GIJoe

So my bro-in-law and I were coming up with a bunch of stuff to do to our C4's since they are kind of old and wore out on the inside.

We came up with a whole list of stuff we will be customizing in time.

The first one I decided to start this morning.

The goal is to completely wrap and hand stitch the entire dash in leather for the whole Italian sports car interior look. (Untextured plastic is not luxurious GM!!)

I am just using black lightly textured vinyl and white quilting thread.

The entire project should cost under $30 and take only-God-knows how many hours to complete.

Everything is hand drilled and hand double-stitched. Its taking forever and I have to go back and redrill a few holes and rethread a few holes that are "off" but overall, its coming out very nice and I am happy with the look.




This is about 2 hours into the project.





Hour 3...



Hour 4...




4/9/07 Update
Few hours later after gluing

Minus all the fitment issues and other research we put into this yesterday to get all the cutting just right...
I am at about 8 hours of labor now.





4/10/07 Update
12 hours so far and I have two pieces finished

I really messed up on the center console, the leather slid somewhere after I started sewing, so it has a slight bunch at the top now, but I made it work the best I could.

Cadder

I just want to say that I think you're crazy for tackling such a project, but D@MN will it look good when you're done.

Googan

Sounds like a really cool project. Can't wait to see the results. Good luck

GT40_GearHead

what do you do for a living MAN !!!

that stick look fabulous

GIJoe

I am a Computer Tech for the Army with nothing to do once I get home except start crazy projects like this

GT40_GearHead

why didn't you use leather ?

vinnies87

Thats one project start... there was a post from one of europ members that did the whole interior, almost, in the leather/stich and it came out sweet...
I'm a CIO and can relate ..... get away from the computer and back to the oil & blood...
good luck, look forward to the final outcome

GIJoe

Cost and availability.

Plus if I mess up, I'm only out a few bucks for a yard of vinyl.

GT40_GearHead

good point

jon0108

where did you get the vinyl? I'm in the process of making a headliner for my targa top to keep out the sun in the summer. I was thinking of wrapping the headliner in either black vinyl or black felt.

CentralCoaster

03whitecoupe

Very cool Can't wait for the finished results.

Muffin

Check a god size fabric store. Most will have two/three grades and weights of vinyl and may have one made for marine use. Latter one does better in UV sunlight.

C4DC

I think it will look good, but for all the effort you're putting into it, I'd go leather.

1985 Corvette

Look at it this way: If he gets it right and he likes the look, he can save the template and use it for a leather version.

GIJoe

Any major fabric store will have a few selections of vinyl.

GIJoe

I had full intentions of making a template, but the way its turning out, its really not even going to be possible without spending about as much work (minus the sewing) to create each one. I mean it COULD be done, but it's just not something that would be worth the time to do.

I am picking up a heat gun this week to finish off the rounded edges. I figured out how to finish all the tricky holes and curves this evening to.

Look for more pics later in the next week or so

1985 Corvette

Vinyl or leather, it'll look great. It should make for a project others will want to try.

His name escapes me at the moment, I wanna say it's Lars but someone took their plastic interior pieces, some type of polish and a buffer and gave the pieces a permanent glossy wet look. Came out really nice.

RandyJ75

Steel Breeze

Toni H is the member that had his whole interior wrapped in black leather

Grease Monkey

Wow!!! That looks good, I think I may try that!

But why do you have the holes drilled in both the flat and the recessed portion of the plastic? What ones are you using?