Original seat upholstery

I may have the opportunity to purchase original seat upholstery(1972) that needs a minor repair to each front bucket seat (side bolster). The seller is doing a color change from green to black. They are from a low mileage car that was not out in the sun. The seller is removing them from his seat frames.

For those that have their original seat upholstery how has it held up?

Should I worry if the thread stitching on the seams will split in a few years?

Thanks

pics???

How original are you trying to stay? Door interior code?

Thx

Ray

pic

This is the original color for our Mach 1. This is an option as opposed to buying all new fabric from SMS. We were committed to going "new" and even had the fabric samples sent to us from SMS. Buying used will save us money on the restoration. But if the original upholstery is not going to last we will spend whatever it takes. A happy wife is a happy life.

Unless you are planing on using car as a daily driver, you should be fine. Use common sense; don't keep wallet in rear pockets, don't spill coffee on fabric....etc.

Also, replacing a section like a matching side bolster fabric is pretty straightforward process for upholstery person who knows what they are doing. My vote is for purchasing the VG condition used set and installing it.

Unless you are planing on using car as a daily driver, you should be fine.  Use common sense; don't keep wallet in rear pockets, don't spill coffee on fabric....etc.

Also, replacing a section like a matching side bolster fabric is pretty straightforward process for upholstery person who knows what they are doing.  My vote is for purchasing the VG condition used set and installing it.

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My general thoughts as well. But thank you for the reply. 

Just hoping the original seat upholstery will hold up. We don't want to lose out on an opportunity on purchasing available comfortweave. Once it's gone, it's gone. SMS is out of the comfortweave for the black upholstery as the seller of the green seat upholstery discovered.

The seller of the upholstery is going to his upholstery shop with the seats today to have the green covers removed and begin the process of having his seats done in black. He is supposed to call me at the shop and the upholstery guy and I will talk via the sellers cell phone about the cost of repairing the green seat covers. The upholstery shop owner has seen pictures of the green seats and gave a rought estimate of $150 to repair, but wanted to see them in person before giving an actual quote.

Thanks

I know that wanting to save money and trying to keep things original are important to most everyone. The problem I see is that for the money you might be saving up front could cost you several extra hundred down the road not to mentioned having to pull the seats out again. I just replaced my upholstery and though it looked fairly good form the outside the listing channels were rotted and the vinyl tore extra easy.

I know that wanting to save money and trying to keep things original are important to most everyone.  The problem I see is that for the money you might be saving up front could cost you several extra hundred down the road not to mentioned having to pull the seats out again.  I just replaced my upholstery and though it looked fairly good form the outside the listing channels were rotted and the vinyl tore extra easy.

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Thanks! That is our concern. I see that you are in Ohio. The green seats spent its whole life in Michigan under a carport since the early 80's, up until this year. So, similar climate to your car, if yours is an Ohio car.

My concern would be 50 year old vinyl and it gets brittle with age. Guess it depends on how you plan to use the car. If it's going to see weekend drives and trips to the ice cream shop, then go for it. If you plan on long drives and several thousand miles a year, I'd spring for the SMS comfortweave and have it made up into new seats.

Unless you are planing on using car as a daily driver, you should be fine.  Use common sense; don't keep wallet in rear pockets, don't spill coffee on fabric....etc.

Also, replacing a section like a matching side bolster fabric is pretty straightforward process for upholstery person who knows what they are doing.  My vote is for purchasing the VG condition used set and installing it.

Click to expand...

My general thoughts as well. But thank you for the reply. 

Just hoping the original seat upholstery will hold up. We don't want to lose out on an opportunity on purchasing available comfortweave. Once it's gone, it's gone. SMS is out of the comfortweave for the black upholstery as the seller of the green seat upholstery discovered.

The seller of the upholstery is going to his upholstery shop with the seats today to have the green covers removed and begin the process of having his seats done in black. He is supposed to call me at the shop and the upholstery guy and I will talk via the sellers cell phone about the cost of repairing the green seat covers. The upholstery shop owner has seen pictures of the green seats and gave a rought estimate of $150 to repair, but wanted to see them in person before giving an actual quote.

Thanks

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SMS is out of black comfortweave???  Oh, no.

SMS is out of black comfortweave???  Oh, no.




And Blue too, which JimB73 and I need!

I know that wanting to save money and trying to keep things original are important to most everyone.  The problem I see is that for the money you might be saving up front could cost you several extra hundred down the road not to mentioned having to pull the seats out again.  I just replaced my upholstery and though it looked fairly good form the outside the listing channels were rotted and the vinyl tore extra easy.

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Thanks! That is our concern. I see that you are in Ohio. The green seats spent its whole life in Michigan under a carport since the early 80's, up until this year. So, similar climate to your car, if yours is an Ohio car.

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 I don't have the complete car history but as far as know it has always been in Ohio.  I guess wait and see what the upholstery guy has to say and go from there.  Good luck with whatever way you go.

Just got a call from the seller. The upholstery shop he made a deal with decided to charge more once he brought his seats to the shop. Like more than double their original quote. He's hot enough to fry an egg on at this time. Sounds like he is a real honest, up front gentleman on the phone. I think someone there at the upholstery shop read into his sense of urgency on finishing his car and is getting greedy. So the deal is on hold for the upholstery. I probably will be making a road trip, as he has other parts we need. Like a real nice dash pad, in green.

We were going to talk with SMS today anyway to get an exact quoute on material and even manufacture of the seat covers.

Thanks All!!!

What pattern does comfort weave have? I don't have it and it's been too many years since I saw it up close. There are companies that manufacture woven vinyl fabrics, mostly for outdoor furniture. Here's an example, I don't know if any are close to the weave pattern or actual (original) color.

https://www.phifer.com/product/phifertex-plus/

Are these guys just selling reproduction comfort weave?

https://www.tmiproducts.com/ford/classic-mustang-1964-1973/1971-73-mustang

Just curious. THX

Ray

I spent a few years searching for and collecting ginger comfortweave from 72 and 73 convertibles. Some of it can have dry rot and wo t last long. Over time I acquired enough good original material to replace the needed sections in my front seats. I bought new foam and found matching vinyl for the bolster, etc. I had an upholstery shop use what had to restore the front seats. The rear seat were still in great shape.

SMS is out of black comfortweave???  Oh, no.




https://ibb.co/xgLpb5kAnd Blue too, which JimB73 and [/URL]I need!

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Yup....Still looking for blue.... :-/

Don C ;  Here is a sample of original comfortweave



SMS has a substitute blue comfortweave fabric but the weave is larger then original and would be noticably different. In order to use it you would have to redo everthing. In my case I'm just looking to do one seat bottom. They haven't had the exact match of blue for a while.

Are these guys just selling reproduction comfort weave?

https://www.tmiproducts.com/ford/classic-mustang-1964-1973/1971-73-mustang

Just curious.  THX

Ray

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Ray, What they have is an embossed pattern on the fabric, not the true comfortweave that has the woven fabric that has holes which allows it to breath. On hot days it really makes a differnace to sit on!