| Restoration Blog:
Tell us about your experiences replacing/ repairing your 912's upholstery/
interior - dashes, seats, headrests, sidepanels, headliners, carpets, mats,
whatever!
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From: Chris Starleaf; Hi; I'm in the process of of restoring the
interior of my 1967 targa soft window 912. I'm confused about the rear
seat straps? I've found the remains of the originals under the carpet
and nailed to the wood frame of the rear seat tops. What did they
attach/snap too? All the other interior hardware was intact when
I stripped it and I cannot figure out what they attached to. I don't want to order the wrong replacement. Chris Starleaf, Sheridan, IL.
From: Ron D, 1969 912 Targa,
Does anyone know the correct procedure for removing the dashboard?? I have
heard that the windshield must be removed first.
Also, what are the correct locations for the various identifying plates in
the engine bay area? I purchased the car with a new paint job and the
previous owner forgot where the plates were located. I cannot find a
picture showing the engine bay plates.
Thanks for your help.
Ron
From: Craig Bennett; ; As a follow up to my
ealier submission to the Question of the Month:
I have completed my door panels. I used the old vinyl door covers to cover the panels that
I made. They went on without any problems. I used regular staples from a stationary type
stapler to attach the vinyl to the panel as the staples were the closest in size and
proportion to the factory originals. The panels went back on the doors without a hitch. I
was able to find a pair of old style (1974 to 1976) door bins (Aase Brothers) that were in
excellent shape but needed new upholstery. I was able to find original style vinyl (Evans
Upholstery Supplies) and using contact cement and about 2 hours successfully covered them.
The project was straight foward with no suprises.
I also recovered my three-spoke steering wheel with a new cover (Tweeks). The instructions
called for removal of the wheel, but since I did not have the correct size socket I
removed the horn pad and proceeded. Five hours later I was done. I worked straight through
with only short breaks between spokes to take tequila shots to cope with the tedium. And
there was much tedium. The kit offers an address to send the steering wheel and the cover
for those not up to the task. They want $150 for the job, so I figure I made $30 per hour.
I do not believe taking the wheel off the car would have made the job easier or faster.
The kit came with one large needle and thread. I used two smaller needles, one at each end
of a 4 ft.length of thread. A longer piece of thread would become very unwieldy and the
smaller needles went through the leather with less effort than the large needle. For those
considering doing this it really isn't too bad. Once you get a rhythm (sew, tequila, sew,
tequila..you get the picture) it goes pretty quickly...at least in geologic time.
Lastly, I did the unthinkable. I bought the car with blue seats in an otherwise black
interior. This made the inside of the car look "broken". Recovering the seats
was beyond my present budget and I had grown tired of all the "Hey, how come your
seats are blue?" comments. So, I decided to recolor them. I went to an auto paint
store (Thompsons) and bought a vinyl colorant (SEP) specifically for changing the color of
upholstery. This stuff is nothing like the typical auto parts store vinyl paint. It
consists of one can of vinyl cleaner, one can of vinyl prep (makes the vinyl soft and
sticky) and one can per seat of colorant (satin black in my case). I followed directions,
which included leaving the seats undisturbed for 48 hours after completion. They came out
great! There is no lingering paint odor and the vinyl has the same feel as before it was
colored. I used two coats for the back and sides and about four coats for the front (wear
surface). The clerk at the paint store said he had used this stuff himself and it is
permanent and will not wear off. Time will tell.
The headliner and new visors are all that remain. I've already experienced replacing a
windshield on a 911 (a friend's, fortunately) so I know that it is a job best left to
those who know how to do it, which isn't me. It should be done by the time the Question of
the Month gets back around to interiors.
