Markeb01 Build Thread

[markeb01]

After fitting the raw panel shown above, I pulled it off and created a duplicate from it for the passenger side. All the holes for the buttons and door handles were drilled in both panels. After my wife stripped all the interior panels, she helped me cut up foam for every one of the pieces. I was pleased to discover my one remaining huge sheet of foam was big enough to do everything. I ended up with about a square foot of scrap.

Yesterday I drilled out all the door panel button holes in the foam, using my new application specific diamond tufting hole saw shown earlier:





It was amazing. I cut all the holes on both panels in less than 10 minutes (maybe less than 5). With the old pipe and sledge hammer routine, it would take over an hour to pound out that many holes, and my hands would be useless for days after.

I would have cut the holes in all the foam pieces, but I need to double check the diamond alignment first, especially on the kick panels as they may no longer line up with the door panels. (Note – the double hole in the second row is for the window handle). There won’t be any arm rests as I never found them comfortable anyway.

The project has been stopped pending creation and attachment of the door panel spacers. Since the new full size door panels are going to be flat, and the inside of the door is concave, fitted strips are needed to fill in the gaps at the front and rear of the new panels. I’ve actually been dragging my feet because I didn’t want to do the work. I don’t have the right equipment and it’s been freezing cold out. Daily highs have been freezing with overnight lows in the teens leaves my garage about 45 degrees if I don’t run my little ineffective propane heater.

And what I really needed for this type of detail cutting is a band saw, which I don’t own. I have a circular saw and saber saw. The circular saw was too unwieldy so I had to do everything with the saber saw, and finish up with a variety of sanders. Making things a whole lot nicer, my wife came to the rescue and offered up the use of her nice 70 sewing room to do all the cutting. I bent the corners with a heat gun, then trimmed and sanded everything until it was ready for glue. I was hoping ABS glue worked by capillary action (which it does) because that meant I could clamp everything in place and apply the glue afterward. I had intended to do all this in the sewing room – until I read the label. The ABS glue is just plain nasty. Not wanting to kill myself or blow up the house I opted to move the attachment phase out in the 26 degree back yard. It was uneventful as I preclamped everything and worked quickly. I wasn’t sure the glue would function in sub freezing temps, so I got everything back inside as soon as I could. Here are the results:

The spacers don’t show up very well, but here’s an end view of the filler strips with the glue still setting up on the passenger panel:



To get the profile right I had to mark the perimeter of the door every inch, and then record the depth measurement at every inch mark. Those dimensions were transferred to scrap ABS sheet. I only ruined and had to replace one strip, so I was rather pleased everything came out so well.

Next step is to insert the attachment probes, glue the foam to the panels, mark up the fabric and get to upholstering!

[markeb01]

After warming the garage up all morning, Saturday afternoon I spent several hours final fitting the door panels to the doors:



All of the edge spacers were sanded to closely match the door profile. After that all of the holes for the attaching probes were adjusted by enlarging the holes in the ABS panels (if needed) until the panel and the door lined up perfectly. All of the probes were inserted, and those probes with enlarged holes were taped in place to make sure they stay in alignment during the foam and upholstery phase, since they can’t be adjusted once the vinyl goes on.

If there was ever a point where I was about ready to quit the project it was yesterday. All the fitting and grinding and sanding in the miserable cold was an exhausting bummer. I was so close to upholstery and I was just about ready to put everything away until spring. A good night sleep improved my attitude. Today I got a late start but finally worked up the enthusiasm to calculate the fabric layout and mark the vinyl:



As soon as both pieces were marked I poked all the holes in the driver side vinyl and inserted the buttons. I was going to quit for the day until I realized it was only 16:30. So with some help to manage the alignment, my wife and I glued the foam to both door panels.

Being that far along I figured I’d go ahead and attach the vinyl to the panel, and then quit for the day. It took over an hour just to get the buttons in place through the foam. I figured I better start pulling the pleats before it took a set and made it harder to work on tomorrow. I quickly realized the foam I bought several years ago for the earlier tufting (which I’m using now) is much denser than the new foam I bought for the seats. It was extremely difficult to pull the pleats as the foam doesn’t have very much flexibility. The diamonds came out badly shaped or the pleats wanted to unfold. After fighting with it for a while I finally brought in a heat lamp to see if that would help – and it did.

So one thing led to another and when I put in the last staple I looked up to discover it was nearly midnight. I have a few more steps to complete in the morning before it can go on the door, but both doors should be done by tomorrow night, assuming my hands will work:



The rest of the wrinkles will work themselves out within a few days, although I have to admit I think they add character the way it looks now.

