Hi all,

I have a 90 CSW that was modified from a hard top before I purchased it.

I want to make some ply panels for the rear, so two sides, and two back panels.

Has anyone got any downloadable templates for this? or is it a case of getting jiggy with making cardboard templates?

I made a great job (if I do say so myself) of covering all the headlining and seatbox etc recently, and now feel that the rear could do with finishing off. As I have some covering left and can't justify the cost of ready made interiors, I figured I could make it out of ply and cover it.

See here for headlining

Any tips would be great at this point too!!

Measure it all up and transfer the lines onto your ply, then you don't need a planet's worth of cardboard!

Remember to measure three times and draw once!

Quick question:

Can I use hardboard (covered) or should I use ply?

I just figured that the hardboard would be no worse then the material used for the stock headlining!

No reason why you cant but i would go with marine grade play. It's not much more expensive and copes with damp/water better.

You really do want ply there - hardboard (unless tempered and made for external use) turns to mush over time. Tempered hardboard is available but the stuff is a right pig to drive a fastener into and simply won;t take staples for securing fabric unless driven with a steam hammer or the equivalent.

Also, if you have the time do coat the ply with shellac, paint or whatever. Sealing the surfaces will make it last longer if it does get wet. The glues are waterproof in the ply but the wood will absorb water if sitting in it or frequently wet - with deleritous results.

I rebuilt an antique caravan a few years ago that was an extreme example of what happpens to plywood over time...{shudder}. Delamination is not a pretty sight.

ajr
ajr

How about getting a precut plylining kit? I was looking on ebay recently and noticed there was a place that did it local to me and included fitting in with the price.