 I
started working on these backrests already last winter, but got
frustrated
with the household sewing machine that wasn't up to the task. I
promised
myself that I will continue this winter, sewing at home every time it
would
be too cold to work on the car. It hasn't really been cold enough not
to
work in the "garage" this winter, so I just motivated myself to start
on
these backrests again.
In this picture, you can see the sheet metal frame. It was left plain at the factory with no paint or coating at all, and had accumulated a little surface rust. After wire brushing the surface, I sprayed a coat of zinc for protection. The padding was
in overall
good shape although a bit torn on corners.
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 I
wonder if the Robe Rail is originally intended for offering the rear
seat
passenger something to grab on? Some people say it was intended
for
hanging your gloves (those ladies' gloves, you know), while some say it
was customary in those days to lay a robe on your lap, as the
heater
was a rare option. When leaving the car, you would then fold the robe
and
hang it here. Who knows? Nevertheless, it brings a touch of
class,
and was a pain to re-upholster. There's a metal chain inside a rubber
tube
inside the sewn vinyl tube. If you make the vinyl tube to fit snug over
the rubber tube, it's hard to roll it over!
I just couldn't resist the temptation to sew a pattern on the backside. Originally there's none, and it looked somehow too simple or mundane that way. You may or may not like it, but it works for me anyways. |
 The
"how-to" books always tell you that you should NOT use the original
seat
cover as a pattern for laying out and cutting the new pieces, because
it
has stretched over time, but instead you should measure the seat and
cut
the pieces accordingly. You know what - they are absolutely right! If
the
edge of the original piece isn't straight, try to figure out if it
should
be. Not only were the original covers stretched, they were also torn
apart.
I can give you more advice: don't try to be smarter than the factory was, because there's probably a good reason for everything the factory did! If you deviate from the factory way, like I did, you'd better know what you are doing! I used fewer different pieces than the factory, as I didn't want any seams with visible stitches (my stitches aren't straight nor uniform length). If we look at the main body, it was a bit tricky to sew the "U"-shaped vinyl piece to the fabric piece. Some use needles to hold the pieces together, but I found stapling the pieces together works best in tough places. It just takes more time. The main piece here is not the hardest part though, but the facings. I did have to use the original facing pieces - ironed flat - as templates, before I could get it all sit and fit right, without puckers or wrinkles. My friend Juha Telen kindly borrowed me his set of hog ring pliers and a set of hog rings. Thanks - couldn't do without them. |
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