Archive for the ‘upholstery’ Category

Well, this isn’t working…

Posted: June 26, 2021 in DeSoto, Station wagon, ststion wagon, transportation, upholstery
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I’ve tried multiple times to update my little blog, and have been locked out. I found an end run by using my phone, so forgive the (assured MULTIPLE typos), we’ll try to catch up…

I believe we left off last fall with the DeSoto wagon running with its new Hemi, so first, an update on that.

It’s now painted, a beautiful dark garnet and pearl white, of course done here at Cool McCool’s Garage.

The interior is also done, farmed out (the first time EVER), and it’s been a frustrating and disappointing experience. All of my worst fears about hiring work out came true.

We were lied to, put off, got material we did not select, and put off for six months. The end result is good, not great, but it’s done and we’re going to live with it.

That’s be pjs, and we’re moving forward. Today I started on replacing the cargo floor and side panels in birch, made good progress. Stain and varnish will complete that part, then I need to repaint the garnish molding and the interior will be complete.

The headliner was made by the guy who did the rest of the interior, I installed it, in spite of his promise to, and I’m glad to add that to my skill set. I’m proud of how it looks,

We’d hoped to be using it by now, but being retired, I now have no deadlines, so it’ll be done when it’s done. Now that can once again post, I’ll try to keep the page updated with progress on this and all the other fun stuff happening here at Coll McCool’s Garage.

Cool McCool gets laid (carpet, that is).

Posted: March 2, 2013 in Diamond T truck, Tin Can Tourists, upholstery, Vintage trucks
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How’s this for $15.00?  I bought a 6’x9′ piece of outdoor carpet at Home Depot the other day, in a dark tobacco color I thought would compliment the leather interior pretty well.   Turns out, my guess was spot on, it’s perfect.  Not an exact match, just enough contrast to look like it was planned.  And, did I mention it was only $15?

The tricky part was cutting and fitting it to the rather complicated shape of the firewall and footwells, which I modified to fit the big 6.0 LS engine.  It turned out that making the carpet in 4 pieces, each footwell, the center hump, and another down the center of the firewall was the ticket.  I’ll bind the edges of each piece in some matching vinyl I already had, and it’ll be done. 

I have enough carpet left over to cover the seat riser, and should be able tomorrow to ge that done, get the edges bound, the speakers wired up, and listen to some tunes in my leather “man-cave”.  When it’s done, I’m going to take a glass of scotch out, climb in the cab, shut the doors, put a CCR CD in the player,lean back in the leather seat and just inhale deeply…

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Big Red Truck gets some trim.

Posted: January 31, 2013 in Diamond T truck, Tin Can Tourists, upholstery, Vintage trucks
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DSC04251 (1024x768)After my fun morning putting the chains on the GMC, I got busy and finished up the trim panels for the Diamond T.  It went very well, the look is exactly as I’d pictured it.  I’m still undecided as to paint the upper header panel over the windshield, or cover it with leather to match the headliner, but I have plenty of time to decide.  I had to hammer some blisters in the header to clear the electric wipers,  it looks like it was made that way now.  Nice.  The two holes in the bottom are for courtesy lights.  The windlace will go in, by loosening one screw at a time in the side/top panels, and push one section at a time in under the trim panels.

I’ve decided to make matching kick panels from aluminum, which will require forming an opening for the cowl vents, but it’ll look cool if I can pull it off.  Stay tuned for that. 

Meanwhile, here are some more pictures of the now very cozy, comfy cab.  It also smells great, like the inside of a mahogany cigar box, a smell I remember well as a kid. 

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Call me, “The Stitch”.

Posted: January 29, 2013 in Antique trucks, Tin Can Tourists, travel, upholstery, Vintage trailers, Vintage trucks
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DSC04230 (1024x768)Everybody needs a nickname, even if you have give yourself one, right?  Since I spent today getting ready, then laying out, cutting, and then sewing the leather for the interior panels in the Diamond T, I guess “The Stitch” is legit.

I dug the four hides I have left out of the box they’re stored in down in the basement, and happily, they still smell like leather, not a basement.  They’ve been rolled up around a cardboard fabric tube, so they weren’t too badly wrinkled, and they’re still supple.  So, I was good to go.  I had all the aluminum panels cut and fitted inside the cab for the headliner, rear and side panels, so it was a simple thing to cut out the leather to cover them.  I decided to make my own windlace to match, and used more leather for that, covering nylon rope from the hardware store.  I think it looks great.

I’ve got the main headliner panel covered and in the truck, the rest of the panels will get covered and installed tomorrow.  Here’s a peek at the work so far…

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The only sewing was the windlace and the panels above the doors, which transition from the side of the cab to the headliner.  Lacking an English wheel, I can’t make that deep compound curve, so it was easy to make separate pieces.  Once they’re all installed, it’ll look like the cab was supposed to trimmed out, not just pained steel.  It’ll be quieter, and cooler too, since the cab is all insulated with “McCool-Mat” insulation.  I should rent a vender space at the NSRA Nats and give Les Noyze some competition…