Some Vinyl Samples Arrived Today

On Saturday I requested some samples of marine vinyl from Gary's Upholstery, Tampa, Florida. http://www.garysupholstery.com/. To my surprise, they arrived today three days later.

They are the only vendor I've found that will send samples and their prices seem lower than most others so I'll get the stuff from them.

The large square in the upper left is Dark Blue 323980 vinyl flooring http://www.garysupholstery.com/ntomarfloor.html. It is slightly darker but almost a dead ringer for the coloring of my original floor vinyl but not dark enough for a Batboat. I'll have to figure something out.

Nautolex Marine Vinyl Flooring - Dark Blue 323980

Sample of the original flooring.

The interior of the 1966 Batboat seems to have been a sold blue and the only solid color decking I can find is marine carpet but carpeting in boats is a bad idea because of moisture retention and mold issues. Perhaps I can put carpet over the vinyl floor? Or dye the vinyl floor a solid dark blue? Or leave it as is? This is something to think over.

Only 2 or 3 foot of the deck will be visible because of the seats and I am moving the dash back one foot.

The two sparkle samples shown to the right of it are "Zodiac" Naugahyde Cascade ZD 20 and Blue ZD 21. Cascade won't work. It's got some green in it. However, the Blue looks like a close cousin to the blue metallic used in Glastron's 1967 V-143 Jetflite. One inch pleats would have to be sewed in.

"Zodiac" Naugahyde is the stuff you'll find upholstered in kiddie carnival rides and looks great.

"Zodiac" Naugahyde Blue ZD 21.

Pleated glitter blue vinyl as found in a 1967 Glastron V-143 Jetflite was probably the same material Glastron used for the 1966 Batboat's arm rests and seats.

The small side storage compartments in my craft were originally lined with black leather vinyl with one inch pleats built in. For this I requested a swatch of Charcoal Grey "Zodiac", seen in the lower left corner of the samples. I thought that may work. Its nice stuff but has way too much sparkle. The sample in the lower right is Black BRK 43 http://www.garysupholstery.com/naugahyde/ngburksh.html. Something of this type will be fine. About two foot of it on each side of the boat will be barely visible anyway.

Black BRK 43

The material used in the side storage compartments in my 1969 V-145. Leather texture with one inch pleats built in.

This morning I mailed in a sample of my original "Ocean Blue" dashboard Naugahyde for Gary's Upholstery to match for texture but in black. Whatever they come up with will be used for the compartments and for the spaces under the Batboat windshields.

My swatch of vinyl is from 1969 and probably close in manufacture to what was used for the dashboard of the 1966 Batboat.

I will have to act fast on the blue vinyl flooring because it is no longer made. Apparently, folks want only earth tones these days. (blah) Its $20 a yard and I'll have to order three yards (I need six feet four inches, actually.)

First I have to come up with rent money. $200 $80 more to go. :P