who sells bottom seat for early 1600 ?

[Conserv]

14 hours ago, PatAllen said:

it just complicates more the sourcing for this bottom seat cover....

 

It certainly does, Pat. But... it’s got me thinking.

 

If the covers were custom, are the seams between the pleats (a.) “heat seamed”, i.e., created by essentially melting the face vinyl to the backing, or (b.) stitched? The ca. 1970 factory embossed vinyl — I’m guessing the cabriolet is ca. 1970 — had a trough moulded into each seam, with a single row of “stitching” simulated in moulded vinyl! Thus, the raw vinyl had “seams” before it was installed. The slightly later — 1971-73 — embossed vinyl was still heat seamed, but it didn’t have the moulded-in trough with faux stitching. The backrest I see in your photo appears closer to the 1971-73 approach: no trough. And that’s good, from my perspective!

 

Why is it good? Because, whether or not the original pleats were heat seamed or stitched, it’s virtually impossible to “fake” the earlier, 1966-71, style heat seam whereas it’s easier to do a convincing replica of the later heat seam: the embossing flows right through the seam, and actual stitching (which you are forced to do in lieu of heat seaming) is a bit less noticeable than with the earlier style embossed vinyl.

 

You just need to find a vinyl with an “all-over” pattern — much like the later embossed vinyl — and use that to create a new center to the seat cover.

 

Below are photos of the earlier style heat seams with trough and faux stitching, from a 1968 seat, and the later style vinyl and heat seams, from a June 1972 seat.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Conserv

[PatAllen]

it is certainly stitched. looks more like cheap vinylette. i believe the reason is since they had to modify the rear seat to accomodate the parcel shelf for the open top, they matched the material up front as well. because it does.

anyway i will try a different method, ie, stiching it again but agains a layer under it.

 

thanks.

[HBChris]

When someone says early 1600 I think of the wide seats which yours don't appear to be, what year is your 1600?

[Conserv]

12 hours ago, HBChris said:

When someone says early 1600 I think of the wide seats which yours don't appear to be, what year is your 1600?

 

I was guessing the 1600 cabriolet is ca. 1970. But, as a cabriolet, I suppose it could be 1968 through 1971. No headrests might argue for a 1968 date. On the other hand, the style of common center seat belt latch (made by Klippan), serving both front seats, at least in the U.S., is a 1970-through-early-1972-model-year application. (My very early 1970, VIN 1668093, September 8, 1969, however, pre-dated this style of common-center-latch seat belt.)

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Conserv

[Slavs]

West Palm,

I'm interested in those OEM 1600 seat bottoms.

I sent you a message. - Slavs

[PatAllen]

cant recal if its a 68 or 71, it doesnt really matters imho. what matters is its a baur with 6 slabs which at the end will be nlfa