Seat trim problem

[ian theobald]

G,day folks,Took a week off work to do some painting on my old wooden boat but as you might guess it rained for first 3 days,next day hot change and had hot 37 deg with stong dusty wind and has then rained again so thought would finally fit my seat trim that has been in it,s box for over a year or more.
It is a Moss kit but on fitting over top part of seat note that arch that is cut out over transmission tunnel is much smaller than on seat base.
My seats are not original and have been redone many years ago so cannot tell how was originally done by factory or original dimensions.
I have had to improvise and cut a fibre board to cover back all the way down to tunnel and have also cut a section underneath to tack vinyl from where it is sown to leather.
All my seats had rubber type foam [Dunlopillow stamped on them] glued to ply bases .
My seat stays have been mounted so that they align with brackets from wheel arch but look further in that some pictures I have seen.
I,m not sure how much wadding should be stuffed on sides over wheel arch as never had any before and no one close that I know of has one to compare.
I had a look at a TD but not the same although similar.
Perhaps I am being too critical about every little crease.
I have stuffed a sheet of wadding between foam and plywood in the centre of top half to try and get slight hump as shown in pictures.
Any way hope pictures explain cut out over tunnel .
If some one can advise what approximate distance/height would typically be then I can decide if need to cut any more out as before seat actually was able to sit on floor where as now rests on the cut out part
Side on picture showing height of how seat is now might give some idea as well.
Have yet to do Door trim as want to re hang passenger one first have all fittings correct .Thanks Ian Theobald Nowra NSW Australia

[ian theobald]

G,day folks,I was hoping someone might of been able to reply with a typical measurement of distance from top of seat where wood tacking strip down to where centre of arch over transmission tunnel is cut out.
I have no way of knowing what is correct and whether my backing board as at some stage been incorrectly cut.
I suspect so as seat would always sit on floor but new Moss kit does not allow piping around leather arch to go anywhere near cut out on seat
By cutting a new arch on a piece of fibre board have remedied so this board now rests on transmission tunnel and material then glued to this. [front piping rests on carpet] Over that have cut out a fibre board and covered whole lot in vinyl and screwed to back of seat.
Would be curious what correct measurement was and reason for this problem. thanks Ian

[Richard Michell]

Ian, I had hoped that someone more knowledgeable would respond. I upholstered my TC myself. My seat back sits pretty much as per your original photos. The trim piping around the cutout sits well clear of the transmission tunnel at the front and the board at the back clears the tunnel by a significant amount.

Before doing mine I Googled as many photos as I could of cars for sale or on display and, checking several of the ones that I still have on file, they all show the piping at the front well clear of the tunnel. They don't show the rear.

In mine, the inner springs sit on the tunnel but these springs come down below the piping level and the board level. This may be the result of years of use but it does seem to be the "norm". My car was totally dismantled when I bought it so I cannot comment on the original positioning of the seat back.

[timandgerda]

Morning Ian. My car also came in bits and I haven't got anywhere near the trim yet but measuring from the top of the seat wood down to the centre of the arch is 400mm on my uninstalled but original seat. Not sure if this is what you want as I am still coming to terms with owning a TC let alone knowing what I'm doing! Cheers. Tim.

[ian theobald]

Thanks ,will check in the morning but not much I can do apart from what I have done .My TC is a late 49 model and bottom seats were rubbery foam [grey dunlopillow] and seat back is modern foam cut out on ply wood back that does not appear to be original however original wood along top is attached.
When seat rested on the floor could never get comfortable and chrome brackets angled directly down almost.
Now that seat rests on transmission tunnel sits neatly behind seat bottoms regardless of position and piping follows neatly around.
From looking at photos appears to sit correct height now, not sure how much creasing and puckering sides should have as cannot really pull taught on sides as there is no timber over wheel arch on seat and would pull side of seat in.
I intend to finish off and will experiment with different wadding to achieve as best result as possible.
At least wont have to worry no more about burnt backside from blistering Aussie sun on a hot day. thanks Ian

[ian theobald]

My seat has foam but would imagine if wire springs inside perhaps material was tied to it rather than being tasked behind as would be difficult to do as would need to cut due to the curve. Perhaps it was the metal springs that rested on transmission tunnel.
The main thing is that I think seat is correct height now,
It,s hard when car has been restored in the past but that,s it,s history. thanks Ian