Taylor D. - Automotive Upholstery Handbook

by Don Taylor

Well friends, here it is. Im giving you a thorough overview of the auto trim trade. As a skill, it is neither a science nor an artit is both. If you read the directions laid out here for you, and follow them, youll be dealing with the science part. When you begin to work the materials, sew a smooth seam, and pull out wrinkles, only then will you begin to practice the art.

And practice there must be. No art was ever learned without practice, be it music, medicine, or auto trim. Practice on friends used cars. Let them pay for the materials; you do the work and offer no guarantees.

When you begin to get a handle on it, then you can begin to charge them a few dollars for your labor. If youre going to get serious about the trim trade, save those few dollars toward buying a good sewing machine and some of the other tools which will speed up your work and increase quality.

If you only do it as a hobby, I know youll have a world of fun. Each job will be a new challenge with the reward being satisfaction in doing a job well and creating a serviceable product. I hope you enjoy the work as much as I have for lo these many, many years.

Eddie Salcido of Master Craft Auto Interiors in Tucson, Arizona, created the outstandingly handsome upholstery on our cover car. The beautiful 1937 Ford two-door sedan, owned by Gare Perry of Farmington, New Mexico, was featured in the December 1991 American Rodder magazine.

ISBN-10: 1-931128-00-6

ISBN-13: 978-1-931128-00-1

ISBN-13: 978-1-931128-30-8 (ebook)

Published by:

California Bills Automotive Handbooks, LLC

PO Box 91858

Tucson, AZ 85752-1858

Previously published by Fisher Books.

2001 California Bills Automotive Handbooks, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Printed in USA.

21 22 23 24 25 15 14 13 12 11

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Taylor, Don (Donald D.)

Automotive upholstery handbook / by Don Taylor.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 1-931128-00-6

I. Automobiles-Upholstery.

I. Title

TL256.T38 1993 93-7376

629.26-dc20 CIP

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered with no guarantees on the part of the author or California Bills Automotive Handbooks. The author and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

This book turned out to be a bit more of a project than I originally anticipated. It was started in Escondido, California (Avocado Capital of the World) where I had a thriving auto-trim business, and finished in Framingham, Massachusetts, where I didnt. Therefore, as the book was written on both coasts, I must thank friends on each.

Escondido, Avocado capital though it may be, is also home to one of the foremost Thunderbird restoration facilities on the west coast. Jerry Olmsted, The Bird-man of Escondido, minds the store there and sent tons of work over to my shop. The first two trim projects in the book are Jerrys truck seat and a Packard seat cushion he sent over for some help. The Packard seat belonged to Roscoe R.C. Ivy.

R.C. is a friend of the shop who many years ago took the pencil and yellow pad out of my hands and introduced me to the world of electronic word processing. Now my extra-bedroom office looks like the bridge on the Starship Enterprise! Thanks, R.C. What a difference!

Theres a young man left to thankI dont know whether he belongs to the west coast or east coast folksDanny Wiener, who has helped from both locations (and on three books). He just sort of turns up. We met in California when he came out to live with his dad. About a year after I moved east Danny showed up there, returning to his roots. Whenever I needed leg work to be done and when I needed a slick red Comet to do a headliner chapterDanny was there. This book was completed in Massachusetts using the extensive help of some of the nicest folks Ive met, the staff and management of Just-Rite Auto Upholstering & Restyling Center. This 40-year-old, family-run business in Chelsea is now closed. Owners Sidney and Janice Levine and front office staff gave me full run of the shop for weeks on end. I met some very able craftspeople there: Charlie Colanna, Jeff Priest, Marvin Carr, Joe Encalada, Camille Gallagher (one of several outstanding young women coming up in the trade). Thank you, friends. I hope you had as much fun as I did. I also received great help from Van-Go in Saugus, another shop no longer in existence. This outstanding van conversion, sales and repair firm was owned by the Lampert family. Dad Mel and his son David kept this business running smoothly, creating some of the most exciting vans in New England.

Helping up front in the sales room, Larry Levine seemed to always find what the customer needs. He certainly helped me find the information I needed. In the back, Barry Vytal, shop foreman, converted customers ideas into reality. He was ably assisted by Bill McCarthy. Both helped me get the van photos you see in . They quickly learned what hold it! meant. Thanks, guys.

To all of these friends, old and new, I extend a most heartfelt thanks for your help. It made writing this book possible and a heck of a lot of fun!

As with every new endeavor, the first thing you need to know as a trimmer is what tools youll need to do the job. And yes, an automotive upholsterer is called a trimmer in the trade. He may also be known as a mechanic. In this chapter I first discuss those power and hand tools youll need to know about as you begin your work. In the second half I discuss the materials youll need, both covering and inside (filling) materials.