Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.
01 Caprice
- Thread starter WHCapriceHBD
- Start date
WHCapriceHBD
Member
I can't get decent photos of the pieces installed, as its dark when I leave for work, and dark when I get home at the moment, so it will have to be on the weekend. But I'm happy so far. The test was today when my wife was in the car. I asked her to pick out the pieces I upholstered. She couldn't find them. I pointed them out, and she said she swore they were always like that. So it fooled her...
I got a bit more confident after reading some more upholstery tutorials at work today.
Hence I give you a two-tone suede glovebox. The lower suede matches the suede inserts in the doors. The upper suede matches the dashboard colour.
I was that confident this time, I even trimmed the insides of the glovebox to match, so its two-tone inner and outer suede. No plastic/vinyl surfaces on any part of the glovebox anymore.
Clipped the glovebox back in earlier (had to use a torch as its dark outside) and it works and closes and does everything like factory but looks and feels a lot nicer.
Its cold and rainy outside, and it gets dark at 4pm now, so small fiddly projects like this are good to do indoors where its warm.
And importantly, just like when I did the leather steering wheel refinishing work, I'm learning new skills as I go. So at the end, I'll know more than when I started.
I got a bit more confident after reading some more upholstery tutorials at work today.
Hence I give you a two-tone suede glovebox. The lower suede matches the suede inserts in the doors. The upper suede matches the dashboard colour.
I was that confident this time, I even trimmed the insides of the glovebox to match, so its two-tone inner and outer suede. No plastic/vinyl surfaces on any part of the glovebox anymore.
Clipped the glovebox back in earlier (had to use a torch as its dark outside) and it works and closes and does everything like factory but looks and feels a lot nicer.
Its cold and rainy outside, and it gets dark at 4pm now, so small fiddly projects like this are good to do indoors where its warm.
And importantly, just like when I did the leather steering wheel refinishing work, I'm learning new skills as I go. So at the end, I'll know more than when I started.
WHCapriceHBD
Member
And for anyone debating pulling the trigger on suede like I am apparently now doing, I'd have a read of this article on suede/alcantara first, as it outlines what an absolute fickle $%^& it is going to be to keep clean and look after.
Suede Is A Garbage Material For Car Interiors
I knew this going into it, and I try really hard to detail the interior and keep things clean. But if you've got a daily driver car that gets used hard, suede will turn into a mess really quickly and you'll need specialized cleaners just to keep it from matting and looking like complete @rse.
I'm up for that challenge, as my old BMW M5 was full of the stuff inside, and I was religious about it.
Also, my sofa recliner in the living room is covered in the stuff too, so I already have a stash of the cleaner chemicals, cloths and nap brushes and all that specialized junk already. I can just use it in the car too.
We are apparently getting a puppy towards the end of this year, and I fully expect the sofa to go to complete garbage shortly after that happens..
Suede Is A Garbage Material For Car Interiors
I knew this going into it, and I try really hard to detail the interior and keep things clean. But if you've got a daily driver car that gets used hard, suede will turn into a mess really quickly and you'll need specialized cleaners just to keep it from matting and looking like complete @rse.
I'm up for that challenge, as my old BMW M5 was full of the stuff inside, and I was religious about it.
Also, my sofa recliner in the living room is covered in the stuff too, so I already have a stash of the cleaner chemicals, cloths and nap brushes and all that specialized junk already. I can just use it in the car too.
We are apparently getting a puppy towards the end of this year, and I fully expect the sofa to go to complete garbage shortly after that happens..
uniacidz
Harden the Frak Up
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2011
- Messages
- 2,267
- Reaction score
- 181
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Sideneee
- Members Ride
- VE Berlina
Excellent work done there man
But yeh, as for myself i did my 3M Wrap on interior parts but thats about it.
Suede when done nice looks good but can also quickly wear out and look really tacky and yuck and not to mention can get dirty real easy
I would be scared to even touch it due to the normal oils us as human seep through our pores
Good work though
But yeh, as for myself i did my 3M Wrap on interior parts but thats about it.
