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Rich H · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:28 am Post subject: Seat repairs

Hey guys,

Just a quick top tip, maybe well known but I hadn't spotted it: I repaired the fabric on my seat base last week, sadly no pics as my steam powered camera had run out of smoke...

I discovered that there is a metal frame inside the seat base bolster foam, so if, like mine, your drivers seat bolster is looking decidedly tired, get in the other side of the car, grab hold of it and give it a firm pull. It will bend the metal frame back into shape. My seat had split along the base part but this was down to the metal bending and allowing the seat to spread.

Has made my pax seat a better shape now too. THe metal is abot 1/4" steel bar so pretty tough.

Seats are now a much better shape, even though they are a in a shade of pink! (Faded from red!!) I didn't feel up to trying to replace the fabric all over the car, it was professionally recovered a few years ago in red nylon velvet stuff which has faded a bit

_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

endwrench · Joined: 07 Dec 2002 Posts: 1631 Location: Victor, Montana

Yep, I just finished re-upholstering my seats and found the bolster bracket\rod on the drivers seat was actually broke. Had to weld it then bend it back in shape.
_________________
'79 924NA. Rebuilt 9.5:1, MSDS header, Mega Squirt Injection, MJLJ-EDIS Ignition, 1.6L Whipple Charger and Intercooler, 10lbs Boost, 944 Trans, Custom HD Clutch.
"simsport" said....superchargers are better than turbos its official!....

2Fast · Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 459 Location: Klamath Falls, OR

What does it take to reappulser the seats?
_________________
=====>Alex<=====
1979 Porsche 924 NA 5spd
1979 Parts Porshce 924 NA 5spd

endwrench · Joined: 07 Dec 2002 Posts: 1631 Location: Victor, Montana

I just bought a kit off e-bay for $250. Not rocket science but not as easy as I expected either. Definetly buy yourself a quality set of hog ring pliers and be careful when turning the backs inside out for the install. I managed to rip mine at one of the corners. Needle and thread fixed it up nice though.

Todd
_________________
'79 924NA. Rebuilt 9.5:1, MSDS header, Mega Squirt Injection, MJLJ-EDIS Ignition, 1.6L Whipple Charger and Intercooler, 10lbs Boost, 944 Trans, Custom HD Clutch.
"simsport" said....superchargers are better than turbos its official!....

Rich H · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject:

I just bought a load of vinyl and used the ripped panels as a pattern.
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

Tiny · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 502 Location: London, UK

Well, all my seat material was as if Edward Scissorhands had taken his date up to inspiration point....and got to 3rd base, at least.

I have seen many a toofah's seats in the same state of repair. My rear seat bases were all split and torn too.

What drove me to do it myself was the amazing quote I got of £1000.00 per seat.
I was also told that the rear seats would be more work than the front which was ball-locks, btw.

But I had some time off work..it took a couple of weeks but I wasn't in a rush.

I've watched my mum sewing on a machine when i was little....and had a rough idea how it all happens...but this was my first proper sewing project.

Main stuff I used was Materials, plently of time and patience...not the sort of project one rushes through.

Parts:
Sister's electric toyota sewing machine
Trim Spray Adhesive x 3 cans (550ml each) - http://www.automobiletrim.com/plastic-storage-bins.html
seat vinyl - http://www.automobiletrim.com/vinyl-leatherette.html
seat fabric - http://www.automobiletrim.com/seating-fabric.html
upholstery foam - http://www.automobiletrim.com/upholstery-foam.html
nylon sewing thread - http://www.automobiletrim.com/sewing-thread.html
nylon zip ties - to replace hog rings on re-assembly

mains powered staple gun, if you want to recover the upper rear seat.

Materials total £120.00 - i've only given the links above as examples.

Method:
1.Dismantle seat base from back and carefully remove covers - undoing hog-rings as you go..
2.Use a stitch-unpick to carefully dismantle covers into seperate panels. Mark old panels with marker pen for reference
3.Use individual panels as templates and draw and cut out new sections from vinyl and fabric.
4.Use combination of trim spray and sewing pins to hold new panel edges together and restitch panels together thus forming new seat covers....in an "inside-out," fashion.
5 I cut foam to match the seat base and back. you'll see where they stiched the two pieces together.
6 also before i put the covers on, I padded the tired foam seats out more with newly cut sections of foam.

I had to go very slowly with my sister's non-industrial toyota sewing machine and often used manual hand operation for tricky bits.
Mind you, after seeing the TopGear with the toyota truck abuse...I figured the machine could take a beating. Throughout the whole adventure I only broke 1 needle.

Even though I bought wing pipng for the project...I ended up not using it, as the machine wasn't strong enough to handle it, and i didn't have the correct sewing machine foot to feed it into.
http://www.automobiletrim.com/wing-piping.html

However, It's all holding up very well tho, and as it was my first proper use of a sewing machine...I would say I did pretty well.

I took loads of photos and intended to create a how-to, but my hard drive busted and i lost everything.
I have this solitary photo in my online email attachments that i can post to show my first seat base.

i've probably missed some stuff out as this was back in january....but if you wanna know anything, please ask!
hope that helps,
tiny

ps. see ive just remembered something. I used an old duvet cover to re-create the pieces which hold the metal rods to the covers....and when you feed zip ties through the place where the hog rings used to be, you can pull the correct tension. strong zip ties worked much better than hog rings on re assembly.
_________________
*****1981 - 924 - Auto - London, UK******

Rich H · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:42 am Post subject:

Cable ties is a good idea.

those Hog rings are nasty!
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

2Fast · Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 459 Location: Klamath Falls, OR

Wow Tiny, for just a home fix, those look great! Esp. considering the fact that you sewed them yourself! Thats a lot of work, I dont think I could do it lol. I've never really used a sewing machine either. If hog rings are the kinda U shaped pieces of wire im thinking of, I do think Zippy ties would be a way easier way to go, and safer, because ive seen a guy get very hurt with those..if im thinking of the right thing. Rich, was that kit you bought online a good quality one? I think I have seen them before, but worried that they might be for another model of Porsche and or poor quality.
_________________
=====>Alex<=====
1979 Porsche 924 NA 5spd
1979 Parts Porshce 924 NA 5spd