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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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 Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:12 pm Post subject: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Ive began looking around for some decent seat covers for my 57 and so far haven’t found anything clearly made for the thin back seat. Most of what I’ve found states that it fits models that are later and include the 57....
I’m looking for some decent driver quaility covers that clearly fit the thinner seats... my last experience ordering interior parts for my 57 were a bit unpleasant.
Does anyone know of a company that has seat covers made to fit these particular seats.... I’ve only seen ads that say covers for 56-60 and another with a broader, generic range of fitment. |
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smuenchrath
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 371
Location: Calgary, Alberta
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:21 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Did you try Lenny Copp at West Coast Classic Restoration?
www.classicvws.com
I am fairly certain he has done the early thin back seats, even though the website doesn't explicitly state this.
_________________
68 Ghia Regatta Blue Convertible
69 Ghia Toga White Coupe
74 Westfalia |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 10999
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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They will have to be custom made.
Any decent auto upholstery shop could make you a set if all you want is something practicle. Probably still going to set you back $600 or more.
_________________
Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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c21darrel
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Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| Alright, thanks guys.... that’s kinda what I was thinking. There isn’t many options other than having them made. I was hoping there was something along the lines of TMI type covers for an earlier Ghia. |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 10999
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| anthracitedub wrote: |
| Alright, thanks guys.... that’s kinda what I was thinking. There isn’t many options other than having them made. I was hoping there was something along the lines of TMI type covers for an earlier Ghia. |
Hopefully you don't need padding!
_________________
Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 5:54 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| I have the original seats and interior for my car, just everything is toast. I found a company that sells material similair to the original coconut fiber...I was hoping I could find something decent and affordable to recover everything. I’m not trying to go back to original... just something presentable. I’ll check in with Sewfine and also the option of converting thick back seat covers... that might be my best bet. I appreciate all of the suggestions and advice. |
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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I thought I’d share some progress pix... I’m either going with WCC or Sewfine for seat upholstery. Decided to cry once and enjoy some nice quality covers.
Been working on the frames and spring cushions and the seat back pivots and adjusters.
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Here is a snap of the seat back adjustment bumpers I made.
This car is a restocustom, so it’s not perfect/original... I’m gonna rock the cheap door panels until I free up some more funds... I’ll be happy to have nice seats soon.
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Here’s a couple more hand made pieces while working on the interior
I was forced to use black delrin because it’s all I had... these are not done yet... but it’s something. |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32594
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| I just did the catalog request with a message, haven’t heard back yet. But I will have time to make calls Thursday... I plan on calling both places and see what I can get. I’m just gonna keep it simple with black vinyl and grey cloth centers... im hoping I can get some kinda grey cord material. |
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KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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| Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 7:55 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| anthracitedub wrote: |
I thought I’d share some progress pix... I’m either going with WCC or Sewfine for seat upholstery. Decided to cry once and enjoy some nice quality covers.
... |
I get the fact that your early lowlight is a Resto-mod Custom, and that you're not trying to make everything "original" and "perfect".
Seeing as there does not seem to be any "ready made, off the shelf" lower cost seat cover options that will fit your early thin back seats, however, I think your decision to "cry once" is a very wise one indeed.
I don't have to tell you, or any other Ghia Forum regular, that those seats are like money in the bank (and perhaps even better in today's uncertain economy).
The frames alone will command a hefty price, and there isn't much reason to think that they'll lose any value in the forseeable future.
Although it may not necessarily be exactly what you currently have planned for your interior, if you were to actually have them recovered as close to original as possible it would only increase their value.
I'm not that familiar with early lowlight exterior/interior color options, but there's likely one color interior that may have been an option for several different exterior color choices.
Having your thin back seats recovered in the "original" style in that color is yout best bet to practically insure that whatever money was spent on having custom covers made could easily be "recovered" through a possible future sale of those seats.
It's not often that you can say that about anything in the vintage auto restoration world. 
Good luck with the balance of your project, and please continue to keep us posted on your progress. |
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 4:37 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Well, after contacting both Sewfine and WCC.... I’m left with a little indecision.
