Make your own trunk filler boards!

Probably like most of you, the areas of my ride that always got my cash or attention could be put into one of three categories:

1. Does it keep it running?
2. Does it make it go faster?
3. Will it make my ride look better?

If it qualified as one or more of the above then it moved up the ladder of priorities. As a result the trunk didn’t get a look in, and I have to say it was an area of the car which was best described as tatty.

Whilst carrying out the work on the rear lamps and their surrounds (previous technical article), I spent plenty of time with my head in the trunk and it was this that then got my mind working on what I could do to tidy it up.

Most interior trim items for the Torino are available from Dearborn Classics in the States, but the best they could offer was a trunk mat. But I not only wanted to replace the old stained trunk mat, I also wanted to do something about the sides, so that the whole boot area looked properly finished.

I decided that I could use “Box Cloth” to finish the sides, arches and boot floor. This is the material often used to cover Sub Woofer boxes, and is available in various colours and textures. I chose black with a texture similar to the main vehicle carpet – or so I thought, but I’ll come to that later.
The old one!
Having worked out the approximate amount of box cloth needed I tried to purchase the full amount but they only had half of what I wanted. On the understanding that more would be with them later in the week, I took enough to complete the filler boards and arches. I also purchased a can of spray adhesive – always check that it is suitable for fabric, wood, metal etc, otherwise it either won’t stick properly or could be too wet and will soak through the fabric.

The order I chose to work in was side filler boards, then arches and then the boot floor.
Cardboard template
To make the side filler boards I first made a cardboard template. This is probably the most time consuming part, but it’s worth getting the template absolutely right before even thinking about cutting your main material. If the template isn’t a good fit you will either end up with a poor fitting finish or will end up wasting lots of materials.

When I was totally happy with the template I tested for fit it on the other side, and as I hoped it would serve for both sides provided I was mindful that the finished panels would be handed.

I felt that fibre/hardboard would make a suitable backing material for the panels. By chance I had dismantled a wardrobe in one of the boys bedrooms a week or so earlier and had kept the back panel which was hard board with the filler boards in mind.
Applying the box cloth
Using the template I marked out the outline on the hardboard reversing the template for the other filler panel. Using a jig saw I carefully cut around the outline and then checked the panels for fit. A small amount of final tweaking on each panel ensured a satisfactory fit – if working to a fine tolerance or in a tight area, keep in mind the thickness of the material you are using as it could stop the panel from fitting and it will be difficult to make further adjustments when the material has been stuck to the panel.

Due to the design of the Torino boot there are open areas that go about 5” lower than the boot floor with a span of about 3” between the inner wing ad the boot floor. I wanted to bridge this gap to make the finished look more uniform. This meant making a second template and two more panels. This was completed in the same way as the side panels.

As one panel on each side was effectively a floor filler panel I decided this could be essentially covered using overspill from the side panel. The panels would also need to be joined, and after some deliberating, and taking into account that the floor fillers were not going to be load bearing, I decided they could be joined using duck tape on the reverse (hidden side).

Before joining the panels I thought it best to apply the box cloth to the side panel. The hardboard had smooth and a coarse side. The smooth was covered in a “wood look” painted /plastic finish which would provide the back of the panel some protection against moisture, and the coarse side would provide a better base for the glue to adhere to.

Before applying the glue I placed the filler board on the box cloth and cut the box cloth with a large margin to spare around the edge of the board. I then applied a suitable coat of glue to both the board and the box cloth, left for 5 minutes and then stuck them together. Once done, leave for about 30 minutes before handling the panel to ensure you don’t weaken the adhesion – and most importantly make sure you don’t have any glue on your hands!
Filler boards & arches done
Once the glue had set, the floor filler panel was attached to the side filler panel using duck tape stuck on the reverse side. A trial fit was then conducted and the surplus box cloth trimmed.

To cover the arches a paper template was made. Then a suitable amount of box cloth was then cut using the template and once again ensuring there was overspill that would then be trimmed as the cloth was stuck into place.

All that was now left to do was cut the final cloth for the boot floor and job done.
Trunk mat installed
Now for the word of warning!

If you are unable to secure all the box cloth you require at the outset, always check it with the cloth already used for an exact match before cutting the second lot, because you may find as I did that it is slightly different – arghhhhh.

They gave it the same part number, the same name, it even cost the same, but being a different batch it came out differently. It’s a close match and will serve as a good underlay for when the right one arrives – but until then its gonna niggle me!

Here are some more photos taking you through the process.