When were black interiors used in custom or luxury cars? All black, not just as an accent color. I know they were the deal in the sixties, but I'm considering all black with lots of stuff chromes on my '49 Olds. My timeframe is early to mid fifties west coast mild custom. Thanks
I've always heard that it was more of a late-sixties thing, but you'd know better than me. I have a substantial "little-pages" collection, and I don't think that I have one picture in one magazine of a mid-fifties custom with all black interior. Then again, maybe all-black just looks crappy in newsprint. Personally, I love black interiors, I plan on doing my Buick in all black diamond tuck or 1" pleats, but I'm going for a late-sixties early seventies vibe. I think that all black would look great in your car, but I don't think that having an all-black interior would make someone point and say "Wow! Look at that period perfect mid-fifties custom!" like an all white one would.
In my part of the country (and I do mean country) it was white interiors early to mid 60's, black from then to early 70's. FWIW..The Fifties I remember was Western Auto one size fits all! My F-1 will have a black interior.
Black was popular on drivers in the southwest and SoCal in the late '50's and early 60's. My cousin had a black interior in his deuce coupe in '58, and I couldn't wait to swap out the black and white interior of my '57 Fairlane for all black in '62. But I think it was rare on high-buck and show rods, it just wouldn't photograph at all for the magazines, which were mainly b/w in those days. But I've even read in recent times in editorials and blurbs about getting your car in print how photographers will shy from black interiors, they just don't show up. I suspect that's why there isn't that much foto evidence of these interiors from back then. I don't see how running black will date your ride one way or another, I think the style of the upholstery is much more critical. Buttons, pleats, even flat will fly, but anything sculpted or the like will kill you period wise.
Black interiors are still my favorite. Yeah, black shag carpet and black fuzzy headliner. I dunno why, but its still the catsass in my book.
My 65 Satellite has an all black intrior from the factory, lots of chrome trim, hot as hell with no air in the summer being all vinyl. When I had it redone I went with cloth inserts on the seats, which helped some.
White TJ T&R was the 'hot' setup late 50's. About mid-50's white was the predominant color with black panels as a accent. Sometimes black or medium blue piping was used to accentuate the white. A few ran gray piping. Carpets were gray or black. 1962 I had a full TJ T&R black interior in my 50 Ford coupe. Recently done, but a clone of a late 50's high school hot rod. This upholstery circa 1956. (Courtesy of Kiwi Kev who played the TinMan in Wizard of Oz or sumpthin like that.)
My 49 Olds has had a black interior since 1970. It was in then around here in Wichita back then. But I'm going with a more 50's look. Should be done for the Leadsled.
For an early-mid 50's california styled, kustom interior, white or "bone white" pleated sections, with a body color surround area (such as the "horseshoe" on a sear) were standard. Check Out the Herb Ogden buick for a good idea on this look. *edit* Pictures of Riksters photo album:
Phil stuff goes in cycles.Black has been used a long time. My 1897 Goddeau had black seats........ I think the timing of other colors such as red or white is a bit harder to judge I have a 1935 BMW roadster with a black covered body and seats dash and door panels are 'hounds tooth'' red and black..... pretty sporty
howzabout do the piping to match the body color? an all black interior would get kind of depressing after awhile
Oh Chili, A black interior on a kustom.....like a good lookin' blonde in a black cocktail dress....me thinks naughty thoughts! Swankey Devils C.C.
OK, here's my thinking on this. I saw Jimmy Vaughn's Gary Howard built Ford at GNRS. He had chromed all the metal on the interior that could be dome. It has inspired me to chrome all that stuff, including the steering column and I think black might set it off best. Plus, if you've ever had an all white interior you know how it makes you feel like you have a spotlight on you. It's just so bright. Also I think it gives continuity to the planned black paint.
Yea, thats kind of like the current restored version of the above pictured Ogden 41 buick, except it has white pleats with black. Chroming all of that stuff is big $$$, but I wanna do it as well. At least with interior stuff, you can easily build the car, paint the dash and other pricey stuff to plate body color, get the car on the road, and then plate a few pieces at a time, or during the off season, and not have a $15,000 plating bill for all of the interior chrome, all at once. At least I cant afford to do it all at once. I know what you mean about how an all white interior feels funny. When I was a little kid, my grandmother had a white cadillac, with an all white interior. I always hated it in there, it felt so weird. All white pleats is a late 50's thing anyway. I would (if it were me) bring some white into the interior however, to break up the black (and take the 60's look out of it). I'd use white piping around the seats, carpet edging, headliner bows.
Do it any way YOU want it, your car, your money, your way. All black was common from late 50's on up, but as some have said was not popular in Mag's I did my car in black in 67 or so, The style sets the time not the color.
my shoebox has an all white interior, and ive just sent all the removable steel trim inside to get chromed.. I told weesner this and he said his shoe is the same, and he feels like he is driving a hospital! I think im going to have to paint my dash black to offset it a bit!
Pretty sure it's not original, sure looks good. One thing I'm wondering about is the piping about where yours is. A lot of times it ends up there with all flat upholstery or combined with T&R at the bottom of the seat back and flat at the top. The piping hits me right in the shoulder blades and bugs heck out of me. Anyone else get bugged by the piping? A small complaint, granted, and maybe I'm weird, granted, but I tend to shy away from the split pattern seats - which I like the looks of very much. Form follows function . . . nahh, I'm just weird. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No depression here:
I was reading this book on customs yesterday that the wife got me for Christmas and it seems that the earliest customs had dark interiors. I could not tell the color because of the black and white photos but it looked like a mix of black and distressed leather being used before the white tuck and roll look came about. I think that it was a transition from the coach builders to custom cars and taking ideas from there. I was planning on doing a dark interior in my '54 chevy. I am not sure how "trad" that would be for a car of that year but I plan on doing it with the style and class of the early fifty's at least.
The Jalopy Journal
