Original Comfortweave seat covers: restore or replace - NCRS Discussion Boards

Original Comfortweave seat covers: restore or replace

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  • Rick H.
    Frequent User
    • April 29, 2020
    • 73

    Original Comfortweave seat covers: restore or replace

    My newly aquired '70 convertible has its original comfortweave seat covers. The passenger side cover looks like new. The driver side has a seam starting to split and one of the welts on the outer bolster has a 2" wear area (see last 2 pics below). I'd leave them as is and use them if it weren't for the deteriorated scrim foam that is sewn to the back of the seat covers. I vacuum the dust from the seats after every drive but it is messy. When my passenger and I get out of the car, we are covered in dust, especially our backs and upper legs that contact the seat.

    With all of the above said, I ask the Forum if they feel that if putting in the considerable time and effort to remove all of the original deteriorated scrim foam and adding new scrim foam is worth it in the end. It certainly would be nice to preserve originally of the interior (the carpet, dash and door panels are the originals), I'm wondering if the porous nature of the comfortweave material truly is more comfortable in hot summer weather. I've only had the car for a little more than a week and the weather has cooled in Ohio so I'm not going to be able to gauge this until next summer. I want to either restore my old covers or install new vinyl seat covers over the winter so the car will be ready to drive mess free next spring.

    Thanks,
    Rick
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  • Patrick H.
    Beyond Control Poster
    • December 1, 1989
    • 11689

    #2
    Originally posted by Rick Hensley (67019)
    I'm wondering if the porous nature of the comfortweave material truly is more comfortable in hot summer weather.

    In my experience, Yes, it is.
    The reproductions seem to be stamped with a pattern, and there are no microperforations that allow the covers to breathe. I find the repros to be stickier and hotter than originals.

    I don't find the wear on that cover to be bad at all. If it were mine, I'd replace the foam in the cover.
    Evaluate the actual seat foam too, but realize that reproduction seat foam is oversized compared to original.
    Vice-Chairman (West), Michigan Chapter NCRS
    71 "deer modified" coupe
    72 5-Star Bowtie / Duntov coupe. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124695...57649252735124
    2008 coupe
    Available stickers: Engine suffix code, exhaust tips & mufflers, shocks, AIR diverter valve broadcast code.

    Comment

    • Keith M.
      Very Frequent User
      • January 17, 2021
      • 694

      #3
      Originally posted by Rick Hensley (67019)
      My newly aquired '70 convertible has its original comfortweave seat covers. The passenger side cover looks like new. The driver side has a seam starting to split and one of the welts on the outer bolster has a 2" wear area (see last 2 pics below). I'd leave them as is and use them if it weren't for the deteriorated scrim foam that is sewn to the back of the seat covers. I vacuum the dust from the seats after every drive but it is messy. When my passenger and I get out of the car, we are covered in dust, especially our backs and upper legs that contact the seat.

      With all of the above said, I ask the Forum if they feel that if putting in the considerable time and effort to remove all of the original deteriorated scrim foam and adding new scrim foam is worth it in the end. It certainly would be nice to preserve originally of the interior (the carpet, dash and door panels are the originals), I'm wondering if the porous nature of the comfortweave material truly is more comfortable in hot summer weather. I've only had the car for a little more than a week and the weather has cooled in Ohio so I'm not going to be able to gauge this until next summer. I want to either restore my old covers or install new vinyl seat covers over the winter so the car will be ready to drive mess free next spring.

      Thanks,
      Rick
      I am in exact same situation with seats from my 69 convertible....except my driver seat is just a bit worse off than yours. Deteriorated scrim foam and the small slits in the vinyl are the biggest problem. I have all the Knoch foam and stuff to rebuild the innards etc. Would love to find a place to send out the covers to repair/restore.
      ***************
      late Oct 1969 L46 350/350, M21 4spd, 3.70 posi convertible --As with life, restoration is a journey, not a destination. Though restored cars provide both journeys AND destinations!

      Comment

      • Edward C.
        Very Frequent User
        • August 13, 2014
        • 151

        #4
        I have restored several sets of original 1969 seat covers over the last few years. I have two more sets to do. It’s a bit time consuming taking out and cleaning the old scrim foam and then reinstalling new foam and resewing it but in the end you have original comfort weave seats. You have to really vacuum it all out when it gets hard and crunchy. I had several sets of original covers I’d collected over the years and finally had the nerve to try and go for it a few years ago. It was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It’s just time consuming because I have to hand sew everything back in. I don’t have a machine and not sure I would know how to use one. Once started it takes a few hours to resew one seat section (one top or bottom). But then afterward you are shot…Cleaning out the foam takes a few hours per piece once started. You have to be careful not to damage the material and you do have to scrape it out. And it makes a mess.

