design too. Post more!!!
  • Al Cummings
    Al Cummings
    Apr 28, 2010
    12:39 pm CDT

    Fine Wine

    Nice work!  I enjoyed the photo's and knowledge you shared.

    thanks,

    Al

Submit a Comment

Required. Will appear next to your comment.
Required. Will not be displayed on site or used to send unsolicited messages.
If applicable. A link to your site will appear with your comment.
Optional. Will appear in bold type above your comment.