Customer Reviews

Custom Auto Interiors

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own a trim shop myself and do alot of custom interiors. I'm always searching for new ideas and techniques. This book has a world of knowledge for the beginner. I picked up some info myself and I've been doing this for many years. The supplier list in itself is very helpful. This is the best book on custom trim I've seen to date. There are a few vague places but it would be impossible to include every tiny detail. The book does make it sound easier than it actually is, but there is no substitute for experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in custom trim work. I wish it had been available when I started.

I finally decided to do something about the half-disintegrated and shockingly smelly interior of my '52 Chevy pickup. Now, the smart thing would have been to hand it off to a professional and pick it up a few weeks later completely done. Unfortunately, the six grand or so it would have cost me is almost as much as the truck's worth. So, perhaps unwisely, I decided to do it myself. It's now 90% finished (see pic) and I have to admit that I owe a large portion of my success to this book. It's undoubtedly the best thing on the market.

Having said that, though, it's far from perfect. The photos are poor quality snapshots that make it hard to see three-dimensional shapes, there are strange omissions, and many of the brand recommendations are downright bizarre.

But instead of waxing rhapsodic about the book's problems, I'm going to use the rest of my review to try to give you the benefit of my hard-won experience. Keep in mind that my project was about as difficult as they get--I had to make everything custom, because my truck didn't have much of an interior when it was originally manufactured. Yours should be easier.

OMISSIONS
This book is obsessed with using chipboard to make complex shapes that can then be upholstered. All very lovely if the shape isn't too complex to wrap smoothly and if this is the look you're going for. In many cases, it's much easier to use fiberglass and body filler to create a paintable custom piece. This is standard practice for virtually everything relating to stereo enclosures (see mine in the photo.) The only reason I can think of that the technique isn't so much as mentioned is that the authors are currently writing a book about it. Check the web for pretty much all the info you need to make whatever you want.

There is no information provided on the tools you'll need, no instruction on sewing, omissions in the information on laying carpet, etc., which (probably intentionally) forces you to read Taylor's Automotive Upholstery Handbook.

WHAT YOU WANT TO AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE
Sewing is hard. And even if, like me, you can con your mother into doing it, then you have seams to deal with and they are brutal to keep straight when you're gluing. Design your interior to keep sewing to a minimum.

I would rather stick my tongue in a hornet's nest than glue in a custom headliner. Nine yards of contact cement-covered material suspended over your head, trying to stick to everything, including your hair. And one mistake, you get to rip it all out. Granted, mine is ridiculously hard due to the acute angles in the back of the cab, but still you should still seriously consider having this done professionally.

BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS
There aren't many in this book, but almost none make sense based on my experience.

Glue is all important--the difference between an easy five-minute job and an endless disaster. The only advice given (actually in the Automotive Upholstery Handbook as I recall) is to buy the most expensive stuff you can find. This is just as stupid as it sounds. I tried Stick-it, Tac-it, and Duo-something, among others. All with horrible results. DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T MADE BY 3M!!! Note the cheesy use of caps and multiple exclamation marks. I'm serious here.

Q-pads: This is a messy, expensive, and obsolete asphalt sound deadener. Use RAAM-Mat or go to sounddeadenershowdown if you want to really geek out on the subject.

Mellowhide: This is nice vinyl and I used it based on their recommendation, but it's hard to find and apparently it doesn't store well in non-climate controlled situations, prompting my supplier (the excellent Larry Dennis company) to quit carrying it. It's probably an off-gassing issue and I haven't had a problem with the installed interior, but if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't take the chance.

OTHER TIPS
Foam dulls razorblades incredibly fast and a dull blade can ruin hours' worth of work in the blink of an eye. Figure three feet of cutting in 1/4 foam before you have to throw the blade away.

I made the mistake of using glue in rattle cans. Buy a gallon of the stuff and spray it with a primer gun. It's far cheaper and will give you a more consistent coating with no globs that might telegraph through your material.

This is not a science, it's an art. Buy some cheap materials and play around before trying something that's actually going to go in your car. It's not complicated, but it can be kind of subtle.

That little 3" sander you see them using in the pictures is your best friend. It's called a polisher, though. Searching the Net for "3 inch sander" won't get you anywhere.

Good luck, and remember: Patience!

This book took a lot of the mystery out of building custom interiors for me (a beginner). It covers a broad range of things, from building seats and door panels to headliners. Check out the table of contents. The authors obviously work mostly on hot rods but you can apply this knowledge to building interiors for newer cars. It doesn't go into extreme detail, (it wouldn't really be feasible to do so!) but it delivers on it's promise. If you're into fiberglass interiors for the newer cars, you may want to try another book.

Yes, the best, bar none. If you're a veteran like me, there were probably guys in your crowd who could do engines, trannys, paint/bodywork, even a little electrical. But nobody, NOBODY had a clue on how to do the interior. This book reveals the secrets and the inside tips step by step, easy to follow, and yet, not tedious. Quite the contrary, it is an enjoyable read full of discovery. Even if you only have basic skills like cutting plywood with a saber saw, you can probably put together a great interior for your car armed only with patience and this book. And that goes for new cars too- the techniques are totally up to date. The fact that they are illustrated on hot rods doesn't mean they won't work on the latest models. You just have to be thoughtful and creative, and anything is possible. Most Highly Recommended.

It was an informative book, but not what I was looking for. It dealt entirely with older cars (aka hot rods) and didnt come close to touching on any newer cars and the custom panelling or anything that would go into them.

A colour guide to customizing the interior of any vehicle.This book is a step by step guide(and in colour)from designing to completing your interior.Even though the book shows various hot rods the techniques apply to any vehicle.This is a comprehensive guide and is great value for the money.This should be your first book on customising interiors.There are plenty of books that cover other areas of car restoration to add to your collection.

I also recommend this book:
"How to restore and customize upholstery & interiors".By Dennis.W.Parks.(Motorbooks Workshop series.)

Many examples of the authors own custom interiors, an abundance of pictures
Bought this book while starting to customize a camper van, most of the examples in the book are convertibles and hot rods.
great starting point with good ideas.

this is a great book for someone who has at least a basic knowledge of upholstery. I think it might be frusterating for a real beginner. A lot of really good information.

Whether you're an experienced upholsterer or someone new to the trade, this is a great guide. There are many excellent color photos and lots of detailed instructions on how to do what the photos show. This should be in every auto upholsterer's library.

I purchased this book to understand a little of the process of designing and making a custom interior. The designs are good, but maybe a little dated. For instance, it's mainly street rods and no discussion of the newer 'pimp' style look. No AV system installs - which I was most intrested in finding how some of the flowing speaker enclosures are done.
Very good photography throughout... you can pick some nice ideas if you're doing a street rod.