Art & Inspiration Interiors, Hot Rod, Customs an good ol' stockers

I looked for an interior thread but didn't see one, if there is an old one let's start a NEW one. Hope you guy contribute, "finished interiors or not, let's see what you got." Michael/BigO

 

This one gets updated almost daily.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/plush-and-padded.1089992/

 

stock red interior 1958 Impala

Hello,

Since my brother bought this black 1958 Impala in the fall of 1957, it had the stock red interior. He knew from his first car that the interior got dirty fast, with Levis, work clothes, and going to the beach when it got hot with his friends. So, this time he told himself that he was going to get something on his seats to keep them pristine and clean. The car was new, so he did not want custom white or any color upholstery.

We knew of a store in downtown Long Beach that sold seat covers and he decided to get a set for the front and rear seats. When he got to the store, explained to the sales guy what he wanted, he was shown a clear plastic seat cover. There was a before and after photo on display. The sales guy said it was mainly for delivery guys that always slid in and out of the seats leaving marks on the surfaces. The store was a Sure-Fit dealer, based on the Howard Zink Corporation locations.

So, my brother came home with the clear ones that fit his red Impala interior. They were immaculate and the only thing I noticed was that they squeaked when we had shorts on during the warm to hot days driving around. My brother did not like the warmth of the seat covers during those beach days, too.




He solved the warm day cruising by adding those funky wire seat cushions. They cooled our backs like our own a/c system.


When it was my time to own the 58 Impala after our drag racing days were coming to a close, I kept the clear seat covers by adding a new set. The old ones started to crack at the ridges and creases. So, for the last several years of high school, I had the clear seat covers on the stock seats.

When I sold the Impala to pay for college, the new buyer was a friend. He had been in the Impala several times and knew about the things that we had modified to make the Impala fast and cool. But, he told me that he would buy the Impala if I took off those seat covers.

So, when I went to the gas station where he worked, he saw the red interior and asked if I had the whole interior refinished. He was amazed that the upholstery was like brand new despite being 8 years old. I had just cleaned the carpets and he now had a new interior for his teenage cruising /racing days.

Jnaki

That was the last thing I saw as I drove away from that gas station with another friend who followed me over there to give the Impala to our young friend for his teenage escapades. That interior saw a lot of teenage cruising/racing and it looked new, even after 8 years.

narrow driveway, 58 Impala backing up...

 

Looking nice

Thats really nice, thanks for posting. Michael

 

Pretty basic in my 34 Ford....Just used the original stuff....

 

At the ragged edge of the HAMB, I give you the interior in my mid engined V8 65 Corvair

 

My -48 3W Dodge

 

My -41 3W De Soto

 

Not a great quality photo but you can see what I’ve got.

 

My old Beater. HRP

 

Brenda's Ranch wagon. HRP

 

My 41 Plymouth.

 

I like yellow:

 

I really like the green.

 

Thanks for all the nice interior shots, beautiful rides you guy have there.

 

I thought I was the only one still using an 8 track, I can still find good tapes on Ebay.

 

For my Comet I wanted an interior that looked factory original but with a little bit of personalization. The pattern on the door panels and seats match the original although we used perforated material for the inserts and headliner. The seats are ‘64 Thunderbird, the steering wheel is original but covered in leather along with the dash pad. All the extra switches have original knobs installed, the steering column is ‘68 Cougar tilt, gauges are Autometer.

 

Now that is sharp looking, congrats on beautiful interior.

 

Just the basics. Radio doesn't even work. Couldn't hear it anyhow.

 

Love the older styles,even some of the old pull-over covers that Wastern Auto had so long ago.
Do to pro. $ cost,I had to learn how to do it my self***,as the Cool old guy that did my rods n customs passed away 20+ years back RIP Nuwet.
I made a Tech for HAMB about;
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-sew-at-home-upholsrety-hot-rod.604077/

 

Thanks, @firemangordy

Hello,

In my recollection of our times as teenagers in high school, 1959-62, it was very popular to get white tuck and roll upholstery of any kind in the colorful sedans and even those that had custom roadsters/coupes. But, unless it was a TJ white tuck and roll upholstery job, the local expenditures were way over our measly teenage job/bank savings.

At the time, there was nothing wrong with TJ upholstery. Our parents just dreaded the phone call if we got in trouble south of the border. It was a little hairy, but finding a reliable vendor and work crew was important. We stayed to watch, but in every case, we got in and out easily. For some reason, the border check points did not question teenagers in an all-white tuck and roll custom car. The situation was probably repeated so much that it was old news.

For the best viewing of any of the Chevy sedans that had the all white tuck and roll upholstery, the look of @firemangordy and his immaculate purple 55 Chevy just hits the spot. The pristine green 55 Chevy of our friend was similar in looks and the white upholstery just stood out for blocks with the green paint. It is the best example of the Chevy Sedans during our years as teenagers.

Thanks to HAMB’s @themoose

I remember it was a Green Shade with White tuck and roll upholstery that was done in a Long Beach shop. But, leaning toward the Dark Green is getting the favorite nod. The other lighter color was a candy color, so, it could have been the lighter green. It was one of the only cars we knew that had a local paint and upholstery shop do the work. The owner was on the high end of the money scale and cost was no object. Not like it was for most of us.

At our old Long Beach Poly HS premier parking spot was the “T” intersection of 16th Street and Atlantic Ave. The first 5 to 6 sidewalk parking spots had a straight view from our school across the street. Someone was always watching, like the off campus security guard at the front entrance. Also, the classrooms were glass walls facing the parking areas, so, someone was always looking out of the windows as normal students will do to pass the time away.

The last saving grace was the row of homes across the 16th street area and the multitude of elementary parents hanging around the school on the other corner. For us, it was as secure as any private parking lot in the whole neighborhood. No on-campus parking for any teenager was available back then.

So, imagine this green 55 Chevy parked across the street in parking spot Number 1 and you can see the element of theft is very low, due to being in the public eye. It was one parking spot or spots we all wanted to have for our sedans and hot rods.

Jnaki

The white upholstery stood out from those that were walking from anywhere to get to the front of the school entrance. It was “THE” coveted parking spot every year or time of the year. Many of our friends tried to get up earlier than the rest, just to be able to get that spot.

But, for the two years of the Green 55 Chevy, it was always parked in number 1 or #2. He had the advantage, as we knew he lived in Palos Verdes and somehow got a legal transfer to come to LB POLY HS. How? Who knows. Boundary limits were odd ball, that was for sure. So he arrived earlier most of the time.

old Friday Art

The white upholstery became, almost the standard in the sedans. Most of the custom cars and hot rods in magazines also had white upholstery. So, our group’s silver 56 Chevy post sedan and a 53 Chevy Bel Air got the TJ white tuck and roll upholstery. Add in another 46 Purple Ford coupe with his TJ white upholstery and there was at one time, a row of them sitting down this parking area in front of the high school.

My 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery did get the #1 spot many times, but it was the Salmon Pink color, was a raw daily driver/ surf vehicle and not a custom car. But, our friends did get a chuckle when the sedan delivery was parked in the #1 spot.

 

I've bought several tapes on ebay, fortunately for me I like Old Country and the condition is most often really good because they weren't as heavily used as rock an roll tapes.

 

40 Ford coupe

 

Love the window trim.

 

Beautiful color.

 

What we are rocking in Taboo. The seats and console are out of a 60 T bird.

 

In my Thames, SAAB seats, Dakota digital meters, Speedway steering wheel and the rest is home made

 

40 standard coupe