[BR3W CITY]

I didn't take any pictures, but I'm gonna toss this up here as a little "note" or reminder to myself and anyone else for the future.

DO NOT USE MOST OFF-THE-SHELF SPRAY ADHESIVES FOR AUTO INTERIOR. USE SPECIALTY ADHESIVES DESIGNED FOR AUTO/RV/BOAT OR CERTAIN MILITARY OR MANUFACTURER GRADE GLUES IF BRUSHING ON.

Why? A few reasons;

1. Many non-specialty adhesives do not start with a proper chemical base for use on interiors. Many are ultra-thinned and the can is mostly Cfc's, and the two-part bonding adhesives off-gas waaay too much, and often dry brittle.

2. Most of them also are not designed to be used on materials that have the properties of leather. This is also a good time to mention that glue selection may also depend on the type of material and how its being used.

A) Leather requires a very strong glue, due to its gram weight, as well as its thickness and resilience to bending. It likes to pull-away around tight corners and can sag easily over time. A good specialty glue will be sprayed and cured for a few minutes (longer than most spray glue), then the leather is applied much like a veneer. Most leathers are backed, adding to the thickness and helping prevent soak-in. Unbacked leathers are fine for sewn-in interior features like seats, but will soak with many glues. A good specialty glue will minimize this, and there are a few designed for very porous leather.

B) Fabrics like Tweed (hot rod interiors) are also porous if they don't have a plasti-type backing. A good interior glue will spray THICK in a nice wide pattern, coating the SURFACE of the fabric, and minimize soaking. The quality of the glue also minimizes the total amount needed, limiting your chances of using too much, and again soaking. Because it can cure for 5-10 minutes, you don't have to rush coat it, or worry about not getting it applied in time. You have more than enough time to position, burnish, and trim.

C) HEAT. This is a HUUUUUGE factor here. Our old vehicles have thick metal shells with minimal insulation and the concept of "heat rejection" was not at the forefront of truck design. Add to this things like metal dash and door cards, and your ride can be a microwave after an hour or two in the sun. Interior temps can get above 140* (the older the car, the less of a chance the glass is UV treated). This is a serious threat to cheap adhesives. Headliners are especially at risk for this. A good glue will hold up under those temps and more. Convertibles, and boats with lots of exposed interior are also at high risk for sag/droop.

My knee-panels had a large amount of peel and sag after only 1 season with a generic glue. My upper and lower door cards also faced this issue, which I'm working to correct.

D) Moisture. This is another one for the boat/rv side, but still applies to any old ride. Primitive rain channels and drains (or the fact that we delete/shave them), mean water can easily sneak into the window channel and down across the upper and lower door cards. Cheap protein glues can be dissolved with a little moisture, let alone full exposure to water. Climate-extreme places like south Florida are in the crosshairs on this one.

E) Flexibility. I partially mentioned this above, but because nothing in a hot rod is really "stationary", the ability to move with the car is nice. It means that someone leaning on the center console won't "crinkly" the material, or ripple it. Same goes for something like a sun-visor, which is handled often. Cheap glues can crack or flake, or just peel up.

So there's my rant for today. Spend a few $'s more, and get a GOOD interior adhesive designed for the job. It may be like $15/can instead of $9, but you'll use LESS, and only end up doing the job once. You can find the stuff from your local auto upholstery supplier (if you have one). I'm lucky enough to have DLT Upholstery in my area, but they do online sales as well.