S2 resurrection after 25 years in storage

[Rolls]

Hello everyone,

Alcantara comes in both backed and a non-backed version.

Should I use backed for the dash and non-backed for the binnacle? The corners look awfully tight.

What do you all think?

[Fridge]

Backed with what?

As I've said, you need the thinnest available, which may be too thick anyway. Marcasite was quite thin, and pliable. At least in one orientation.

There are other options available rather than running to Alcantara. Ferrari Dinos used something often called "mouse fur" for instance. And this would work. Which I understand is not specifically Alcantara.

[drdoom]

As far as I recall my trimmer uses only the non-backed, adding scrim or more substantial foam where applicable. As David reminds us Alcantara is quite unyielding, though my chap has come through nicely thus far. Keen to see the results once he's got to the binnacle and dash covering.

[Rolls]

Thanks, lads. 

David - thanks for the tip. Keen to keep it as close to authentic as possible. The mouse fur looks like the pile is too high. I will stick with the Alcantara dark grey at this stage. Just need to understand the backing situation. I'll wait until @drdoom bedazzles us 😲with pics of his new interior before I make the purchase. Might work on the door mechanisms while I wait.

[Fridge]

Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I don't see the rush. Though I'm not sure of @drdoom's trimmer is in a rush either 😆 Often the way. Mine was done over 12 months.

Due to a number of circumstances I left the interior to the very last thing I did. I even drove the car with only the minimum of original interior installed to snag test, whilst saving up the funds to complete.

[Rolls]

Speaking of doors…. This door regulator pin has wiggles. Not in an eliptical way. Up and down. Drivers side only. Are they NLA?
Any suggestions as to how to remove the play. Do I tap the rivet on the rear? I’ve given it a light tap and it’s made no difference. 
 

[drdoom]

Search Ebay for Corvette C2 or C3 replacements, as I did. It was down to worn teeth on my one side so I simply cut a replacement sector gear and stacked that onto the original. There's ample length on the motor spur gear to accommodate this.

[Rolls]

Thanks. My teeth are fine. Just need to tighten the pin.

C2 is a good tip though 

[drdoom]

Guess your task would be to smite the large rivet a tad, daring not to oversmite as there may be no unsmite. Credit The Book of Armaments, Python, Monty author.

[Rolls]

Rivet is done. Required a delicate tap.

I've selected the fabric. I’m still trying to work out how much is required. Dash, A pillars, binnacle, door cards. Does anyone have a guesstimate?

Thanks

[Ginger pig]

Hi Rolls,  Could you please share your choice of fabric? I’m looking at the different options myself.

cheers

MP

[Fridge]

My pal in the States has just had his seats from a beige and brown Marcasite interior repaired to great effect. I advised retaining the generally unreproducible high frequency welded ribbed seat swabs and headrests, which the trimmer was able to do. I know that this material is also available in black.

All torn material was replaced and has resulted in very original looking seats. A fantastic job that retains not just these very specific features, but prevents interior detail and relief from being obliterated which often results in a very bland effect. No matter how expensive the replacement material may be.

Sadly damaged Marcasite remains the problem, as previously sourced replacements appear to be no longer available.

[Rolls]

Quick question. I’ve heard numerous people mention the use of scrim foam on the  interior. There doesn’t really appear to be any scrim foam on my original interior apart from an ultra thin backing on the original Marcasite material. Is that right? 🙏🏼

[Fridge]

There would be. It's the stuff that sometimes turns to gold sand and dust.

Some parts of the interior may not have scrim foam, such as thr binnacle, but anything that has any give will.

[Rolls]

Sorry for all the posts. 
The fabric section around the clock looks tricky. Any tips on how to create the curve for the proud corners. Looks like the fabric is formed. 
Any tips?

[Fridge]

It won't be for a professional trimmer. The dashboard ends where the interior light switches in the door jam are similar tight curves, with parallel red stitching on the Esprit S1.

However, as I've stated previously the selection of a finishing material and the underlying scrim thickness is imperative in achieving the tight curves required on such interior pieces.

