Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

Here's the place to chat about all things classic. Also includes a feedback forum where you can communicate directly with the editorial team - don't hold back, they'd love to know what they're doing right (or wrong of course!)
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Mitsuru
Posts: 2300
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:42 am
Location: County Durham

Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#1 Post by Mitsuru »

Okay if you've seen my project thread, I am going to get some seats reupholstered within the
next few months. So as well as having the seats done I was thinking of altering the the door
cards. I hate the fake plastic wood and they aren't padded cushions they are solid unlike other
trim level door cards!!

I do like the old car type styling vinyl with piping so I will be going for that look but with different
colours and replacing the front seats with those from a Volvo V70(comfy seats horrid covers)


Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


I was thinking of plain grey (lx09) and plain red (lx05) but with the main body of the seat in one
colour and the piping in the other. Then there is what to do with the door cards. This is where
people can have some fun with photoshop with ideas. Please remember the car is emerald green
I do hope you can help and I look forward to the ideas Classic Car look is what I am aiming for
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
rich.
Posts: 6895
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:18 pm

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#2 Post by rich. »

have you got it taxed & tested yet? what was original looks in good condition anyway.. its not as if they are mid 70s bl bad taste deckchair seats
User avatar
Mitsuru
Posts: 2300
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:42 am
Location: County Durham

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#3 Post by Mitsuru »

it's amazing'what some good photos taken at the correct angle and some baby wipes can do tothe
upholstery. If you could see, and feel the actual state of the rear seat! Then there is the front seats'
They don't have lumber support, the base cushion is back to the backing as the vinyl is that well
worn.

Plus these aren't the original seats they are out of my previous mk 1 neon, the green neon had
damaged interior and the other car had better interior. I think that it was a black patterned fabric.

To add on the front seat issue, they set my back off because they are ultra basic they move forward
and back the back tilts they are supposed to do more but don't! I know the volvo seats are far better
to adjust and stay in that position. Neon seat a bad office chair, volvo seat a comfy sofa!

If you had issues with your body wouldn't you change something in your vehicle so it wouldn't cause
those issues to flare up?
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
User avatar
JPB
Posts: 10319
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#4 Post by JPB »

Mitsuru wrote:...If you had issues with your body wouldn't you change something in your vehicle so it wouldn't cause
those issues to flare up?
Yes, I'd buy another old Volvo, an A60, Landcrab, Maxi, Dolomite, Acclaim, late Cortina or perhaps another early '70s Mercedes as the 220A had particularly good chairs that were the right shape to start with so didn't need to be adjustable in several planes.
I fitted mini 25 recliners (they came with built-in zippy pouches on the front of the base cushions which made up for the cars' more general storage space shortage) in Rebels and Metro seats in my Minors but in thae two cases, one was a simple turning job to make some slightly larger aluminium bushes for the factory seat brackets and the other was supported by a huge amount of aftermarket parts that could be bought OTS and fitted to the car the day after ordering (Minors, there's yet another reason to love the damned things).
I'd chicken out though, if it came to modifying things to the point where the labour involved was in itself making my pains worse than they'd be after a year and a typical 30,000-50,000 miles of sitting in original seats. Failing that, I'd opt for MX5 seats as they're supportive, especially so if mounted slightly higher than in their native environment, they can be had with speakers in the head restraints which can mean that using them prevents having to make holes in an otherwise immaculate old car's interior trim and they're slim enough to fit into anything, even Reliant kittens and other Austin Seven-sized devices which just don't have the space for bigger seats.
I did fit a pair of Allegro seats into one kitten, but had to remove the seats' trim, cut down their upholstery, section the frames by 3" apiece, weld those back together and then they'd go in. Just. No thanks, not doing that again if there's an alternative car that saves the hassle.
;)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:
rich.
Posts: 6895
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:18 pm

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#5 Post by rich. »

i understand the comfort thing! but get it on the road first mate :D
User avatar
Mitsuru
Posts: 2300
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:42 am
Location: County Durham

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#6 Post by Mitsuru »

I am doing the seats as and when my eye sight fluctuates and it makes the colour blindness
worse and that makes solving the wiring issues impossible. for the past few days I have been
a lot of pain so working on the car is a no go! Apart from the feet for the runners stripping the
seats down was done in the caravan and photos taken in good weather
(Some photos are actually a couple of years old!)

The website linked too above in my initial post, I had requested and received swatch samples.
Please look at their wing piping as for some reason they have listed all the colours as from morris
minors¬ :lol:
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
User avatar
Mitsuru
Posts: 2300
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:42 am
Location: County Durham

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#7 Post by Mitsuru »

Oh to add, if am not able to do anything I lets just say frustration!
If I can't do one thing I will try to do something else as if I can, just to feel like I am not
wasting my time by doing nothing!
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
rich.
Posts: 6895
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:18 pm

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#8 Post by rich. »

Mitsuru wrote:Oh to add, if am not able to do anything I lets just say frustration!
If I can't do one thing I will try to do something else as if I can, just to feel like I am not
wasting my time by doing nothing!
i know what you mean! just be careful you don't get carried away and end up with an unfinished project...
User avatar
Mitsuru
Posts: 2300
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:42 am
Location: County Durham

Re: Upholstery ideas and photoshop needed please

#9 Post by Mitsuru »

Okay sorry this is a bit rough but you get the idea on scheme/styling.
Grey main pad (now soft like other trim levels) with thin dark green piping around the pad,
and along the seam of the door card where the two parts are joined

Image


The volvo seat in the same places where the metal rods run through the fabric are kept, but
you can see the similar pattern in the center panels but stopping short of going all the way
up so it looks similar to the rear seats.

The grey is Too light in this picture

Image


The grey is closer to what I have ordered, and the black lines are not stitched seams but joins
or folds in the fabric made easy to be seen/

Image


Please let me know what you think
(I half expected othere people posting their ideas or own photos on this)
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
Post Reply