Automotive Upholstery Handbook

Rating:
Summary: A Solid Do-It-Yourself Guide to Auto Upholstery Restoration
Review:
This inexpensive handbook introduces many key methods for making and installing automotive upholstery. The focus of this text is on restoration (stock replacement) projects and covers everything from carpeting and seat covers, to headliners, door panels and convertible tops. Basic projects for trucks, vans and boats are also included.

This is probably the best introduction to auto upholstery sewing techniques that I've come across. This text is packed full of photographs and the steps outlined very clearly to take you from beginning to end of an upholstery restoration project as smoothly as possible.

A few minor criticisms on this text: all photographs in this text are black & white, and some of them are not as clear as they could be; pattern making is relatively bushed over (in favor of working on the actual fabric to be used); and a few very commonly used techniques are left out (although you will find them in Taylor's "Custom Auto Interiors" book).

All in all, this is an excellent introduction to auto upholstery techniques, a great time and money saver, and will get you off to a very good start. This book will tell you everything you need to know to restore your car's interior, making it look brand new.

If you are interested in creating custom upholstery and interiors, however, you'll need another book, as this text does not cover custom auto trim work. "Custom Auto Interiors" by Don Taylor and Ron "The Stitcher" Mangus beautifully covers custom auto upholstery/fabrication techniques, and together with the Automotive Upholstery Handbook, will provide you everything you need to know to create an incredible custom interior for your next custom project.

Rating:
Summary: Stop Whining! This is a great book!
Review: Automotive upholstery (trimming) is challenging and rewarding. This is by far the most organized and valuable guide I have seen. It starts with the basic tools and operations necessary to build or repair upholstery. It then moves on in a task oriented path of building complexity and difficulty.

The reference section is helpful and the illustrations are excellent. For beginning trimmers, it is an excellent guide.

Rating:
Summary: Sewing not Restoration
Review: This book might be good if you want to use a sewing machine to painstakingly create your own auto upholstery from scratch, but it never even mentions the plethera of available upholstery kits out there today. Most auto restorers use these kits because they are much easier, cheaper and a closer match to the originals. If you want to learn to sew this is your book, if you want to know more about replacing your classic muscle car's interior without purchasing a sewing machine, this is a waste of your money.