Morris Minor Owners Club

I've been posting various queries and responses here for nearly six years while restoring my Traveller (I don't like to rush things...), but I haven't set up a resto thread as I've always thought others are far better qualified to demonstrate their skills.

But now I think I may have joined the ranks of the true pioneers of Minor restoration - I've managed what I think is a decent restoration of my glove box liners with a technique all of my own (I think...)

The liners were basically sound, just a bit distorted, but the flock surfaces were very soiled and stained. I tried cleaning with various products, and although they improved they didn't come up to the standard I was looking for.

So I researched various ways of renewing the lining, including spraying new flock, before settling on flock faced Fablon, stone colour, which I bought online. I first straightened the cardboard by damping and ironing. I then made paper templates, which is quite tricky as the liners are a less regular shape than they look and used these to cut the Fablon to shape. It's sticky enough to grip to the original flock, but not ridiculously so like some products, so accurate positioning is possible, although not without appropriate swearwords. Younger members will probably find it easier, but I was a couple of years too old to be a regular Blue Peter viewer

I think the end result is comparable to new boxes, and £9 of material in comparison to £70 for a new pair!

Haven't worked out how to position photos in the text, but I think every picture tells a story...

Well done Mark!!

They came up really well.

The best of Moggy spirit -- determination, ingenuity and skill.

Don

Looks a very nice job.

That's flocking fantastic

We renovated the gloveboxes on my 2 door saloon in the 1980s by sloshing Dulux emulsion around in them!
I think we diluted it first but I can't remember.
It worked - and the car achieved Masters Class status in MMOC Concours

Thanks for the positive comments! I haven't fitted the glove boxes yet, so can't report how they perform in use. The Fablon (actually I don't think it actually is Fablon, despite the ad, as it doesn't have the squared pattern on the backing sheet) came from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stone-Self-Ad ... 2cb09a48fe. I ordered one metre, which was ok, but you need to plan your cutting very carefully indeed. One and a half metres would be advisable, but the ebay form only allows full metres. You could try ringing them, though - I've dealt with this company on the phone in the past, for something completely different, and they were very helpful.

Mary - I did think of spraying a watery emulsion paint before I found the Fablon. I think you must lose the velvety feel, though - very tactile!

I stuff things in my glove boxes rather than spend time fondling them, so any lack of texture would hardly be a problem for me!

They look downright luxurious now! Nice work.

For the outside of mine I used some POR-15 I had lying around that was about to expire which made them much more resistant to the inevitable water coming in under the windscreen.

Well done Mark,
I wouldn't have believed anyone could put that unwieldy stuff on so well, well done you.

Thanks for the positive comments! I haven't fitted the glove boxes yet, so can't report how they perform in use. The Fablon (actually I don't think it actually is Fablon, despite the ad, as it doesn't have the squared pattern on the backing sheet) came from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stone-Self-Ad ... 2cb09a48fe. I ordered one metre, which was ok, but you need to plan your cutting very carefully indeed. One and a half metres would be advisable, but the ebay form only allows full metres. You could try ringing them, though - I've dealt with this company on the phone in the past, for something completely different, and they were very helpful.

Thanks for the link.
Best wishes,
Mike.