'66 Monaco 500 Wicker

[LocuMob]

How hard is it to find this wicker material used in the Monaco 500?

And how hard is it to replace? Can it be swapped out with the door panel off?

 

[CBODY67]

Wasn't there also some wicker on the back of the bucket seats? I thought I remembered it being mentioned in a "Motor Trend" road test.

CBODY67

 

[LocuMob]

Wasn't there also some wicker on the back of the bucket seats? I thought I remembered it being mentioned in a "Motor Trend" road test.

CBODY67

Yes there is.

 

[Carmine]

I searched "basketweave fabric" on Google and got an s-ton of results. Just a thought...

Also, I've reported your post to the Surgeon General because your jauntily thrown pack of Malboros could influence a child. Maybe even one building a super-badazz slammed hotrod.

 

[LocuMob]

I searched "basketweave fabric" on Google and got an s-ton of results. Just a thought...

Also, I've reported your post to the Surgeon General because your jauntily thrown pack of Malboros could influence a child. Maybe even one building a super-badazz slammed hotrod.

View attachment 196154

I don't smoke, and it's not my car. Thanks for the suggestion for the fabric, I'll see what it yields.

 

[rapidtrans]

Search wicker chair repair. The 1/8" basket weaver pattern is a good match. A member here replaced his and just clear coated it. Looked great.
Mine was discolored like yours and looked like it was painted originally. I was going to replace it while I had the door panels off but just ended up painting the wicker. The metal trim looked like it would be a pain to remove and re-install . I'm happy with the results.

 

[TWR]

How hard is it to find this wicker material used in the Monaco 500?

View attachment 196150

And how hard is it to replace? Can it be swapped out with the door panel off?

I am quite sure that was not standard. I dont think wicker was stylish until the 80s or 90s but never in cars.
There is probably woodgrain applique under it. Probably much easier to find sticky paper with woodgrain.
On the center console too.

 

[GJS]

I am quite sure that was not standard. I dont think wicker was stylish until the 80s or 90s but never in cars.
There is probably woodgrain applique under it. Probably much easier to find sticky paper with woodgrain.
On the center console too.

Standard Monaco 500 interior trim for 66 and 67

 

[Carmine]

I am quite sure that was not standard. I dont think wicker was stylish until the 80s or 90s but never in cars.
There is probably woodgrain applique under it. Probably much easier to find sticky paper with woodgrain.
On the center console too.

Lots of bad wicker furniture in the 80s, but it was part of the Monaco in 66/67.

 

[rapidtrans]

And 65. Look at a sales brochure.

 

[GJS]

Funny, I find to be a really nice touch in those cars. Canadian Monaco 500s didn't have it so I was really surprised by it when I saw a US car.

 

[jollyjoker]

Yes . . . absolutely standard in the vinyl-trim cars (65, anyway). In the rather rare cloth bucket seat cars (blue and turquoise), this wicker trim was replaced by cloth! I love the wicker . . . a really classy touch!

BTW . . . does anybody have any ideas about removing/replacing the metal surround? They seem to be firmly attached to the back side by something that looks like a big washer, w/ the metal attaching stud sort of "spun-down" in the center. I've racked my brain for years, pondering options to get these door panels apart, w/o totally destroying them. I'm sure that somebody out there is a whole lot smarter than I am . . .

 

[rapidtrans]

That's why I didn't replace mine. You would probably have to drill and tap for some small screws to re-attach the trim. It didn't look like the stud is pressed-on so you have to break it.

 

[TWR]

I stand corrected.

 

[rapidtrans]

I stand corrected.

Yeah, the Monacos with that trim are rare. Polara and 880 trim is far more common.
Plus the Fury outsold the Dodge those years by a huge factor.

 

[jollyjoker]

Was wondering if you could cut around the studs . . . like the drill they have for cutting out spot welds? That would release the trim pieces . . . but how to put it all back together again? I thought maybe replace the "washers" back into position, and covering them up w/ something like J-B Weld? Not a whole lot of force on this piece . . . but would it be strong enough to last?

 

[LocuMob]

Ok, painting the trim sounds like the easy way out, that yields results. I'll pass along the findings, thanks!

 

[rapidtrans]

I briefly considered just cutting the old out from the front. Then fitting new material in place.

For reference:

My car.
Bright sun kinda washed out the color but I'm happy with the results. Fortunately the seat backs were not scuffed up and came out well.

Brochure.
Sheesh! My seats have faded that much?

 

[CBODY67]

On the issue of the rare blue and turquoise cloth buckets, as the wicker is usually a "brown tone" item, it might not have looked very good next to those two color options. What did those color cloth buckets have where the wicker inserts would have normally been?

What y'all are describing as the retention of the metal trim with the wicker insert on the door panels, kind of sounds like a rivet. A body shop guy mentioned that the new Ford aluminum-body pickups used an aerospace rivet ito hold some panels on. When the rivet is painted, with a "line" around its edge, he said it looked like a spot weld, but when accessed from the backside, it was a rivet. A rivet with a very thin topside and the normal bottom-side. IF the wicker insert can be removed, that might be an option?

I always looked at "wicker" as being "antique" rather than upscale. BUT, it can offer a different texture to things than normal vinyl or woodgrain trim might. I like the idea of using clear-coat finishes to help preserve it.

CBODY67

 

[moparnutcase]

Sheesh! My seats have faded that much?

Hey Dan,
Don't forget that the car spent many years in California and Florida before coming to NJ. Although not perfect, it still amazed me that it had the original vinyl top after seeing all that sun!