As a new upholstry student, I have some questions.
10-01-2008 | 02:59 PM
#1
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 285
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: LO3
Transmission: T-5
As a new upholstry student, I have some questions.
Well, I am in my second quarter of Auto upholstery, and Im trying to re-do the interior on my camaro, after all, part of why I bought the car was because the interior needed re-done. I have a few question fom the experts though. (Thats you people)
Topic 1, headliner
Topic 1, headliner
I recently did a headliner for my dads pickup, and the board was in BAD shape, so I learned a lot. Now I want to the headliner on my T-top camaro, and I can already see myself destroying it, and since the instructors dont have much experiance with T-top cars, I wanted your guy's opinions before I start.
1. How do you get the sucker off?
2. Once its off, and I have repaired any damage to the bored, I would like to find some way to seal the non visable side, if possible. I am useing "All Sport" Vinal, which is VERY expensive, and I really dont want to **** this up and waist $50 in materials just because my T-tops leak.
3. Finaly, to actualy aply the vinal. We use a very impresive contact cement at school, and I have found it to be very effective at being very un-forgiving. My first attempt, a piece of the vinal touched the board in the wrong spot, I was lucky to save the bored, but the vinal was toast. That was on a big flat truck headliner. =/ Since the camaro headliner is smaller, that aspect should be easier, but I still dont know how to go about stretching it to contore to the corners. This is really where I need someone who knows what they are talking about to help me out.
Topic 2, Seats.1. How do you get the sucker off?
2. Once its off, and I have repaired any damage to the bored, I would like to find some way to seal the non visable side, if possible. I am useing "All Sport" Vinal, which is VERY expensive, and I really dont want to **** this up and waist $50 in materials just because my T-tops leak.
3. Finaly, to actualy aply the vinal. We use a very impresive contact cement at school, and I have found it to be very effective at being very un-forgiving. My first attempt, a piece of the vinal touched the board in the wrong spot, I was lucky to save the bored, but the vinal was toast. That was on a big flat truck headliner. =/ Since the camaro headliner is smaller, that aspect should be easier, but I still dont know how to go about stretching it to contore to the corners. This is really where I need someone who knows what they are talking about to help me out.
It seams silly to put too much work into repairing the front seats in my car, the drivers seat is really far gone. I would like to use some fourth gen seats, but I wanted some info and comparesions between the diffrent types.
1. Are fourth gen seats significantly harder to re-upholster?
2. What are the diffrences between the years of fourht gen seats? I assume there are four types, 93-97 Firebird, 93-97 Camaro, 98-02 Firebird, and 98-02 Camaro. Which is better? Which will be easiest to re-upholster?
3. Is the foam under the seats the same between the leather seats, the vinal seats, and the cloth ones, or is the seat out of a 98 Firebird going to be like every other 98 Firebird seat, with the exception of power options?
Topic 3, Closing thoughts1. Are fourth gen seats significantly harder to re-upholster?
2. What are the diffrences between the years of fourht gen seats? I assume there are four types, 93-97 Firebird, 93-97 Camaro, 98-02 Firebird, and 98-02 Camaro. Which is better? Which will be easiest to re-upholster?
3. Is the foam under the seats the same between the leather seats, the vinal seats, and the cloth ones, or is the seat out of a 98 Firebird going to be like every other 98 Firebird seat, with the exception of power options?
1. I would love general sugestions from you all about other things that I can improve, as well as interior color sceams, and pictures are of course always VERY vallued.
2. If any one wants some seats that might not be perfect (But i would like to think are well beyond pretty damn ok) for basicly the cost of mats and shipping, please reply in this thread. It may be a few months before I am ready to get to yours, and it will be oviusly first come first serve, but I need all the practise I can get. I dont want to spend my entire college fund on shitty seats...
2. If any one wants some seats that might not be perfect (But i would like to think are well beyond pretty damn ok) for basicly the cost of mats and shipping, please reply in this thread. It may be a few months before I am ready to get to yours, and it will be oviusly first come first serve, but I need all the practise I can get. I dont want to spend my entire college fund on shitty seats...
10-02-2008 | 02:22 AM
#2
Re: As a new upholstry student, I have some questions.
1.) headliner: heres the deal for removal
a.) take out the t-tops (durrrr lol), take out the trim that goes up the side of the front windshield and up the side window, takeout the rear one too, the onethat goes up the side window....then take out the trim that is over your head when in the rear seat (closest to the rear window) then back to the front and take out your visors, then the top center console, you need to take out the dome light cover and you'll find two screws, undo that and slide the console back and it'll click, then you let it down and undo the wires...then your headliner should come right down....oh also the rear speaker covers i think too.
