63 riv interior south Florida

[Guest Steeleco]

Does anybody have any thought on the best way to replace the interior of our cars. I have removed and reinstalled the seats. package tray, and side panels so I know how to do all of that (I put it all back together just to use the car for awhile), but not sure I want to try to install a headliner or recover the seats myself. So the questions are.

1. Who makes the best looking original type seats and side panels?

2. Where do you get a good package tray (I think thats what you call the rear windshield deck)

3. Does anybody know a good, reasoable upholstry shop in south florida that can do the work and does it make any sense for them to fabricate the seat covers?

Thanks for looking at this and any thought are appreciated.

Steele Cooper

[RivNut]

1) Clarks Corvair Clark's Corvair Parts - Clark's Corvair - 1963-65 BUICK RIVIERA SETS

2) Clarks Corvair Clark's Corvair Parts, Inc. - Corvair Parts Catalog - Over 12,000 parts

Calvin sells them only recovered

or Lee Sulius Lompoc, CA - He runs an ad in the Riview. If you PM me, I'll give you an address and phone, I don't want to post it publicly. Or, join the ROA and have this information at your finger tips 24/7. www.rivowners.org

Lee sells the shell only and makes them one at a time to your specifications (Defogger, speaker holes if you want)

Ed

Edited July 15, 2012 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Guest Rob J]

Hi, where exactly in South Florida are you? I'm in the South Miami area. Buy the Clark's stuff listed above. You can't do better. I know of two very good shops here locally that I've done work with in the past, and both have been around for many years. First one is in the Doral area. Rivero Interiors. Great shop, and nice people to deal with. Second one is in the Falls warehouse district. Southern Auto Upholstery. Smallish shop, but those guys have been around for 25+ years. Personally, I'd buy the covers, ect from Clark's. and have one of these shops install them. That's what I'm doing with my 65's when the time comes.

HTH, Rob.

Does anybody have any thought on the best way to replace the interior of our cars. I have removed and reinstalled the seats. package tray, and side panels so I know how to do all of that (I put it all back together just to use the car for awhile), but not sure I want to try to install a headliner or recover the seats myself. So the questions are.

1. Who makes the best looking original type seats and side panels?

2. Where do you get a good package tray (I think thats what you call the rear windshield deck)

3. Does anybody know a good, reasoable upholstry shop in south florida that can do the work and does it make any sense for them to fabricate the seat covers?

Thanks for looking at this and any thought are appreciated.

Steele Cooper

Edited July 15, 2012 by Rob J (see edit history)

[Guest Steeleco]

Thanks to Ed and Rob J both,

Ed, I actually am a ROA member #13687 (farily recent). Rob, I am in West Palm Beach. I have been watching your frame off Restoration posts and enjoying them quite a bit. I actually sent what I thought was a PM to you about it a week or two ago. Would like to see pictures or in person how the floor is connected to the side of the body as I have some fairly extensive rust to deal with (which I see from below). I was not going to take out the carpet for a while as I am enjoying the car since I painted it (in the driveway on a Sunday morning before the sun came out). First time I ever used a spray gun. Quite an experience.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Steeleco (see edit history)

[RivNut]

I have the seats out of my car and it's down to metal and Fe₂O₃. I can take some pictures of how the floor attaches to the sills and probably anything else you want. Just let me know exactly what you want a picture of, how close, and from what angle.

Somewhere on the forum there's an article on the X-frame. Read it. It explains the importance of the sills of the bodies that sit on X-frame cars and the braces that tie everything together.

Ed

[Guest Steeleco]

Ed that would be great. Pix of how the floor attaches to the sills will tell me alot about what I need to do.

Steele Cooper

[RivNut]

Here's the best picture of the floor pan that I could take at this time. The arrow from the left margin show caulk that seals the pan to the sill. The arrow from the right show pan with no caulk. The arrow from the top shows the edge of the pan sitting on the sill. After so many years, there's barely any contrast. But with a good imagination, hopefully you can see how it all comes together. If you can't see it from this, I'll be replacing the pans if a couple of weeks and can addtional pictues. This picture was taken from the driver's side with me leaning in the car and shooting back; holding the camera upside down so it looks as if I were in the car when I took the picture. (That's part of my parched lawn you see at the very top of the picture.)

Ed

Edited July 17, 2012 by RivNut (see edit history)