Hitchcocks Forum

Has anyone used our hosts seat cover, part no;142515A? If so, how easy is it to fit, does it look as good as new, and how many clips are required.

Hi Reg, 24 clips are recommended but I was supplied with many more than that despite ordering just 24. With some patience it can be fitted without too much trouble. Don't attach the clips before you are sure the cover is in the right position. What to do is align the bottom of the fringe of the cover with the line of the bottom of the seat pan. I used a light hammer to hit the top of the clips so that they go fully home. I started at the front of the seat by attaching a few clips on each side of the nose of the seat. I then moved to the back of the seat to attach the next clips. The cover needs to be stretched from front to back when installing the clips at the back but not excessively. I then attached the clips at the sides but you need to make sure the cover fits evenly on both sides. I've no idea if what I did is what a professional would advise but it worked for me. If fitted correctly, the cover looks as good as new and should last a lot longer than the original.

Thanks Himself, most enlightening. I'm torn (no pun intended) between £55 quids worth from Mr. H, and a tenners worth of good quality vinyl from my local hardware store.

Hello again Reg, I also thought about making a cover from a piece of suitable material. Using the pattern of the old cover it should be possible to copy it. Even if it didn't work out, you wouldn't have wasted much money. I did wonder if a sewing machine might be useful. If you attempt to make a cover I'd be interested to know how you got on.

Unlike Himself, I always start by marking the centre line of the cover with a chinagraph pen then loosely clipping the front and back of the cover to the pan using heavy duty bulldog clips. When I'm happy I have it right along the centre line I put some permanent clips on front and back and start stretching round the edges, using the bulldog clips to get it right and then permanent clips again. I find this works for all types of cover but is especially good for covers that have piping round the edge as getting this to follow the right line will make all the difference to the finished effect. Some Enfield covers for metal bases will also need to be pop-rivetted in one or two places, usually the front and rear. It's a good idea to get some small washers to put over the rivets to act as spreaders so they don't tear through the material while stretching.

REgards, Mark

You seem to have some experience of re-covering seats Mark. All that's stopping me from buying some suitable stretch vinyl and having a go is how best to fix it to the metal base. Perhaps double-sided adhesive? As it won't be seen maybe duct tape might do the job if I clean the seat base thoroughly? Any ideas?

Reg, if you're thinking of sewing it a domestic sewing machine isn't really strong enough for the job in my experience, that's the first thing. You'll have to prick it and sew by hand. Fixing to the base can be done with pop rivets (my BMW base is done this way, with short metal spreader strips made of alloy,) or you can buy the seat clips on Ebay. These clip over the edge of the base. I've tried glue (Evostik type) and it's not really strong enough in my experience although plenty of Japanese plastic base seats seem to use it. I really can't see double sided doing it to be honest but I've never used it.

REgards, Mark

Cheers Mark, I've found some "u"channelling which looks the business to hold the material in place around the seat base. It comes from a vehicle upholstery firm and has a built in adhesive. I reckon it'll cost about £20 for materials, so is worth a punt.

I used hot melt glue gun for mine, it seems to hold well.

Small point, 142515 is a prop stand leg, 142516 is the seat cover (drop letters off when searching)

I have made seat covers from vinyl, you need the very best heavy duty stuff you can get with a strong fabric backing, not the usual stuff from the haberdashery. Sewing it needed an old heavy duty manual Singer machine as used for leather. Where it's sewn it's sewn inside out, turned over and sewn down edges and so on; dressmakers chalk and pencil on the inside, wife is far better at sewing than me but can't punch the needle through thick stuff. You'll want to start with a neat tuck and fold at the nose but then get the tension tight and even all the way round. Doing it from scratch including sourcing the material will take a few hours of your time, at least £60 of your time then, so buying ready made is worthwhile.