2.) when you get the headliner out, theres isnt really any way of repairing it, mine didnt have a plastic core, it was foam that was formed around wire to give it its' shape, only the aftermarket ones seem to have a plastic core...idont know what the 'all-sport seal' is but i used the foam insulator 'great stuff' that can be found in any hardware store to fill up my roof...it didnt stop any leaks though...theres a possibility of leaks from the center of the t-top, but if you need info on that, i'll go into that a different time
3.) i cant help you with that vinyl stuff, cuzi have no idea what it is and i have never used it before
topic two:
1.) i havent re-upholstered fourth gen seats, or any seats at that but i cant imagine it being any harder than any other bucket seat
2.) there are small differences between 93-97 bird seats and 98-02 bird seats (dont know about camaro cuz i never researched those seats) but theres just small differences with the shape between the two years, the differences between bird and camaro seats is the headrest pretty much, birds have an adjustable headrest and the camaros have a built in one...i prefer the bird head rest pesonally
3.) i dont see why the foam would be different between leather and cloth seats, it should be the same
topic 3:
my thoughts are that just doing some general stuff is probably your best bet...i am doing the carpet, 4th gen seats, dash pad, and door panels in my 87 t/a right now, and i think thats enough personally...ive done the headliner already and there are some peopel who like to go all out on the 4th gen stuff for the inside, i.e. console, dash,door panels and so on but im a fan of the 3rd gen stuff....jsut looks a bit more classic to me.
thats all the info i gotfor ya, hope ithelps
a.) take out the t-tops (durrrr lol), take out the trim that goes up the side of the front windshield and up the side window, takeout the rear one too, the onethat goes up the side window....then take out the trim that is over your head when in the rear seat (closest to the rear window) then back to the front and take out your visors, then the top center console, you need to take out the dome light cover and you'll find two screws, undo that and slide the console back and it'll click, then you let it down and undo the wires...then your headliner should come right down....oh also the rear speaker covers i think too.
2.) when you get the headliner out, theres isnt really any way of repairing it, mine didnt have a plastic core, it was foam that was formed around wire to give it its' shape, only the aftermarket ones seem to have a plastic core...idont know what the 'all-sport seal' is but i used the foam insulator 'great stuff' that can be found in any hardware store to fill up my roof...it didnt stop any leaks though...theres a possibility of leaks from the center of the t-top, but if you need info on that, i'll go into that a different time
3.) i cant help you with that vinyl stuff, cuzi have no idea what it is and i have never used it before
topic two:
1.) i havent re-upholstered fourth gen seats, or any seats at that but i cant imagine it being any harder than any other bucket seat
2.) there are small differences between 93-97 bird seats and 98-02 bird seats (dont know about camaro cuz i never researched those seats) but theres just small differences with the shape between the two years, the differences between bird and camaro seats is the headrest pretty much, birds have an adjustable headrest and the camaros have a built in one...i prefer the bird head rest pesonally
3.) i dont see why the foam would be different between leather and cloth seats, it should be the same
topic 3:
my thoughts are that just doing some general stuff is probably your best bet...i am doing the carpet, 4th gen seats, dash pad, and door panels in my 87 t/a right now, and i think thats enough personally...ive done the headliner already and there are some peopel who like to go all out on the 4th gen stuff for the inside, i.e. console, dash,door panels and so on but im a fan of the 3rd gen stuff....jsut looks a bit more classic to me.
thats all the info i gotfor ya, hope ithelps
10-05-2008 | 11:54 AM
#3
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Car: 1992 Rs
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 5-Speed
Axle/Gears: 3.08
Re: As a new upholstry student, I have some questions.
Heres a few Headliner Write-ups that have been circling the site for sometime.
https://www.thirdgen.org/headlinerrepair
http://www.iroczone.com/technical/headliner/
one on recovering it and one on removing and installing one.
check em out.
https://www.thirdgen.org/headlinerrepair
http://www.iroczone.com/technical/headliner/
one on recovering it and one on removing and installing one.
check em out.
10-05-2008 | 09:59 PM
#4
Re: As a new upholstry student, I have some questions.
wow you can repair these? i was going 85 with my t-tops off when i first got my car and then all of a sudden there was a burst of dust everywhere and my t-top fabric was flapping around....i pulled over and most of the 'backing' for the headliner was gone, when i took it out eventually i noticed that it was beyond repair...i tried adhering it all back together but that was a failed attempt...i got an aftermarket headliner with the abs plastic backing and at first i wasnt too pleased with it but now i really love it a lot and i think it was worth the money personally
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