Salvage Journey - Original 911 Leather Seats

[Discseven]

Not sure what year these seats are...perhaps late 70s, early 80's. Leather appears original. Seats don't look bad in this photo but when close up... the issues are clear. Rather than junk these covers, this is a salvage project. When completed, these will replace the coming-unglued pair in my '80 Targa.




Poorer seat of pair is driver's---seen below. Both seats have recently been worked on by an upholsterer / Softside Trim in Miami. Waste of time. Pic below is 'after'---yes, after---upholsterer worked on them.



Notice there's no diving of the seams (between the center area and bolster) into the crevice. I was told some 911 seats were configured like this. Can anyone confirm this being true or false?


Started dismantling this morning. Always interesting when you get inside things. Here... sculpting's been done to bolsters and top surface of cush. That does not look "factory" to me. Could this have caused leather's perf'd center area to distort as it has? And why carve the foam like this?




Top and underside of bottom's cover, and naked frame base. Nothing's wrong with metal parts.








I saddled soap scrubbed bottom cover before taking this surface pic. Bolster leather is very healthy but center perf'd area---seen below---has these cracks all over. From experience, I know when seat leather looks like this, within months the cracks will be opening. Am thinking to keep existing center leather in place but go over the area with new leather. This will mean a perimeter stitch---not the end of the world. Trick will be to dive the seam into the crevice---which it is not doing now. Somehow this has to work. Along the front edge... the perimeter stitch will show.




Sent sample of desired leather to my resource to see if he can get me some skins. Be a few days before I hear back on that. In meantime... am questioning why foam was cut back as it was? ...Is there good reason for this that I'm not seeing?


.

[tdw28210]

Good luck. Cool to see the salvage effort. I have three sets of seats going up for sale tonight in case you want to shortcut. ; )

[sky1jord]

Originally Posted by Discseven

Notice there's no diving of the seams (between the center area and bolster) into the crevice. I was told some 911 seats were configured like this. Can anyone confirm this being true or false?
.

I don't know if this fits what you're looking for, and this may not have enough detail, but I can stick the first digit of my finger down in the fold between the bottom or back seat cushions and the side bolsters of my front seats ('88 with factory sport seats)


I can try and get a better picture if need be.

[SkiVT]

WAG: headroom for tall driver.

[DRACO A5OG]

Go Karl Go!

[timmy2]

Standard comfort seats do not have a recess on the seat bottom.
No idea why the foam was shaved...

Original bottom in leather:



Seats recovered in $300 vinyl kit from eBay.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by tdw28210

Good luck. Cool to see the salvage effort. I have three sets of seats going up for sale tonight in case you want to shortcut. ; )

While reluctant to dive into this project at first, once in as I now am... I'm a junkie for the exploration, fond of the challenges & craft involved, and like seeing the process through to the end. That said, your offer is much appreciated and tempting---will PM you now.

EDIT: Thanks for text'ing selling pics TDW. Nice plaids in-layed seats, black leather with black material in-lays, and all black 928 seats.

[DRACO A5OG]

If NOS seats are in good condition and the right price, heck choose your battles my brother . His seats look pretty good from the pics

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by sky1jord

I don't know if this fits what you're looking for, and this may not have enough detail, but I can stick the first digit of my finger down in the fold between the bottom or back seat cushions and the side bolsters of my front seats ('88 with factory sport seats)


I can try and get a better picture if need be.

Sky.... thanks for pic and notes. No need on my part for another pic. I know exactly what you're referring to. Your seat looks in very nice condition. The foam structure in both the bolsters and bottom is as I'm familiar with---my '80 Targa has that seat & structure in it albeit with worn leather (including multiple patches and so the project to salvage this spare set of seats.)

Referring to the material diving down so a finger can be pushed into the seam area, looking at the bottom cushion leather I'm dealing with, my math conclusion is there's not enough leather to make this dive. There'd be less leather should I resculpt the bolsters to their original form (as Sky's pic shows.)

...a bit of a conundrum.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by SkiVT

WAG: headroom for tall driver.

Ski... you're referring to shave of bottom... a possibility indeed. (BTW... I used to ski Stowe, Killington and Sugarbush when I lived in NY.)

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Go Karl Go!

Ya man!

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by timmy2

Standard comfort seats do not have a recess on the seat bottom.
No idea why the foam was shaved...

Original bottom in leather:



Seats recovered in $300 vinyl kit from eBay.

Dennis... thanks for confirming existence of "comfort seats" with the structure noted. (I doubted their existence.) With your input, it's possible to conclude the foam in my project seats having been cut to accommodate leather taken from a "comfort seat."

Also... Nicely done on the reup.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

If NOS seats are in good condition and the right price, heck choose your battles my brother . His seats look pretty good from the pics

Yeah... battle choosing indeed---I hear you brother Jim. (I've been looking at new one-piece buckets that cost less than leather kits alone. Idea of novelty wearing off and buckets being PITA to get out of... that's pushed me into this salvage endeavor.)

With existing, worn leather seats in my '80 Targa, there are 2 pair to work with here---the ones in the car are NOT comfort seats (which is the look and fit I prefer.) So is possible to cannibalize 4 seats to make final pair.

[Discseven]

Just pulled passenger's seat from car. Willl distinguish between the 2 sets by calling spare working seats "Comforts." And seats out of car... "Car."




Been patching openings for a few years. With extra seats on hand... good reason to leave patchwork behind.




Comparisons...






Comfort has backrest sewn to side bolsters... Car does not.






Leather in both Comfort back rests are in good shape compared to Car leathers. Plan is to salvage both Comfort backs. Will move bottom cushions from Car to Comforts. Exactly how to deal with bottom leather covers remains in question---still waiting for my leather resource to call back. If right skins can be had, will recover both bottoms.

.

[Discseven]

Comfort and Car cushions.






Slight difference between foam and bottom frames. Tested fit of Car foam on Comfort frame and it will work with minor mod.




Car cushion #...




Nicely made. Not sure if this is stock or not. With no discoloration of the foam... this cannot be original. Or can it?




Tested sewing machine. It's not walking 3 layers of leather next to piping as I had hoped. Temporary setback.

.

[DRACO A5OG]

The batting is original on the "car" seat.

[Discseven]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

The batting is original on the "car" seat.

Thought so Jim. It has a factory-made look... in German'ish style.

I've driven these same Car cushions since I bought Targa in '92. Is daily driver and no seat resto. Condition of foam is surprising after all this time. Pic is of passenger's seat... will be interesting to see if driver's is same condition.

[Discseven]

Seat belt config on "Car" seat frame. I was anticipating a plug-n-play move from one frame to the other with belts but that's not happening.




"Car" frame. Open hole is where track connects to frame.




Different frames next to each other. Hole positions for track mounting are different. And Comfort frame does not provide second hole for belt bracket.... but... there's space on flange to put hole there.




Tracks. Comfort @ left. Car @ right. Swapping tracks will add 3/4" leg room. This requires a new hole be put in Car tracks. I won't use added space (as driver) but it would be nice for passengers... so why not. I'd like more leg room than I set the seat to but then reach to steering wheel is uncomfortable. Is there a way extend column with a stock 3 spoke wheel & column? ('80 SC)