        As for the seat foam. It’s far easier and much less expensive just adding more seat foam to the original foam than buying new foam. I bought a 50 foot roll of 1/4 inch foam for something like $20. I think I did three sets of seats and have enough to finish my last two with probably plenty left over. Also the new foam is oversized, as mentioned, and makes the seats overly firm in my opinion. After restoring the original foam and comparing to the new foam I will probably never go and use new foam again. The seats just look and feel much better. All you do is literally cut the foam to shape and glue it right on top of the original foam. I usually add about 3/4 inch uncompressed onto the originals.

        Also, I’m not crazy about the installation pieces you get with AK. The AK parts work fine, but I like the original corrugated wire versus the paper covered straight wire that he provides. The corrugated wire catches the hooks better in my opinion.

        I can post pics of my AK set with new foam versus my restored originals with restored original foam if you want to see them. Also, can show pics of what I do to restore the seats themselves. The AK set is nice but it is different than the original, not just that it’s a mold pattern of the original and not breathable but also the stitch pattern is a bit different, but only slightly.

        Comment

        • Rick H.
          Frequent User
          • April 29, 2020
          • 73

          #5
          Originally posted by Edward Cervo (60326)
          I can post pics of my AK set with new foam versus my restored originals with restored original foam if you want to see them. Also, can show pics of what I do to restore the seats themselves.
          Please do post pictures. I most certainly will find it to be helpful. Thanks, Rick

          Comment

          • James G.
            Very Frequent User
            • August 22, 2018
            • 808

            #6
            You can buy NOS comfortweave material from SMS fabrics in Oregon.
            James A Groome
            1971 LT1 11130 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/zSoFz24JMPXw5Ffi9 - the black LT1
            1971 LT1 21783 - 3 STAR Preservation.- https://photos.app.goo.gl/wMRDJgmyDyAwc9Nh8 - Brandshatch Green LT1
            My first gen Camaro research http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...owposts;u=4337
            Posts on Yenko boards... https://www.yenko.net/forum/search.php?searchid=826453

            Comment

            • Edward C.
              Very Frequent User
              • August 13, 2014
              • 151

              #7
              Originally posted by James Groome (65120)
              You can buy NOS comfortweave material from SMS fabrics in Oregon.
              Have you bought some from them? It looks correct in the pics. I never tried to sew that section into a seat and not sure if I would even be able to do it but it does sound like it might be worth a try. I have a set of bright blue seats that has very nice vinyl outer parts but the center comfortweave is cracked pretty bad. I would like to save them but I don’t think I have the ability to try to restitch the pattern. I haven’t seen anything on doing that anywhere. Paying an upholstery shop to do it would probably be a fortune.

              Comment

              • Edward C.
                Very Frequent User
                • August 13, 2014
                • 151

                #8
                Tried to upload pics of what I do to the seats but I can’t get them to load.

                Comment

                • Patrick B.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • August 31, 1985
                  • 2009

                  #9
                  You can find an article on the scrim foam replacement process in the sticky “data base of restoration documents”. Go to update page, then C3 seat restoration.

                  Comment

                  • James G.
                    Very Frequent User
                    • August 22, 2018
                    • 808

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Edward Cervo (60326)

                    Have you bought some from them? It looks correct in the pics. I never tried to sew that section into a seat and not sure if I would even be able to do it but it does sound like it might be worth a try. I have a set of bright blue seats that has very nice vinyl outer parts but the center comfortweave is cracked pretty bad. I would like to save them but I don’t think I have the ability to try to restitch the pattern. I haven’t seen anything on doing that anywhere. Paying an upholstery shop to do it would probably be a fortune.
                    Yes, actually had a set made using the white comfortweave material for my brother's 1973 Camaro LT Z28. It is 100% correct NOS fabric. I know of at least 1 person who bought the red comfortweave from SMS for their 1971 red red LT1 roadster which was a Top Flight Duntov car.
                    I am planning on picking up some of the bright blue -as eventually I would like a 69-70 with BB interior.
                    James A Groome
                    1971 LT1 11130 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/zSoFz24JMPXw5Ffi9 - the black LT1
                    1971 LT1 21783 - 3 STAR Preservation.- https://photos.app.goo.gl/wMRDJgmyDyAwc9Nh8 - Brandshatch Green LT1
                    My first gen Camaro research http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...owposts;u=4337
                    Posts on Yenko boards... https://www.yenko.net/forum/search.php?searchid=826453

                    Comment

                    • Arland D.
                      Moderator
                      • July 31, 1980
                      • 428

                      #11
                      Rick,

                      Several owners in different marque clubs have asked SMS for a sample and they received a small piece of material in the mail. You may want to call them and see if they still do that so you can verify for yourself it's exactly what you're looking for.

                      Comment

                      • Tom M.
                        Frequent User
                        • November 1, 1995
                        • 87

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Patrick Boyd (9110)
                        You can find an article on the scrim foam replacement process in the sticky “data base of restoration documents”. Go to update page, then C3 seat restoration.
                        https://www.forums.ncrs.org/filedata/fetch?id=1528165

                        Thanks for this. The rebuild as described is on the list for my ‘69.

                        Comment

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