$1800 for BMW horse hair front seat/backrest pads!

[martinsmith]

yes I bought some big parts a few years ago as well ... just never thought simple seat pads would go through the roof...

[joebarthlow]

2 hours ago, martinsmith said:

yes just spoke to someone at Wolfsburgh West about their VW 'horsehair' seat pads... he said their seats were manufactured by a third party but said he couldn't /wouldn't give me the name... trade secret... does anyone who tried installing these VW seat pads find any manufacturing ID in them?... would be interesting contacting that company to see if they are the ones making BMWs?...

 

Wolfsburg told me the bottom seat dimension of the bug pad is "28x22". I don't know which is width, but the BMW seat is nearly square, at about 21-1/2"wide x 20-1/2" long. I'd guess the they are 28" long, so you'd need to trim from the rear. probably shave 1/2" from each side (sculpted to mach the BMW shape. pads are 3" high, so I'm not sure if they need to be shaved lower.

['76mintgrün'02]

VW seats changed a lot in those last years of production.

 

The earlier pads have much less shape to them.

I don't recall reading which style Jim bought.

 

The pads also vary for early/late 2002 seats, if I am not mistaken.

 

Which year/style VW pads are you talking about, Joe?

 

 

[joebarthlow]

44 minutes ago, '76mintgrun'02 said:

VW seats changed a lot in those last years of production.

 

The earlier pads have much less shape to them.

I don't recall reading which style Jim bought.

 

The pads also vary for early/late 2002 seats, if I am not mistaken.

 

Which year/style VW pads are you talking about, Joe?

 

 

 

I think I'm looking at 73-75 bug. Also looking at Golf mk1 gummihaar pad from a german site. 

Edited February 16, 2018 by joebarthlow

[solo 2]

9 hours ago, Glen Karr said:

Steve,

When I was looking to recondition my seats I contacted two premier auto upholsterers and asked if they would redo my seats with foam.  Both refused stating that they could not duplicate the feel nor the contours as you stated above.  Needless to say I bit the bullet and ordered the gummihaar . 

Best

Glen

I don't know how "premier" these guys were if they can't at the very least replicate the shape. Foam comes in many different weights and compounds, I bet I could get it close to the original feel, as for the shape any half decent upholsterer should be able to do it. For the money they're asking I would custom fit the seats to your ass. Just sayin'.

[martinsmith]

Hi Glen... had a word today with a renown USA BMW restorer who says the same thing...

[CaptainT]

I've just been through the same problem here in the UK. 75 tii lux with a Connolly hide interior fitted in 88. The front seats, particularly the driver's seat, sinking lower and lower. The guy who did the work in 88 retired last year but said he would do it but only with horsehair from BMW. £1100 + £200 fitting. I had the same problem with other established upholsterers around here who would not use foam. I found one guy who would use foam but he went out of business before I got there - as did another one. First quote was £400. Finally, I found a guy in Nottingham who said he would do it using his own horsehair. Took the seats over and collected a week later. He did not use horsehair as it was too thick (2" sheets I believe). He used blue foam 1" thick - not sure what the "blue" signifies. What did come out in the wash was that some small bumps in the bolsters was caused by the breakdown of the foam inserted in 88 - yes, the guy who wanted the BMW stuff! They are back in the car and what a difference! I have gone up in the world by around 6" and can see the top of the bonnet from the seat - cannot remember that view before! I am very happy and the cost? Get this one - £250 and that included a good clean. This exercise has been dragging on for various reasons for 2/3 years.

 

Just find the right guy....

 

Cheers

TY

[martinsmith]

yep think the right foam and right upholsterer is the way to go without breaking the bank....

[CaptainT]

A couple of things I forgot in my previous post. The guy who retired called the guy who did the job and asked if he could give his number to clients calling him which is a very good recommendation coming from him. As well as fitting out my 02 in 88 he also did some leather work on my Ferrari, which was his normal level of car, prior to me selling it in 2001.

 

The foam was fitted over the original horsehair (what was left of it) - in other words the seats are not entirely stuffed with foam.

 

He fitted hessian over the springs to stop anymore horsehair falling out and that looks particularly good.

 

Cheers

TY

[Hodgepodge]

Searching around the Internet, I see a lot of other classic car part suppliers that have horsehar pads and many are as large as, or larger than BMW seats.  Mercedes, for example.  So it might be possible to buy a set for another car and have the pads reworked.    I am not yet at the interior portion of my restoration program, but I will probably experiment a little whan that time comes.  I've got new covers so it will have to happen.  

[Healey3000]

Not to beat a dead horse, but there must be a way to mimic the profile using modern materials.  The buttmeter may feel a difference but at least the appearance could be made accurate.

 

Since modern seats have an endoskeleton made of metal, what if we made such a shaped plate out of say, fiberglass.  Then, apply foam to this plate and shape it the way Recaro does to their side bolsters.  Might that work?  It would be a horse of a different color. 

 

Let's rein in these crazy prices. 

 

Why saddle ourselves with these limitations? 

['76mintgrün'02]

 Porsche Pads PerhaPs ? 

[Conserv]

9 hours ago, Healey3000 said:

Not to beat a dead horse, but there must be a way to mimic the profile using modern materials.  The buttmeter may feel a difference but at least the appearance could be made accurate.

 

Since modern seats have an endoskeleton made of metal, what if we made such a shaped plate out of say, fiberglass.  Then, apply foam to this plate and shape it the way Recaro does to their side bolsters.  Might that work?  It would be a horse of a different color. 

 

Let's rein in these crazy prices. 

 

Why saddle ourselves with these limitations? 

 

I agree with all you’ve said here.  I believe if one limits oneself to foam — which appears to be what 99% of the non-gummihaar-users have chosen — you generally must choose between (a.) the right appearance, and (b.) the right feel.  Virtually every example I’ve seen hits neither mark.

 

Unlike modern seats, where that “endoskeleton” dictates the shape, there is shockingly little “guidance” provided by the ‘02 frames. The first photo below shows the frames for my ‘76’s spare front seats.  Not much “there” there!  The second and third photos show the refinished frames with gummihaar pads in place.  Note in the third photo that the bolsters are probably formed 70% by the pads and 30% by the frame! This is where the pads must cantilever considerably beyond the actual dimensions of the frame.

 

So, yes, some additional “guidance” is needed, whether it be metal, fiberglass, or whatever.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Conserv

['76mintgrün'02]

Thanks for posting that, Steve.  It is nice to see the actual pads.  They do appear to be well made.  Way different than the cheapo VW pads.

Tom

[Healey3000]

The tricky part is obviously the bolsters.  Recaro uses a metal rod embedded in the bolster to give it support but then the foam does the rest.  I'm sure the same type of foam would be available in blocks that could be shaped.  That would be painful.

 

What if a simple mold were made to the shape of the bolster and then shot full of expanding foam.  I think some of the better urethane foams remain spongy after cure.  The seat bottom and backrest center portions could be flat sheets of foam - but with the right durometer to provide enough support.

 

Is the market for the pads really large enough to justify this much effort?  With Recaros a nice option, I assume only those restoring the cars would be interested, probably a small number.