Category Archives: Restoration

The old style seat covers in the Imperial wrap around the back of the seat frame and are secured to the frame with hog rings. The factory sewed cloth extension onto the sides of the seat for this attachment, which … Continue reading →

Having achieved an almost acceptable test panel with the junk vinyl, I decided to make one last test panel. This last test panel would use the actual vinyl I will be using for the seats. I also needed to change … Continue reading →

With the main seat insert largely under control it was time to deal with the next challenge – corners! “But”, I hear you say, “haven’t you already handled corners in multiple places?” Yes – flat corners. These are three dimensional … Continue reading →

The Imperial had been re-upholstered at some point. While the upholstery fit fairly well it was made with non-Imperial quality materials. To be frank, it was ugly! Not to mention worn, dirty, and tearing in several places. There are springs … Continue reading →

I have never done anything with a sewing machine. I have to learn everything from scratch. Using a technique known as a cannonball dive into the deep end of the pool.To summarize the early results, I suck at sewing. Exactly … Continue reading →

While sewing is needed for the seats and door panels there are a couple of trim pieces that don’t require sewing – I can start with those. The back seat has a trim panel that goes between the seat and … Continue reading →

With the shop and materials for upholstery work coming together I ran out of room for stalling on what material to use. Time to make some decisions and place an order. The first big question was leather or vinyl? Leather … Continue reading →

Since upholstery work is completely new the workshop needs to be reconfigured a bit to support it. The main features are a work table and an industrial sewing machine. I don’t have a sewing machine yet, but I have tracked … Continue reading →

The original plan was to restore the Imperial in three stages: mechanical, paint and body, and interior. The original plan was also to accomplish each stage in a year, with three years for the total restoration. I’m now nine years … Continue reading →

The outside mirrors were some of the worst chrome trim on the car. The pot metal was heavily corroded and pitted. After painting the car and getting the rest of the chrome re-plated these were easily the worst part of … Continue reading →