About to take the T to the upholsterers... need ideas!

[Lee in KC]

Just back from the upholsterers setting up the appointment to finally get my interior done after being on the road for over seven years! I have a Spirit body with the interior insert, so wooding will not be necessary. The upholsterer says he can adhere the side and back upholstery directly to the interior shell (or make it removable if I want). He and I are struggling with how to deal with the seat area. Attached are some pix...







As you can see, I need to make the seat(s) removable for access to the electrics. I'm wondering whether to keep the molded center bolster as it really helps keep my butt planted when cornering, but the upholsterer says it will be "challenging" (i.e. expensive) to work into the seating upholstery. He wants to cut out the entire molded seating area between the front riser and the seat back and fab a single bench-type seat.

What thoughts do you folks have?

[Lugnut]

Lee,

I think your upholsterer is correct....besides if he does it right, he can put webbing in the seat bottom to make it more comfortable for your old butt. I am GOING TO ATTEMPT to post my photos. If they don't come out on this damn site, then I will email them to you.

I have complete access to everything under my seat bottom, and to make everything cleaner and make folks wonder....hide all your stuff behind the riser. Out of sight out of mind.

As usual this lame site will NOT allow me to post my photos. C'mon, with all the damn technology now a days, why can't this site allow us to post photos. We shouldn't have to go to another site to re-size our photos just to post them her. THIS IS one of the other major gripes regarding this supposedly "improved" NTBA website!!

Watch your email Lee.

[Lee in KC]

Pix from the Lugmeister...

[Krovette]

Lollie has an insert in her T and we put in individual cushions with a plywood backing that allows us to lift the seat out to get to the stuff underneath.

[Krovette]

Here is a picture of the insert. The seat cushions just lift out.

[cecil misner]

Lee, I kinda like contrasting thread colors. My seats have cactus sewn in with thread about to color of the body.

Cecil

[Chris Molz]

That's the one issue I have with the Spirit body and the molded seat insert. It makes a traditional interior more difficult to design/install. Comfy, sure. Easy, sure. But to make it look like it's not a Spirit insert, is something I haven't seen much of. Having been to only one Nats (well, more like 2) and one Homecoming, my experience is limited.

Could you cut the sides out and rework the rest of the insert so that it is just an "L" shape? You may need additional support between the trim insert and the inner body support, but that should be doable. Make up new sides to cover the whole traditional area next to the seat (screw attachment or glued or velcro, etc.) and then the "L" would still be a drop-in unit? Not sure how thin the trim shop could make the panels without intruding into an already tight space, but if you want the hip-hugging feature to stay, I would think there'd be a way.

Chris

If the bodywork wasn't already done and painted, I'd suggest cutting and frenching or insetting the panel on each side of the seat, so that the trim shop could make up "door panels" and they'd then sit flush with the body's internal panels, keeping the width the same. The seat insert would lay against the "shadowboxed" panels.

[frank_a]

Pix from the Lugmeister...

Boy Jerry, you sure do nice work. I hope my remodel comes out looking 1/2 as good as your hot rod!

Just a wild comment here. I bought a raw CCR body, and while it did not need wooding, I like sitting on the floor, or close to it. The only thing I had under my seat was a sideways mounted e-brake handle. I ran middle seats out of Dodge mini-vans for years. That's gonna change with the rebuild, got little buckets out of an old IHC Scout. When I get to the body, I'm gonna do a removable dash cutout and doors too.

Frank

[Lee in KC]

Frank, if I ever have a reason to unwire my dash I am going to give serious consideration to doing a removable insert with service loops in all the wires to the gauges. Wiring the gauges from behind the dash was a major nightmare! That area is the only area of wiring in the whole car that I have had recurring problems with, undoubtedly due to poor workmanship while installing!!

[Dean]

Burl uses original T coil spring seat cushion assembly for seat bottom, available from Car-Line Mfg in Beamont TX 409-833-9757 orSnyder's in New Springfield OH. Comfortable and made for the road. The bucket with no door, the Track Car or Yellow Car, used a one piece insert with the roll at the top and vertical pleats down the walls.
Seat cushion come out in about 30 seconds and another minute you have the rest out of the car for serv ice or repair.
All electrics are under the dash on a panel hung from the firewall, the panel drops by removing one wingnut, the wooden dash panel is mounted with a wingnut and bolt on each end and houses the instruments and indicator lights. Switches, etc are mounted on face of drop electric panel.
I'm working on an illustrated articel for this interior setup.