Seat style
- Charles H Jacobus
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 493
- Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 5:02 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Seat style
I have seen two different seat styles in 356 cars where one has a stitched line at the base of the seat and is pulled down from the front of the seat to the base of the seat and the other is not (as shown in the pictures). I believe the tan seat is not correct because mine were one stitch across, not two, but assume it has one stitch. Both my prior 356s were pulled down. Are there two different seat styles or is one incorrect?
ChuckJ
ChuckJ
Current:
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
- Chuck House
- Registry Hall of Fame
- Posts: 732
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:26 pm
Re: Seat style
Chuck,
I think you are referring to the pleat/crease on the bottom cushion of the seat, correct? If so, they all had a crease (I'm not sure about extremely early cars). There was no stitching across the crease. The crease was made by tying the upholstery underside and corners of the crease inside the bottom seat cushion in a specific way. The gray seat in your photos looks like it had the crease, but the string inside the bottom cushion breaks after time and the crease relaxes making it look flat. My pet peeve is that upholstery shops usually make this a very sharp, crisp crease and that is not how it was done at the factory. It was a soft, somewhat wrinkled crease. See photos of low mileage original seats (first is the larger T1 seats, second T2).
I think you are referring to the pleat/crease on the bottom cushion of the seat, correct? If so, they all had a crease (I'm not sure about extremely early cars). There was no stitching across the crease. The crease was made by tying the upholstery underside and corners of the crease inside the bottom seat cushion in a specific way. The gray seat in your photos looks like it had the crease, but the string inside the bottom cushion breaks after time and the crease relaxes making it look flat. My pet peeve is that upholstery shops usually make this a very sharp, crisp crease and that is not how it was done at the factory. It was a soft, somewhat wrinkled crease. See photos of low mileage original seats (first is the larger T1 seats, second T2).
Chuck House
Southern California
Southern California
- Alan Hall
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:06 pm
- Location: Orinda, CA
Re: Seat style
[quote="Chuck House"]
My pet peeve is that upholstery shops usually make this a very sharp, crisp crease and that is not how it was done at the factory. It was a soft, somewhat wrinkled crease.
+1!!!
My pet peeve is that upholstery shops usually make this a very sharp, crisp crease and that is not how it was done at the factory. It was a soft, somewhat wrinkled crease.
+1!!!
- Charles H Jacobus
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 493
- Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 5:02 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Seat style
Thank you Chuck and Alan! I made Leather seat covers for my S90 in the early 70s and I remember the string but I couldn't remember how the string was attached. That string was also mostly broken and I remember it was a challenge replacing it. I thought they should all have a crease, so thanks for confirming.
ChuckJ
ChuckJ
Current:
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
- Joris Koning
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 2518
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:38 pm
- Location: Netherlands
Re: Seat style
+1, very few places are able to correct this detail. Real shameAlan Hall wrote:Chuck House wrote:
My pet peeve is that upholstery shops usually make this a very sharp, crisp crease and that is not how it was done at the factory. It was a soft, somewhat wrinkled crease.
+1!!!
'56 Coupe
'57 Coupe
'59 Cab
'60 Coupe
'57 Coupe
'59 Cab
'60 Coupe
-
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:52 am
- Charles H Jacobus
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 493
- Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 5:02 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Seat style
Thanks, guys! I'm going to take my seat apart and see if I can't set it straight. If anyone of you have done that recently I'd love some pointers. It's been 43 years since I did mine on the S90.
ChuckJ
ChuckJ
Current:
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
- Jim Alton
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1772
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:11 pm
- Location: Los Angeles County
Re: Seat style
By the way, your second seat--the one with the basketweave inserts--may be a 911 or 912 seat. The basketweave inserts arrived roughly in the 1966 model year; before that leatherette inserts had little perforations.
Jim Alton
Los Angeles County, CA
1958 Porsche 356A Cabriolet
1965 Porsche 911 Coupé
1966 Volkswagen Type 2
2003 Porsche 986 Boxster
- Jim Alton
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 1772
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:11 pm
- Location: Los Angeles County
Re: Seat style
If it helps any, here are some period photos from brochures.
These are from a February 1959 Accessories brochure but show T-1 or earlier seats. The crease is further forward than in T-2 or later seats.
This is from an April 1965 911 brochure. These seats have six pleats--a feature peculiar to very early 1965 911s. Otherwise, the crease should be fairly representative of T-2 and later seats.
These are from a February 1959 Accessories brochure but show T-1 or earlier seats. The crease is further forward than in T-2 or later seats.
This is from an April 1965 911 brochure. These seats have six pleats--a feature peculiar to very early 1965 911s. Otherwise, the crease should be fairly representative of T-2 and later seats.
Jim Alton
Los Angeles County, CA
1958 Porsche 356A Cabriolet
1965 Porsche 911 Coupé
1966 Volkswagen Type 2
2003 Porsche 986 Boxster
- Charles H Jacobus
- 356 Fan
- Posts: 493
- Joined: Wed May 28, 2014 5:02 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Seat style
That last one is exactly what I was looking for, Jim. Thanks much!
When I take the seat apart there's probably evidence of where the crease was also.
ChuckJ
When I take the seat apart there's probably evidence of where the crease was also.
ChuckJ
Current:
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C
Past:
Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90)