The Lotus Grand Tourers

Can anyone confirm the amount of material needed for a replacement headlining?

Also the same for boot carpets (anyone make templates for this as some of mine has rotted?)

I ordered my headlining with SJ last year and the new exactly what I needed.
You will also need the heat resistant automotive glue they also provided.

I was planning on using alcantara instead of the factory cloth. I know it's 4 times the price but looks fantastic.

The original fabric is very easy to work with (streches very well), you can do everything without one stitch.
If you want to use alcantara, I hope your real name is Giorgio Armani or Christian Dior.
If your wife is Donatella Versace, that helps to.
You will have to have Haute Couture skills to do a propper job.
Hollow curves will be nice challenge.

A friend of mine is married to a sort off Donatella and it does look fab. in his Excel.

I got 4 Metres of 54" wide 285-GRY-E from Woolies and that did it with a bit left over.
Plus a litre of 259 heat resistant glue.

Ideally I would go for a fabric with cloth both sides of the foam as if you need to move the cloth after you've glued it you leave a lot of foam behind. I suspect it would be easier to stitch on a machine as well - the stuff I got was a nightmare.

Definitely use a material that stretches - there are some peculiar curves on the removable trims like the hollows behind the seat belt mounting that you won't get any other way in my opinion.

Regards
Bill

Hmm starting to see a pattern here. Is alcantara really that unforgiving? Even leather stretches "a bit", or is the odd wrinkle part of the skin-like appeal of leather. I wonder if an option is flock spraying?

Flock spraying the roof might be a problem.
The removable parts might be possible but would need a lot of preparation to have a smooth surface and finish the rough edges.
Refitting the parts might result in gaps since the parts are designed to have about 3mm thick fabric on them.
The fabric also acts as sound deadning.
I was a bit scared to do the job but it was quite easy, you only need to work well organised.
It massively improved the look of the interior.

I agree with Hans. I can't see flock spraying producing a good enough finish for you Mark. I think it would look very kit-car.

For a start the aerial ground plane foil sheet would show through. Also the various sections such as the header rail and roll bar cover don't fit close enough to be seen without a covering. I agree Altcantara would look great in an "Italian 60s GT" sort of way, especially if it had longitudinal pleats, but what's wrong with the standard Lotus style material ?

It just looks a bit generic, like "one colour fits all", I also have an aversion to beige, reminds me too much of hearing aids and prosthetic limbs

Simpatico wrote:It just looks a bit generic, like "one colour fits all", I also have an aversion to beige, reminds me too much of hearing aids and prosthetic limbs

Woolies do offer a choice of colours - and are quite happy to send some samples to help you choose.