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I'm currently assisting a friend restore the interior of a '51 Coupe and have questions about interior details the car would have had when new. I'd be interested in talking to anyone that has an original car or one PROPERLY restored. Thanks, Rainer Cooney. 603-509-2225

Rainer,

Here are some photos I have of original cars. Depending on the chassis number the rear seat pan will be flat or have a hump. I will post some more photos.

Tony

Here are some photos of a original headliner. The A pillars on this one are the herringbone material. Also the inside of the glove box was covered.

Photos of a original door panel off chassis 11341

Tony Proasi wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 5:01 pm Photos of a original door panel off chassis 11141

Tony, Assuming those are from the doors I shipped you, they're from chassis no. 11341.
I forgot that I had a bunch of photos of the door panel upholstery. Some are in this Google album, and I have more if I've missed some detail you need, Rainer.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gfQaEkhSQVxcqdk59

Spencer,

That is your old door panel from your doors I changed the above post.

Tony

First let me say thank you to both Tony and Spencer! I consider original parts, materials, and photos to be Gold when one is doing their best to put a car back together correctly. A lot of times when I've restored a car items have been removed decades ago and never go with the car leaving you to do what you can and be a detective. One question I was asked this morning by the guy doing the interior is how the headliner bows are held in, there doesn't seem to be any holes on the side to insert wire bows. Thanks again, Rainer

Rainer,

The headliner bows were just held in with paddling that is stuffed in the recess. The headliner is tensioned with a string or wire that runs around the headliner the pillars are covered separately. I have some detailed drawings I can email you if you think they might help.

Tony

Tony, Thank you for your generous offer. Yes please if you could send me any drawings you'd like to share. At this stage I don't believe too much information is possible. Rainer

Note that mid-1951 door panels will be slightly different than the early’52 ones above. There’s a vertical piece in the middle of the pocket.

This is ex-Tom Birch coupe 10848.

Rainer Cooney wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:51 pm Tony, Thank you for your generous offer. Yes please if you could send me any drawings you'd like to share. At this stage I don't believe too much information is possible. Rainer

Rainer send me an email and I will send them over. wagwerks@msn.com

When I owned 10960, I drove it to Ken Daugherty`s 356 Registry Holiday back in the 80s I believe. Brett Johnson took lots of pics of the car, it had a very original interior. There are at least a dozen pics of my old car`s interior details in Dr. Brett Johnson`s 1st edition of his book "Authenticity".

Here are some pics of 10613,when Orrin Henderson owned it. Appears to be an original interior. The first pic in post #8 is of 10543 as we were trimming it out. The headliner is done using 10613 as a guide. Some very thin modern headliner material was used to soften up the edges of the window surrounds to help the headliner material lay nicely. Lee

Well, looks like the pics didn't go through.

I'll try them one at a time. Lee