I am going to replace the seat covers on my 61. The existing ones (possibly original) look good, but the vinyl has gotten sort of stiff with age. Questions: Does anyone make leather covers for C1's? Yeah, I know they aren't original, but they sure are more comfortable. #2. I need to replace the springs. The catalogs show some replacement springs for about $25. Then they have the "just like the original" springs for several hundered dollars. What do these springs do that the replacements don't do?
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Re: C1 seat covers
Ahem, cough, sputter. I assume you are not persuing a Duntov award with this Corvette. That's OK, it's your car and you can do whatever. You are probably persuing a damned good time in driving it. That's REALLY OK! A good driver will spend a lot of time with the top down, in the summer. With leather you will tend top prespire at a greater rate than with vinyl. Been there, Done that and I had to use sheepskin or a towel depending. In short, leather looks great but is uncomfortable.
No need for a driver to have springs that appear as factory original. Go with functional replacements. Hemmings has several C1 spring advertisments.
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Reproduction vs. reproduction
The difference between the generic bagged springs and the expensive spring assemblies is significant.
You're probably talking about the bottom springs. They are the only ones I've seen rust out. The factory used several spring sizes in the bottoms to give the seats their "bucket" feel. What little bucket feel there is in a stock seat, anyway.
The generic springs are all the same size. They won't come close to feeling right even if you can figure out a way to install them.
A '58 owner brought me a set of the generic springs to install with his expensive new reproduction covers. His original bottom springs had rusted into mush. Frankly, I couldn't figure out a good way to arrange the one-size-fits-all springs to support the cover framework and foam pad. Instead, I found some never rusted seat bottoms in California and we recovered those. This made financial sense too. The good used bottoms cost less than the expensive reproduction spring assemblies. And, although the expensive springs look good in the catalog, my personal experience is that very few reproduction parts fit as good as assembly line parts.
In your shoes, I'd buy a set of used seat cushions and turn them over to a local auto upholstery shop. They can order leather for you in many colors and grades. Recovering a spare set of used cushions will avoid destrucion of your originals, and it probably won't cost you more than buying the expensive reproduction springs.Comment
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Re: C1 seat covers
I bet you have installed the "Beaded" option to keep the sweat down. What part number is that Rev? I can't belive this came from the lips of a purist!
KKComment
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Re: Reproduction vs. reproduction
Nothing's ever easy, is it? I guess that would take all the fun out of a project if it were.Comment
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PRACTICAL purist
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JERRY IS RIGHT
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