MTFCA Forum

Does anyone here cover store bought bucket seats? Speedster seats?

What style? I am in Tennessee.

Hank

Here is a set that I did this past summer. I bring a set like these every year to Hershey. I am in New York State.

Someone on MTFCA posted this DIY they did. It has a great look! The method could be applied to any style seat. The back and front panels are put on separately. Then a piece of material with its edges folded under covers the seams were the back & front sections meet

That was my post. I didn’t want the cookie cutter seats currently available so found this seat assembly at Hershey. From ... who knows .. a 1905 something or other. I found a leather sofa on the curb on trash day and took a knife and field stripped it of all the useful leather I could. Figuring out the panels for each seat so that it would have the correct curve was the hardest part. I made a cheap cloth mock up first. Then I cut the leather and sewed it up. Also made the spring loaded seat bottoms for that assembly. Best of all the leather was already worn so looked vintage when I was done. That was on my old speedster. It was easier than wrestling with the Classtique kit I recently got for my ‘23 runabout. I think because I was involved with every part of the design and installation.

Tyrone, perhaps a more important question is how others support the edges of the metal. I have two sets that I built a wood framework around the inside edges to support the back and properly attach the material. It ended up being about a 1 1/2 inch by two inch curved piece.With the compound curves it took a lot of wood. I have seen 1 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch steel bar heated and bent as well. It became quite rigid but needed snaps fasteners on the back to attach the material.
In my opinion, if you don't support it, you get a floppy backed seat and cannot get the material tight.
I am just about to start to make another set of seat backs for my wife's fire truck. I make patterns. cut the sheet metal and roll the edge beading into the backs.