The saga continues.

[Grizz1963]

Mark, I can only take my hat off to you and your results.

I know how it is when you think just one more thing to finish and you end up four hours and three tasks later. The feeling of warmth you and your wife should have in your hearts for this job should more than make up for the lack of sleep.

I get email notification on all the threads I subscribe to and when your update came through, I thought it had been someone who was watching the sun rise, not burning the after midnight oil.

[Bomp]

Panels are looking great.
Your hard work motivates me to keep plugging away on my projects. Especially when things aren't going smoothly. Helps me realize thing aren't easy for everyone else and Im the only one having a hard time.
Hope I get a chance to get up to Spokane this next summer to check out the interior live and chat again.
I may not comment every time but I do check in all the time.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by Grizz1963

Mark, I can only take my hat off to you and your results.

I know how it is when you think just one more thing to finish and you end up four hours and three tasks later. The feeling of warmth you and your wife should have in your hearts for this job should more than make up for the lack of sleep.

I get email notification on all the threads I subscribe to and when your update came through, I thought it had been someone who was watching the sun rise, not burning the after midnight oil.

Thanks Rian, yep there’s been a lot of midnight oil getting consumed around here the last few weeks. It’s nice to know there are others with a similar work ethic that learn to handle adversity with it pops up. Yesterday was a killer that kept me up virtually all night. Once I get started it’s nearly impossible to shut off the enthusiasm until I’m done. When I was a kid my dad started numerous projects and rarely finished any of them. This drove me nuts and caused my OCD over seeing things through to completion.

In my twenties this took forever because my back controlled my output. I’d do the framing and be offline for a few days or weeks. Then I’d finish the wiring and be down more days, weeks, or months. Drywall came next followed by more downtime, etc., and it drove me nuts not being able to finish things so I could move on to something else.

I was 40 when I met Ruthann. She started out as my physical therapist and we quickly grew inseparable. She never experienced the old me, because once she stepped in I was able to work until I’d drop, she’d fix me, and I’d be up back at it again the next day. It still hurts just as bad, but I’m so happy I’m allowed to just keep going. I really related to a motorcycle jumper I heard the other day. He’d broken numerous bones and other injuries but I loved his outlook. He stated to the effect “Pain is a way of life in this business. Getting hurt and dealing with pain isn’t the focus. The bad part is not being able to get back on the bike tomorrow”!

It sure is nice having a partner that helps me keep going, because everything I do is something I’m doing for enjoyment – no matter how miserable it is!

Originally Posted by Bomp

Panels are looking great.
Your hard work motivates me to keep plugging away on my projects. Especially when things aren't going smoothly. Helps me realize thing aren't easy for everyone else and Im the only one having a hard time.
Hope I get a chance to get up to Spokane this next summer to check out the interior live and chat again.
I may not comment every time but I do check in all the time.

Thanks for checking in and your sharing your feedback. That’s why I’ve stuck with this forum for so many years. I also browse many threads on a daily basis, but frequently have nothing interesting or noteworthy to offer. I really enjoy the variety of projects, owners, and interests, even if they finished product isn’t something I’d necessarily want to own. I’ve learned so many tips and techniques just from seeing what someone else did. The door panels I’m making now are a perfect example. Until I saw another member had done it, the concept never occurred to me.

Hope and your squeeze can make it back to Spokane again next year. I’d really enjoy spending more time picking your brain.


Back on the work front, I only got a few things done today, but these will allow installation of the driver’s door panel tomorrow morning. First thing up I made spacer/washers out of ABS scrap using a hole saw. These were placed over the mid level row of attaching probes to keep the panel from bowing in:



I spent several hours trying to figure out how to determine the spindle length needed for the inside door handle and window winder. Long story short I came to realize I am going to need the ½” extension adapters I found on Ebay. They required about an hour of grinding and fitting to allow the new door handles to slip in place easily and correctly.

Once they were finalized I attached them with JB Weld in addition to the factory set screws. (I figured if the door handles come loose frequently, the adapters would never stay in place with the tiny screws included). They are shown in position here:



And finally I focused on how I’m going to open the holes in the upholstery for the door handle and window mechanisms. I got lucky on the door handle hole. I laid the panel face down on a piece of wood and cut the hole with a hollow punch:



The window crank didn’t end up in such a convenient position, so it will have to be trimmed in position with a razor knife:



The hole poked for the window winder appears as the little white dot at about 8:00 to the button. That opening is going to require a bit more effort.

