Here's what I did this week while I was home sick on vacation. This is the final product, but I did take a few pics along the way. I put them in my gallery when I get time. Any one can do this, no sewing machinge required. Just 1/8 luan plywood, 1/8 closed cell foam, and auto grade vinyl. I got the idea from the hotrodders com forum, the interiors section. A gent named Dan Two Lakes has a number of excellent articles in that section, take a look. A local shop quoted me $500 to do my door and kick panels. I have enough material for the door and kick panels, the rear of the cab, and the head liner for about $150. Sorry for the crappy cell phone picture.

 

That looks great. How did you get the ribs in the blue area?

 

Reall nice! Do I see Christmas trees under the vinyl?

 

Do you have a link to the site for upholstering the doors? In particular, I'd like to know/see how you butted up the gray vinyl to the pleated blue. Yep, I'd also like to know if you used the Christmas trees as that's what I'm thinking about using. Thanks.

 

The website that I got the idea from is hotrodders dot com, the interiors forum. It's a sticky in the forum, but Dan Two Lakes posts on a regular basis and is very good about answering interior questions.
They're not Christmas trees under the vinyl, but Au-ve-co 10780 trim panel fasteners, and I don't remember where I got them, other than online. About $15 plus shipping for a box of 100. They're a spring wire fastener so they don't break when you remove the panel. I should have run tape or something over the hole for the fastener so it wouldn't be visible. I thought the foam would hide it better. Oh well...
The ribs were easy. The entire ribbed panel is a separate chipboard panel, finished independently and then glued to the luan plywood. 1/8" closed cell foam is glued to chip board with contact cement. I marked the lines on the foam with a sharpie, then cut grooves at a 45 degree angle with a razor blade. Here's the important part. Only glue the grooves, not the whole surface of the foam. You'll have to glue a corresponding area on the back of the vinyl, too. When the glue is ready, place the vinyl on the foam with the glue lines matching. Quickly press the vinyl into the grooves so it sticks to the chipboard. I used a screen door tool for this, it's a wheeled tool for pushing the rubber cord into the groove on a screen door frame to hold the screen in. It looks like a small pizza cutter. Anyway, press the vinyl into the grooves and run the tool over it a few times to ensure it sticks. By only gluing the grooves, you let the vinyl compress the foam alittle and stick to the bottom of the groove. It gives a much better result than just spraying glue on the whole thing.
Here's how I did the joint between the two panels. Foam is glued to the plywood, with gray vinyl glued over that. The vinyl is cut about 1" long on all sides. On three sides, the vinyl wraps around the back of the panel and is glued fast. On the blue panel side, the gray runs past the foam and is glued flat to the plywood. There is a ledge where the foam ends. On the blue panel, the vinyl is again cut long. On the side that butts to the gray, wrap the blue around the edge of the chipboard, making a nice finished edge. Leave the other sides unwrapped. Glue the blue panel to the plywood, aligning the nicely finished gray and blue edges, then wrap the three loose blue sides around the back of the plywood, and glue. I used 3m spray trim adhesive from napa for all the glueing except the grooves, where I used standard brushable contact cement.
I'm going to use the same technique to do the rest of the interior, except the headliner. That will be a different technique that I'm still thinking about.

 

Thanks for sharing the info. You make it sound easy, but I'm not betting on it going that way for me. Doing the interior this way gives me far more options for colors & fabric.

 

Thanks for the update. I cheated and bought the pleated vinyl with foam on the back(used for boat seats). I'm still dragging my heels on doing the panels, so I have plenty of time to figure it all out.

 

looks goog rhopper. I thought you would go with yellow like the out side or maybe a leather look.

 

Hey Rusty,
I haven't tackled the interior of my '50 yet - Your's looks real nice.
Where is that piece going in the cab? Under the back window? with the blue down low or is it flipped over with the blue up top? How are you going around the corners of the cab?

Ben in Austin

 

I'm miles away from doing interior work, but this has definetely been bookmarked! very nice!

 

Rusty, you're an inspiration!

That looks really nice, thanks for sharing

Bobby

 

Dale, the doors will be yellow so the cobalt blue should contrast nicely. The gray section is largely hidden by the seat with the doors closed.
Ben, that is the drivers door and kick panels. The blue is on top just below the ridge on the door. I haven't started the rear yet but I may use aluminum sheet because it bends easily. Btw my son commented on how much quieter the cab is with the panels installed.

 

Hey Rusty,
Thanks - I was trying to put that piece in the back under the window - but I couldn't figure out how it would fit - it doesn't. I just went with the little panels that come on our F1's - I think the full door panel like yours looks much better. I still don't know how you did that blue section - I'm just going to quietly re-read your notes & see if I get it.

Ben in Austin

 

yes i see now thats going to look great. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.