From: john.hedstrom;
; Here's a tip that I
hope will save a few 912 owners much frustration:
When replacing the rear window gasket, be sure to purchase the genuine Porsche replacement
part. Around a month ago, I began the excruciating task of installing the rear window in
my '66 912 after finishing the paint job, and bought a new $70 rear window gasket from
************** in ********. I spent 3 maddening weekends, with the help of an
assistant, pre-assembling the window and trying to get in, following the instructions in a
Porsche shop manual. Each time we were close, the aluminum trim strips would pop out and
the seal would roll under the glass, the gasket would slide off the glass, etc. After much
swearing, I took the car, window, and gasket to a professional auto glass installer, who
said it would be no problem. A few hours later I got a call from the installer, who said
he couldn't get the thing in even with the help of two other guys. He said the gasket was
not OEM, and that the dimensions of the thing were different. So I bought a genuine part
at a Porsche dealership, cost: $120, and did a side-by-side comparison with the non-OEM
part. The two are not the same. The non-OEM part is made of a different, less pliable,
vinyl-like material. The genuine part is more reslilient and has the corners of the glass
molded in the rubber so that the gasket forms a rectangle when laid-out flat on the floor;
the non-OEM part forms a circle. Pre-assembling the window was considerably faster using
the genuine part because the softer material and molded corners make the gasket easier to
work with, thus, the aluminum trim is less likely to pop out. Despite all of these
findings, I still can't get the #&*!@ window in, due to my limited skills and lack of
patience, so I'm taking it back to the installer and having him put it in using the
genuine gasket. But I got a heck of a lot farther getting the thing partially in using the
OEM part before I gave up and decided to leave it to the pros, mainly to keep from
accidentally cutting, or otherwise ruining the new gasket. Keep in mind that my bad rear
window seal experience was with a part from *******. It's probably better to be safe
and buy the OEM part than sorry, since installing the rear window is such a pain in the
rear to begin with.
From: Curt Burkett;
;
Before I start I must tell you that my car is a daily driver with nearly 300K miles on it
and my emphasis is on functionality as opposed to originality or esthetics. I have owned
the car for over 26 years so I have repaired or replaced nearly everything at one time or
another.
In 1980 I had my '69 912 restored by Steve Douneshall in Cloverdale, CA. At which time I
replace the cracked dash (which currently remains without cracks), headliner, and German
wool carpets. I also replaced the seat belts as the plastic holders were broken. The new
ones eventually did the same thing and I recently replaced them with retractibles. If any
one out there is thinking about doing this, I will provide free consultation by phone or
email. It might save some time & frustration.
The best thing I have done to the interior of the car recently was to rebuild the map
pockets. I used a piece of light bar stock to reinforce the inside and used a small piece
of plumbers tape to hold it to the outside metal top deco strip. I used bunge cord to
replace the rubber pieces that hold them shut. This is not easy but it works if you know
how. They are not in original condition or even esthectcally pure, but they work (see
paragraph one) and look a whole lot better than they did when I started.
Most everything works on the car but I have a couple of things I could use some help on.
The ventilation system does not work well because the deflectors under the dash are broken
and the cables are not working. Does anyone have any advice on this? Also, what is the
best way of cleaning the inside of the back window of haze which accumulates when the sun
shines on it?
The car runs extrmely well thanks to CA smog exemption, an electric fuel pump & Beetle
Power of Pleasanton, CA.
From: Peter Baldauf;
; Well friends, being a 912 admirer and
owner I went to great pains to restore my pride and joy. Not only did I want it to be
pleasing to the eye, but more importantly I wanted it to be pleasing to me when I'm
driving it. So I addressed the points of contact from driver to car i.e. the seats,
steering wheel, pedal cluster and shifting mechanism. 1) I opted for the Momo Top power (I
recommend 320 mm, 300 takes some getting used to) 2) A pair of Corbeau clubman seats (if
you have the $ buy the best you can afford) I however was on a budget and am otherwise
pleased with them. 3) Bronze pedal bushings and all three shift linkage bushings (made a
world of difference, and cancels that annoying banging in your tunnel when you go over
bumps) 4) A pair of Momo 2" 4 pt harness' fills those holes in the seats quite
nicely.
