Restoration news and interior tips and tricks

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In this Newsletter:-

Table of Contents

(1) Rebuilding bucket seat bases with foam (2) How to make the new cover patterns after the foam rebuild (3) Adding the piping to seat pieces (4) FC Holden Sedan rebuild details (5) Around the ridges - Norms classic restorations. (6) Rocky Swap photos and details.

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Rebuilding bucket seat bases with foam

Most seat bases show a lot of wear and usually the foam has flattened out from the years of passenger pressure.

Usually when someone decides to rebuild their favourite car’s interior, they expect the new job to look like new when it is finished. The only way to do this is to evaluate the seat’s condition and rebuild the base and backs as required.

By padding the base back up, it generally returns to it’s almost original condition, depending on the strength of the springs. If the springs have sagged then they need to be braced also. By bracing them, they work in unison and project an even spring strength across the seat.

There are many ways to brace seat springs. The best thing to do to describe these processes is to direct you to the main website page which identifies this problem.

The eh Holden page has photos of the actual bracing work which was done to them.

Myself and others who have sat on them can truthfully say that they feel remarkably smooth and soft. Once you check out the rebuild details you will see what it takes to get seats back into this condition. From memory a couple of days was spent to rebuild the bases of both eh bucket seats. Time spent = Results.

How to make the new cover patterns after the foam rebuild

Once the seats are rebuilt and covered in new foam again you then have to work out where the seat patterns go. Generally by looking at the old covers you will get a good idea where they should be.

After that it is necessary to do some freehand tracing in of the outlines. You can see on the back of the right hand seat where the lines have been drawn in. If you now look at the seat on the left you can see the angle of the piping which is identical to the tracing line on back of the right hand seat.

The shapes of the seat bases change considerably after rebuilding and they always require freehand tracing for correct patterns. Always mark a centre line on all pieces and seats, because when a cover is being fitted you can see at a glance whether you have it square or not.

Different light has produced a difference in seat colours.

Adding the piping to seat pieces

Once the piping is made, by wrapping long pieces of vinyl (30ml wide) around a plastic piping cord, it is then ready to fit to the seat pieces.

When the piping is being made a certain amount of pressure is applied to it as it is being sewed. This is something which comes with practice and experience.

To produce a result where the piping is very smooth and straight a good amount of pressure must be applied to the piping as it is being sewn onto other seat pieces. At the same time you must also make sure that the material has enough tension on it also.

The material must not be over tensioned and nor must it be left loose.

Check out the piping lines on this Charger’s rear seats.

FC Holden Sedan rebuild details

Work has commenced on the FC interior and the rear seats are now complete. Some shots for you after they were stripped and rebuilt with double thickness hessian and foam. The small piece sitting on top of the hessian was all that was on the seat base from new.

If you were to look up from underneath, anywhere outside the white calico piece you could see the seat cover over the top of the springs. A little rough. I have covered the complete springing mechanism and framework with double thickness hessian to protect the actual seat cover.

You can see the rear of the back seat here already covered in foam and marked with a Nikko so that the shape of the seat patterns can be worked out.

Sneak Preview

How they looked before and how they look NOW.

Around the ridges

You never know just what you might see while travelling around.

This car is at a friend’s place, “Norms Classic Restorations”.

How about a 1932 straight 8 Packard saloon. This vehicle has a one pump hydraulic lubricating system. You simply push a pedal inside the cabin and lubricant is hydraulically applied to all lubrication points on the chassis. It’s like a brake system with a reservoir of fluid.

Here’s the front and rear view for you.

Norm is about ready to re-commence this restoration. Believe it or not there is a Ford Mark 3 Zodiac grille wrapped up inside this car which belongs to me.

When Norm starts on the car he will do the Zodiac grille then. He can panel dents in aluminium and then hand files them, giving fantastic results. I already have a completed grille for my current restoration which was repaired by Norm.

Here’s a 32 Ford Tudor Top Chop.

Runs a nice 351 Windsor, and it has an Air Suspension.- Norm looking at a 57 Chev.

Norm is a specialist coachbuilder. He completes the car from top to bottom. That includes everything - motor and mechanicals - bodywork - trim - paint - fits Jag rear ends - Holden front ends etc. He is an accredited modifier and fits modification plates to each vehicle that he modifies.

Rocky Swap photos and details - Terrific Family Value

The Rotary Club of Rockhampton North and the All Classic Motor Club presented the “Rocky Swap” at the Rockhampton showgrounds on Saturday the 5th August 2006.

The 2006 Rocky Swap was by all accounts a fantastic success with around 15,000 people passing through the gates.

It was a very busy day for everyone. There were people four and five deep at most refreshment stands while some visiting stall holders were astonished at the swap’s size and the number of people present. It was a nice sunny day with a very slight breeze.

Here’s some photos to give you an idea of the density of the crowd and also what items were to be sold or swapped.

There will be a special page added to the website shortly for the Rocky Swap and there will be a lot more photos together with information on the site numbers and other things. Can’t wait till next year.

Were you there?

Travelling to look at a new Project or simply holidaying

You can get your cheap airfare deals here.

Mustang Seats Last Issue.

A photo is not yet available of the Mustang. Will keep trying.

Zephyr Last Issue.

No photos yet - Hopefully next issue.

Business Week - Classic Car Information

You can read about a 1955 Maserati 300S, an Austin Healey 3000 which sold for almost $100,000. Also find details on Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari and Jaguar here at business week classic cars.

Your own car stories

Do you have an interesting story about one of your classics. It does not matter if the story is 30 years or more old. They all make very interesting reading and generally have the reader chuckling.

Please send your stories in to me, and I can add them to the classic car articles page for you.

Suggestions

Do you have any suggestions about what you would like to see in this newsletter.

Please let me know and if possible details will be included as soon as.

The Next Newsletter

(1) Mark Three Zephyr photos (2) Mustang Photos (3) Horse-drawn wedding carriage seats. (4) FC Holden Sedan body rebuild details. Lets hope. (5) More on Rocky Swap. (6) Valiant Pacer seat rebuild. (7) Ski Boat interior “Redback” (8) A Model Ford Tudor - Original Condition. (9) Rocky Car Show spectacular - Photos and stories.

Future jobs and Newsletters

The Phase 3 GT Falcon is still in the pipeline. As previously mentioned this restoration must be done with materials that fit as close to the original as possible. So we will be doing a bit of searching for a couple of months.

HQ Holden Monaro with dark blue inserts and two tone grey exteriors and skirts and a black hoodlining.

Please contact us anytime at all.

Yours in classy classics,

Bob Welcome 98 Livingstone St North Rockhampton 4701 Queensland Australia

Outside Australia +61 7 49265721 (SHED) Rings in Shed and House

Within Australia 07 49265721

Here’s a Jet powered Chev. You’re right the bloke on the left does look a little strange because he is a “dummy”.

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