Basin Motorsports Upholstery

06/23/2026

I wrapped up the 1973 Ford Gran Torino today. This car was stored under a tarp in Central Oregon before the owner took it home. It was a complete original car, but mice had a huge nest in every seat in the car. The headliner was also falling down, so you couldn't really drive safely.
The owner bought replacement front seat upholstery, new carpet, a headliner, rear pillar trim, and I made a parcel shelf adding in a pair of 6x9 speakers. The total job took about 3.5 days to knock out, and its ready to cruise again. The original car was 100% green on the inside, but breaking it up with a few pieces in black was a great choice. Once the sound system is updated, this will be a great cruiser for local events. I can't wait to see it on the road and shows in the future.

06/22/2026

I finished up this front seat yesterday, so I can hopefully get the complete interior on a 1973 Ford Gran Torino buttoned up today. It had two broken springs and some foam damage from mice being in the car. Nothing major to fix, and this new upholstery set from Distinctive Industries definitely looks ready to go.

06/17/2026

Another door panel saved! This driver door panel had three separate splits in the armrest along the edge. This looks like two separate pieces with top stitching, but in actually it's just one molded piece with fake stitches molded in to look good.
The best way to repair it is to add real stitches and pull the edges together effectively closing up the split. The new (and real) stitches prevent it from opening back up again. I hand stitched most of the edge to prevent any future issues, which was about 28" in length. If you use the right thickness and color thread, you can barely tell it was repaired.
FORD made over 1.5 million of these Explorers, and they all will suffer the same fate long-term. It's good to have a solution when it happens.

06/14/2026

06/13/2026

Taking a break today to enjoy a Corvette show in Ashland, Oregon at the Chevy dealer. Generations C2 - C8 are represented (1962 - 2026) with the latter having the most cars in each group.
It was a 2hour drive over the Cascades this morning, which was great. I worked to clean and wax the car before I left and it was covered in dust and bugs when I got here. Totally worth it...

06/11/2026

Two jobs knocked out for the same customer this week. They have a Honda Ridgeline and a Honda Pilot that they bought new. With over 200,000 miles on each, it was time for a little repair work. The Ridgeline console was worn on a corner, and the Pilot had a worn armrest. I took both apart and made new vinyl covers on each. Not a major repair, but it just makes the car feel newer with fresh vinyl.

06/08/2026

I finally washed the Corvette in 2026. Now to get the buffer out, vacuum the interior, and get it ready for a car show next weekend.

06/05/2026

Here's a motorcycle set headed back to the open roads. This Yamaha cruiser had a torn black vinyl seat that was crispy from sitting in the sun. Add a backrest and a tank protector with a cell phone pocket too.
The finished seats feature brown vinyl with a large diamond pattern. I also added an extra half inch of foam for the seats, which also helps the pattern really stand out.

06/01/2026

There was a Cars & Coffee meet this morning, so I drove into town to hang out. I didn't grab any pictures, but another attendee posted a nice shot of the Corvette.
On the way home I stopped for gas and some food. When I went to start the car after getting food, the car was dead. No starter, no gauges, etc. The battery is good and connections were tight. It did say "Service Column Lock", which is a common problem for these cars. I have all the bypass modules already installed, so I'll have to figure this issue out. I did get it to start finally and get home. Just a momentary panic.

05/15/2026

Sometimes a project takes a few tries to get to the end. This Porsche top was a "what if" discussion almost two years ago at a car show. Today it was taken on its maiden drive on the way home.
The top idea was started in vinyl to work on a couple ideas for connection points and to visualize the shape. It was deemed too boxy between the supporting structure and the curvatures, so the support cage was modifying to lower the rear hoop. From there the layout was made to be more of a sweeping curve (picture 4).
What you see is the final design done in a true convertible top acrylic canvas. The Porsche features burgundy leather, so the top and stitching is done in a similar color. A true one-off creation that you won't find anywhere else.