Thanks to everyone for visiting!

[BOXER957]

Mark...simply amazing! I think I would have been contemplating power windows before cutting the crank holes, especially after all that work. I think I personally would have been risking a heart attack poking the holes. As usual, nothing less than stellar results. I live on Cape Cod Ma. and the constant weather change has been beatin the snot outa me so I definitely feel your pain. Being in similar physical conditionI can appreciate what it really took to do this interior, MAJOR Kudo's to you my friend for not throwing in the towel! Looking forwards to seeing them installed

[Ta2Don]

Getting' down to the wire...
Looking forward to seeing the end result all comfy looking!!!

[piratexpress1369a]

that is wild looking mark great work

[markeb01]

Well good or bad, this is the result I’ve been after. I should have put the transmission in 4th as the shifter position blocks the view of the kick panel:



And this is a little closer up:



Installing the door panel was tedious but easy, it was just a matter of making sure all the probes lined up with their corresponding holes. The window winder and door handle work fine, but they required 1” of extension, so the passenger side door panel cannot be installed until I come up with a solution (I had to use all four ½” adapters on the one door). I’m hoping my son can fabricate some 1” versions.

Note the 34 Ford door pull just above the door handle and below the window. It makes pulling the door closed super simple without an armrest, and eliminates the need to yank on the door handle.

The passenger door and kick panels are ready to cover, but without a solution for the handles I’ll probably take a few days off for Thanksgiving and to give my hands a chance to recover. The new panel makes the door feel “substantial”, and I was pleased to have confirmation that everything clears perfectly.

So far so good. Now if I can ever reach the half way point!

[likaroc13]

Looks awesome Mark! Take a break, recover, & enjoy some turkey. Hope you have a good Thanksgiving.

[piratexpress1369a]

i like it mark ..take a break and relax you need it

[markeb01]

No pictures tonight, but I finally finished up all the diamond tufting this evening. Today was relatively simple, just the panel that goes between the heater and the passenger side kick panel, and the two panels that go behind the seats to the sides of the cab. Yesterday the main center panel that goes behind/between the seats was completed along with the passenger side kick panel. The day before the passenger door panel was finished. It won’t be installed until my son finishes producing the custom handle extension adapters. I’ll probably have those tomorrow or the next day. Everything else will go in tomorrow.

The only disappointment with the entire project has been the seats. They’re comfortable to others, but the magic shape that served my back for so many years is gone. The extra padding changed the contours and I can’t give them enough seat time to break in. So they’re coming back out.

My youngest son is a custom upholstery guy, so I’m sending him matching yardage and the undamaged original seat covers for a pattern. He’s going to create “sewn” diamond seat covers that will fit exactly like the originals. The diamond stitching will be sewn inside the covers, eliminating the top stitching and allowing for buttons to be added. They won’t be an exact match for all the rest of the tufting, but the original seat shape will be restored. With the same size diamonds and vinyl they will blend in a lot better than the pleat and roll styling, and will definitely make my back happier.

Photo updates tomorrow.

[markeb01]

The only items remaining to complete the interior project are the door handle extensions and slapping the passenger side door panel in place. Everything else was installed yesterday or this morning. The big pieces spent last night under a heat lamp which removed most of the assembly wrinkles.

As a quick summary of what I’ve been working to accomplish, here’s what the interior looked like back in 2009 when I first did the small tufting:



This is the passenger side kick panel and firewall panel as of yesterday:



Here’s the rest of the interior (this morning) before the seats went in. I sure wish I could have done a bench seat instead of buckets, but my back is too unpredictable to survive on one. The floor mat is the strangest thing to photograph. In normal vision it is pitch black however it often appears gray in photos:



And here’s what it will look like until the new diamond sewn seat covers arrive:



I’m disappointed the tufted seats didn’t work out to my satisfaction, but I’m not sorry I did them. It was a valuable learning experience. I’ve wanted to attempt tufted car seats for a long time. Had I not done them now, I would have done them eventually anyway. The next attempt will produce a better result.

Now let’s see – what else do I have that can’t be left alone!

[TJ's Chevy]

I know something you can do!!!! Throw in a blown 572 with a 300 hp nitrous shot!!!!!

[WhippinSaw]

Very enjoyable read and great results, thanks for posting Markeb01. Your interior is mesmerizing. Beam me up

[Ta2Don]

Very Nice...
Looking forward to the new seat covers…

[likaroc13]

Hate to hear the seats didn't work out as you had planned concerning the comfort level, but everything looks great! Looking forward to the continued progress.

