#50's bench done with a foam base and bright yellow vinyl!

[robroy]

Good evening,

Before:



After:


IMG_4529.JPG

This seat originally came from my first truck, then I installed it in #50 years later.  Under that brown plastic it had the factory green vinyl in bad shape.  Some rats had been living in it for a long time!

I had this seat completely re-done at Palo Alto Upholstery.  They removed the springs from the bench portion, built a custom foundation out of plywood, and put a foam seat cushion for a late model Ford seat.  So the seat has a very modern feel to it (not the springy, classic seat feel).  Their custom sewing with the vinyl cover is really beautiful!  

I'll post better photos of it when I'm ready to bolt it in the cab.  It's even kind of dirty in this photo I'm posting now, but I figured I may as well share the photos for your amusement!  

Their bill came to $986.  A lot of that was materials though (the big foam bench, the vinyl, and some new springs for the back).  It wasn't cheap, but it is certainly one of a kind and it's just what I was looking for!  

Robroy

[fireguywtc]

WOW that is bright!

[papabug71]

Awsome. Thats alot of coin for a re-covered seat, but im willing to say its a one of a kind just like you said !!!


It will get alot of attention, thats for sure

[fordman]

i was thinking you may have had it done in black and yellow accents in the center sections. but i guessed wrong. i am thinking that price is out of line.

[robroy]

Hey Bill, Fordman, and PapaBug71, thanks for your great replies!

Indeed, it is BRIGHT!  When I went to pick it up I was very happy with it!  

The price can be explained to some degree by the demographics of Palo Alto (the median household income in 2007 was $119,046, and for families it was $153,197).

It's hard to evaluate the price without an apples-to-apples comparison.  How many other seats have been converted to late model foam and been completely gutted to the bones and re-done from scratch?  Re-doing the seat frame to accommodate it and even just the foam pad itself weren't cheap.  For instance, just the piece of foam from LMC is $300.  

I'm happy that it doesn't smell like rats anymore, and it should make it easier to find my truck in a parking lot at midnight!  

If I had it to do again, I'd have the beads done in white instead of the same yellow color.  They offered to do this before they'd finished the seat, but I said, "No thanks--all yellow!"  

Thanks for the excellent replies!
Robroy

[fordman]

i wouldnt have paid that. lmc mark up is too much fo rme on foam. it could have been done way cheaper i think. as far as income levels that is soemthing to consider. but this is your project. and you got what you wanted. i just wouldnt have spent that kind of money on a seat. i may have gone with a newer seat bottom out of a newer truck and had that redone to look original. that would have saved them redoing the bottom half. who knows it may have came out about the same.

[robroy]

Hey Fordman, thanks for replying!

I see your point!  Yeah it was a lot to spend, but I love the results.  Maybe if I'd had more time to investigate alternatives I could have found a better way, but at the time, I was working a super demanding software engineering job with long hours.  Looking back, I'm amazed that I managed to make progress on this at all!  I don't think I slept much.

Thanks again Fordman!
Robroy

[brandon.k]

Thats pretty kool. The outside edges of my seat is the same yellow.  

[robroy]

Hey Brandon, thanks!  Do you happen to have a photo of your seat on here?  I'd be curious to see how that looks, with the outside edges that yellow.

Thanks Brandon!
Robroy

[Happy_Camper]

Looks like they did awesome work!  
One of the big things I like about a "mono-color" smooth cover like you've done, is that down the road it can be easily modified.
For instance, after a few years if you tire of it, you could go back in and have them sew on a checkerboard panel, across the top and bottom edge, or down the center.  Or they could add a differnt color insert pair with pleats or something.  
Doing it the way you did, leaves lots of options, if you decide to make a change down the road.
I'll bet it's really comfortable.  
Pretty cool amigo!  

[brandon.k]

Here's a couple Robroy. The vinyl is starting to crack but it was all done for my high school graduation present in 1988. For the most part its holding up pretty well.