Sunvisor Restoration 1948 Plymouth

NOR-MARtm ENTERPRISES
1948 (P-15) PLYMOUTH
SPECIAL DELUXE, CLUB COUPE SUNVISOR RESTORATION

United We Stand

Divided We Fall

REBUILDING THE INSIDE SUNVISORS

The old sunvisors were dirty, faded and could not be cleaned thoroughly. Instead of just recovering with new cloth decided to completely
rebuild them.   The sunvisors are really not that difficult to rebuild.    The new cloth was ordered extra with the headliner so they will match.

STEP 1
OLD ORIGINAL VISOR
As it came out of the car. Remove the two small stainless end caps from the ends of the outer edge covering. This is done by simply prying them open with a small screwdriver. Do this slowly as they may fly off once the become loose. If you are careful doing this, they can be cleaned and reused on the new visor when built. Then cut the thread holding the edging onto the visor at one end. This should allow you to pull the edging off the entire visor. Lay the edging strip off to one side. Then you should be able to grab the original cloth covering and pull it off the old backing board.

STEP 2
OLD ORIGINAL VISOR BACKING BOARD Once the edging and covering is removed, cut the stitching threads that holds the backing board together so that you can open it up. Lay this blackboard off to one side. You will need it to use as a pattern.

STEP 3
OLD ORIGINAL VISOR INNER SUPPORT All I found inside the visor was a piece of 1/8" thick hardboard stapled to an aluminum bracket that pivots on the visor rod. Of course there is no way to clean this either. Carefully remove the staples so as not to damage the board. You need this board to use as a pattern to make a new board.

STEP 4 After taking the visor apart this is what the old inner support system should look like. Use the old hardboard as a pattern to cut a new piece of 1/8" thick hardboard.

STEP 5 Once you have the new hardboard cut, then place it back on the bracket. Fasten the hardboard to the bracket with rivets.

STEP 6 Now open the old backing board and lay it out flat. Use this to make a pattern for the new backing board. I used a piece of poster board to trace a pattern onto.   Note that around the edges of the old backing board it has a creased area. This is needed as you'll see in steps below. Don't be concerned, this is easily duplicated.

STEP 7 Ordered new visor backing board from ISS Interior Supply and Services.   Using the pattern I made I traced two new boards onto the visor board then cut them out with scissors.

STEP 8 After cutting out the new visor board, I then used a metal brake to make the bend in the center to go over the bracket. To make the crease around the outer edges I used a welding clamp as shown. To do this I centered the bracket with the hardboard attached. Folded the visor board over the bracket and held it in place with my hand. Do not use a clamp as this will bend the visor board. I then used the welding clamp and went around the edges to make the crease all the way around. This crease is important as it provides a flat surface around the edges to sew the board together. See blow up below.

This is how the visor board should look after bending in the metal brake and
using the welding clamp around the outer edges. As mentioned this outer edge is
important as it gives a flat surface for sewing and also holds the bracket and
hardboard in place after it's sewn together.

PUTTING THE NEW VISOR TOGETHER

STEP 9	I do not have an industrial sewing machine to sew the visor board together. To sew the visor board together I measured the distance of the original stitching on the old original board. I first cut a piece of the headliner material so that it overlapped the visor board about 1" all the way around. I then glued the headliner material to the visor board while flat with 3M 77 Aerosol spray glue. Then trimmed off the excess material. I then used the smallest punch of a leather punch to punch holes around the flat edge of the new visor board while it was folded with the new visor board and bracket inside.
STEP 10	After gluing the headliner material onto the visor board, I folded and punched the holes around the flat edge of the visor while holding the bracket and inner board in place. I then used heavy upholstery thread to sew the board together by hand, through the holes that were punched with the leather punch. Once sewn the inner board and bracket does not move around inside the visor board. It is held in tight.
STEP 11	The flattened edge around the new sunvisor is approximately 1/2" wide. To make the outer edge cover to finish it off I cut a piece of headliner material 2" wide and long enough to go around the outer edge. This was then folded over 1/2" on each side and sewn on the sewing machine. By doing this I was left with a strip of material that is 1" wide. When folded over the outer edge of new visor it gives you a 1/2" edge on each side of the visor.
STEP 12	Again without an industrial sewing machine the outer edge strip had to be hand sewn. To sew this strip onto the board I used the same holes that were used in Step 10. I also used a thinner standard material thread in a color to match. This is a slow process. You must line up the outer strip at one end, fold it over the visor board and hold it in place while sewing. You also need to be able to see where the holes are under the strip. You can use clamps to hold the outer strip or you can place straight pins in the outer strip and go through the holes already punced on the visor board. Then slowly lift up the edge you are going to sew, locate the hole under the strip and insert the needle and tread and make your stitch. You'll have to repeat this process all the way around the visor. Once completed it will look like the original. Because the thread used is thinner and the color matches you do not see the stiching that holds it on. I really don't know how to explain this process any better. It's just something you have to do and get the technique down. It took three tries before I was able to sew this edging on correctly. Once the edging is on, place the stainless end caps you took off your original visor and place them at the ends of the edge strips on the new visor.

Back To Interior Restoration Page
Home

STEP 1 OLD ORIGINAL VISOR As it came out of the car.	Remove the two small stainless end caps from the ends of the outer edge covering. This is done by simply prying them open with a small screwdriver. Do this slowly as they may fly off once the become loose. If you are careful doing this, they can be cleaned and reused on the new visor when built. Then cut the thread holding the edging onto the visor at one end. This should allow you to pull the edging off the entire visor. Lay the edging strip off to one side. Then you should be able to grab the original cloth covering and pull it off the old backing board.
STEP 2 OLD ORIGINAL VISOR BACKING BOARD	Once the edging and covering is removed, cut the stitching threads that holds the backing board together so that you can open it up. Lay this blackboard off to one side. You will need it to use as a pattern.
STEP 3 OLD ORIGINAL VISOR INNER SUPPORT	All I found inside the visor was a piece of 1/8" thick hardboard stapled to an aluminum bracket that pivots on the visor rod. Of course there is no way to clean this either. Carefully remove the staples so as not to damage the board. You need this board to use as a pattern to make a new board.
STEP 4	After taking the visor apart this is what the old inner support system should look like. Use the old hardboard as a pattern to cut a new piece of 1/8" thick hardboard.
STEP 5	Once you have the new hardboard cut, then place it back on the bracket. Fasten the hardboard to the bracket with rivets.
STEP 6	Now open the old backing board and lay it out flat. Use this to make a pattern for the new backing board. I used a piece of poster board to trace a pattern onto. Note that around the edges of the old backing board it has a creased area. This is needed as you'll see in steps below. Don't be concerned, this is easily duplicated.
STEP 7	Ordered new visor backing board from ISS Interior Supply and Services. Using the pattern I made I traced two new boards onto the visor board then cut them out with scissors.
STEP 8	After cutting out the new visor board, I then used a metal brake to make the bend in the center to go over the bracket. To make the crease around the outer edges I used a welding clamp as shown. To do this I centered the bracket with the hardboard attached. Folded the visor board over the bracket and held it in place with my hand. Do not use a clamp as this will bend the visor board. I then used the welding clamp and went around the edges to make the crease all the way around. This crease is important as it provides a flat surface around the edges to sew the board together. See blow up below.