'64 Commander Interior Recommendations

[Tom]

Looking for suggestions on replacing/restoring the interior of the '64 Commander I purchased last year. It is a former Arizona car which means it's virtually rust-free but the downside is that the interior was baked by the sun and is in poor shape. It has 135K miles I am guessing from the wear-not 35K as the odometer indicates.

The white headliner has a rip in the rear passenger C pillar area. The vinyl seats are beat up and missing some padding. They are black and beige original vinyl and there are tears at some of the seams. Currently both front and rear seats are covered with those cheap, aftermarket seat covers from Autozone that are held in place by elastic. A previous owner painted the dashboard grey though it was originally dark green from what I can tell.

The car runs well otherwise.

[52-fan]

If you want nice, but not exactly stock, JDP on this forum is a good source. For stock contact SASCO and Phantom.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona, both w/overdrive.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

[JDP]

I can provide a interior. The seat covers will fit like factory, but will not be a perfect match in color or pattern style. Headliner is $140, covers are $240-$260, carpets $240.

JDP/Maryland
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
Thomas Jefferson

[studegary]

If you don't want to go with new replacement interior parts, buy a very rusty '64 Commander or Cruiser (if yours is four door) with a good interior and swap interiors, save other spare parts and scrap the balance.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[58PackardWagon]

What color are you going with? Is the front seat a bench seat?

58 Packard Wgn (Parade Red)
58 Packard Wgn (Park Green)
58 Packard Sdn (Shadowtone Red)
62 Daytona (White)
63 R2 Lark (Super Red)
57 Packard Wagon parts car
57 Packard sedan parts car
58 Packard 2 dr hdtp parts car

[Dwain G.]

When I went to my first Zone Meet in Arizona over 20 years ago, I remember that practically all the cars there had non-stock interiors. When I mentioned it to someone there they said "oh no, if you want to drive your car down here you DON'T have vinyl covered seats".


Dwain G.

[Tom]

Guys:

Thanks for the suggestions. And to answer a couple of the questions my '64 Commander is a four-door. I would prefer to keep the original look of the existing vinyl seats with the black and beige colors. The carpeting is black. It has bench seats front and back.

A donor '64 Cruiser contributed dark green interior door panels with original dark green carpet trim to my car last winter to replace the old ones. Unfortunately there was not much else worth keeping from its interior.

The dashboard is dark green underneath the grey paint a previous owner put on for whatever bizarre reason.

The exterior of the car was repainted a number of years ago from the original all white to a two-tone look with a teal body and white roof. The paint is fading now. It actually looks striking and I am considering having it repainted that way. People who come across it really like the color combination.

Finally, I am not handy at all (mechanical work on my car is done by Greg Lentini) so I am not sure what would be involved in replacing the headliner, carpeting, and seats.

Tom

[bams50]

This brings up a question: I have NOS vinyl covers for a 62 Lark. They have been carefully preserved and appear fresh and supple, not even musty. Should they be used on a resto that will see other than museum use? I've heard they were poor quality and would split at the seams rather quickly. If that's the case I'd be better off starting with other than NOS, right?


Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by bams50

This brings up a question: I have NOS vinyl covers for a 62 Lark. They have been carefully preserved and appear fresh and supple, not even musty. Should they be used on a resto that will see other than museum use? I've heard they were poor quality and would split at the seams rather quickly. If that's the case I'd be better off starting with other than NOS, right?


[brown]Robert (Bob) Andrews

I know that 1962 Hawk seat upholstery was bad. They split where the pleats were heat sealed. I have known of them to go bad before ever being installed in a Hawk. Studebaker overcompensated with the 1963-1964 Hawks. The vinyl interiors in those Hawks usually outlast the rest of the car.

Of the 50+ Studebakers that I have owned, I never owned a '62 Lark. I can't recall the seats in '62 Larks being great, but also not terribly bad.

My recommendation is to put the NOS covers on eBay. If someone (more than one) wants them for a restoration/show car, the price will reflect that. List them with a reserve that reflects what they are worth to you. If they don't make reserve, then you shouldn't feel guilty about using them in your car (modified, I believe). If they sell, use some of the money to buy a new reproduction interior in the color and style that you want.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Swifster]

quote:Originally posted by studegary

I know that 1962 Hawk seat upholstery was bad. They split where the pleats were heat sealed. I have known of them to go bad before ever being installed in a Hawk. Studebaker overcompensated with the 1963-1964 Hawks. The vinyl interiors in those Hawks usually outlast the rest of the car.

This would explain the vinyl interior in the Commander vs the cloth seats in the Daytona. The Daytona seats went to seed along time ago. The Commander seats are in good condition except for what look like scratch marks from a cat. Considering I'm in Florida, I'll probably switch to cloth buckets.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[bams50]

Gary, the NOS covers came with the 4dr. Skytop. Here they are:



If I don't sell it and restore it myself, it will be completely stock; so I'm wondering how they'd last with normal-light use.

My r2 Daytona is non-stock, so I'll be going with JDP's covers when I do mine.

That is, if I ever decide what color and style I want[:I]

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[studegary]

Bob A. - I would go with those seats in your Skytop. With care, limited use and indoor storage, they will probably last 10 to 20 years (maybe more if you can get them soft and keep them soft and pliable).

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[bams50]

Thanks, Gary. Those covers will stay with the car. I'm keeping them like the PO did, top shelf of the guest room closet

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"