Does anyone sew their own upholstery for their vehicles?

The only from scratch upholstery jobs I ever did were seats, door, and side panels for a 1927 Model T Fordoor I restored for guy back in 73. At the time there were no kits for T's with too many doors, no easy way to find suppliers, and no 800 numbers. Also did a tuck and roll factory look alike interior on my 59 Bug Eye at the time no kits were available for the small Healeys as well unlike the larger 100-4 and 3000 models.

On my Dart I just ordered up a rear seat cover, exact match, fit perfectly, and worth every penny keeping stock factory look.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Only uncomplicated things like door panels and visors. A couple of headliners turned out okay, but nothing to brag about. I did some seats many years ago, but wasn't satisfied with the results. It really takes commercial equipment to do them right.

I do some of my own stuff.

Convertible top for my mud bogger.

Shoulder harnesses....fire suit...door panels ,,,seats ....carpet.

...But I have 3 industrial machines and 35 years experience sewing on them.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Is an old Singer 111w155 an okay machine for a beginner, or would a Consew 206 RB be better? The Singer does not have reverse. I have been told that many newer machines are basically copies of the vintage Singer with many parts interchanging

I have a Singer 111G....the worlds first synchronis reversible walking foot industrial machine. The last of them were made just after WWII. I paid $300 for it in 1981. Ill be sewing on it today. Normally it stitches 2200 stiches per minute. Ours is ratioed up about 15%....

I havnt used that model of Consew....

For doing upholstery a walking foot machine is indicated. I like a high lift foot for running over thick layers.

Reverse is nice ....but not necessary.

Find a place that services industrial machines......you will need needles bobbins and thread.

If you dont have a local place try these guys ....they mail order...hjave been in the same location since 1945 and have a huge stock of parts.

Boyd Walker Sewing Machine

http://www.boydwalker.com/

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I thought about this today....


For a beginner who is patient and precise a treadle machine is a good alternative. You get the power of an industrial machine and the speed control of a computer controlled Pffaf.

Treadles are a garage sale item. Take it to a reputable shop for a tuneup. They can supply you the right needles and thread for your project.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I bought a "brother" computer controlled machine a couple years ago. I thought it would be cool to have the 200 different stitch patterns and double needles available, but wound up using about maybe 3 of them total. I stitched my own rear seat up, and thought it turned out ok I guess. I had no patterns and no old fabric to go off of as it was all shredded.

I paid about $180 for it brand new, and I wish I had something more industrial. The bobbins kept getting tangled even when set up properly, and stitching through three layers of vinyl, even with a #8 needle, just wasn't happening. I plan to try again, and use it to make a cover for the front seat.

I put burlap down over the springs also, before the foam.











After doing this, I realized why it costs so much for upholstery. The fabric all ran me $100 and this project took about 3 6 hour days for me to do. It is hard, but this was also my first attempt at sewing anything at all.

[/img]

I have a sewing machine that can sew thick cloth, but its not a walking foot. I don't have illusions of doing high quality work, but I feel I can learn to do an okay job. My '47 truck needs upholstery, there are kits for it, but the truck does not have the original seat. The original pattern is very simple.

The Singer 111 walking foot models are examples of American quality from the 1940s and '50s - widely copied and well supported today. Many install a servo motor on these to better control the speed. I've watched the videos and wonder how they keep from stitching fingers. The 111w 156 is the only one in the 111 series that has reverse.

Mine has reverse....but I use it rarely. I have other mchines that are better suited to fancy sewing.

A well setup clutch motor is the key to careful low speed sewing.

Nice work Serj! Those little home machines are a tough slog in upholstery materials

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I bought a walking foot consew off of craigs list and put a 3/4 hp variable motor I bought on ebay on it instead of the original 3000 rpm clutched singer motor. (saved fingers)

I was lucky and bought three 15 yard rolls of vinyl from an Amish carriage shop. It was funny because after asking about the basic black material at 17.95 a yard, he asked if I was interested in some other colors. He took me to a closet in the back room and there were about 50 rolls of different colors. (want to buy a watch?)
He said if he cut it he would charge me $4 a yard but if I took the whole 15-20 yard roll I could get it for $2 a yard. I bought one that day and two more before I moved to Wisconsin.

Anyway I used part of one for my VW top I made sent the rest of the roll with the car when I sold it.

Still have a ivory roll that looks like pigskin and a sky blue that has looks like nice leather.

I thought I would need it for my new project but the interior is perfect.

_________________
hot rodder at heart!

I bought an older Consew 206RB. I took it to an industrial sewing repair shop and had it checked out - needed minor work. Labor costs more than the new parts. I was told it is as now good as new and would last a lifetime - if I kept it oiled. RB means "reverse big bobin". I was told that this model is common in auto upholstery shops - which is where I bought it from. Consew sells a servo motor upgrade to replace the clutch motor - costs $200, would provide better speed control.

I want to start with some simple projects, not caring so much if the initial work is professional quality. I'm sure I've got much to learn. My '47 Dodge truck needs upholstery, but it is a very simple vinyl pattern to start with. The truck does not have its original seat - a hard to find part. Upholstery could be a good hobby for an old guy like me.

If I want to sell this machine I can get close to what I have in it as its 25 years old and fully depreciated, these models are still in production.

My Consew is a 118 with walking foot. I bought it off craig's list for 75 bucks. I found a brand new (free shipping) motor on ebay (3/4 horse $100 or so) that bolted right in place. The variable speed isn't perfect but I can adjust it to keep from going from 0-3000 with one touch.

My looks very similar to a 206RB but it uses the regular bobbin. Good idea to use the truck seat as a way to begin. It is a great thing for "old guys" to dink around with

_________________
hot rodder at heart!

When you have a good thread supplier see if they have prewound bobbins in the thread you want to use. They are a good way to get a nice bottom stitch. They are wound perfectly.

Pre wound bobbins are also a great way to get a small amount of really good thread. You use them for the top thread ....and bottom thread.

Always size needle and thread to go together.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Sandy, can you recommend some good books for auto upholstery? The man that I bought the machine from said that you mostly learn by doing - making mistakes and redoing work, and observing how the original was put together. His father in law had been in the business for years, they work together in the same shop. I've seen some books that seem to gloss over details, I need to learn techniques. Some videos on Youtube appear to be helpful.