Before I got my Aerodeck, I had a 1988 Toyota Supra Turbo with some door cards and a centre console that had definitely seen better days. I wanted to do something to freshen it up, but I unfortunately don’t know how to sew (something I am now remedying during my time stuck at home). However, I found a fairly straightforward way to make my car more unique, look less dingy, and way more synthwave.
Yes. I said it. SYNTHWAVE.
Door panels are shockingly easy to remove, and they usually consist of several parts, which don’t all wear at the same speed. The vinyl-covered-particleboard armrests of my Supra were extremely worse for wear after 31 years of riding around in a targa-topped Toyota, but the carpeted centre and lower pieces were still in great shape.
Even still, that worn out vinyl was nothing some faux suede couldn’t fix. I ordered about three yards of fabric from spoonflower, a web-based fabric seller, with a variety of texture and toughness options for each pattern they sell. I got my 1980s-bowling-alley-carpet pattern in a faux suede, although there are probably better options for longevity. I had kept the car mostly garaged for the year I had it after doing this, and there had been no visible signs of fade, but faux suede is generally not the most durable, so if this is a work truck or a street-parked car, it may be worth considering a more durable fabric.
Anyway, with a complete lack of sewing skill, I still completed this with fabric shears and Loctite vinyl/fabric adhesive. After I came home from work, I would apply an absurdly generous amount of adhesive, and stretch the fabric over another section of the panel. After a few days, I had the entire bare panel wrapped, and then used an awl to piece the bolt holes where the bottom carpet pocket bolted on. I used a razorblade to cut through the metal clip holes where the top carpeted piece was installed. I reassembled it, clipped it back into the door, and I was more or less ready to go. For the centre console, I bought furniture foam from a hobby shop, and then wrapped it in fabric, and glued it down. I drilled the plastic base directly into the foam. It admittedly wasn’t rock solid, but it worked.
I am a complete believer in the idea that a nice interior can turn an old, kinda shitty car into a place you actually love being, and it worked in my car. My Supra went from being a bit dingy inside, to an interior that turned heads at most shows with the roof off and felt nice to ride in.
The best part is that it honestly wasn’t even that hard.