Date:         Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:16:17 -0600
Reply-To:     Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Mills <scmills@TNTECH.EDU>
Subject:      USED seat cover request
In-Reply-To:  <20030114185838.38314.qmail@web40409.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

Hello folks!

I'm looking for something that I hope somebody has in their junk pile
waiting to go to the trash.

I am looking for a decent-condition early Vanagon seat cover - just the
bottom (where your backside resides)  - to replace mine. I'm on a working
college student budget and thus the reason I am looking for used. Mine has
a BIG rip down the left side about 1/3 of the way over from the edge. Too
worn to repair. I could get some generic vinyl and replace the seat cover
panel but it would not have the same pattern. It's not THAT important so if
I can't find a used cover I may go this route.

For the price of a NEW seat cover (including backrest) I'd rather invest in
fabric and do a custom tweed interior but that needs to wait! <grin>

My seats are the basic early Vanagon seat, no armrests, vinyl, they do have
some sort of pattern that looks like it was put into the vinyl with heat.
Just simple lines. I want to make them last a year or so of use and then if
I have the funds (post-college) I'll recover the seats properly.

I don't care what color as I can re-color the vinyl (I'm doing this anyhow
to make different interior parts from various sources match).

FWIW if you decide to recolor your vinyl interior, let me suggest SEM Brand
vinyl spray paint. It comes in rattle cans. $5-$6 each. Matches most OEM
colors. The two local stores that carry it have about 18 colors. This paint
or dye is designed to do exactly what I'm doing with it. I did a steering
wheel in a Lumina last year and it is holding up very well. My grandfather
grims the wheel so hard that he had worn off the color and 90% of the
texture of the vinyl. This paint at least filled in the pores of the wheel
where it was worn the worst and the portions where the texture is intact it
made the wheel look new.

I think this is the same way they do it at the factory (but with automation
of course).

The procedure is clean the vinyl (dashes, steering wheels, seats, plastic
trim) with mineral spirits and then a quick wipe of lacquer cleaner to
clean the oily mineral spirits off. Spray very like coats. About 4 - 5
coats to make the color right.

Looks VERY factory and can even make a trim item that has some wear look
brand new. Amazing how a coat of uniform color can renew the appearance of
a dash, steering wheel or a door panel. I am disassembling EVERYTHING to
nits and bits before I clean and re-color. The results are better. All that
is left is another coat on the door panels and the seats and I'm done. The
dash is already done and reassembled/reinstalled.

Thanks.





Chris Mills in TN