9. Wrap the Interior
I don’t suggest trying your hand at upholstery. However, the cracked vinyl and worn-out original fabric look like garbage and need to be replaced. Take the interior parts to your favorite upholsterer, along with a fat stack of cash, and tell them what you want.
Don’t skimp on the interior. The rest of your car can look like an award winner but you won’t win any medals with a crappy interior. Choose to remain with an original look or modernize the upholstery – it’s up to you. Just have it done professionally – please.
Test fit it all once you get it back from the upholsterer.
10. The Details You May Not Consider…
Everything you’ve done to this stage is on point. Keep up the good work. The little details matter too, including lighting, fasteners, wheels, tires, badges and such.
Test fit everything you have before it all comes off again. Put the lights in, check the chrome bits, and fit the badges and nameplates onto the car. Some may be tarnished and need to be replaced. There may be busted corners on plastic pieces or a missing part – it’s been more than a year now, right?
Before you go on, purchase or repair these little details. It’s going to make for a top-notch finished classic car restoration.
11. Strip It Down Again
This is the worst part. All your hard work has to come apart. Remove everything from the rolling chassis – the body, the electrical, the interior. You need to keep it all very well protected right now to prevent damage. You certainly don’t want to scratch, dent, crack or rip anything now.
Keep in mind that stripping it all down is a step forward, not a step back. You’re not too far from completion now.
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