.....

 

So, I just have to decide if I will carry on with this scheme. So far it has only cost me a few beers but I don't expect that I'll be able to tie down a CNC machine for a day to machine out a large slab of aluminium for nicks. Short of that, I'm all out of ideas on how to take the blandness out of a large flat leather door panel. Maybe stitching?

 

Extremely cool. Did you explore a basket weave pattern, similar to factory?
Great work,
Dave

 

Hi,
I didn't really look into that. From a distance the elipses can take on that sort of pattern but I'm really liking the dots for their simplicity. Up close the pattern looks quite strong but on a big piece it all blends in nicely

 

Seats.
Nice morning in the garden to spray on a filler coat. Just need a bit more blade putty to sort out a few spots I missed, a guide coat and final block sand and I'll be done.
The seat back with contours certainly made shaping the post guides into the shell quite difficult. I think I will have them sprayed in a semi matt finish to hide all the sins. The leather trim will be coming up and over the back rest and down the back a bit so probably the top quarter of the work won't be visible so that's quite good.
Another emerging thought since I'm going to have plenty of spare leather is to leather the backs of the shells with some nice stitched panels hard stuck on. Could be nice but could also be a bit ritzy for what is supposed to be a hotrod.

 

Actually Dave Im liking that idea. gets rid of the ribs a bot which are probably a bit to contemporary for the build. I think it would really add some spice. they wont be lightweight by the time you finished but with a roll type headrest they sure will be exy

 

.....those contours, maybe I should have filled in the dips on the inside of each guide

 

Will save me a paint job too. It's growing on me but I'd miss out on my Lederhosen if I use all the leather

 

Dave. I do think the top of the post guides are too prominent which is why I think the leather would work on the backs It would also allow you to play with a bit more filler underneath to smooth those out a bit without it being detrimental to durability and strength.

With leather you could craft a map pocket on the back of the seats to hid some of the rib detail and offer much needed storage...

other thing could be square weeve like on my favourite 356 outlaw below but I dont think it would look quite right with acres of carpet already.

 

It might not be too bad, the leather comes well up and over. i haven't figured it out yet and I'm sure the trim shop guys will but the original and I think most race buckets have a wire running in the overlap hem which is pulled tight and keeps it all in check tight under the edge rolls. The amount of the back rest leather that comes up and over the back is as much as you need.
I also have to figure out a suitable way to let the chrome posts come through the leather. Maybe some of those rings as seen in the hard shell backrest here but crimped in the leather.

 

Loved reading this Dave. What are your instrument dials like? Are you having to do any refurb work on them or are they all good?

 

Haven't had a close look yet Doug. I suspect they are a bit tired. What I'll do is get it going and then see what they need. I don't know yet if a set of 1970 clocks are compatible with the later engine and box in terms of the signals they send. Steve will be on top of this - the white RS rep has the same set up

 

A bigger hole required in the inner guard for the later external 3.2 oiling system.

 

You could try flat grommets either rubber or (more likely) metal for the chrome posts coming through the leather.

 

Yeah, I might get something machined up out of plastic or aluminium and clamp them about the leather.