[McMurphy]

Man Mark, that interior looks comfy!!
Like an old Chicago Italian Restaurant Booth, the kind you go in for dinner, but end up staying past closing in.....

I know what you say about time getting away from you. I have to be dreadfully careful about it as it always seems that I am really in the groove right around dinner time

Great work, I love before and after comparisons too !!

[65Gregg]

Outstanding work and attention to detail, as usual. What's next?

[piratexpress1369a]

sucks that the seats did not work out for you

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by piratexpress1369a

sucks that the seats did not work out for you

That’s exactly what I said right before I pulled them out! My wife volunteered to deconstruct them so I wouldn’t have to destroy my own creations!

Originally Posted by 65Gregg

Outstanding work and attention to detail, as usual. What's next?

Thanks! I’ve been working on this upholstery project for over a month, so at this point I’m at the simple burnout stage and haven’t got a clue what to do next. I usually have to wait for inspiration to hit me, which happens regularly going through all the other builds. This entire project was the result of seeing another forum member create full size door panels.

Originally Posted by McMurphy

Man Mark, that interior looks comfy!!
Like an old Chicago Italian Restaurant Booth, the kind you go in for dinner, but end up staying past closing in.....

I know what you say about time getting away from you. I have to be dreadfully careful about it as it always seems that I am really in the groove right around dinner time

Great work, I love before and after comparisons too !!

That cozy restaurant booth feeling is part of what I’ve always loved about diamond tufting. It just always seemed rich, like some of the antique mansions I’ve visited with the diamond tufted chairs in the library with all the burled walnut. And as a kid I visited a lot of antique car museums (including Harrah’s) and most of the really early stuff had tufted seats. Then in the early 60’s some of the Oakland Roadster show cars had fully tufted interiors and I went nuts!

One of the nice aspects of being retired is I can finally try some of this stuff I never could manage when raising kids. That and I can stay up working until 4 am if I feel like it and sleep in until noon. My current schedule reminds me of a time in Vietnam and I bought myself a watch that showed the day of the week and the date of the month. Since we worked and lived in the same place 7 days a week, it was hard to know if it was Monday or Saturday, so I bought the watch so I could tell the difference. Now I don’t have to care!

Originally Posted by likaroc13

Hate to hear the seats didn't work out as you had planned concerning the comfort level, but everything looks great! Looking forward to the continued progress.

Thanks for the feedback Phillip. I knew it was a gamble when I tufted them but figured it was worth the risk on the chance they might work. I should have known better. I’m confident matching seat covers in a different pattern won’t change the profile and should look pretty decent.

Originally Posted by Ta2Don

Very Nice...
Looking forward to the new seat covers…

Thanks Don, me too!

Originally Posted by WhippinSaw

Very enjoyable read and great results, thanks for posting Markeb01. Your interior is mesmerizing. Beam me up

Thanks for the positive comments. I do hold out some hope it will eventually be finished!

Originally Posted by T.J. MCCAULEY

I know something you can do!!!! Throw in a blown 572 with a 300 hp nitrous shot!!!!!

You gotta know I’d like to!!!

[markeb01]

Naughahyde and Procar seat covers left for California today. If nothing gets in the way new diamond pattern seat covers may arrive within a week or so. I'm looking forward to getting them installed and figuring what to start on next.

[markeb01]

My machinist son woke me up this morning advising that my door handle extensions were finished. For those just tuning in, my new thicker door panels require 1” extensions on the door handle and window crank spindles to clear the upholstery. I was lucky enough to find two pair of ½” adapters on Ebay, which unfortunately was only enough for one side. Since I already JB Welded the first pair of ½” adapters to the driver’s door spindles, I’ll add the 2nd pair permanently. Meanwhile my son fabricated another pair of 1” extensions for the passenger door.

Here are some comparison photos. No idea when these were made, but the red store price stickers were dated 11/28/84:



Having no practical way to cut internal splines as on the vintage adapters, dual set screws were included to augment the JB Weld. In addition, holes were drilled allowing the adapters to be pinned to the factory spindles if needed.



Note the vintage adapters weren’t made to the highest standards. I had to grind so much off the splines to get them to fit in the handles, I had to recut the splines deeper with a Dremel tool and cutoff wheel.

[markeb01]

Pending arrival of the new seat covers, the interior is finally finished:

[bj383ss]

Looks Fantastic Mark!


Bret