Mattson - Automotive upholstery and interior: restoration

CarTech

CarTech, Inc.

838 Lake Street South

Forest Lake, MN 55025

Phone: 651-277-1200 or 800-551-4754

Fax: 651-277-1203

www.cartechbooks.com

2017 by Fred Mattson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from the Publisher. All text, photographs, and artwork are the property of the Author unless otherwise noted or credited.

The information in this work is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. However, all information is presented without any guarantee on the part of the Author or Publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of the information and any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Readers are responsible for taking suitable and appropriate safety measures when performing any of the operations or activities described in this work.

All trademarks, trade names, model names and numbers, and other product designations referred to herein are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification purposes. This work is a publication of CarTech, Inc., and has not been licensed, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by any other person or entity. The Publisher is not associated with any product, service, or vendor mentioned in this book, and does not endorse the products or services of any vendor mentioned in this book.

Edit by Wes Eisenschenk

Layout by Monica Seiberlich

ISBN 978-1-61325-331-1

Item No. SA393

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Mattson, Fred, author.

Title: Automotive upholstery and interior restoration / Fred Mattson.

Description: Forest Lake, MN : CarTech, [2017]

Identifiers: LCCN 2017010581 | ISBN 9781613253311

Subjects: LCSH: Automobiles--Upholstery. | Automobiles--Interiors. | Automobiles--Conservation and restoration.

Classification: LCC TL256 .M38 2017 | DDC 629.2--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017010581

Written, edited, and designed in the U.S.A.

Printed in China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Title page:

Upon inspection of the new carpet set, the model reveals that some of the chalked lines need to be straightened and some additional trimming must be done before any sewing can happen. Addressing these issues now gives the carpet a better fit when it is installed.

Back Cover Photos

Top:

The locations of the armrest mounting holes are measured and transferred to the new door panel. Through-holes are cut in the new door panel with a 1/2-inch hole punch. These access holes make the attachment of the armrest hardware easier.

Middle:

The new seat cover has been steamed and inspected. The new seat cover looks just like the original when it was new. With the addition of the front accessory aprons screwed in place, the front seat is complete and ready to be installed in the car.

Bottom Left:

A piece of scrap panel board is used to size the bottom edge of the cleat. The metal is hammered over the edge of the panel board and then sized for a secure fit. It is easy to overwork the metal on small flanges like this, which causes the piece to warp.

Bottom Right:

The chrome was good on this medallion, so I opted to restore it instead of replacing it. After a thorough cleaning, the color on the medallion was restored with a fine artist brush and adding a high-gloss paint to the surface a drop at a time.

DISTRIBUTION BY:

Europe

PGUK

63 Hatton Garden

London EC1N 8LE, England

Phone: 020 7061 1980 Fax: 020 7242 3725

www.pguk.co.uk

Australia

Renniks Publications Ltd.

3/37-39 Green Street

Banksmeadow, NSW 2109, Australia

Phone: 2 9695 7055 Fax: 2 9695 7355

www.renniks.com

Canada

Login Canada

300 Saulteaux Crescent

Winnipeg, MB, R3J-3T2 Canada

Phone 800 665 1148 Fax: 800 665 0103

www.lb.ca

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to acknowledge Don Hanson, Russel Peterson, and Lon Burris for the opportunity to work on their projects and share them with you, the enthusiast.

Most of all I thank the one who saw the potential in me as a child, my grandmother, Rose, who taught me how to thread a needle and sew buttons.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fred Mattson began working on car interiors as a teenager in the 1970s by hand stitching inserts into his own 1969 Oldsmobile and working on the cars of several friends in his neighborhood.

Soon after opening a full-time upholstery business in 1980, Freds auto trimming career expanded to sewing car interiors for many prestigious upholstery shops and restoration specialists in the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities, in Minnesota.

Having earned the nickname Fearless, Fred works his magic on hopeless projects, restoring them to factory condition by fabricating missing parts and reconditioning the potentially hopeless.

Fred now restores vintage American cars. His clients have won numerous awards and trophies and credit their wins to the high quality and correctness of detail of their interiors and convertible tops.

INTRODUCTION

My goal for writing this book is to pass along some knowledge and spark interest in vintage car restoration. It is my intent to leave you with enough information to take on a project and complete it with confidence and success.

Through years of research and conversations, I have learned a trade that has brought me much joy and pain. Learning about the evolution of the automobile and then applying that knowledge to the restoration of these wonderful works of art gives me much satisfaction. Turning junk into gems is a fulfilling endeavor. I wish you the joy of being a part of the auto trimmer trade.

Except For

The one phrase I hear all the time from car enthusiasts is except for. My seats are in excellent condition except for this one seam that is split. The top on my car is like new except for the rear window that is yellow and difficult to latch. My car is perfect except for the mouse hole in the headliner.

What I know for sure is, the seat springs are broken, the foam has deteriorated, and the burlap foundation is dry rotted. When the convertible top binding is cracking and it is almost impossible to latch, it is time for a whole new top. Oh, and a mouse hole means a nest and a lot of mouse dirt is lurking just overhead.

Just because a car interior looks good, doesnt mean that it is serviceable. After 45 years or more of use, compounded by exposure to the elements, everything inside the car needs extensive repair and replacement. Factor in animal and insect infestations, and you have a smelly, filthy mess that is crying out to be replaced with clean and fresh materials.

Most car owners believe that restoring their cars interior will be really expensive. Well, it is expensive if you go about it the wrong way. You can save money on restoring the interior of your car if you know a few things.

Why Restore the Interior

The interior makes up one third of the car. The engine is one third and the body and paint are one third. Unfortunately, the interior doesnt get one third of the budget and often becomes an afterthought when it comes to your restoration dollars. As the driver, you will spend a lot of time sitting inside the car. Why wouldnt you want a nice, comfortable interior?