I had to take a break from the car for a couple weeks to work on the house. Now I'm back at it and ready to show probably my favorite accomplishment yet. But we'll get to that.... this will be a quick post since I only have abt 15m.
Only a damn fool wouldn't replace the hose from hell if they're already this deep in the engine. so I did.
and added some extra protection
now we're getting to the good part. Originally I intended to wrap the wheel in rubber sheet first to add OEM-like padding behind the leather for that thicker original feel, however I quickly determined that it was impossible to do by hand, so I abandoned that idea.
Natural deer hide, painted to match OEM toyota shadow grey using a custom SEM SureCoat.
It was a long process. Had to measure, cut, sew, test fit, measure, cut, un-sew, measure, mark, cut, measure, mark, sew, fit again, then begin sewing around the preimeter of the wheel...
Getting the spokes right was the hardest part. The measurements had to be exact, and the curves had to match, and the stitching and tension had to be right, and you couldn't stretch it properly when stitching the first side, since you needed the tension on both sides... it was a nightmare. Each spoke took between one and two hours just for the spoke.
Finally the finished product! Used a touch of steam to try and smooth out the last wrinkles with mixed success. Washed some remaining washable marker off with saddle soap and water, then sealed with mink oil. The leather had never been oiled before so it was thirsty! Total work time from initial measuring and cutting of material to completion: about 18 hours over 2 days.
was too dark to see when I installed it back in the car but couldn't wait to get a picture anyway.
And here it is! the interior is finally finished!
As the finishing touch on the interior, a dedication plaque to the one for whom this project is named.
Only a damn fool wouldn't replace the hose from hell if they're already this deep in the engine. so I did.
and added some extra protection
now we're getting to the good part. Originally I intended to wrap the wheel in rubber sheet first to add OEM-like padding behind the leather for that thicker original feel, however I quickly determined that it was impossible to do by hand, so I abandoned that idea.
Natural deer hide, painted to match OEM toyota shadow grey using a custom SEM SureCoat.
It was a long process. Had to measure, cut, sew, test fit, measure, cut, un-sew, measure, mark, cut, measure, mark, sew, fit again, then begin sewing around the preimeter of the wheel...
Getting the spokes right was the hardest part. The measurements had to be exact, and the curves had to match, and the stitching and tension had to be right, and you couldn't stretch it properly when stitching the first side, since you needed the tension on both sides... it was a nightmare. Each spoke took between one and two hours just for the spoke.
Finally the finished product! Used a touch of steam to try and smooth out the last wrinkles with mixed success. Washed some remaining washable marker off with saddle soap and water, then sealed with mink oil. The leather had never been oiled before so it was thirsty! Total work time from initial measuring and cutting of material to completion: about 18 hours over 2 days.
was too dark to see when I installed it back in the car but couldn't wait to get a picture anyway.
And here it is! the interior is finally finished!
As the finishing touch on the interior, a dedication plaque to the one for whom this project is named.