Upholster and parcel shelf installation

So I've pretty much given up on maintaining this blog in any chronological order of events that have transpired.  As it is now, you wouldn't think the car is anywhere near getting on the road based on the last update.  But it's quite the contrary...I have most of the interior in (except for the front seats) and hope to be taking it on its maiden voyage next month...fingies crossed.

So just maybe one reason this has ballooned into a 6 year marathon project is because there is no easy task, and even the easiest tasks aren't easy.  As in, who would have thought installing a simple parcel shelf would have turned into such a project. 

I will have 2 6x9's in the back, and I didn't want the speaker grilles visible, nor did I want an advertisement for the speakers themselves.  I had a Scott Drake fiber board package tray, and took some moonskin from a headliner, cut holes in the tray for the speakers, then ordered some speaker grille cloth on Ebay (it's very cheap).  After a lot of debating on different ways to do this, I ended up with this scheme.  My wife sewed the speaker grille cloth inserts to the three moonskin sections.  This is a mock up.

Then I pulled it tight and glued down with weatherstrip adhesive.  (I glued it in the bathroom so I could turn the fan on because the adhesive has some VOC).

The finished product came out very pro looking.  The moonskin is stretched over it as tight as a drum.

Close up of the seam.  She did a nice job.

The package tray installs by sliding the edge along the window under the large lip of the window gasket.  I had to use a screwdriver to run along the edge of the lip to get the package tray under there, and even then it took some work to get it back all the way.  The package tray will then rest on top of the tab to the quarter trim  panel that also sits on the metal shelf.  There is also some jute insulation padding that goes between the board and the metal shelf.  When the back of the package tray is slide under the window gasket lip, it makes the front pop up.  Originally, there were two clips that held the front down, but mine were long gone, so I fashioned my own that I am quite pleased with.

I cut a scrap piece of sheet metal about an inch wide and maybe 3 inches long.  I put a bend about 1/2" from one edge.  Originally I was going to paint it, but I was worried the sharp edge of the metal would eventually wear away the upholstery, so I dipped it in Plastidip, which ended up making it look professional as well as safe on upholstery.  I screwed this on and it holds down the front perfectly. I screwed them on about 3.5 inches from each edge.

This is the view through the rear window with the seat back installed.  It's not intrusive, and what you can see of it looks like it's supposed to be that way.