These are more of a 60's show car thing. 50's kids didn't have the money to do something like this, seats, package tray and carpet was about it. $125 in Tijuana would cover doing it.
My dad told me he wanted them in 55, but he was too poor, so he went to Western Auto and bought a quart of white enamel and brushed his running boards instead.
Funny. Mine's the opposite. As a teenager, I had no money, and I'm not even sure if the rubbers were reproduced in the late '70s-early 80s. So, some crappy house carpet padding & some black naugahyde was all I could afford. Still there all these years later. Not sure if the "Country Sedan" chrome is cool or dumb, but it's better than the "Streetrod" chrome I had on it. And, it's there until I get some real rubber covers.
I love upholstered running boards. I was talking to @Moriarity today about them. I was wondering why the majority of the pleats were always running the width of the board, rather than the length? Easier to make the pleats straight? Mark thinks it may have to do with the pleats not being parallel to the ground making it look off. Any ideas?
when they roll over the edge they won't be strait with the bend in the board, the bottom edge of the board and parallel with the ground at the same time, It will just look off in my opinion
In any case- upholstered anything is just tops. Just screams "we get dressed UP in my town!" I can't quite put my finger on why it rules. I just love the impracticality of some of the over-the-top upholstery I see on those 60's show cars. It's just so much more fun to look at!
I always dig the look. For me it was a cost thing. I could spend hundreds on new glue in covers that will Probly curl up in a few years, leave them shitty or glue 40 dollars worth pre sewn diamond tuft from Amazon on it. I chose the 40 dollar option.
Had upholstered running boards and firewall on my 33 pickup back in the day. This truck was built in the mid 60's and looked the same when I sold it in 1982.
Dang! I was just laying in bed last night thinking about pleating the seat riser! You've already done it. I was wondering what it would look like. Thanks for the pics, it's definitely on like Donkey Kong.
The Jalopy Journal
