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Redoing '91 interior

T

ToniH

Active member
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
29
Location
FINLAND
Corvette
1991 L98 Coupe
Redoing '91 interior - big time!

Hi, I've been a rarely posting member here for years but for some reason my login info disappeared while I was away for few months so I needed to reregister. So no big intros this time ;)

Anyway, i've been working on my interior for few weeks now. Here is my interior project and some project pictures.

Starting point: 1991 Coupe with 107K miles and dirty and worn red interior.
Target: renew everything, change color to black, full leather interior, paint minor panels, get rest upholstered with leather or alcantara (sills and knee panels). Do 2-4x sound insulation. Install new audio system. Enjoy rest of the summer :D

The pictures, i put them here as links so the thread loads a bit faster:

The dismantling.
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/6539/vetteaamusta2nl.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5870/vetteiltapaiva5dy.jpg
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/3275/empty19lo.jpg
These bits will be upholstered with leather or alcantara
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/5315/verhoilijalla9fz.jpg

Sound insulating with bitume, MAD insulating kit, factory insulations and Dynamat Extreme:
http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/1539/bitumia1a9js.jpg
http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/5003/bitumia14qh.jpg
http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/1244/rearinsulated5et.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/7173/interiorinsulated3bt.jpg

Stereo stuff (Blaupunkt Las Vegas DVD -head unit, separates at front, 2x8" subs at back + digital amp + full rewiring for audio system):

Rear 8" subs and their amp: http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6471/subbarisatsi2oo.jpg
Mounting plate for the subs:
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/7704/subbarirengas2gq.jpg
Pass. side sub installed with parallel wiring:
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7893/subbaripaikallaan1tk.jpg
Amp will be installed here:
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6894/etumatotjavahvari5jv.jpg

Fitting rear carpetting and both subs in place:
http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/1792/takamatot1qv.jpg
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/820/takaosastosubbarit8ns.jpg

Plastics being colored from:
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/820/muovit10xk.jpg
to: http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1643/muovit37fq.jpg

Got some bits from upholsterer today:
Seat 1 http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/9840/penkki10yd.jpg
Seat back also leather: http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/1766/penkki27gc.jpg
Rear compartment frames leather too: http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5181/takakehys3vx.jpg
and a-pillar headliner and glove box lid: http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/87/ylpalkkihanska2xz.jpg

I should be getting the rest of upholstered panels next week. Hope to get this project ready in 2-3 weeks. The car will be driveable next week in any case. Well, to achieve that I really only need the driver seat, steering wheel, hand brake and gear knob ;)

Hope you enjoyed the show :)

Will post more as the project progresses.

Thanks for reading.

Toni
 
Nice Work

The leather work looks real fine with some interesting additions. Using JL subs I see. They are my favorite. They are more "musical" instead of just thump.

I wonder about the amp though. Had one under the seat once and moved it. Three problems, dirt, water, and heat. Had it shut down from poor circulation when I was using it hard. It was in a convertible and the top leaked I found out when the wind blew it just right and the carpet was soaked. Finally just general dust in an unexposed, difficult to clean area.

Maybe I'm just a worrier, but I would rethink it if I were you..........

Keep up the good work!
 
Hi,

Thanks for you input.

1. the amp is digital so heat is very small issue. They run way cooler than traditional amps.
2. the amp will stand on 4 small feet so it is a tiny bit above the carpet, not embedded in it.
3. no dirt in my car after this project ;)
4. after driving for 60K miles in all weathers including several 8 month winter periods (lots of snow) my carpet was dry under the seat.
5. my car is nowadays only driven during summers, dry weather preferred.

So I think it will be ok under there.
 
'91 Interior

Toni,

Very interesting documentation and a great resource for anyone restoring their interior, something most of us will have to do sooner or later.
Any estimate yet on the cost? If you could split the interior cost from the sound system it would be great. Maybe you don't really want to get into this right now. It looks like you are doing most of the work yourself which should cut the price in half.

Jeff
 
Audio system: $1300
Leather upholstery: $2500
Mass Back Carpet kit: $500 (+ shipping + customs etc = $950)
Sound insulations (Dynamat, bitume, MAD kit): $515
Minor interior bits like shift button, horn buttons etc. maybe $100
Interior paint, speaker fabrics, MDF etc. related: about $250
Screws, glues etc. maybe $100
Seat belts: $260 (+shipping+customs+taxes = $470)
Work: $0
Total this far $6185

This is all I can remember out of my head now, there probably is some more. And there will be some additions before the project is done.

I estimate gas expenses to be about $300 for getting parts and supplies + driving to the car and back home.

EDIT: expenses updated
 
Thanks for the cost breakdown. Doesnt seem to be bad at all. I like seat work, Id like to do that to mine, except add a little red to the seat along with the black and have ZR1 stitched in some way also. Ahhhhh you make me dream.

Very cool!!!! and I hope you keep us posted.
 
Update - I got some new parts today :cool:

Enjoy!
- A-pillar with leather covering
- Sills covered with Alcantara and test fitting speaker cover
- Sill stiching detail
- Another one
- Passengers side gear tunnel cover, upholstered with leather and Alcantara
- Same piece, stiching detail
- Drivers side
- Same piece, detail
- And finally the stereo installation bracket, leather there too ;)

So, I am making slow progress. Last sunday we finished most in the rear of the car. We installed rear hatch frame panels and the halo panels + soldered stereo ground and power cables. Also started to reinstall the Cross Bar and seat belts + test fitted the dash.

I'll post some pictures this sunday after our next installation session :)
 
We did some test fitting today, here are the pictures. We also found some minor problems so the dash, gear tunnel sides and A-pillars went back to to upholsterer for fixing. Hope to get them back this wednesday.

Meanwhile we plan to wire the stereo system tomorrow.

Test fitting pieces 1
Test fitting 2
 
Toni,

I would not call that slow progress. I think you are moving at a pretty quick rate. If it were me, it'd take months to do. :L:L:L

It's looking very good. There is so much time and money involved in doing the interior. But you have to have it look good and for it to be comfortable because that's where you are when you drive the car!
 
Today I test fitted the air conditioner nozzles and center console plastic panels. Of course they do not fit the openings anymore as the leather covering makes all openings they should fit into smaller.

Well, I was expecting this and today I started to carefully grind the pieces so they would fit.

The tool and thing to be tooled ;)
They don't quite fit yet, must grind some more :eek:

In the end they did fit and none of my grinding is visible. :)

After all these years many plastic screw holes in the dash and panel supports have deteriorated and broken off. Today I also fixed few of those with modelling epoxy. Its the kind you can shape with your fingers like clay and then it hardens in 15 minutes. Seems to work fine.

Fixing broken screw holes and dash/panel fixing points
Fix done, epoxy seems to work and holds screws

Last picture shows me grinding away in my "workshop" ;)

Idiot at work
 
Excellent work

Shuweeet!!!:_rock

I just found this post. I must say very good job. Your upholsterer (sp?) does great work ... you can tell by the quality stitch work. The first pics reminded me of my old car. I had just installed the cheap sound deadener with a new system ... Sony head, Polk 6" components front, 8" Momo subs rear, driven by a 1200w 3 channel amp. The system sounded great for the two weeks or so till I lost the car during the aftermath of the storm. :cry

Keep up the good work!

:w
G
 
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