I am sure this has been discussed before. I am just not savy enough to find where it was done.

I want to repair the seat I have. Its all original the gear and lightning bolt are still on the upper back center of the seat. there is a small tear in the seat currently. I am wondering if the seat is reproduced. I was also wondering if the vinyl can be salvaged and just use new fabric.
I would love to hear opinions on this. Or just help me find where it was discussed before.



Randy - Just another Ford Lover

 

As far as I know, the vinyl with the gear/lightning symbol has never been reproduced. I have seen a seat where the person had an upholsterer replace the sections on both side of the center pattern piece, but the original section was not as strong and the edges had to be inset somewhat to sew the new on. Didn't look exactly right in my oppinion. There have been some posts before on upholstery sources, you may want to scroll back some...

 

 

>I am sure this has been discussed before. I am just not savy
>enough to find where it was done.
>
>I want to repair the seat I have. Its all original the gear
>and lightning bolt are still on the upper back center of the
>seat. there is a small tear in the seat currently. I am
>wondering if the seat is reproduced. I was also wondering if
>the vinyl can be salvaged and just use new fabric.
>I would love to hear opinions on this. Or just help me find
>where it was discussed before.

I'm in the same boggle my self regarding the the origional uphostry. the uphostroy in my case is totally shot. your butt sits on the

I have reuphostered bucket seats for my sister's car, as well as the rear bench seat to mine. While it was a long time consuming process, the results were kick **** to say the least.

Basicly I used that funky dethreader tool, going along the seem and seperating the vinyl from the vinyl. And promply washed each segment in the washing machine. For the primary vinyl pieces, I just glued on the old vinyl onto new vinel pieces, cut to fit. for Segments that I was adding fabric, same technique, spray glued on fabric, cut to fit.For the really torn up pieces, I just cut out the outline of the bad vinyl, but left the corners with the holes.

The process of reassembly was tedius to say the least... basicly needle and thread, but keeping the old vinyl pieces the holes were already there as a guide. inbehind the seems, I added "Stitch Witch", a material when heated bonds fabric to fabric. one a new segment was in, I just took the freshly stitched materials and went over with a sewing machine. For the vinyl vinyl pieces, I lost a few needles, but your average sewing machine is able to penitrate and join these things provided you go slowly enough. And a final iron of the seams to apply the stich witch.

The fabric vinyl combo is actually not such a bad one. you have something that is reasonably comfortable, and seems that are very resistent to seperation, as well as moderate protection to water and wear.

My logic in this technique served two fuctions. Sewing by numbers, being 1 to 1 accurate with the stitching as was made at the factor. two, the storage place for the factory vinyl was directly under the seat, where the fabric can be pulled off and a mild solvent allows a person to retrive the origional stuff.

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In the segments where I added fabric + glue, using satan I was able to retain the shape and curves of the vinyl. Using the 3m heavy duty stuff (I remember the number, I think 80 was the low range, I'm guessing I used 120 or 180 strengh glue).

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In my case, I don't think I have enough in the way of the factory vinyl with the gear and lightning bolt symble to make repairs, though in there there are vinyl repair kits at your local auto parts and home improvment stores. I haven't really enjoyed really good luck with them, however, I was actually thinking about using your regular run of the mill wd 40 in order to make a fiberglass resin mold of the old symble. I'll have to test this idea. basicly from the old filling with liquid vinyl, and applying to the material in the desired location. While in any casting of this nature you're bound to loose some detail, more so as you must use a layer of lubercent in order to release the icon from the mold, in my case it seems the only viable solution.