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BulliBill Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2004 Posts: 4573 Location: St Charles, MO
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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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BulliBill wrote: |
bobrk wrote: |
Split 66' wrote: |
Is there a thread that shows the proper way, or order of layers, when recovering Bus seats? Any pointers or tips you can give me from your previous projects? Necessary tool recommendations to make the task doable?
Any help you can provide me, I'll appreciate.
Thanks!
EDIT: Found this
Link
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This video is awesome, and I've already purchased a Deutsch Polster set to install on my '59 Single. My main issue is most of the barbs on my frame are gone, and I noticed that Matt mentions in the video that self tapping screws can be used instead. Has anyone tried that, and exactly how does that work? Is the wire portion of the cover stretched over the screwhead? |
I'm not sure if I can help, but I did happen to shoot that video in my garage in Missouri almost a decade ago and I asked lots of questions of Matt during the informal how-to video. I think that if you want to replace broken off or missing barbs, that you bought or made the replacement barbs and that you have no access to welding, you could hit the hardware store and select a thin-headed fairly small diameter head self-tapping screw(s), then drill a proper diameter hole in the replacement barb that the threads of the screw will just pass through. If I were doing it, I would then carefully locate where the barb needs to be (next to or exactly where the previous barb was), and mark the seat frame and pre-drill a smaller hole into the seat frame tube to make screwing the replacement barb to the frame much easier but secure.
Yes, you would eventually compress (have extra hands/help) the assembled cover/cushion spring set and pull the cover material with the cover wire edge over the screw-head and barb to install... Ta Da!!!
Bill Bowman |
_________________ I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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bobrk Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 288 Location: Beautiful Downtown San Jose
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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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BulliBill wrote: |
I'm not sure if I can help, but I did happen to shoot that video in my garage in Missouri almost a decade ago and I asked lots of questions of Matt during the informal how-to video. I think that if you want to replace broken off or missing barbs, you bought or made the replacement barbs and you have no access to welding, you could hit the hardware store and select a thin-headed fairly small diameter head self-tapping screw(s), then drill a proper diameter hole in the replacement barb that the threads of the screw will just pass through. If I were doing it, I would then carefully locate where the barb needs to be (next to or exactly where the previous barb was), and mark the seat frame and pre-drill a smaller hole into the seat frame tube to make screwing the replacement barb to the frame much easier but secure.
Yes, you would eventually compress (have extra hands/help) the assembled cover/cushion spring set and pull the cover material with the cover wire edge over the screw-head and barb to install... Ta Da!!!
Bill Bowman |
Thanks, Bill, I like that idea. I was a little worried that it might not be tight or strong enough, but if done carefully, might be ok. _________________ 1959 Single Cab “Otto”
1500 single port | 1963 small nut/big brake transaxle | CSP Disc Brakes | dual circuit m/c | Deutsch Polster seats |
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Split 66' Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 1257 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:10 am Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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Getting back to this project: I welded a new custom made tab from thicker steel, to the seat frame to hold the Driver Back Rest cover to the frame:
It broke off again. It's as if this cover is too short to wrap around the bottom and go on the barbs. I can't get the material to stretch far enough to meet at the tabs. I have the coconut pad from WW, and very little cotton stuffing, and this still won't reach properly.
Has anyone done the Driver Back Rest successfully, that can tell me what's going on here?
I can't understand how this is all supposed to hold together, I have the metal rods in both hems.
Does the front of the cover, wrap around the bottom and go on the barbs first, then the back of the cover goes over it? _________________ "OG = Original German" -- TheSamba.com dictionary |
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Split 66' Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 1257 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:04 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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I have another driver back rest here that has one stock clip left on it:
This clip looks to have been folded over from the factory in a loop.
