I've been searching for a cheap industrial sewing machine but they've either been anything but cheap or local pickup only and too far away. The price for a decent one isn't cost effective for a single project. I could buy one and then sell it once I've finished but don't want to risk spending that amount of money and not being able to get rid of it.
So it looks like the retrim is going to be hand sewn. Obviously it's going to take longer but that has the advantage of being able to take more care (at least that's what I'm telling myself).
In preparation I've bought a chunk of sewing bits and bobs, overstitch wheel (marks where the sewing holes should be), awls (makes the holes), creaser (can be used to create guide lines), needles, decent scissors, scalpels (prefer them to craft knives), cutting board and sewing palm (grown up version of a thimble!). Still need waxed thread once its colour has been decided on, could either go tan or a contrasting colour, and some cans of 3M 77 spray adhesive. Then there will be scrim (fabric) backed foam but the design needs to be finalised first so we know what thicknesses we need.
You sew the leather to the scrim foam to create the creases known in the trade as pleats, the thicker the foam the more pronounced the pleat will be. This is called a pleated interior and the easy way to go about things, there is a more complicated way called tuck and roll but I don't think I'll be going that route.
So I've bought 4 Connolly leather hides in a warm tan with a nice grain, so nothing like white we'd latterly been considering. Haven't decided yet whether to go all tan or mix it with dashes of perforated black to match the leather on the steering wheel.
I still like the idea of vertical padding so the basic design will remain the same, almost certainly, probably, perhaps...
I'm not sure about using it as headlining, might be a bit too much, perhaps better in cream, will have to think. If we don't use it for headlining but still have enough left then perhaps leather carpets instead?
I've been Google'ing like mad researching how to retrim but there isn't a whole lot of info out there on seats, however I did find this useful article. The site is worth signing up to as, although it's primarily hot rod related, there are plenty of nuggets of information you can pick up and use. I don't think the retrim is going to be easy and will probably regret starting but, hey, it's something different. You never know it might actually turn out OK!
Here's the current favorite idea for the retrim. I've used a picture of later Porsche seat as it was already black and white so the shape is a bit different. The top section would be smaller probably to flow in to the white "wings".
The idea of the central black stripe together with the padded sections (they're supposed to be creases in the padding not mini stripes) was to pickup the main lines from the GTI fabric. Not certain it's an obvious link but looks good.
I thought about red inserts but the black stripes might not stand out enough. However red is a sporty colour and things like the door cards could be made to blend in to the paintwork. Not sure.
If we decide to retrim the car then the plan is to try doing it all ourselves, including headlining which I thought would look good in white with a larger central black stripe. The top of the dash would be black, either in leather or carbon fibre, and the bottom white. Door cards and parcel shelf would also be done using the same theme. Should be fun as we have trouble darning a sock!
Nardi, who I'm sure you know is the Ferrari (or should that be the Pagani) of the steering wheel world, designed this wheel specifically for the Zonda F. The budget Zonda's have to make do with a leather covered version, no wood and aluminum highlights for the paupers!
It's a real beauty, hand made of course. Other than the Zonda I've yet to find a car with one. So either it's rare or it's not as nice as I think. Nah! It doesn't come cheap but then there's no reason it won't last a lifetime.
I still haven't found a boss and snap-off kit that I like the look of. Would still like a chrome one or at least polished aluminium so if anybody knows of one let me know.
I've bought a very special steering wheel today, not going to say much about it just yet, you'll just have to wait! Suffice it to say that you don't see them every day.
Although we're not doing much to the interior at this stage, I bought it as they don't seem to come up for sale very often with it being a limited edition. I couldn't find any in the UK so have had to import it. I just hope it's not too posh for the car. Actually I don't care because it's the best looking wheel I've come across that suits the lines of the Golf and, if it's good enough for the car it was designed for (hint, costs not far off £500K!), it's good enough for Dilbert.