Many trimmers make the mistake of overfilling the covering, which results in "pillowing" and bad fit.

[Rolls]

I used my original door handles to fit the door when the body was done.
Now I’ve swapped in a new set. Added a new barrel and moved a portion of the mechanism across.
Will require some adjustment once the door is re-mounted.. 

[Rolls]

Back to the interior. Im looking for some guidance as to how does the upper half of the interior  go back together. Is this the right sequence:

1/ roof lining

2/roof side rails

3/header rail with clock etc.

4/ A pillar panels that run from the roof to the dash (with fabric piping strip)

5/ Dash

6/ Windscreen

7/ Fire wall fabric panel

8/ carpet

etc.

My next question. How does one affix the header rail (houses the clock). Does the fabric wrap around the piece of timber and then screwed to the windscreen surround. Beveled edge faces forward towards the front of the car? Followed by the header rail that has 4 screws. I’m confused…

[Fridge]

You can put the windscreen in after you've covered or painted the upper dashboard (part of the body shell).

Your sequence isn't quite right, it's:

1,3,4,2

I put in the carpet after the headlining to provide additional comfort other than the butyl soundproofing and Coverdale PVC covered jute underlay carpet.

The lower dashboard then can go in, and then the glovebox lid. Perhaps before the 'A' pillars come to think of it.

The bulkhead went in prior to the centre console and then seats where the final items.

Basically you don't want to put items in that are going to get in the way of working in such a confined and limiting environment.

[Fridge]

I too am a bit confused by your comments:

"Does the fabric wrap around the piece of timber and then screwed to the windscreen surround. Beveled edge faces forward towards the front of the car? Followed by the header rail that has 4 screws."

The fabric just attaches to the header trim piece (gutter shaped), wrapping around into the inner sides, and ends.

It is then held up to the wooden batten in the roof by a single black posi-drive screw (on the S1) at the centre. The S2 with the Jaeger clock enclosure may be slightly different.

In turn, the batten is attached to the roof by screws from the outside in the windscreen recess before fitting the glass. However they need to be themselves recessed so as not to come into contact with the windscreen glass and create pressure points which will eventually stress the glass and crack it. The windscreen is held off the body shell by spacer rubbers (I used solid engineering rubber trimmed to a depth that allowed the windscreen and edge trim to sit at the correct height in relation to the body shell ie. roof line and outer 'A' pillars/cant rails. The batten benefits from a layer of PU sealant on its hidden side to help adhere it to the cabin ceiling.

Going back to the header trim piece, it is held up at the ends by a combination of the 'A' pillar trims and the cant rails. They essentially lock the windscreen surround trim pieces together. The cant rails (side rails) being the key to this process. These pieces obviously have to be installed during the same time period, otherwise the header trim is effectively unsupported at it's ends.

Note: in my previous comment, the cabin bulkhead piece was fitted before the centre console (which is essentially a single piece item in the S1). However I did not lock this into place, or fit the screws which are located behind the seats until the centre console was in place, as the bulkhead needs to be angled upward at the bottom so that the rear of the centre console can be slid under the map pocket in the bulkhead piece. The bulkhead can then be fixed into place, which in conjunction with the lower dashboard holds the centre console in place. The S2 centre console may be different depending upon its construction.

I hope this helps.

Edited yesterday at 13:28 by Fridge

[drdoom]

As Roland remarks there are 4 screws by which the header rail is attached to the batten in S2 with the integral clock housing. The rail should be trimmed with fabric glued on, thereby simplifying its installation. I chose to bond the batten to roof rather than have screws pierce the shell.

On assembly sequence I've just lately been going through the first steps of the process, determining the following order:

1  -  Wiper unit

2  -  Cowl plenum and drain

3  -  Pedal box assembly

4  -  HVAC lump, loosely as the A/C kit is bulky

5  -  Scuttle beam, which in my case requires a bit of light argy bargy of the HVAC.

No quarrels with any points made above, and I suppose it best to place any sound dampening in footwells and floor as the first step in any case, carpet perhaps right after. I'd place the dash loom section following placement of the scuttle beam, before the lower dash install.