All of us being Porschephiles are probably not craving great luxury and especially being
912 porschephiles are quite used to minimalism. For me a car is not stiff enough until you
need a kidney belt to leave your driveway or light enough until you fill the tires with
helium. Perhaps that a little extreme, but anyway. I sent away for many carpet samples at
the time and one day found myself at Home Depot, for non-porsche related activities, and
to my surprise they carry the exact material in their carpet dept. as all my samples
for what was referred to as "domestic loop". A God send. So instead of spending
nearly $400 for a domestic loop carpet set from "we've got everything you want
California" I invested $18.60 into a 3x6 portion of carpet from HD.
To my surprise this was a piece of cake. Just use your old carpet set as a template, get a
good set of shears and prepare for some blisters. It didn't even require any adhesive, all
the pieces overlap and hold each other down (assuming you have all your trim). I recommend
having the vertical edges on the "kick board" piece (the one that covers the
heater tubes up to the dash) bound. maybe $10 from your local upholstery shop or free from
your favorite Grandma. This gives a finished look to all your hard labor. You get the new
car smell or maybe that's the smell of all that money you saved. Either way your baby will
look new. Originally, my interior was saddle color but with the seats, carpet and dash
black I opted to dye the door panels and the rear panels. For this I used a product by the
name of SEM upholstery dye. It doesn't scratch or rub off as it burns itself in to the
fabric or vinyl, smells good too. As for the headliner, there's only one way to do it. If
you need new rubber front and or rear windshield seals and a new headliner, do it all at
once. The rubber holds the headliner in place and once you get the windshields out you'll
notice a bunch of little clips that hold the headliner in place whild you replace the
windshield. It reduces the risk of tearing by accident and again it gives you a nice
finished professional look.
I hope this helps somebody out there, I try to check my E-mail, well lets be honest at
least once every two weeks at this address, but please if anybody has any
suggestions,recommendations, questions or advice I love to hear from fellow porsche
people. Keep up the site, your doing a great job!!
Peter Baldauf Huntsville AL
Butzi_P@aol.com
From: Craig Bennett;
; Hello Rick and all fellow
912'ers. I bought my 912E in early July of this year. The car was reasonably well taken
care of, but all of the exterior rubber was original and was in bad need of replacement.
Up until a few weeks ago I was concentrating on the exterior but I am now focusing on the
interior since most of the exterior is finished.
The trim around the windows was removed for painting, by the previous owner, and not
replaced. I will be taking the car to a restorer to have a new headliner fitted and the
trim replaced in the next two weeks. This is a project best left to professionals, given
my skills, experience and inclinations. I removed the door panels to find an assortment of
sheet metal screws where factory socket screws should be. A few trips to a salvage yard
(Aase Bros.) to rummage through their bucket of door hardware netted all the correct
screws, nuts, cables and linkages to replace broken, missing or incorrect (homemade)
parts. Some silicone lubricant and a well placed wrench corrected all window
roll-up/roll-down difficulties.
The door panels themselves were badly warped from a combination of water exposure and
protruding speakers (from behind the panel). I was able to find one good door panel at a
salvage yard (Aase Bros.) from a '74 911. I took the upholstery off all three panels. I
then taped the one good door panel onto a large sheet of drafting paper and drew a
rectangle around it.
Using the rectangle as a datum reference I measured the location, size and shape of all
the holes, curves and angles. With this information I drew the door panel on Autocad and
printed it out, full scale, to check accuracy. I did a little tuning and copied the
drawing to disk. The file was then put into the database of a CNC router. I bought some
1/8" hardboard and had left and right sides cut. They are perfect. They also cost
about $2.00 each plus about 4 hours labor...so far. I plan to re-use the original
upholstery since there are no tears or chaffing and the material does not seem dried out.
I bought a 6 ft square of 1/4" foam for about $3.00 from a fabric/upholstery supply
house. I will re-use the foam strips that go between the panel and door. I have also glued
a sheet of clear polypropylene to each door to isolate the panels from the water source
(inside the door). I purchased new door clips from a dealer.
