1947 Seat Fabric

[usariemen]

[RichOakley]

Original '47 interior without buttons?..

[rod_vw]

Thanks Richard, that's how mine looked when I stripped the extra covers off. It wasn't until I looked at the old fabric removed from the seats and held up to the light that I found the telltale holes where the buttons had been.

So it seems that we are no further forward with the discussion about the type of button that was fitted originally, if indeed all cars had them!

Anyone else with firm evidence of what was fitted at manufacture please?
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[beetlekey]

[rod_vw]

Thanks Marcus, what do you mean by 'NO pipe in the rear'?
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[beetlekey]

[Martin Southwell]

I'm pleased to report that the rebuild of the 47 seats is coming along nicely, with an estimated finish date of 2/3 weeks time. This was said when I called to see Paul the upholsterer, with the repaired, and repainted rear seats a couple of weeks ago, and he has done one of the front seats, which looks excellent. It doesn't look 'brand new', which is just what I'm after.

He is using the original seat stuffing plus new for top up wherever required, and said that he had found the remains of the front seat buttons in the stuffing, which I had removed 20 years ago, to have them painted, and placed in a bag, and so there is no doubt that seat buttons were fitted to my car (May 47) both back & front.

Today, the Mika made seat buttons came back from the powder coating man, and look resplendent in the grey they originally came in. These will now be sent to Paul for fitment. He will also make up the door and rear 1/4 cards for me, using mill board sourced by myself, plus the same fabric as used on the seats. It's amazing how much time, effort & money has been spent on refurbing the seats. I now need to get the rest of the car to the same standard!

I've sent Rod a couple of pictures, and have asked if he could post them, so that you can see the results of the finished seat buttons. I've also sent a couple of photos of the base of my front seats, and ask how this relates to the last posting, which talks about having 3 or 4 pipes under the seats.

Happy Days!

[rod_vw]

Thanks for the pictures Martin. here they are for all to see.

And with a bit of luck this is what your seats will look like (plus buttons fitted) when they are completed.

_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[Martin Southwell]

One of the moments I've been waiting for, for the past 35 years is about to happen! Tomorrow I'm collecting the recovered seats from Paul in the Midlands (UK) and will ask Rod if he could kindly post the photos for all to see when I get them back.

Paul is waiting until I'm actually collecting the seats before putting the buttons in place, no doubt so that I can take the blame if they are wrongly situated. I've provided the locations ealier in this blog for the rear seat button locations, and will use those provided by Rod for the front seat button locations.

As to whether the buttons were fabric covered or not, I've decided to cover myself for both options (no pun intended!) by having the buttons podwer coated in grey, the original colour, and Paul has covered them in the fabric, but simply wrapping fabric around them, like a wrapper on a lollipop, and tied underneath with thread. If it can be proven that the seats came without fabric covering, which I suspect was the case, then I can simply cut the fabric off to reveal the painted button underneath again.

Paul has also made new door cards (I cut the rear 1/4s into shape using the originals as templates, and Paul the door cards) and covered them in the Salt & Pepper fabric, and they too look great. The millboard we've used, is what is used to protect paper being delivered to the printers next door! I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the material, which they normally disgard and recycle.

The carpets are the next challenge, and will be made by Dylan Cheasley, who was well known in the UK for making top notch quality VW carpets years ago, but sadly for the VW world, sold the business on around 10 years ago, as this labour intensive business was getting in the way of his then budding part time stage & singing career. Dylan still has some of the correct fabric, obtained from the Czech Republic 20+ years ago, and has kindly offered to make the carpets for me as a special exercise, and hopefully Rod, depending on how much material he has left, which is still something of a State secret!

[rod_vw]

I am pleased to hear that your seats have turned out so well. I am just as pleased with mine although I still have the buttons to do.

I do still have some fabric available in this 'Salt & Pepper' pattern which could be delivered to Bad Camberg. See my ad http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1752805
_________________
Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/

1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build.

[RichOakley]

here's mine...

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1947 Beetle
1956 RHD Karmann Cabrio
1956 RHD Beetle
1957 RHD Pitt-Moto Type 2 Camper
1959 RHD Beetle
1966 RHD Type 3 Fastback
1976 RHD Sun Beetle

[RareAir]

Just got mine done using Marcus' material-

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1947 Typ 11a
1954 Typ 117
1956 Typ 151
1959 Typ 117
1959 Typ 265
1961 356B
1966 Typ 151
1966 Typ 241