Here is the start of the arm rest made out of 1/2" round tube. It will be covered in Sheetmetal and setup for padding in the upholstery.
A side view of the arm rest in place skinned in Sheetmetal from the passenger side. I have left 1/2" of space to allow for foam and upholstery both on the sides and more for the top. Next is the box under the arm rest lid for storage, cup holders and installation of side panels from wood along with a/c-heat switches etc. Also going to add a back up camera since these cars are real hard to see behind etc.
Michael, can you post a picture of how you mounted your t-bird rear seat? please. Also I got the same speaker covers awhile back, I can't decide if I'm going to put them in the doors or the kick panels. I'll be using them with tweeters. Love the build.
Hey ZZ Top, This is how I did mine. I made a Skeleton out of 1" Square Tubing, here is the bracing for the center of the bottom of the seat.
You can see the front "stop" which supports the bottom of the seat closest to the bottom of this picture.
I am pointing with my thumb and index finger at the tube I used to locate and lock the seat bottom in place which is similar to how the T Bird seat was originally installed.
The last pic I am pointing at the bottom of the seat where the tube "stop" will lock up against when you push the seat down into place
Got after it today in the garage and finished the center console. I made it out of 1" round tube framing and skinned it in 16 and 18 gauge Sheetmetal so when it is upholstered, it will have rounded corners. I mad a tray 4" deep to hold the all important cell phones etc and added 2 cup holders normally used for boats for beverages. The arm rest flips up and has a large box for storage in it too. Last, I mounted my Tach just in from of the shifter where its easy to see. Next, I need to figure out what to do with the hole in the dash where the clock is normally installed as it is an uncommon size gauge and I don't want to run it because it will not match all my other gauges. Thinking about making a cover with a Mercury Head in it that lights up so I can also use the original trim that goes there.
Interior Update: Continuing the wood work making the panels that will be upholstered and a close friend of mine, Jon, stopped by to check progress. Upon looking at the hole between the T Bird Seat Tops, he asked what I was going to do to fill this in? I showed him the fold down arm rest and upon checking that out, he said that the arm rest should be full length instead of stopping half way up. They stop half way up because the package tray for the T Birds fills in that space. After looking at lengthening the arm rest, I discovered that it would not lay down correctly because of the shape of the bottom of the seat. So, what do we do? Jon, an excellent fabricator in his own right, suggests that we make a tube skeleton, get some Stainless, bead roll it, and cover the skeleton. He thought that bringing more Stainless into the interior would break it up and accentuate the Stainless trim on the outside of the car. Here is the result of a day of fabricating, understand that it still needs a little tuning on the shape, polishing, and that the upholstery will meet up with the gaps on the sides. I like the beads as they will also compliment the pleats in the upholstery later on. Its just another different idea to ponder to tie the car together better.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, here's a quick update on a small project I just finished. I restored my 55' Desoto Tail Light Lenses ( These are extremely hard to find!), replaced the "Red Dots" originally installed in them with the traditional "Blue Dots", painted the Reverse Light Lenses white as they are even harder to find and were very murky in color and final installed the Tail Lights in the re chromed bezels. I really like these now that they are installed...………..! You can also see the "Frenched In" Desoto Bumper and the perfect gap between the rear splashpan and the edge of the bumper. This bumper detail is a direct result of the combination of work by Craig Gilliam and by Khalil and his crew at Canoga Auto Works as both demanded we do fit up of all parts throughout the body work and paint process. Last, the molded in Shoebox License plate assembly with the wicked lead work by Craig Gilliam and the final prep of this area by Canoga Auto Works speaks for itself. There is an optical illusion in this picture as it appears that the passenger side tail light is pointing down but this is from camera angle-I had to double check it myself! I believe that Kustoms are all about details and have been schooled on the subject here on the HAMB, so I am thankful today for all of the information I have gleaned here on this site!
Hello Hambers, Hoping this finds you and your families safe and healthy. Been working in the Merc during this time and am going to share some update pics. Had some beautiful pinstriping done while I’m waiting my turn to get my car into the upholstery shop. Got lots done under the hood too like adding traditional finned valve covers painted to match etc. hope these pics bring a smile to some faces in light of the virus.
Here’s another update: getting exciting now! Upholstery next. The door panel I made utilizes Studebaker Lark trim that will separate the pearl essence white and dark blue pleats etc. that Lark trim magically matches the Merc’s “dip” in the door outside which will bring it inside too. What else do you guys see in the pic? It’s a challenge for you now
Looks like part of a "Drive in " speaker you are using for your door speaker cover. And of course the "Mic" shift knob.
the drive in speaker is pretty bad ass. I have one of those I was going to use for my car during shows.
You got it, there is a guy on the east coast who bought the foundry of the original drive in speaker mfg. he sells replica complete speakers, stands AND these half speaker covers which I simply modified for covers for my 4 speakers. He has many different styles from different years and the quality is excellent. He still supplies all of the remaining drive-ins with original speakers also, pretty cool....
The company is called Detroit diecast, and they have lots of different speakers available like I just talked about in my last post. In order to make them work you’ll have to drill the back out and tap the stands on the inside of the speaker cover so you can both them to your door frame or door panel. Looks like we’re onto something here, starting a new trend?
Here is an update on the project. On the trailer returning home after completion of the upholstery. This pic shows the Custom Made Removeable Carson Top after upholstery.
First look at the interior prior to the Carson Top being installed. I had cut the bolsters off of the seats to make them more period correct and the end result was just what I wanted. The Blue in the upholstery actually changes color in the sun at different angles and at certain angles it matches the outside color of the car. Look at where the center console meets the dash and you can see the color match as the sun hits it. Got to give my wife the credit for seeing upholstery color and material this and helping pick it! The white upholstery is actually pearl essence white and also changes in the sun. Note the bottom of the door panels also have a small strip of the carpet which matches the carpet in the rest of the car. I tried my best to keep this as traditional and period correct as possible.
Looking into the rear of the car, the T-Bird Wrap Around Seat and filler piece in front of it really finish this off nicely.
Side view of the interior with headliner pleats etc. The "Lark" trim i used on the door panels to separate the blue and white was welded together seen here under the arm rest and still has to be removed, sanded and polished. The speakers and drive in speaker covers are to be installed once I complete the next big project-The Glass. Next updates will be the install of the flush glass split windshield and back window into the Carson Top. Last will be the reverse opening 49' Merc Rear Door Wind Wings I am fabricating and the Door Windows.
The Jalopy Journal
