Austin Vert's Interior Pics & Tips.

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Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
3,085
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438
Location
Brisbane - Australia
My Car
1973 Mustang Convertible
Hi to all,

Over the last few days, i've been commenting on a few threads about upholstery issues, and some members have asked for some pics to illustrate what i've been talking about. The pics will tell the story, but while i'm here, i thought i would talk about a few topics that i went through in the process of upgrading some of my interior.

Ok, the door pads - My originals were shot (cracked and yellowed) I bought two new ones from Dash's Direct. The color and finish matched my pristine condition original front and back seats very well, but the fit up was a bloody nightmare that took forever to accomplish with much tweaking, sweating and cursing as well. Every thing was out of alighnment. I bought two new repro front window door handles, door lock buttons, (kept orignal circular grommets as repro ones are crap), new backup plates for the cranks for some style. I installed two new repro outside mirrors, hence the new driver's side adjuster on the door pad. I kept the timber trim panels as they were in good condition, but resprayed the matt black strips to freshen up the look. I used the original grab handles and door handle plastic surrounds and color matched them and resprayed them in matt 2k cream to match the new door pads. (no flex aid used) The lower chrome strip and the door open handle are all original.New black lower carpet came with the new door pads.

Next - my original 'plastic' quarter trim panels (thanks Don) were shot and the surface had gone chalky and powdery. Instead of trying to paint them and get a second rate result, i got my local trimmer to recover them in a matching cream vinyl to the new door pads and original seats.$300.00 well spent i think. Also the state of Queensland, Australia where i live has road rules that force drivers to install lap and sash front and back seat belts. Sweet lord, was that an ordeal trying to get all that set up. (even ended up breaking the original rear glass panel in the process).

If you look at my rear quater panels, you'll notice where the front sash belts are anchored. That location is the only place to tap into for strength. I kept my original short reach crank handles, but installed new clear winder knobs for them. The new problem was the winder handles were touching the

seatbelt anchor post when you were winding the quarter glass up and down. To remedy this i went to my local hardware store and bought two new chrome fat profile shower head backup flanges from the plumbing department would you believe.The flanges allowed me to bring the crank handles out and away from the upholstry face and thus just clear the seat belt anchor posts. Not too bad a look i think. The ashtray is original. New studs were used for the parade cover. New windlace was installed as well.Original rectangular cream plastic seat belt lower opening .Also new black carpet.The two front seat rear plastic backing covers were resprayed in 2k cream as well to match the original front seat upholstry.

Well that's enough babble from me, i'll let the pics do the talking.

Many thanks,

Greg.:)

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are your rear belts shoulder only?
They appear to be 3 point, in as much as they have a top and bottom (at each side) and plug into the retainer in the center of the rear seat.

All similar to the three point front conversions.

Austin, where did you mount the top anchors for the rear seat belts?

 
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Looks great Greg! I really love all the pics and detail you provide! I'm going to talk to my upholstery guy about the rear quarters. That is a fantastic idea. I've seen it done before but never that well. They are just now finishing the leather seats so I'm going to go with the painted version just to get it on the road but definitely going to look at this long term. Thanks for sharing!

John

 
Thanks for the positive feedback and kind words guys.

In regards the seatbelts - both front and back belts are a lap and sash setup. For the front belts,you have your anchor post located in the quarter trim, and you feed and reel off your belt so it goes across your shoulder and waist to engage and click in with the flexible stalk floor anchor receiveres either side of the long center console. Those floor anchors are very similar to the original American 'lap only' ones.You can also see your belt feeder box located on the floor as you enter the rear floor section just past the front seat.

The rear seat belt set up has the two feed realing mechanisms located directly behind the upright rear seat squab upholstry. They are hidden and thus out of sight.They are anchored to the steel upright floor section. There is just enough room behind the upright upholstry to accomidate them and fit them in. The belt material then travels out of the top of the back seat upright.Slits are provided for this purpose. Located in the middle of the back seat where horizontal seat meets vertical upright, you have your two flexible anchor stalks. So to belt up in the back, you simply draw from the shoulder on each side and connect to the two center stalks located in the middle of the seat.This then provides a lap and sash belt setup when engaged.

If that explanation is not entirely clear, i can take and post more pics to detail all that up.

Greg.:)



Looks great Greg! I really love all the pics and detail you provide! I'm going to talk to my upholstery guy about the rear quarters. That is a fantastic idea. I've seen it done before but never that well. They are just now finishing the leather seats so I'm going to go with the painted version just to get it on the road but definitely going to look at this long term. Thanks for sharing!

John
Hi John,

The leather seats sound really nice. If you trim your rear quarters, i guess you would go leather as well. That would be more expensive i suppose.

BTW - Your Mustang looks great, and is coming along nicely i see.

Greg.:)

 
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Hi John,

The leather seats sound really nice. If you trim your rear quarters, i guess you would go leather as well. That would be more expensive i suppose.

BTW - Your Mustang looks great, and is coming along nicely i see.

Greg.:)
Thanks Greg, coming from you that's quite a compliment! :D

Yes, I am thinking leather. But you would be surprised to know that the cost difference isn't really that much. There's more cost in the labor by far than the material.

John

 
I've always been kinda lukewarm on white interiors... but this looks wonderful! Nice job! ::thumb::

 
Those panels with the seams are really great. A job like that would be very expensive in Europe.

White interiors are cool but a huge PITA. "Ask the man who owns one". :)

 
Those panels with the seams are really great. A job like that would be very expensive in Europe.

White interiors are cool but a huge PITA. "Ask the man who owns one". :)
Hi Mike,

Glad you like the quarter trims, and yes white interiors are a PITA for sure.

I assume your labor rates over there for trade work are generally expensive from what you say. It would be interesting to examine your economy per say, and see how the cost of living presents itself as such.

Australia used to be a fairly cheap place to live and a haven for the middle classes etc, but now is quite an expensive place to live.

BTW - I've been enjoying your music vids, and like your guitar playing.

Greg.:)

 
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