Car Running Countdown

Norm, you say you're going with a thicker back seat, but will that affect the ability of the back to go down flat? Maybe there's a reason they're thinner.

 

Yeah, it will affect it like one of those Rest-O-Matic adjustable beds. Heads Up!. If I put a couple of concrete blocks on there it should flatten out. I thought about that, but figured with No Kids, and a trailer anyway for big stuff and the roof rack for long stuff, it'll be fine. The Prairie Rust will eventually melt it or I'll be too old to drive. Might as well make it comfy.

 

When it rains, it pours! Money, money, money!

The wife got a good rate for her flight to see her dad in hospital in Monterrey, MX, plus gifts (5 sisters, mom, dad, 3 brothers and 8 nieces and nephews, plus travel clothes (you know women), travel dollars, and baggage surcharges, then the House insurance due today, then the trailer insurance, then the car insurance. Sheesh!

Some Filipino friends have tried transplanting what they call a 'Money Tree' but it can't grow in the Prairies, just the Wet Coast. I could use one of those, after all these hits.

OK, I'm done whining, back on the seat this PM. Ciao for now!

 

Norman that money tree don't grow good here either unless ya talking about the smoking bush.

 

Not into that. Life's much higher, more interesting, and far more entertaining. Ask the Guy who invented Sex. Or was it a Woman? Can't recall.

No they have a small type of palm tree who's leaves grow about the size of a dollar bill and almost rectangular like a bill. It only grows about 6 or 7 feet high, and has a massive amount of leaves that shed and fade a bit to the color of the US greenback. Go figure.

 

I think it was Eve after she bit the apple,and it has been pleasure since or a pita for most?

 

Even with all your wet snow?

 

Well good news and bad news.

The good news is that I got my sewing badge in Cubs and Scouts. The bad news is the sewing machine died! I've got two more machines, but I figured it would be sewn better by hand. So I got one side done in about 45 minutes, after farting around with the 1970-ish Singer machine for about 3 hours.

Rain tomorrow, again.

I'll finish the seat early in the day, and get some pics up.

 

I think it'll sit about 2 inches higher than flat with the extra foam from the sedan seat back. Cold drinks will be handier to get to.

 

Reaping what I sewed up!

I don't know why I dragged my butt doing this simple part of the mods. I've done a lot of upholstery in my day, and run furniture restoration shops. I learned sewing from a Maestro, my mother. Even got my sewing badges as a kid. Just no excuse. Anyway. My machine died and I didn't want to get one of the other two out of the box, tweak the setup, etc. and delay this again, so I did it by hand.

It's only marking the fabric where it needs to be sewn:


Then pinning the vinyl gusset from the old seat (good quality vinyl, shaped and carefully de-threaded from the old back). Since it was already shaped for it, it made sense to use it:


And sewing it! It took me a while for the first one to 'learn' the fabric/vinyl layers and try to stay inside the original vinyl seam holes. My first stitch starts from underneath, passes through and back and then I knot it between the two holes. With a big needle it could eventually pass through and come apart.:


Knotting:


Finished Stitches:




Those blue-gray strips have steel wire in them, to clip to the seatback wireframe with regular upholstery D-rings (get the D-ring AKA Hogring pliers) and clip them on first in reassembly, work from the centre to the side, then the top to the bottom.

NOTE: I used heavy Linen thread for the handsewing. It's what lasted 8,000 years for King Tut's clothes. I bought a small cone of upholstery 40 oz thread, and I asked for that, but the told me this cone was better. I could break it without cutting my fingers off. The Linen thread is 90 oz. Since there's a lot of stretching and flexing on the gussets you don't want to tinker with thin-high-strength thread, because it would cut its way through fairly fast.

Also, this thread snags on the inner foam layer (1/4" thick) so you have to make sure it doesn't catch and loop on the back side.

I have to do the final assembly outside (it's sunny!) and use the spray Permatex headliner adhesive to finish up - my wife is allergic to chemicals.

 

Norman that looks real good.I know you sewed by hand,but if using a sewing machine do you have to have one made for upholstery work or can a regular machine do this?

 

A man of a thousand talents....:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

I've been to paradise and had a nice big Industrial Pfaff, but the old black cast iron Singers do a great job! Just get the heavy needles (big eyelet and shank is a bit thicker.

This machine died at the bobbin winder, Singer got cheap in the modern age and used potmetal for their castings. Even an old treadle machine works fine (Up to about 6 layers of vinyl) Most seams are only 4 layers.

I'll change the head in the cabinet and strip the motor and good parts for backup on the other singers.

 

It felt more like a thousand stitches. Thanks. Now when you gonna show the wheel, eh? I'm itching for that one.