Styling Best quality seat covers

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Styling Best quality seat covers

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The front seat squabs on Murf which are now 49 years old are just starting to get surface cracks and break-up of a few stitches. On my pre-war car it was the tatty seats which really got to me so I would like to try to do this part-replacement on the Fiat. Can anyone say if the covers available from different suppliers are from the same source and if you bought any, were they a good match in colour for the original.
 
My covers came from Passionne 500. Vinyl is not that thick and you only get one chance with those little triangles that fasten them.
But overall very good quality.
I don't think you will get s good colour match. New against 49 year old weathered look is never going to be great.
That's like comparing your grand child's skin to yours Peter.[emoji3]
 
there are a couple of manufacturers in Italy that supply most of the dealers, but also be aware that whilst the ones Sean has are not that thick, they are deemed to be the "better quality", heaven forbid what the lower quality ones are like....
I considered getting some made up in the UK, but as usual using better quality materials pushes the price up to silly money in the UK....

I do prefer the cloth covers also because being a woven material they are a little longer lasting.... but they still have the vinyl sides and backs, but these were Prototypi only as probably deemed too expensive for mass production cars :)
 
That's like comparing your grand child's skin to yours Peter.[emoji3]


So from that I gather that the repro covers are like Olivia... soft, squidgy and pink. ;) ideally I'm actually looking for covers a bit more like my own skin's summer appearance..... thick, brown and slightly ;) patinated. I might get a set anyway because as Murf spent a lot of his life in a lock-up I might stand a chance at a colour match.
 
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......not very stain resistant

Useful to know... may be worth looking at "scotchguarding" them...


So from that I gather that the repro covers are like Olivia... soft, squidgy and pink. ;) ideally I'm actually looking for covers a bit more like my own skin's summer appearance..... thick, brown and slightly ;) patinated. I might get a set anyway because as Murf spent a lot of his life in a lock-up I might stand a chance at a colour match.


you could buy a set and leave them out in the sun and then in the workshop for that "aged" appearance...
I know a restorer who when he had seats recovered would leave them in his workshop for a while as he said new seats looked just wrong in a restored car and after cleaning dust etc off them they looked just right and lost that new smell....
 
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Vinyl is not that thick and you only get one chance with those little triangles that fasten them.
.[emoji3]



This, what a nightmare..................good luck.......


I got a set of vinyl ones from VDL, only done the rear at the moment....tbh it was a bit of a nightmare.....


RW
 
This, what a nightmare..................good luck.......


I got a set of vinyl ones from VDL, only done the rear at the moment....tbh it was a bit of a nightmare.....


RW

Do the job during this hot weather as the vinyl will be softer and have more give. Hardest bit I found was getting the front seat back covers on. Made easier when I was advised to put a strip of polythene over the seat top and down the sides. It helps the cover slide.
 
This, what a nightmare..................good luck.......


I got a set of vinyl ones from VDL, only done the rear at the moment....tbh it was a bit of a nightmare.....


RW




Tumble drier.. not sure how long for though....
 
You can use a hair dryer to warm the fabric up. This allows it to take a better shape and when cools it generally takes the new shape.
My one piece of advise that I would really recommend is choose the base liner carefully.
There is the hessian type material which is great, but can deteriorate and leave bits all over your carpet.
My seats came from a 126 and had a plastic liner that sat over the spring base before the foam went on. This was split. So I found some substitute plastic. Only problem is when you sit on the seat you hear the crinkle of the plastic
 
I am thinking of changing my 500 L from black to red .Just buying the seat covers and painting the door and rear wheel covers. Which would be the best supplier . VDL ?
 
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