Budget Interior Restoration

So you were driving your old classic the other day, when your cell phone slips right through the giant gash in the seat and off into some netherworld. The next 30 minutes are spent digging through what seems like a spider-infested hay bale (German car owners, you know what I mean) to retrieve your communication link with the world. Hey, maybe it's time to invest in a new interior.

Final Frontier
The interior is usually one of the last items completed in a restoration project. It should be done after the paint and bodywork to avoid the inherent overspray and dust that fills every crack. The insides should also not be given much attention until after major mechanical modifications and restoration because of the grease and other potentially fabric-damaging aspects of such labors.


The difficulties of interior restoration are many. It is relatively easy to buy some seat covers and a carpet kit for even the rarest cars. But the difficulties lie in the more unusual parts. Where do you buy a door panel for a 1957 Fiat? What about all of those molded foam panels inside of your classic German cars? No one makes them new, and the used ones you find in popular online auctions are usually high priced and of questionable reputation.


As usual, the first thing you must decide is how you plan on restoring the car. Is it going to be a no-holds-barred, all-original restoration? Or are you going to have it as a daily driver that sees a lot of wear and tear?

Getting Started
Either way, here's the path to saving money and getting better quality workmanship: find yourself an auto upholstery specialist. These people are true craftsmen, tailors for cars, if you will. They know all of the fabrics, leathers and vinyls available and can steer you in the direction of original parts or something that is cheaper, but of similar quality.