TheSamba.com :: View topic - Problems with WW/TMI seat covers for my 65

Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:42 pm

Well, after working all week on this project and feeling like I was winning, I've sort of been deflated.

The sides of the upholstery for the front seat backs are 1/2 inch too short! I stretched 'em like crazy, but then measured the actual lengths of the side panels on the new stuff and compared with the existing OG upholstery on my 66 seats. The TMIs are 19 inches, the OG stuff is 19 1/2. The side panels are well short of reaching the bottom of the metal tube cross beam of the seat back. And the piping doesn't even match the length of the side panel.

Anybody with similar experiences? Anybody with this same upholstery have proper length side panels? Might this be a one off problem, or are all of TMIs seat backs for 65-67 this way? Is WW good about taking stuff back after it's been installed?

WW/TMI:

OG 66

Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:50 pm

Here's the ones on my 58. Seems like a similar problem

Sat Apr 29, 2006 2:56 pm

Yes, looks like their templates are too short. It doesn't look terrible when you're standing next to the car, but if you squat down to take a close look at things it looks poor.

Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:51 pm

That is how they fit. Yes they are a hair short but they have been for 20 years.

Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:05 am

Ya but just think how much money they saved not giving you that extra inch over the last 20 years :lol:
Our TMI stuff we had for our watercooler seats was about the same margin TOO BIG.

Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:10 am

Has anyone had success/problems with West Coast Classics seat covers?

Mon May 01, 2006 8:27 am

WCC are made to order, not mass produced. I'm not knocking TMI (because thats what I stock) but anything WCC would be good enough for me.

Mon May 01, 2006 10:26 pm

Here are the original seat covers on my '65. Compare your results to the originals...

-Kent

Tue May 02, 2006 2:36 am

Thanks Kent. Now everything else looks like shit!

:D

Tue May 02, 2006 7:42 am

Juan wrote: Thanks Kent. Now everything else looks like shit!

:D

:lol: That was not my intent! You can see that the piping didnt go all the way to the bottom of the crossbar. Besides, you haven't seen the new rip in the driver's seat due to the fabric being so old :(

-Kent

Tue May 02, 2006 9:16 am

i have all west coast classics seats and panels in mine they did a awsome job . the only thing i found is my back bottom seat is a little short on the back but you cant see it cuz its on the bottom . so no biggy! but they turned out nice you can check my gallery for pics. :wink:

Tue May 02, 2006 9:23 am

volkswagenut wrote: i have all west coast classics seats and panels in mine they did a awsome job . the only thing i found is my back bottom seat is a little short on the back but you cant see it cuz its on the bottom . so no biggy! but they turned out nice you can check my gallery for pics. :wink:

They look very nice! Did they do the installation or did they send you the covers and you put them on yourself?

Tue May 02, 2006 11:39 am

i installed them all my self . they made all the covers and panels . the padding came from wolfsburg west. thanks on the panels im very happy.

Tue May 02, 2006 12:16 pm

I used Sewfine on a two complete bug interiors and I was very pleased with both of them.

Sat Jun 03, 2006 3:52 pm

Well, After a few weeks working out of town, and a cool-off period for myself, I continued working with the seat upholstery for the rear seat.

The rear seat back actually went together fairly easily (now that my expectations have been lowered). The material on the sides was a little short, but I was able to get it all together.

The rear seat bottom is a different story. This time, the skirt fabric (side fabric) is two inches too LONG all the way around. I compared measurements with the original 65 material. When hog ringed to the base of the frame, nothing is drawn tight, and tightening the string inside the hem does nothing to tighten things up.

The whole thing is so loose that the Wolfsburg West coconut pad won't stay in place, and I actually can't get the seat bottom to fit into place inside the car. The springs etc. aren't compressed enough for the bottom to slip into place in front of the seat back, and behind the lip on the support for the front of the seat bottom.

I never contacted WW about my initial unhappiness with the front seat upholstery. It doesn't look terrible from normal viewing angles. I don't feel like there's anything good that can come from complaining, as the best they could do is refund my money. Ultimately it's all the time I've wasted on this crap that I'm upset about!

I guess I can remove the hog rings from the back seat bottom, and add some zig-zagged string to draw the whole thing up properly tight, and then maybe hog ring it again. Or maybe take it all apart and have my wife stitch a new hem around the bottom of the skirt in the proper place.

Anyone else have any ideas or comments?

Oh, and I started to try to install the door panels I bought at the same time, and it apears that the holes in the board for the clips are in the wrong places. Major monkeying around yet to come on that I guess.

I did a search before I bought this stuff, but unfortunately didn't find the really flamey posts about TMI. I will never buy their stuff again. I guess I'm fussy enough - it'll be West Coast Classic for me.

Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:23 pm

I used clear monofiliment fishing string and a large sewing needle to gather the excess material and join the front and rear panels on my TMI seat covers using stitches that looked like they were done at the hospital emergency room. While it might seem like a primative approach, it improved the fit massively and you can't see anything once installed.

Darryl D.

My '63 Cabriolet Project

Mon Jun 05, 2006 7:44 am

see below :oops:

Mon Jun 05, 2006 7:51 am

I just finished up this morning putting on new TMI covers over CIP1 bought injection molded foam pads. Total pian in the ass getting over the pads but I didn't want the possiblity of hearing plastic bags crinkle everytime I sit down.

The problem I ran into, no matter how much I pulled and stretched there was a big gap at the bottom of the seat where the foam would be visible? I finally just poped another hog ring in the corner to close it up. Not thrilled but looks hella better than the tattered PO covers and worn out horse hair.

Ragged out, rusty busted ass seat frame befor re-weld/paint/pads/covers. :oops:

Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:59 am

Thanks for the great info guys. I'm actually in the order process right now for my 66.

How did the prices / total quality compare between TMI and WCC?

Mon Jun 05, 2006 9:44 am

Here's a close-up of the mono-filament fishing string "sutures" along the bottom edge of the seat cushion. The string is almost invisible without the aid of flash photography. I gathered material up along the bead along the bottom edge as well. It really pulled the seat cover up nice and tight and exposes the bead instead of tucking it under.

Darryl D.

My '63 Cabriolet Project