When it comes to installing interior trim you really only have two options, do the work yourself, or have someone else do it. In the restoration world, doing the work yourself usually means browsing catalogs for replacement pieces then doing the install yourself. In the “it ain’t strictly stock” world of automotive construction it isn’t likely you will be able to earmark any catalog pages where all you need to decide upon is the color of the trim. I’m not aware of any company making headliners tailored to fit chopped tops or carpet kits designed to work with shop engineered drive shaft tunnels. That’s where do-it-yourself takes on a whole new meaning an d h aving someone else do it can suddenly seem like the best thing to do.

Okay, let’s consider turning this project over to a professional an d h ave him do the interior. The first step is to find a qualified trim shop and look at their work. Most shops are happy to show off their work. Don’t be surprised if they are reluctant to have you walking around the shop alone. Insurance is very costly and safety is paramount. When you do get to see their work look for details such as straight seam lines and trim panels that fit. Like everything else, quality shows through and you’ll know almost immediately if the shop is worth consideration.

Then ask about scheduling. Most good trim shops are busy, very busy. They may only install one or two full interiors at a time and each one may take months to complete. Be ready to get in line.

Then there is the question of how much. Okay, it varies. If you want leather expect to pay more, much more. If you want vinyl that looks like leather you’ll pay a little less. Is leather better? Yes and no. Leather is considered the top of the heap in custom interiors. You just can’t beat the look and feel of genuine leather. On the flip side leather seats look great for a while, then they begin to show wear in the form of wrinkles and shiny spots. Leather will also stain. Vinyl won’t. Consider that if you have grand kids waiting to take a spin in the new ride.

Didn’t know the trim guys charged that much? Now you do. So what’s left? How about a do it yourself interior that won’t require any sewing on your p art ? Sound good? You bet.

The first thing you need is a plan. Custom interiors don’t just happen, they are planned down to the last detail then constructed according to that plan. The second thing you need is something with which to construct the interior.

What’s the plan for this car an d h ow did I arrive at such a lay out? The plan calls for a vinyl interior using three different colors of material. The two base colors, a light gray and a darker gray, were derived from the colors in the seats I lucked into finding on one of my excursions to the automotive reclamation center. Those seats are two tone gray.

The third color is red. This will be used as an accent piece and will coordinate with the red band on the dash as well as bring the red exterior graphics color into the car. This keeps the flow of the car in tune, and as my art istic mother woul d h ave put it, “completes the touch”. 

The material list consists of vinyl trim, foam padding, a suitable backing material, and something from which to make templates. I’ll go into more detail about these materials as I move deeper into the process, but right now I need to complete my plan. It is hard to order materials if you don’t know how much you need.

Look through the window of any street rod and the first piece of interior trim you will see is the opposite door trim panel. Since this is the first p art of the interior seen this is also the best place to st art the interior trim scheme layout. I’m using heavy cardboard to make my templates and they will serve as the drawing boards for laying out the interior design. How heavy is the cardboard? In print shop terms it is twenty five point. In body shop terms it is .025 thick.

I’ve taken the time to carefully trim and fit the template to the door. You’ll notice from all of the drawing that I had several fits and st art s before I arrived at a final layout.

To explain what I’ve come up with here the area of the template covered with masking tape denotes the placement of the red stripe. This stripe actually begins on the dash panel and will flow across the door and end on the qu art er panel trim piece. Notice that the stripe gets progressively wider as it moves towards the rear of the passenger comp art ment. Parallel lines are very difficult to construct and can detract from the looks of the car if not done right. Allowing the red band to widen as it moves rearward eliminates that problem.

Just below the red stripe on the door panel I’ve penciled in the position of the arm rest. Since the bulk of this trim panel will be covered with the light gray material I’ll cover the arm rest with the darker gray. Like I did with the red stripe, I’ll let the darker gray material continue on and move across the qu art er panel trim piece.

So now I know I need several yards of the light gray vinyl, I’ll order ten, and at least as much of the dark gray vinyl. I’ll order another ten yards of this material. I won’t need much of the red so a couple of yards will do. As for foam I’ll order ten yards of qu art er inch thick closed cell foam and ten yards of eighth inch thick closed cell foam. I’ll also drop by my local home improvement center and pick up two sheets of eighth inch thick Lauan plywood.

Project provided by:

Larry Lyles, owner

LPL Body Works

Amarillo , TX 79109