MTFCA Forum

If anyone is awake on the forum, I’ve inevitably run into a couple questions installing the new interior.
On my seat base, do I have the carpet correct or is it upside down? And on the shoulder panels, what all hardware is used to install them?
My car had no proper interior in it prior so I am flying rather blind.

For me it wouldn’t make any difference but I noticed the triangular corners that you covered weren’t covered on my 24 Coupe. It’s the corner filler on each curved corner filling the area of the two seat cushions. Also the seat base wasn’t covered on mine but I’m not 100% sure that it wasn’t. When I ordered the interior kit for it they didn’t come with it. I removed the seat base and the triangular corner pieces and cleaned them up and repainted black as they were before. Your car is a 25 so maybe it has some differences in the interior.
The work looks pretty good and after looking at different T’s over the years most have minor differences how they were restored and especially in the interiors of the 24 and 25’s. These cars look closely alike.

As far as the shoulder panels on my 24 they are tacked on and no other hardware was on my car in that area.

Much appreciated Mr. Kuehn, the shoulder panels in this kit are made to go down to the corners. I will tack them into the wood up top like you said but I’m not sure how to secure them on the bottom. Maybe I shouldn’t? There are no holes in the metal corners for any hardware.

Do these look Model T? They were securing the older upper door window trim.

I think they may be what is shown here. Not sure and it's hard to see.

I completely replaced the interior in a friend's '25 Fordor sedan with a Cartouche upholstery kit about 20 years ago. The existing interior was completely original to the car.
The original door window surround pieces were stamped, tinned strips of sheet metal with ring shank nails attached to the metal strips, as shown above in the fotos posted. The strips of metal were padded with thin upholstery cotton and then covered with cloth material.
The replacement door surround strips were simply cardboard strips with the nails driven through the cardboard. There was no padding between the cardboard and the upholstery material. Very disappointing.
Since the nails were already in place, I had a devil of a time matching the nails with the holes in the doors.
Finding ring shank nails is not a problem. What seems to be the problem is finding the "Glove Fasteners" that the Service Bulletin speaks of.
There are modern replacements for the glove fasteners but, unfortunately, the modern replacements are made of plastic and do not sit as flush to the door as the original stamped metal ones leaving a gap between the surface of the door and the underside of the upholstery strips.
The usual way to fasten your hip pads is to use small brads, driven through the upholstery material, padding, and the panel board into the wood surround. They will not show once set. If the upholstery is sunken at the site of the brad, simply take a large upholstery needle and carefully insert it into the upholstery material near the dent and raise the needle and the material will pop up burying the brad.
Hope this information helps. Although I don't do upholstery for a living, my father was an upholsterer for 50 years. He learned from his uncle back in the 1930's. I learned as much as I could before he passed away in 1987. But, like my good friend "Original" Smith said, I really messed up by not learning how to do diamond tuft. He could do it with his eyes closed.

Good Luck,
Mike Spaziano.

Nice to hear from you Mike.
I did find these today. They are from a '25 Coupe I'm pretty sure.

Many thanks for the info, that definitely looks like what I have.
Does anyone recall how to fasten the carpeting for the seat riser?

It's looking good Tad.
Your metal seat frame (Riser) should have a number of holes for rivets as shown in the first picture here. They used a steel split rivet. I have shown the copper plated ones I used in my Tudor. I can't remember if they came with the kit. Mine are exposed. I don't know how else they would have done it without showing. Maybe someone knows more.
Rich

Tad,
On the '26 Fordor (in an earlier post I incorrectly said that it was a '25) that I reupholstered, there were small holes, about .125 in diameter located near the top and the bottom of the seat riser.
Since 3-M Yellow 77 spray adhesive did not exist in 1926, it was determined that the holes were used to place grey colored split rivets through the carpet and into those holes in the seat riser to hold the carpet in place.
As I mentioned, my father was an upholsterer and I just happened to have those rivets. They were a good match to the color of the carpet and, provided that by starting in the center and working our way out to the ends, we pulled the carpet cover tight before piercing the carpet with the rivet at each hole location. It turned out very nice.
As for the availability of those rivets, I know that split, flat head rivets can be found. Finding them in matte grey color may be a challenge but, they can always be painted any color you like.

Hope this helps.
Mike.

Guess I should have read Rich Eagle's post above. Seems like we both are on the same page about the rivets.
Tell Sally "Hi" for me when you see her, ok Rich? Miss working with her. She was always so pleasant to deal with and a very talented person. Guess it's true, that apple really doesn't fall too far from that tree.

Thanks for the confirmation Mike.
Sally always says Hi back. Those were good years for her.
Rich

I can't express my appreciation enough for all the information you have helped me obtain. Thank you Mr. Eagle and Mr. Spaziano!
Will use some raven split rivets I have to install the seat riser carpet.

Weather around here has been good for driving the past few days, my new wool interior is much more comfortable for my heart and soul than the velour I had previously. I hope spring has brought new pleasant memories for you as it has for me!

Another question for the experts, what is the correct hardware for the pedal/brake lever trim plates and the floorboard connecting plates? Mine are a hodgepodge.