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Jackie Collins Car's Does Upholstery And Carpet - Interior Motives

Project Devin Gets Upholstered!
By Harold Pace
Photography by Harold Pace
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Interior
Collins looks over his handiwork.His... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Interior
Collins looks over his handiwork.His specialty is hot rods, but he did a great job on this old kit car/sports car! Follow along and find out how the master upholsterer sewed up such a sweet interior.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Original Seats
The Devin seats that came... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Original Seats
The Devin seats that came with the car were covered in smooth black vinyl. They didn't fit me very well. I needed less padding in the bottom to let me sit further down in the car, and a lower front bolster to keep my legs from going to sleep.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Seats Stripped
The seats were stripped and... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Seats Stripped
The seats were stripped and the padding revised to fit me better. Note the thin padding wrapped over the front edge of the seat at right. Try the seats out before you take them to the upholstery shop so you know what you need to have done.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Padding Revise
New upper and lower rolled... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Padding Revise
New upper and lower rolled seat inserts were stitched up in high-quality black vinyl and new side panels were cut. Special slitted foam is used to make the rolled panels. The old upholstery can sometimes be used as patterns for the new.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Stitching Together Pieces
Collins then stitched the... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Stitching Together Pieces
Collins then stitched the pieces together on his industrial sewing machine.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Making Piping
He made piping for the edges... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Making Piping
He made piping for the edges by wrapping strips of vinyl around round piping material and stitching it together.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Piping Sewed On Edge
The piping was then sewed... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Piping Sewed On Edge
The piping was then sewed onto the edge of the seat panels. Contrasting piping can add a custom touch, but I opted for everything to be the same color.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Backing
The backing and sides were... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Backing
The backing and sides were sewn together with the seat cover inside out.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Front Seat Bolster
The front seat bolster was... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Front Seat Bolster
The front seat bolster was formed to fit and glued into place with yellow vinyl adhesive.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Foam Pad
The foam padding was covered... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Foam Pad
The foam padding was covered with a thin gauze so the cover can be slipped over it. The foam is too sticky and will prevent the cover from sliding into position.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet New Seat Cover In Place
Jackie pulled the new seat... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet New Seat Cover In Place
Jackie pulled the new seat cover into place. This takes a strong grip and healthy arm muscles to accomplish.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Staple Gun
He then stapled the cover... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Staple Gun
He then stapled the cover to thin wood strips that have been attached to the fiberglass seat bucket underneath the padding.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Zipper
The backside of the seat has... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Zipper
The backside of the seat has a zipper sewn into the center. This allows the cover to be pulled over and pulled tight as the zipper is closed. Closing the zipper can be a two-person job, as it was with my seats.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Upholstery Adhesive
Professional-strength upholstery... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Upholstery Adhesive
Professional-strength upholstery adhesive was mixed up in a spray gun and applied under the new cover to glue it to the seat.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Stapling Edges
The edges of the cover were... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Stapling Edges
The edges of the cover were then stapled to the sides of the bucket where they couldn't be seen.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Heat Gun
Jackie used a heat gun to... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Heat Gun
Jackie used a heat gun to shrink the vinyl into position. This must be done several times as the seat is assembled.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Lower Edges Of Seat Cover
The lower edges of the seat... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Lower Edges Of Seat Cover
The lower edges of the seat cover were pulled taut and stapled to the seat bottom.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Industrial Grade Clothing Steamer
An industrial-grade clothing... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Industrial Grade Clothing Steamer
An industrial-grade clothing steamer helped shrink the seat cover in precise areas to get it to lie in position.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Testing Seat
Collins tried the seat on... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Testing Seat
Collins tried the seat on for size. Sitting in the seat helps form it, and the new cover will continue to settle into its final position over time (setting it outside in the hot sun helps).
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Door Panels
The door panels were made... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Door Panels
The door panels were made out of pressboard and attached to holes in the door inner panels with the hidden snaps shown here on the backside. There is an access hole in the door for access to the latch, so Collins left extra material around the hole and cut slits in it for ease of bending.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Snapped Panel In Place
Collins snapped the panel... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Snapped Panel In Place
Collins snapped the panel into place and wrapped the extra material around the access hole to be glued into place.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Brushing Adhesive
Using upholstery adhesive,... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Brushing Adhesive
Using upholstery adhesive, a thin coat was applied to both sides and allowed to dry for a few seconds before pressing together.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Finished Door Panel
The finished door looks like... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Finished Door Panel
The finished door looks like it could have been done in 1959 when the car was built. Note the cutaway for the latch on the back edge. If the upholstered door panels weren't made correctly, the door wouldn't close all the way.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Applying Thermozite
For the carpeting, Collins... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Applying Thermozite
For the carpeting, Collins cut and applied foil-backed Thermozite insulation material over the floor area. This will keep heat from the engine and transmission tunnel away from the interior.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Insulation By Footbox
Insulation should be used... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Insulation By Footbox
Insulation should be used on the ends of footboxes on kits with side pipes, where the headers may pass close to the pedal box.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Thermozite Insulation
The Thermozite insulation... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Thermozite Insulation
The Thermozite insulation covers the principal areas where heat could get in.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Marked With Chalk
The carpet was marked with... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Marked With Chalk
The carpet was marked with chalk and cut to fit.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Sewed Vinyl Binding
Collins next sewed vinyl binding... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Sewed Vinyl Binding
Collins next sewed vinyl binding onto the edges of the carpet.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Wrapping Binding
wrapped the binding over to... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Wrapping Binding
wrapped the binding over to the front side and sewed it down to finish the edges. Remember to leave slits so that the carpet can be installed without having to remove the pedals. Binding makes any carpet job look more professional.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Carpet Adhesive
Carpet adhesive was painted... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Carpet Adhesive
Carpet adhesive was painted onto the Thermozite insulation and interior panels, and onto the back of carpet panels that do not need to be easily removable. The adhesive is allowed to dry until tacky. Jackie then pressed them together to dry. Removable panels should be held in place with snaps.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Drilling
Vertical panels along the... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Drilling
Vertical panels along the side of the footboxes needed to be held in place with screws.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Carpet
The completed carpet job looks... 
   
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Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Carpet
The completed carpet job looks clean and professional. Of course, other colors would add more pizzazz, but I was after a no-nonsense race car look.
Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Shfiter Jackie Collins Cars Upholstery Carpet Head Rest
Foss Manufacturing Company
Thermozite sound barrier and hea
t deflector
Jackie Collins Cars

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