Cheap Interior Solutions?

[RadioRoy]

Making a set of seat covers with the original stitching patterns and spraying the door panels with dye would be a pretty cheap way to go.

[bensherb]

Perhaps the friend doing the upholstery work already has green material and it's cheap, makes sense to me.

About 40 years ago, a few years after I got out of high school, I was in a similar position. I had a '73 Chevy with blue upholstery, the seat wasn't bad but the carpet was a gonner. I removed the carpet and glued down astroturf, it was super cheap compared to carpet and looked pretty good, (it'd look even better with green!). The guy I eventually sold it to (about 5 years later) lives up the street from my mom; last time I saw it,(about 10 years ago, mom's gone now) it still had the astroturf, and looking pretty good still. Evidently it's pretty tough as well as cheap! And, it always brought a smile to the faces of folks when they got into that Chevy. It would work for a headliner too. By the way, my '26 Ford had horse blanket upholstery, I bought a dozen of them at the national rodeo in Las vegas. It looked great!

I've also seen a few headliners made from bamboo partition screen that looked really good, and different. Something like this stuff. (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-G...E&gclsrc=aw.ds)

[Andy R.]

#1 - I'd be proud of that road sign floorboard. Imagine the stories you could tell of what happened with that particular sign missing!
#2 - A thorough cleaning with the right tools and cleaners will surprise how good your interior is. Make sure there's no rodent evidence and you're halfway there.

There's no shame in a Mexican/Horse blanket or old quilts as seat covers. Many of my favorite hot rods have them and they are easy to wash after youthful indiscretions. Plus, it's a good litmus test to see how she feels about your old car hobby, if that is something you intend to continue in the future. You want someone

"Women always figure out the truth...always." -Han Solo

[64V19816]

Uh oh. Now “girls” enter the equation. That means the back seat upholstery needs to be considered also! As a side note......I inherited my grandmothers 1953 Buick Roadmaster in 1985. Very well preserved, seats covered since new. My cousin Fred was allowed to use the car one time as a teenager. . He explained the curious staining on the rear seat......

[Michidan]

Menards does sell "auto" carpet by the roll - cheap. But its not loop style carpet, just fuzzy stuff. It's black and was good enough for me.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

. . He explained the curious staining on the rear seat......

Really?! HOW did he explain that?
--Dwight

[sweetolbob]

Really?! HOW did he explain that?
--Dwight

Stray Cat!

[Cultural_infidel]

What should I do to make the interior somewhat nice on my '51 Champion?

I am already planning going to have the seats recovered by a good friend (just green vinyl, no pattern) but I need to figure out carpet and a headliner.

I'm 19 working for $11 an hour and going to community college, so I don't have much free time or money to spend on this.

On my '74 GMC I just screwed some rubber matting down over the rust holes license plates, and road sign. The problem with doing that on the Studebaker is that it is too nice for me to drill a bunch of screws through the floor.

Anyways, I just want to know what you all have done to make an interior look nice on the cheap.

I would suggest a roll on/spray on liner as a fix for the floors. Proper prep work and execution can make liners look top notch. Durabak makes liners for home spraying in all sorts of colors. I did liner on my old Dodge and it lasted for years.

I don't see an issue with the green vinyl at all. Use what you can to make the car your own. If the vinyl is a readily avail option from your buddy, then so be it! It's better to be putting miles on the rubber than waiting for dollars to appear.

[Flashback]

I had to do mine myself. Couldn't afford 6 or seven grand. I would suggest doing the headliner and windlacing first. If you don't want to use wind lace , you can save some. You can do both yourself. (slow and easy). It seems you have the seats worked out. I got enough board for my door and quarter panels for about 30 bucks, and purchased material at a ocal supply house. Covered my own panels, with some stitching help. I ordered headliner and carpet from Automotive interiors. Headliner 250 bucks, and I installed it. The wind lace I purchased from Studebaker International. Installed myself. The carpet might be more than you want or need to spend, ready to lay in, so the suggestions you have already received you can think on. Just my opinions.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

Stray Cat!

Good answer!
--Dwight

[jjester6000]

I would suggest a roll on/spray on liner as a fix for the floors. Proper prep work and execution can make liners look top notch. Durabak makes liners for home spraying in all sorts of colors. I did liner on my old Dodge and it lasted for years.

I don't see an issue with the green vinyl at all. Use what you can to make the car your own. If the vinyl is a readily avail option from your buddy, then so be it! It's better to be putting miles on the rubber than waiting for dollars to appear.

Yea, beeline sounds like my best option, do you think I could mask off the windows and spray the the roof instead of a headliner.

Also, I like the green vinyl, and my mom does. No offense to all you purists, but I think the original interior colors were a bit bland.

Also, do you guys have any tips for having new glass cut? The drivers window it cracked all the way through and let's water in, so I want to replace it.

[52-fan]

I made a cover for my driver side seat back as a temporary fix of a hole that let the cotton come out. Basically the cover was sewn like a pillow case and pulled down over the seat. If I had known how good it would work, I might have tried doing the whole seat with a better color and stretching it tighter.
I did buy seat covers and material for door panels from LeBarron Bonney before they closed, but I have not installed them yet.

[6hk71400]

I have saved several sellers on Ebay. Here is one of them located in Fairborn OH for a complete interior but for a 64, but will accept offers. It would need to be shipped by Greyhound. For that distance it should not be as expensive to ship across the US.

Studebaker Interior 1964 Commander | eBay

Bob Miles

[Brianbo]

I wanted to sort out other issues first, so I bought a fitted sheet for a double bed at the Good Will. It’s kind of a tan colored pillow ticking and looks okay in the car. When my son saw it he said, “Somewhere a prisoner is missing a mattress!”

[sweetolbob]

Also, do you guys have any tips for having new glass cut? The drivers window it cracked all the way through and let's water in, so I want to replace it.

The easiest way to find glass is to locate local auto glass shops and have them cut you a new one. They can use the old one or the other side as a pattern as IIRC you have flat glass.

BTW, welcome -- It's great to see younger folks join the forum and get another Studebaker back on the road.

Bob