Hey Folks,


in my cargo Econoline from 97' the stock seats suck so i decided to buy some captain chairs. hard to get in Germany, but found and bought some. (see link : Ford Econoline Ledersitze - evtl Dodge Ram Van GMC Chevrolet G20 in Niedersachsen - Algermissen | eBay Kleinanzeigen )


they where really cheap because of their condition. good Thing is they are fully adjustable and got arm rests. bad Thing is obviously the leathershape!


question:


-will it be possible to Dresse them up again? (dont Need a perfect shape)






-will it be possible to find some leather covers fitting to these chairs? (captains/swivel chairs from a 88' eco)


ive been looking since hours but find exactly nothing


thanks

 

go to any upholsterer and get a quote. Then maybe look for a label of who made them and send them a message.

But any good upholsterer should be able to fix ya up.

 

Those are not Ford factory seats. They are aftermarket conversion seats, which are made to look good in the showroom but generally do not last very long before the foam cushions sag and the outer material gets torn or shredded. They do not go thru any testing like normal auto interior parts and at best are made to cheap home furniture standards.

I got rid of the cheap conversion seats in my '03 conversion (they hurt my back) and bought some Ford factory captain's chairs (cloth) in about 2007. They were new takeouts from a factory van and are comfortable and holding up well some 80,000 miles later.

If you really like them, go talk to an upholsterer. Many conversion van companies have gone out of business and likewise the seat makers may not exist any more. If they do, I would not expect them to have any replacement covers.

Sorry, but I have been driving conversion vans since 1986 (some with factory front seats, however) and have never had a set of conversion seats that I have really liked to sit in myself.

George

 

hey yogeorge,
1986? is wasnt born in 1986


thank you for your helpful tip. this is another reason to stay away from a upholsterer, because i dont want to spend about 600 euro or more for some new leather covers when the seat it self is a cheap one.


so i will try VHT Vinyl dye and a friend of mine whos able to sew leather. this should be enough for my van. it stays a working beast, not a god damn "Oldtimer-trailerqueen" ;-)

 

Hey Toppa: You're just a kid...I was born in 1952 and have learned a couple things along the way. I visited Germany on our honeymoon in 1985 and it is a lovely country (my parents immigrated to the US from Lithuania and were displaced to Baden Baden for some time after WW2).

Good luck with the seats. I would prefer a nice set of factory cloth or leather seats out of a Club Wagon Chateau but bet that they are hard to find in Germany. Like I said, I am happy with the pair of Ford cloth captain's chairs in my van.

I do remember the price of gasoline in Germany as well as the narrow streets--it has to be pretty expensive to run an Econoline van there, and pretty hard to maneuver it around some of the city streets.

Good luck with the van,
George

 

hey george,
it is. expensive and tight sometimes but the van is RAL 9005 (Standard black Color) so i can refinishing it by my self...this is why im driving "full contact" ;-) till now i hit nothing.


youre a lucky man because all the cool cars where in your time! you was an Teenager when chargers, GTO's and all the other holy cars where on the street


i've got an LPG System, so its not that worse... but taxes for an 5.4L would be about 1000euro p. Year, so i got an Truck Admission. now only 200€ taxes but more expensive insurence! payin 750€ p.Y. for the weakest insurence (


f* off, Spaß kostet! (having fun is expensive)

 

Yup, I had cool cars including 2 Mopar 426 hemi cars, a couple Corvettes, and a number of other big block muscle cars. Oddly, my lifetime "garage queen" keeper is a '91 BMW 318is, which was a 1-year model in the US. Last year of the E30 body, first year for the M42 twincam four, and some suspension parts from the M3. The most endearing car I have ever owned, and I bought it in 1994.

Black is the hardest color to touch up well; trying to get a panel smooth is almost impossible. White is the easiest color, especially for a 50/50 paint job (looks good going 50 mph from 50 feet away).

When in Europe, we rented an Opel station wagon that would run on LPG or gasoline. It was fun to switch it while driving. Filling the tank was like filling a huge butane lighter.

Good luck,
George

 

oh ive driven a e 30 325convertible from a friend of mine. awsome car.

but maybe you could help me with my AC problem? you will find in another thread... today its 38degree in germany! my van is black! heelp ��

 

Sorry, but I am not much help with the AC if the system is charged.

My van is white--my prior van was a black GMC and it was miserable in the summer after being parked. When we were on vacation, I worried about our stuff (like my guitar) when the van sat in the sun. 38 C is 100 F and that is pretty hot--we see a few days like that each summer.

Hope you get it taken care of,
George

 

A good online resource is NAPA Auto Parts, Pics and prices! E Series Vans are listed under Ford Trucks and having a Picture of the part and what they offer just for your Van helps out a lot.............

 

i will have a look