Typing 2 Ink - by Jim Bryant
Chapter Seven: Stick Me, Kick Me

What do Silver Beige/Basalt Grey, Phosphor/Como Green, Blue-Grey/Dark Grey and Soft Beige/Caramel-Brown mean to you?  Probably not much, but each of you has seen them.  They are the official color combinations of upholstery for split window VW busses.

I knew nothing about Basalt Grey or Como Green when I started my restoration, but I knew that 'Salt and Pepper' was no longer available.  If my interior were going to project that clean, stock appearance, I would have to start from scratch.  If you're doing the same, I assume you can figure out how to remove the old panels.  One helpful hint, use a plastic spatula (like for Teflon skillets) to pry the old door panels off--it won't scratch the paint on later splits with the push-on clips.  Older splits used screws and finish washers.

From a lumberyard I bought enough untempered 1/4-inch Masonite to cut out new panels.  From an automotive upholstery shop I located two bolts of material that looked close to the VW original.  I chose to go with a cloth for the seats so I wouldn't have to sit on vinyl.  The same cloth served as the accent striping in the middle of interior panels.  For the seat sides and backs and for the rest of interior panels, I found a vinyl that approximated VW original.

I say, "approximated" because I found a bolt of material that looked identical to VW vinyl.  The price on it was four times what I paid for the vinyl I bought.  The man said it was for a 1958 Cadillac and very rare.  As I stood at the counter waiting for the bill, the man asked what 'machine' I had.  My mind was on VW machines. He was asking about sewing machines.  Ever have one of those 'DUH' moments?

Two more items while at the upholstery shop: thread and piping.  If you're not going to be sewing seat covers, you can skip the thread.  But piping adds that last touch of authenticity.  If you don't know the term, piping (or cording) is that small bead of plastic that is sewn between the seat surface and the sides of the seat.  All you normally see is the round part, but underneath the surface is a tail for attaching it.  If your seat seams are splitting, you can see the whole thing.  At the top of the original side panels (from the driver seat back) VW stapled piping to match the seat piping.  It is a detail that makes the installation look complete.

You might be surprised at the variations VW used in original upholstery.  The plain vinyl came in three forms: 1) no backing at all-for that snack tray on non-walk-thru models, 2) a thin backing-for door panels, and 3) a strong cloth backing-for seat covers.  The 'Salt and Pepper' materials had similar variations. Original-type white vinyl headliner is readily available with pinhole 'perforations' in it, but the same material with dots painted on to imitate holes was originally used for pieces glued to body or panels.  Does anyone out there have any NOS "painted dot?"

Before using the old panels as patterns, they should be stripped of chrome trim and old material so the location of holes in them is obvious.  Carefully straighten the metal retainer clips on the backside of each panel.  The VW Parts List says you need 120 of them.  Be careful not to break them while pulling the chrome trim from the front.  Remove the rear armrests by loosening the nuts on the backside.  Then peel off the material glued to the panels.  Holes for door handles, arm rests and retainer clips can be accurately located once everything is stripped.

Trace around the panel on the new Masonite and cut it with a saber saw.  Lay the old panels over the new and drill through the old holes to transfer them to the new.  Placement of the holes is critical because they must line up with the holes in the doors when you go to reinstall them.  Sand any rough edges so the straight lines and curves are smooth.

Save the old pieces of material to use as a fabric pattern.  Cut the new cloth or vinyl on a flat surface with a straight edge and a sharp carpet knife.  If you use the old pieces as a pattern, you will see you have to allow enough extra material to wrap around the edges and glue onto the back.  You will also see how curved edges are formed by snipping pie-shaped wedges along the edge. Do not cut the wedges yet!

With new Masonite panels and the material cut to size, all you need is a little patience, a good adhesive and a pile of old newspapers to manifest some magic for the interior of your bus.  Most auto supply stores sell spray adhesive for trunk liners, etc.  I went with 3M products and found their 8090 spray adhesive to be excellent for interior panels.  The lighter duty 8080 works well for headliner applications.  The spray swirls as it comes out, casting a sticky web of adhesive over the surface.

If you plan to use a fabric for accent strips, I recommend spraying the front of each piece with Scotch Guard and allowing it to dry before adhering it to the Masonite.  At some time in the future you will appreciate how it resists stains, particularly around armrests and door handles.

Now, spread out the newspapers.  Lay the Masonite (good side up) and material (good side down) on the paper and spray everything with an even coat of adhesive.  Make sure you have ventilation and a mask!  The adhesive will dry to be tacky enough to stick but still allow for adjustment.  Take the Masonite to a work surface and apply the central accent strip first.  Lay the cloth between the pre-drilled trim holes and smooth it from the middle out.  Next, apply the vinyl top and bottom pieces by butting them against the accent strip as you spread them over the Masonite.  This is a good time to roll all material with a brayer or rolling pin to assure adhesion.

Turn the whole panel over, lay it on fresh newspaper and spray adhesive around the perimeter.  If you cut your material properly, there should be 1-2 inches of material extending beyond the edge of the panel.  This application will make sure that all material will stick when you wrap it around to the backside.  Start with the straight edges.  With sharp scissors, snip excess material off at each corner.  Look at the old material you removed to see how they cut it.  The point is, you don't want more than one layer of fabric glued to the backside.  Use a similar technique in the curves.  Again, look at the original as a guide.

The adhesive dries quickly, but make sure to keep your hands clean during the whole process.  Putting the chrome trim back on should go fairly fast.  If you do one panel at a time, it is easier to keep track of where the pieces go.  There are a dozen or so lengths, with very slight differences.  Polish the trim and screws before you reinstall them.  The improvement will be striking.

Living here in corn country has advantages.  To add some sound deadening and insulation to the panels before I put them back on, the local upholstery shop recommended tractor cab padding.  It's black foam, about an inch thick with a perforated vinyl coating on one side.  You can glue it to the backside of the panel or to the metal of the body, but be sure to keep it out of anywhere water might collect.