DIY seat padding ...Any advice?

[0nebadbug]

Has anyone here ever made their own seat padding?
what materials did you use

My though was slipping 4" padding inserts to go inside the springs of them and then using a harder foam, maybe noeprene? to let them be cushy but a little stiffer than an original seats pad.

I have been looking around usual places like WW, Sewfine Scat and so on.... Seems everyones "packages" are way out of my budget to buy in one shot. Hell just the hair padding is over $300 shipped alone.

I did ask a local upholsterer and sounds like he pretty much has about any of the materials I would want to use and acording to him for these things in the block sizes I gave him was less than $100. which is why I am asking if anyone did the padding themselves what worked and what didnt... Any insight would be appreciated

[Bart Dunn]

The hair padding is the way to go. It holds up better, provides a better and more firm seat for your arse, and so forth. The foamy products just don't do the same thing. That being said, sure, give it a whirl. Worst case scenario is you don't like it, but you can still drive the car and whatnot. It's not like you're trying to make a crankshaft out of brass.
_________________
Not enough car seats fit into my:
'58 Beetle convertible
'58 Beetle sedan

[volksauto]

I used 4" foam from joann's fabric and I used vinyl to wrap the springs and then the foam and then the seat cover. My convertible I used the hair and in my oval I used the foam and it is like night and day the oval is more comfortable.

[Video Bob]

On my Thing I used hair padding. At the same time a friend used foam on his. the difference in fit was very noticeable but not bad. If all your are concerned about is comfort then go with the foam.
_________________
Ya can't have too many Vdubs!
1956 Oval
1966 Beetle
1974 Thing
1974 Super Beetle
1976 Westy P22

[TheRustySuper]

My seats were in terrible shape, so of course the hair had to go along with the ruined covers. I got foam, never wanting to go back to the horsehair. The horsehair provided a firmer seat, and the foam is much more squishy. It all depends on what you want, really.
_________________
My '72 Super

[johnshenry]

I redid the interior in my '50 last winter, there are a whole series of pics in the "Zarwerks Spy Cam" thread in the split forum.

I used the original horsehair padding, but topped it with some high density foam. I was pretty happy with the way it came out and how they feel. I wrapped the spring cages too, before putting the padding on.

IMO, thicker foam is harder to control and always ends up making the seats look like marshmallows, even if the pull down cords are used. I think Wolfsburg West sells repro hair seat pads.
_________________
John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Ninamashr]

So do the pads REALLY have actual horse hair? I did mine 2 years ago and I should have replaced the original pads, but did not. I did notice that the original pads did have real thin stiff black hair-like fibers woven into them and were a dark reddish tan color. I also remember the pads had a thin gray layer of felt-like wool as additional padding on the seating surface.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[johnshenry]

[Bart Dunn]

[johnshenry]

[D. Haviland]

Do all VWs have that smell? My 63 and my 57 have vinyl seats and have the smell. My zwitter has wool seats and the original seat pads but doesn't seam to have the smell. So I'm thinking it's more of a vinyl and battery acid combo. But then again maybe I'm so used to it that I don't even notice it anymore.

[OvalWindowBucket]

The WW "horse hair" seat pads are indeed coconut fiber.

[0nebadbug]

EDITED:
Also who sells tweed seat cover reasonably priced?
I seriously hate the original vinyl...


where was I... oh yeah...
I am knid of hoping to make the seats a stiffer than the originals...
Not so OEM style cushy and bouncy....

Kinda curious about what others have done on (or in) the seat backs...
Has anyone ever actually tucked the foam into the springs airspace? or just direcly on top... or both?

[cvallone]

To save money and actually cut your price in half as opposed to going with TMI or something..... I go to Walmart. Go to their crafty section with linens and such and they sell rolls of foam, even square seat sections that fit perfect for the bottom rest and backrest. to do your whole car it should cost about 80.00-90.00 in foam from there.

Chris
_________________
My restos www.classicvwbugs.com
Restoring Beetles back to their historical beauty.

[Kombat]

The company that was the main Volkswagen supplier of the 'horsehair' seat padding is Enkev. It is still producing the same stuff.

People called is horsehair because in the earlier (expensive) cars they used padding made of real horsehair. Later on with cars being mass-produced real horsehair was replaced by other fibers. Mainly coconut and banana leave fibers.

The company is based in Volendam, the Netherlands but operates internationally.
Check their website if interested: http://www.enkev.com/en/index.html
_________________
1966 Pearlwhite 1300
1966 Lotuswhite 1500

[3foldfolly]

[cvallone]

[3foldfolly]

I went to both those sites and could not find luggage area padding. where does WW list it?

[cvallone]

[3foldfolly]