What I'm left to believe is that the front of the cover is supposed to wrap under the frame clips (front is not barbed), then the rear of the cover poked on to the barbs, and then is bent over, to trap the front cover rod, behind the rear cover rod, holding them both in place, and showing only the rear of the cover:
I'm just having a hard time getting the material to travel that far:
Do I have any of this correct so far? _________________ "OG = Original German" -- TheSamba.com dictionary |
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BarryL Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 14271 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:56 am Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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The loop spike is not dooable. The spike must be open for installatin.
On one of my seats the hooks are the opposite of yours, same principal, but I think yours will work if you can get more slack.
Set the back vertically and try to push down at the top and weasel the sides by sliding your hands down and just keep pushing an invisible wave of material down.
Once you are sure you have it as far as you can try to put the front face's flap up and over the spikes. Then pull the back flap down and over the spikes. I'm assuming you have the tensile rods in place. The overlap is what holds it as it tries to unstretch. |
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Split 66' Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 1257 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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Much thanks Barry! That's it, I'm heading in the right direction finally.
_________________ "OG = Original German" -- TheSamba.com dictionary |
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Split 66' Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 1257 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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Back to it: Front seat covers are on and fit great. Now it's time for the middle seat.
The problem I have with the short middle seat cover, is there are no holes or reinforced stitching where the grab handle passes through the seat cover.
If I stab the grab handle mounts through the seat cover, won't that rip the seam or material over time? Even if I don't use the grab handle, the open tubes up top will cut in to the cover.
How was an original middle seat cover done with the grab handles? _________________ "OG = Original German" -- TheSamba.com dictionary |
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55bundt Samba Member
Joined: December 15, 2002 Posts: 168
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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When installing middle seat cover it's done in these steps.
1) install padding
2) install seat back board with ashtray bracket
3) install cover starting at the top working down with steam or heat
4) install front of seat back into tube channel
5) install rear of seat back into tube channel
6) small x pattern cut into top tubes install grab handle
When doing steps 3 and 4 make sure cover sits correct on frame before committing to locking in bottom channel. |
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Navydave73 Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2017 Posts: 414 Location: Alta Loma/Los Angeles
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 10:15 am Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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Split 66' wrote: |
Back to it: Front seat covers are on and fit great. Now it's time for the middle seat.
The problem I have with the short middle seat cover, is there are no holes or reinforced stitching where the grab handle passes through the seat cover.
If I stab the grab handle mounts through the seat cover, won't that rip the seam or material over time? Even if I don't use the grab handle, the open tubes up top will cut in to the cover.
How was an original middle seat cover done with the grab handles? |
You are worried about cutting a hole right in the middle of that stitch, right? look at the last few pics in this link that Everett provided:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=708694
looks like you would cut just to the side of that seam, not in the middle of it. |
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Split 66' Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 1257 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: Seat Cover Replacement |
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55bundt wrote: |
When installing middle seat cover it's done in these steps.
1) install padding
2) install seat back board with ashtray bracket
3) install cover starting at the top working down with steam or heat
4) install front of seat back into tube channel
5) install rear of seat back into tube channel
6) small x pattern cut into top tubes install grab handle
When doing steps 3 and 4 make sure cover sits correct on frame before committing to locking in bottom channel. |
Thanks for that 55bundt, the small X on the top of the tubes of the seat cover is what I was wondering about, as in how was it done from the factory.
Were there round plugs that go in the top of the tubes, that then hold the grab handle? Would the small X cut material be inside of the tube and held in place by the round plugs?
Navydave73 wrote: |
You are worried about cutting a hole right in the middle of that stitch, right? look at the last few pics in this link that Everett provided:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=708694
looks like you would cut just to the side of that seam, not in the middle of it. |
Thanks Navydave73. I'm concerned with keeping the seat cover from ripping past the holes that need to be cut. Would not want someone to sit down and pull the cover hard enough to tear it.
I started with a bare short middle frame, and have never seen how a stock cover went on, or came off of there. I just need to figure the grab handle out.
Thanks again guys. _________________ "OG = Original German" -- TheSamba.com dictionary |
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