Odds and ends that I replaced include an ashtray (original was stolen), heater lever knob
(sun bleached) and shifter knob (original broken). I paid $70.00 for the shifter knob at a
dealer. Please, don't try this at home. I dipped the shifter knob in boiling water for
about ten seconds to soften it and immediately beat it (gently) onto the shaft with a
rubber mallet. The seats were reupholstered by the previous owner in a beautiful navy blue
that goes really well with absolutely nothing else in the otherwise black interior. My
restorer buddy wants $1600 to recover the seats. Actually he rebuilds them completely. I
had him rebuild the seats in my 911 and I am willing to spend the dough again (when I have
it). They make the car feel
new. I am considering having the seats done in black OEM leather. Although the leather was
not an option for the car, they do feel great and make the car smell
"expensive".
My door bins are shot. I understand that replacements are difficult /impossible to find
and mine are beyond repair. I believe I will have to replace them with newer style bins
(that screw directly to the door and not
to brackets). Any suggestions? Thanks
From: Dave Mauk; ;
the interior of my 69 912 was in excellent condtion when I go it the only thing in need of
replacing is the carpet which I will get from Tweeks. Thanks again! Dave
From: GTE/michel1;
; I am still in the process of restoring
my 912 but I think I can contribute to the forum at this time. When I first began to
use the 912 as daily driver, one of my first improvements was to have my badly saging
seats reupholstered. This made an incredible difference in my enjoyment of the vehicle.
Another improvement to the seats was to set the reclining mechanism to a fixed position. I
made this modification to the seats because I got tired of having the seat back jump a
notch whenever I got a little aggressive the wheel. It really spoiled my fun!
I have had the interior door panels redone. The old silver, tar type, carboard panels had
to be replaced with the newer style that upholsterers use. It is a bit thicker but it
worked out fine. I did not use the original panel clips to secure the panels to the doors.
Instead, I chose to use stainless steel screws with upholstery washers. I have seen many
Porsches out there that have used this method to attach these panels to the doors.
I have also added power door locks and an alarm system to my 912. I replaced the interior
door lock lever covers with ones from a 968 that have built-in LEDs in them. I wired the
flashing warning signal from the
alarm system to these LEDs. I am still working on the power trunk release!
From: Robert Burn;
; Even though I haven't done anything to
the interior of the car, it still looks pretty good. Probably because for the life of the
car it has either been garaged or covered. A cover does wonders for keeping the interior
from being savaged by the sun. I am, however, in need of a rehab of the Targa top.
From: Jimbo MGA;
; I'm the luckiest 912 driver ever I'm
sure. The interior of my 1969 912 is in as near to pristene condition as any 30 year old
driver I've ever seen. When I purcahsed the car the only problem inside was a pair
of 2" rips in the middle of the drivers seat bottom. Its the black vinyl with the
basket weave pattern. There were no pieces missing so I just sewed the rips up (momma
taught me how to do a nice little blind stitch). The rips all but disappeared. They
totally disappear when I'm driving the car, don't cha know. I now have the littlest crack
forming up on the dash. Persistant use of a windshield shade screen have nearly arrested
the spread of the crack. A nice DashMat® covers the majority of the 1-1/2" crack
just to the right side of the instrument pod.
I'll go on to brag a bit here about my interior: I once had a pretty servere problem with
the engine (left carb injested a washer, right into a cylinder). The first mechanic I had
the car towed to recommended I just junk the car as repair of an engine problem "that
serious" would outstrip the value of the car. Then as I was leaving in deep dispear I
spotted a 1969 911S in his side lot. Closer inspection revealed this 911S interior to be
totally trashed.
FLAG ON THE PLAY! Mr. "you better just junk the car" was trying to get my
interior. Stinkin' ******. 1969 912 shared the same interior as the 911S 911T and 911E
Quick like a bunny I had the car towed to a much better and infinitely more honest
mechanic who retrieved what was left of the washer and sent me on my way with a bill for
about $400. I could have kissed him! If you got a nice interior you gotta watch your back.