I feel both places would do a decent job. I think WCC is strictly a restoration shop and Sewfine would cater to the restocustom scene a little better.
I’ve still never seen a picture of either companies thinback seats done... both sites only show pics of later seats.
My main goal is to have them stitched as close as possible to original but using my own color/material choices.
Now I’m considering going ahead and having doorpanels and a few other things added to the order... windlace, doorpulls, etc.
I didn’t foresee this being such a difficult choice but it’s getting hard for me to decide. It would be a nobrainer if I was restoring the car to spec colors... I’d use WCC ... they deal with restorations and have the correct colors/materials.
I suppose I need to do a bit more research before I place an order... this is a big purchase for me and I need to make sure the right choice is made. |
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 10999
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| Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| anthracitedub wrote: |
Well, after contacting both Sewfine and WCC.... I’m left with a little indecision.
I feel both places would do a decent job. I think WCC is strictly a restoration shop and Sewfine would cater to the restocustom scene a little better.
I’ve still never seen a picture of either companies thinback seats done... both sites only show pics of later seats.
My main goal is to have them stitched as close as possible to original but using my own color/material choices.
Now I’m considering going ahead and having doorpanels and a few other things added to the order... windlace, doorpulls, etc.
I didn’t foresee this being such a difficult choice but it’s getting hard for me to decide. It would be a nobrainer if I was restoring the car to spec colors... I’d use WCC ... they deal with restorations and have the correct colors/materials.
I suppose I need to do a bit more research before I place an order... this is a big purchase for me and I need to make sure the right choice is made. |
If you go with the original style materials it's expensive. I shelled out $1000 just for the cord and vinyl upholstery from Germany.
Constructing the panels and the seats is insanely labor intensive because of all the sewed pleats. I am not lookin forward to the butchers bill on that.
If you are going to go for an original look then your should go with original materials, using cheap materials and paying for all that labor makes no sense.
Same with the seats, the thin backs require custom everything, including padding.
My thing with lowlights, especially an early one like yours, is that these are potentially big money cars if done right. If you lower it, put a later engine in it, a TMI interior...basically what most guys have done to date, then the car is not worth much.
You do it right, sure you will spend a lot, but end up with a car worth a lot.
If money is a consideration, then stick a TMI interior in it, use later seats for now so you can enjoy the car and hang on to your thin backs until you have money to do it right.
_________________
Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 9:25 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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My car was extra crispy when I found it 19 years ago. I was never really equipped financially to do a proper resto on it... so it is lowered with a 40 horse and tunnel trans. It was missing the original wheels, engine and hood when I got it.
I’m kinda leaning toward Sewfine interior, TMI don’t have one for thinbacks anyway. Sewfine said they have a patteren for the thinbacks and they have decent materials on hand. I plan on doing my own padding, I’m certain I can handle putting them together.
I do understand the value and importance of a proper restoration, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for this car. I do plan on giving my 62 a proper resto because it was in much better shape to begin with. |
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Just wanted to update to show off my new Sewfine interior.
I chose black and grey from their catalog. After speaking with them they assured me they were familiar with the early patterns and have recently done some early seats. I also sent them my trashed original stuff so they could see an early 57 interior. What I got back was absolute beauty. They are amazing to deal with too. They even sent me a mock up seat cover to double check the fit before they started.
The material they use is really high quality and the craftsmanship is super nice.
I’m going to take my time putting things together... but I’ll post some pix as I go.
Heres the mock up cover
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rbsurfguy
Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2008
Posts: 1757
Location: Fairfax, Northern Virginia Formerly Huntington Beach, SoCal
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| Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:41 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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Interior looks really nice Bro. Sewfine has been around for a long time and definitely know what the VW world wants for their interior.
Jeff
_________________
1971 Ghia convertible (Body off rebuild)
2019 VW Atlas 4Motion
2012 Passat-Sold
See my build on The Samba at:
Jeff's 71 Vert Restoration/Reassembly http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...highlight= |
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anthracitedub
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007
Posts: 3241
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 5:53 am Post subject: Re: Thin Back Seat Upholstery |
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| Yeah. They’re awesome... really gave me a better product than I expected... the materials are great and the whole experience with them was perfect. |
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