vinyl on the ceiling of an 83 ...

[DeadHeart]

has anyone used a vinyl, from a fabric store to replace the glued on vinyl peices, the ones i am transplanting from my 85 is cracking and not gluing properly... so i was just about ready to scream... untill i looked at and said... fabric store... i just dont know much about it and dont want to use the wrong type.. so if anyone has any recomendations.. please let me know

[ae1969]

You can find vinyl at an auto upholstery store.....

Its tough trying to find an exact match but it will be close enough.

Also use that 3m spray on glue works well...

[Pike]

Go for it, I have been considering this too. The only thing I can think of is that it comes in several thicknesses, and I don't know if I can get one thin enough, normally the fabric stores have really heavy stuff.

[BlueQuestTSi]

n00b here.

I've used the vinyl from fabric shops with no ill effects in a car, but I figured I'd tell you the main differences between what you get at 'Michaels' compared to the automotive grade vinyl from a car upholstery supplier.

Essentially the stuff that is used for cars is UV protected(you won't find that at Michaels) for long life. Also, the stuff for cars is very compliant, it's easy to stretch/shape and form with minimal heat. The stuff from a fabric store is usually thick, and hard to work with.

I'd say it depends on the price difference and your budget. But if you can spend the extra $$$ find an automotive upholstery supplier to purchase your vinyl from. Also while there, pick up their spray adhesive, better stuff than the 3M and lasts alot longer at around the same cost.

[Pike]

My car only has vinly on the roof and about a foot down the side posts. That makes UV pro almost unnessisary.

[TCMdocs944]

Wouldn't "marine grade" vinyl work for uv?

I was thinking of replacing some portions of the carpet with vinyl when I redo the interior and am trying to get ideas.

Any pics would be nice.

[Moneyguy1]

You could consider leather. The HideHouse sells it by the 1/2 hide for about $100, and if you send them a snippet of your original material, they can come darn close on a match. I am having my front seats redone as well as the steering wheel. It is not hard to work with.

[TCMdocs944]

I looked into leather but got confused with all the cow talk. Being a steer novice I only recognize descriptive terms like thickness, look, color, and feel. Can anyone help, breifly with this learning curve. I.E.

Cow many square feet in a hide?
What type of hide is best for auto insteeriors?
Cow do you combat uv / or do you just tint the windows and be done with it?
Can Moo use glue and a heat gun for installation?

[daveimme]

My passenger seat's brown leather has cracked. It had gotten wet when someone busted the window to steal something (at my mehcnaics shop before I bought it), thus ruining the seat area (the lumbar support on up is fine). How much can I expect to pay to have it reupholstered?

Frankly, I'm even afraid to go to some shop and ask!

[Moneyguy1]

TCM...Call the HideHouse (they have an 800 # on the web..ask for Jennifer, explain your need and she will walk you through your choices. As for the amount in a hide, there is info on their site that explains a lot of the terms and even has an estimator for various types of furniture. No car seats, but some of the chairs should give a prety good estimate. The hides I got were 25 ft and cost $3.85 per square foot. Sounds expensive, but the results will make me much happier than vinyl, especially here in AZ summers!!

[DeadHeart]

i have deeply tinted windows...(so much so the cops in the area tend to bust my shoes), do i still need uv protection for the ceiling? i dont really know... but i do know that the vinyl that i found at a fabric store is thick... and i mean really thick, compared to my cars so im off to the auto upholstery guy, as for my new leather seats... im just thankfull they are perfect