On Thu, 3 Feb 1994, Andrews Peter F wrote:
(about his bugeyes):
>
> 2. I took off ribbed red rubber from the inside of the doors. Is
> this stuff available anywhere? The Moss trim kit has you put in
> vinyl there - it's not the same.
>
To the best of my knowledge, red is not available anywhere. Similar
ribbed material is available in black, and you may be able to refinish it
to red with something like RamCote (sp?) or GM upholstery paint, or any
good enamel with a flex agent and flatting agent added. Try MotorHead in
VA for the black material; if they don't have it, email me and I'll look
up where I got it. Vinyl isn't original, of course. The ribbed rubber
material makes the door sound solid when closed--it's an illusion, but a
good one. I'm told that ribbed rubber carpet runner like we used to get
for halls or stairs is a reasonable replacement if you can find anyone
that sells it. I couldn't.
> 4. AH Spares also is advertising new seat foams. Mine are pretty
> gross. Any experience with these? Any alternatives?
>
Make sure they are for bugeyes; the foams available when I rebuilt mine
were for newer cars and not the same. If they are for bugeyes and not
irrationally priced, you are lucky. Get them.
I made mine with blocks of foam. A crazy upholsterer cut them roughly to
shape on a giant bandsaw, then I did final trimming with an electric
carving knife. The tough part is to get the right "crushability." You
must sink into the seat approximately as originally, or you cannot see out
when the top is up.
If the originals are not too awful, you can firm them up with the carpet
padding trick as someone else suggested (see Porter's book on Sprite and
Midget restoration for illustration of this). But don't overdo it. I
can't ride in a friend's bugeye with the top up because he made the
passenger seat so firm I don't sink in.
> Pete Andrews 1959 AH Sprite Mk1
> AN5L/18575
> andrews_pf@salem.ge.com 1961 AH Sprite MK1 AN5L/44591
>
Ray Gibbons
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