When we decided to build a car that would be driven wherever we wanted to go, the interior was a major concern. Think about it. Where are our butts going to be planted during those drives? Knowing full well an interior can soak up a large portion of a budget, we thought the expense to be a necessity--for our posteriors' sake. Several aftermarket companies carry upholstery, but we decided to go directly to the horse's mouth, so to speak, and contacted Legendary Auto Interiors, of Newark, New York. Legendary has been the choice of restoration specialists and our readers, so we were confident they were good enough for us.
When choosing the style of interior for our Valiant, we wanted everything to have a near-stock appearance. While perusing the Legendary catalog, we found just what we needed. Legendary only uses quality reproduction vinyl, leather, and N.O.S. materials for their seat-upholstery kits. They reproduce heat-sealed and embossed-upholstery kits, and each kit is individually handcrafted from patterns made from original seat upholstery. We decided at the beginning of our project that the interior was going to be blue, and after we received color samples of various shades of blue, we made our choices and began the skinning process.
Before...
and after.
The first time I sat down,...
The first time I sat down, I stuck to the seat. I don't know aboutanybody else, but I wasn't asking what made me stick. The next decisionwas whether to remove the old vinyl or just burn it off. We decided tobe gentle.
After the seatbacks were removed...
After the seatbacks were removed from the base, the old vinyl, burlap,and sponge material were removed from the springs. A word to the wise:Wear thick gloves because the material can be nasty. We found oursprings to be in excellent shape and required only a good cleaning andrepainting. This is a service Legendary can provide.
When the paint dried on our...
When the paint dried on our seat springs, we started with the rearbottom, and the new burlap was applied.
(above and right) The seat...
(above and right) The seat spring was placed on a sheet of new foam, which was cut acouple inches larger than the seat to allow the foam to be folded overthe top edge of the spring. This not only keeps the seat frame fromwearing through the new vinyl skin, it's also a lot more comfortable onthe legs.
Next, center the new skin...
Next, center the new skin on the seat spring with the edges of the vinylfolded up (inside out). Align the rear corners to cover the frame, andattach with hog rings.
(above and right) Now, carefully...
(above and right) Now, carefully fold the vinyl over the seat spring, and start workingthe wrinkles out of the vinyl. This is much easier if you place the newvinyl skins in the sunlight for a while before you start.
(above and below left) Flip...
(above and below left) Flip the seat over and begin carefully pulling the bottom edges of thevinyl over the seat base and attaching it to the underside of the basewith the hog rings. Keep in mind--you will need to work the wrinkles outas you fasten the vinyl.
(above and right) Next, the...
(above and right) Next, the base of the front seat was covered with new burlap, and theedge was wrapped with a stringent fiber material to keep the spring fromtearing the vinyl.
The new foam and vinyl was...
The new foam and vinyl was then installed and attached in the same manner as the rear-seat bottom. Notice the spot on the lower side of the seat? That is the pivot point for the seat back, and a small hole was made in the vinyl for it to poke through.
A cotton-based material was...
A cotton-based material was applied to the backs of the front bench seat.
To install the skins over...
To install the skins over the front seatback, turn half their length inside out.
With the bottom half of the...
With the bottom half of the skin folded up, slide the cover over the seatback.
Finish pulling the cover down...
Finish pulling the cover down over the frame, and fold the bottom edges over the frame. Make sure to work out the wrinkles. Then remove the listing wires from the bottom of the original seat skins. Place the listing wires through the hemmed ends at the bottom, and hog-ring the ends together.
Next, slide the inside edge...
Next, slide the inside edge of either seatback into the hinge point at the center of the seat bottom. Do not forget to place the pin, on the outside edge of the seat bottom, through the pivot point on the outside edge of the seatback. Now you can place the clips that hold the outside of the pivot point in place to keep the seatback in place.
The seats were ready to be...
The seats were ready to be put into the Valiant, but we needed to tend to a few other things first.
During the installation of...
During the installation of the four-speed hump from Auto Body Specialties, we welded two nuts on the bottom side of the hump to bolt our tachometer onto.
We ordered carpeting from...
We ordered carpeting from Year One in a medium shade of blue. Here the carpet is laid out in the Valiant so we can begin trimming the edges.
With the carpeting installed,...
With the carpeting installed, the trim items like the kick panels and the shifter boot from Year One finished it off. Since we needed gauges, we found these recently-released pieces from Splitfire. We thought a cluster of gauges mounted under the dash would be the best solution to our limited space.
The original door panels in...
The original door panels in the Valiant were a style that Legendary didn't have in its inventory. They were able to duplicate our old ones, however, and now they're stocked up for future orders.
What's a car without tunes?...
What's a car without tunes? This Pioneer Super Tuner radio has been handed down from project to project over the years and was again given the nod.
For speakers, we pulled out...
For speakers, we pulled out the Crutchfield catalog and chose these Pioneer units. If you have audio needs, a call to Crutchfield could be the answer.
The speakers were mounted...
The speakers were mounted under the package tray, and the wires run along the inside of the driver side to the radio.
The Legendary-supplied headliner...
The Legendary-supplied headliner was installed using techniques described in a previous issue by Steve Dulcich. Guess what - to our surprise, it worked.
Here it is--the finished product....
Here it is--the finished product. The seatbelts would have been expensive to reproduce with the correct webbing and buckles.
Year One has a universal set...
Year One has a universal set that closely mimics the originals, and since concours correctness is not what this project is about, they work just as well.