A true custom car isn't complete until you've done everything on the car. And I do mean everything-rims, tires, paint, audio and video, performance upgrades and, of course, what you see when you're driving, the interior. The exterior paint may get you noticed, but you can't really enjoy that, can you? But a custom interior that looks great and feels just as good is just the thing you need for the perfect Sunday cruise.
With this first article focusing on automotive interiors we've taken on one of CA&E's makeover projects, a BMW 635csi. While the seats were functional, they were very worn out and the interior as a whole was basically falling apart. The inside of the sunroof was gone and the headliner was dirty and at the minimum in need of a miracle cleaning. As for the doors: They were at best shabby. For this makeover, we decided on a two-tone look for the interior, going off the colors on the kick panel enclosure, black and gray.
The headliner was first on the list for making over the interior. If you go to an upholstery shop for similar custom work on a comparable vehicle you'll be paying for about three yards of material. In this case, it's suede. That runs for about $40 per yard. Labor varies greatly from area to area, but at a reputable shop you will be paying about $45-65 an hour. This project took about seven to eight hours.
Another significant part of this project (and especially important if you want to tackle this as a do-it-yourself project) required removing the windshields on the car. You should be prepared to do the same on your vehicle, at least the rear window. With this BMW it had to be taken out in order to be able to tuck the material in under the metal lip. Along with the glue, the gasket helps to hold the material in place.