some words of wisdom....
the original wood in the side bolsters lasted from 1987/1988 when they were first done thru to about 2016-2017 when I pulled the panels for the restoration. the wood was simple marine plywood.
the interior was re-done about 2008-2010 time frame by the prior owner. however who ever did the foam took a lot of shortcuts (like not re-piping)
what failed was the wood simply delaminated over the years with exposure to florida heat and humidity. the glue joints failed at the wood side
the new wood panels are ACX, that I encapsulated in poly cloth and resin for the smaller panels and side consoles that I did in the 2017-2018 time frame.
the newer panels I did a few weeks ago were encapsulated in WEST 105 epoxy. with the exception of some of the small panels that are decorative only (no structural requirement) that I did in PVC foam panels
these should last until I am pushing daisys
putting staples into the fiberglass coated panels can be a challenge. if the staples dont go in straight, they will curl around and poke thru the vinyl at you
I am using Arrow T-50 staples with a pneumatic gun and my 35 year old manual staple gun where the pneumatic one wont fit
I am using monel staples as the stainless staples will rust in salt air.
a box of monel staples is only 1000 staples. I have gone thru 3 boxes of 3/8" 1/2 box of 1/4" and 1/2 box of 1/2". at nearly $22 per box of 1000, that gets pricey considering I have only done the dash panels and the side panels so far. yes stainless staples are cheaper. however they would rust and leave rust trails.
