Tag: Seat restoration

1929 Model A Ford Sport Coupe Seat Back Refurbishment

1929 Model A Ford Sport Coupe Seat Back Refurbishment

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As with the seat base the seat back on the Coupe had also had some previous “attention”

Once the cover and padding was removed the inspection began with a clean up

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Once again the dangerous sharp fencing wire was removed and again a number of the springs were in need of repair

Again the springs were given the foam treatment after repair

An extra foam support was cut to sized and added to the top of the seat back for additional support for the springs at the top of the seat back

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Webbing was also added for further support, belt and many braces!

The hessian base was then attached to the seat back springs using hog rings, along with the extra foam support.

The foam and wadding was then attached using hog rings and a little tape to keep the shape whilst the cover is being installed

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The cover was then installed using hog rings as per the norm.

Some more foam was added to the he rear of the seat back before the vinyl on the trim was glued and refitted

The set back was then test fit into the Coupe.

Again this is how we did this and it worked for us!

1929 Model A Ford Sport Coupe Seat Base Refurbishment

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Here’s the process we used to restore the seat base on the Sport Coupe

1929 Model Sport Coupe Base Underside

Removing the cover, foam and padding which was attached via a combination of nails and hog rings. Once the cover was removed the details from LeBaron Bonney were found and the production date was 1997

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The seat base had clearly been worked on before and as we began the strip down we found that some interesting repair methods had been employed, now it may be that some of the repair work had been carried before the aftermarket luxury that we enjoy today.

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The chicken wire or fencing had been wired onto the springs of the seat base, this was very sharp and not easy to remove.

Once all the wire and other detritus was removed if was found that a number of the springs were broken. These were repaired using metal brake pipe

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To add additional support to the springs they were stuffed with high density foam which also has the added advantage of making the seat more comfortable and quieter in operation.

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Once the foam was added to all the springs webbing was added and the hessian base was applied via hog rings.

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The layers of of foam and padding were then added and secured with hog rings and stitching

Before the cover was refitted a number of repairs were required, including a new piece of material dyed with tea to match.

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The cover was then put into place and secured with staples from an air powered staple gun and the edges stitched in place, rather than the previous effort which was damaged by the use of hog rings. Some tape was added around the edges for a neater finish. Once this was completed the base was test fitted to the car.

This is not the way that everyone would do this but it works!

Model A Ford Sport Coupe Seat Rebuild Part 2

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Once the seat spring was inspected, the wear and tear and the damage was repaired

The broken springs were repaired by clamping metal brake piping to repair the breaks. The clamps that clamp the coils to the seat spring were removed, straightened and refitted. The missing nail securing the seat spring to the wooden frame was replaced and the others tightened. For a 90 year old spring set it’s not too bad!

Model A Ford Sport Coupe Seat Rebuild Part 1

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The fit of the seat base cover has never been very good after a previous restoration, so it was time to see what lurks beneath

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Once the cover and all the padding was removed it was plain to see that the base spring had been modified somewhat

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All the additional items such as the fencing wire were removed to return the spring base back to stock allowing the wear and tear of ninety odd years to be examined.

Once this has been assessed repairs can begin.