Thanks for bringing the 912 Registry to us. Bye, JimboMGA@aol.com,
1969 912 (44/56)
From: Ron Anthony;
; Interior? My E, 986, had dark
blue cloth interior that had seen its better days and I had it replaced with black
corduroy and it turned out great. The rear side panels and rear panel came out without too
much trouble and after having the top parcel shelf covered as well , it turned out very
nicely. Ronl
From: Dean S. Klein;
; I had a custom
replacement carpet set done from a company I found in Excellence. I had them done in
black. Sorry I don't recall there name...all my records are back in the U.S. The new
floormats came from Automotion, just plain no-logo black (there are plenty of Porsche
logos are the car as is, thanks). Automotion was also the source for an under dash
"sheild" to hide the wiring and provide a mounting point for stereo speakers.
You don't notice it, and it' greatly cleans up the look and cuts down on noise...at least
that's what I'm told.
The seats were block stock and beautiful, although tired. I'm having them re-stuffed by a
locally reputable auto upholstry shop. I can't wait to get off the ice and see the car!
Dean Klein, palmer station, antarctica
From: thom kuby;
; Greetings 912rs,
concerned experiences repairing/replacing interior stuff:
I have a '68 coupe...Nicely restored and additionally prepped for vintage racing
Asofar as replacing interior goodies with '68 vintage stuff...it has proven very difficult
for me to find "'68 correct" pieces, such as that damn 2pc dashboard. I finally
gave up on '68 pieces altogether...I find the process much easier when
"backdating" the interior to '67 vintage. This makes the door panel situation
much easier, and I've been able to find passable quality dashes as well. Another
alternative is to use the '69+ dash. I know, I know, its' not the "correct year"
but it is a factory part (and available) and it does fit in there-and only the seriously
anal-retentive concours guys will notice and/or even care...I don't do concours anyway, so
the anthenticity issue is all academic to me.
I will be actually changing the dash here very, very soon. I have only the '68
"front-half" (that goes over instrument binnacle, and across to passenger side)
on the car now. the pad had been recovered by somebody...and it looks like, well, like
someone re-covered it...its' not bad, but it sorta bugs me. The "back-half" is
gone...I simply cleaned up the exposed metal, painted it semi-gloss black...so now it
looks like it could be factory-prepped...Since I drive and race this car, I may just leave
it that way for awhile...
I had the headliner done by a local upholstery lady. She used a factory-spec kit ( I don't
know where it came from) and the final result looks pretty good. I think I paid about $150
altogether for that effort.
Other interior mods include the addition of an Autopower rollbar, Momo race seat, fire
system and a 13" suede steering wheel. Most of the interior (side panels, door
panels, back-panel) is still in the car, as the various vintage racegroups have different
rules regarding stripped interiors...I'm not very fast anyway, so I simply left most of it
in the car-looks better that way, I think.
cheers
Thom Kuby
'68 912 "street rod"/vintage racer
From: Kim Wersal;
; I'm in the midst of pulling apart
the interior of my '69 912 Targa--the seats are out, and the carpets are pulled up from
the floors. I removed the insulating mat from the floor and scraped it clean to check for
rust (fortunately only a trace of surface rust), then repainted the floor. Now I need to
find replacement matting (anyone know where I can get that?). I'm hoping to clean and
reuse the original carpet. The drivers side footboard is delaminating and splintering: we
have a woodshop and are planning to make our own reproduction piece. The dash has a couple
of cracks which I may try to find a way to repair, since my budget doesn't run to a
replacement dash. The door panels are good except for the pockets--again I'm pondering
ways to repair them since replacements seem terribly pricey and I would prefer to keep as
much of the original as possible. Does anyone know if anyone sells separate individual
pieces of carpeting? My Targa had an engine fire so the pieces of carpet that fit behind
the rear seats are singed and can't be salvaged--but the rest of the carpet is good, so I
had to buy a whole set. I'm interested in hearing how others are completing their
interiors. Kim Wersal (love the whole 912 site!)
New! 912 Registry Members can
share
technical information, add technical
information, and access quality, up to
date technical information on our 912 Wiki. |