Suede when done nice looks good but can also quickly wear out and look really tacky and yuck and not to mention can get dirty real easy
I would be scared to even touch it due to the normal oils us as human seep through our pores
Good work though
WHCapriceHBD
Member
Cheers, I'm actually sitting here thinking that the roof lining looks easy enough to me.... And I have plenty of material to do it....
It wouldn't be likely to get stained or be a well worn area as its above people and it rarely gets touched. I have the sunroof and the rear roof mounted sound system and climate controls, so there are some tricky spots. But I know I can stitch now, and cut templates. I miiiiight just give the roof lining a go, and go all the way down the pillars. It has cream colored fuzzy material on it at the moment. I think I'd be happier if I retrimmed the whole roof in this darker grey. And then I could stand back and say I did that myself.
Yeah, I might just tackle it.
It wouldn't be likely to get stained or be a well worn area as its above people and it rarely gets touched. I have the sunroof and the rear roof mounted sound system and climate controls, so there are some tricky spots. But I know I can stitch now, and cut templates. I miiiiight just give the roof lining a go, and go all the way down the pillars. It has cream colored fuzzy material on it at the moment. I think I'd be happier if I retrimmed the whole roof in this darker grey. And then I could stand back and say I did that myself.
Yeah, I might just tackle it.
WHCapriceHBD
Member
Here are some photos, although trying to get the stupid camera to focus on the dark interior with the bright morning sunlight coming in the windows threw the lighting off a bit.
I've just finished doing the fuse panel cover under the steering wheel in the same 2-tone suede as the glovebox, so the dash balances out on each side as well.
I've just finished doing the fuse panel cover under the steering wheel in the same 2-tone suede as the glovebox, so the dash balances out on each side as well.
Last edited:
WHCapriceHBD
Member
It's going to be an ongoing project. A few pieces here & there as time permits. Although I won't be doing the entire upper dash pad (the largest piece) as I think that would be too much and too difficult to clean/maintain.
I'm just going to add accents of it around the interior, as the WH cars already have some suede areas from factory. But being Holden, they didn't add too much, as it was expensive and I guess they also thought it might be too finicky for a lot of owners to care for.
I'm just going to add accents of it around the interior, as the WH cars already have some suede areas from factory. But being Holden, they didn't add too much, as it was expensive and I guess they also thought it might be too finicky for a lot of owners to care for.
sleepa
Shiny...
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 923
- Reaction score
- 32
- Points
- 28
- Location
- Brisbane
- Members Ride
- 2010 VE SS Sportwagon, Audi A4, Combo work hack
That looks really good. I think I need to do this on my Berlina.
As you already know if you careful with suede or alcatanara and keep up with cleaning then its a nice fabric.
Only real issue I have seen is they don't like direct sunlight and will fade, black goes to a nasty brown colour.
You should be fine with what you are doing around the car, I would't do the upper dash for his reason though.
As you already know if you careful with suede or alcatanara and keep up with cleaning then its a nice fabric.
Only real issue I have seen is they don't like direct sunlight and will fade, black goes to a nasty brown colour.
You should be fine with what you are doing around the car, I would't do the upper dash for his reason though.
WHCapriceHBD
Member
I figured there have been so many photos of the interior, parts, etc lately and there haven't been many photos of the entire car. So lets break it up a little bit. Something different.
When I first got the car in mid 2014:
And currently in 2016:
Both photos taken in the same carpark vicinity. Its come a long way. When I first bought it, people gave me funny looks for what I saw in it. But it just took some time for what was in my head to materialize into reality I guess.
When I first got the car in mid 2014:
And currently in 2016:
Both photos taken in the same carpark vicinity. Its come a long way. When I first bought it, people gave me funny looks for what I saw in it. But it just took some time for what was in my head to materialize into reality I guess.
