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1939 Chevy coupe

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  • Excellent! Walking foot or no? I know guys who have done well with either - my suggestion was just to make it easier. Is the machine a Juki?

    Dan

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    • Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
      Excellent! Walking foot or no? I know guys who have done well with either - my suggestion was just to make it easier. Is the machine a Juki?

      Dan
      No walking foot, and not sure tat was even offered back when these were made? The machine says, "Universal" where originals were marked "Singer". The walking foot was something I wanted, but that's why I took my foam backed diamond material, and the plain naugahyde along, so I could see how it sewed them, and decide if it would do so with any issues. It sewed beautifully, so I figured I'd buy it, and give it a try.
      Now I just have to figure out how the plastic pieces come off the seats without damaging them!

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      • If it's a "universal" it ought to work on anything! Should do well for you - those old Japanese machines were, from what I've been told, pretty tough.

        Dan

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        • Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
          If it's a "universal" it ought to work on anything! Should do well for you - those old Japanese machines were, from what I've been told, pretty tough.

          Dan
          That's what I've heard also. It's heavy as Hell, and definitely not anything like newer plastic machines I looked at.


          After a couple hours of figuring out all the screws, clips etc. I got the plastic covers off, and then pulled a few dozen hog rings to get the covers off too!





          Hope I remember where all these pieces went, and how they reattach!

          The foam is great since the seats are fairly new, so nothing needed there.





          Once I get the passenger side seat cover inserts removed and get a pattern off the inserts, I'll make two of everything so I can just take the driver's side apart, and use the second set to do that seat. The factory really sewed the material close to edge, so I don't have much room to stitch to! Hoping I can go slow while stitching and not drift off the tiny 1/4" seam they left!
          Lots of wire rods everywhere to hog ring them down to the foam to keep them tight, and contoured well. Those will be fun to get back together, and keep smoothed out!

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          • Wont say it is easy, and easy to get confused too! Thanks goodness I put apha-numerical numbers and letters around the edge to help me later keep thing oriented correctly, and aligned correctly too! Without my reference points, and notes where loops for wires were, I'd have really screwed them up! Even with them I had to look at them awhile to figure out how the new panels I made went in!
            But I got one set sewed up for the toughest seat, the passenger side. It has more functions to allow it to fold farther, plus the insert on the seat back that I believe can be used as a tray by the driver? Anyhow, here's the first pair of covers done.



            And backside with my reference points marked out in felt pen.



            It was actually fun to sew the covers, and didn't take but a couple hours to do them. Hope they fit back on now! Too hot out to put them together, but hot will help once I get ready to put them on. I'll leave them in the sun to warm up the material, and then stretching them over the foam should go a little better.

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            • very cool, can't wait to see them on!
              Flying south, with a flock of bird dogs.

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              • They look great so far! Nice work!

                Dan

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                • There's nothing you can't do!
                  There's always something new to learn.

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                  • Nice work !

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                    • Thanks guys. I've always had to build on a budget, and prefer buying tools to paying others to do things for me. So buying a good used old sewing machine just seemed like a no brainer to me.

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                      • I hear ya my friend. I’m the same way. I’d much rather buy the tool and learn how to do the job than pay someone to do the job , but then it sometimes doesn’t go as planned. Ask me how I know .

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                        • Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy

                          it's cool that you have the skill for it - there are some whose skills are in other areas....
                          Seems I may not have the skill to do it right the first time, but I'm learning, and know how to fix it!

                          Got out this morning before the shop got hot and fitted the backrest material, and it was too big. I had a good 1"-1.5" extra between the bolsters. Checked the base and same thing. So ripped out the seams and back to the sewing machine. At least too big is fixable with just time, and didn't need to toss the material.
                          Got it cut down and stitched back together, and it fit much better. Reassembled the passenger seat, and installed it back in the car. Then unbolted the driver's seat.
                          I thought the driver's seat would be easier, but there's no provision to even separate the seat back from the base!! So it was a wrestling match to get the material pulled back enough to cut hog rings, and then I had to slide the foam off the frame to be able to finish getting the material off the foam. Way less wire inserts to hog ring on the driver's seat, but it's definitely not going to be easier to reinstall.
                          I removed the seams, and laid the panels over my templates. The base is the same, but backrest is different because it doesn't have the hard plastic panel. I got lucky as I cut the patterns slightly large, and it was just enough to have what I needed for the longer panel. If I had to I could have spliced it at the loop on the back, and it would look the same, but didn't need to.
                          Supposed to cool down and rain tomorrow, so I'll wait until then to sew up the upholstery, and reassemble the seat. Get some pictures once they're both back in the car. I do like the combination of smooth bolsters, and diamond pattern inserts though. Just enough diamond to get rid of the cigarette burns, and also tie the seats in with the doors.

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                          • Got the 2nd seat upholstery sewed up, and managed to stay on my lines this time, so no redo on this one. Then got it back on the frame after some wrestling. Of course whenever I think I got the toughest half done, I always find out it wasn't, and the 2nd one was tougher. It require me to remove the foam from the frames, and install the upholstery to the foam partially. Then reinstall the foam, and covering, and finish locking it down to the frames then. A lot more work, but it did go on after some coaxing. Had to reach up inside the upholstery to hook some plastic stays the factory uses to pull the fabric into the seat. Good time to have these long arms that allow my knuckles to drag the ground!
                            Got the seat bolted back in after the morning rains stopped, and just need to do the weatherstrip around the doors now.









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                            • Or you could have just spent $174,000 and waited a year.

                              Dan

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                              • Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
                                Or you could have just spent $174,000 and waited a year.

                                Dan
                                No money, or patience Dan! I have considered calling up the upholstery shop and thanking them for pushing me over the edge! Maybe I'll just drop off a thank you card in their mailbox, since they're less than a half mile away!

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