Restoring HB9116754 Lemans

[Jay Laifman]

Good suggestion. Restarted here: https://forum.sunbeamalpine.org/index.php?threads/putting-contour-6-seats-in-a-s3.34230/#post-254898
(But Michael and Jan already know that as they already posted there).

 

[jumpinjan]

I had some money burning in my pocket and I found a seller on ebay making vanity license plates.
I can change these later for some real plates.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

I'm back at it again. Too cold to paint yet, but I can do some upholstery in the warm workshop.
All new webbing too. The 2" Pirelli rubber webbing is pretty expensive, like $4/ft.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

I made up the seat bottom foam from scratch and looking good.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

Installing the seat covers over the foam. Here the top seam is glued to the foam. The tool box is to keep from pulling the contact cement while it firms up.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

Almost done. I have a few wrinkles to pull out on the seat back, and it will be done
Jan

 

[Alpine Addict]

Looks very nice!!

 

[alpine_64]

Almost done. I have a few wrinkles to pull out on the seat back, and it will be done
Jan
View attachment 37746

Looking brilliant Jan... credit to you

 

[junkman]

Always do my seats out in the sunlight, duckbill vise grips in hand. Nice job Jan!

 

[jumpinjan]

These are Martha Wheat covers that she made about 15 years ago
Jan

 

[valueextra]

These are Martha Wheat covers that she made about 15 years ago
Jan

Do they still make them

 

[jumpinjan]

Martha retired, so no more.
Today I'm back on the front suspension and trying to remove the fulcrum bushing in the early A-arm suspension.
I have a 20T Harbor Freight press and it has just enough pressure to get them out. It makes a bang when the bushing finally moves. I thought maybe they were rusted in place after 65 years, but the metal bore was very clean.
Now to paint them up and press in the new fulcrum pins.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

I also start on upholstering my MicroCell Harrington round-back seats. These will be done in black leather with red piping.
These seats will be going in my Lemans.
Here below (at the bottom of the picture) are the seats that made up for Dave Kellogg's Harrington Alpine back in 2018, I did the whole red interior. That just gives you an idea what they will look like.
Jan

 

[Jay Laifman]

Would you make a extra set for two seats to sell?

Or at least let me know what foam you used for each part, and where you got it?

 

[Jay Laifman]

Or at least

I made up the seat bottom foam from scratch and looking good.
Jan
View attachment 37744

For example, why you used so many different types of foam here too. And yet this seems different from the new seat bottoms you are doing. Why?

And for the burlap/fabric around the frame, what material did you use? And is it fully taught?

 

[jumpinjan]

The foams have different firmness. The foam on the bottom is "rebonded foam" and very firm, while the blue foam soft.
The whitish fabric is called decking fabric.
All of the foam will need to be shaped with a cutter & sander.
Ian & I had the seat tubing bent up at a shop about 20 years ago and I had just enough tubes left to weld up the last set of seat frames. Not making anymore.
Jan

 

[alpine_64]

Would you make a extra set for two seats to sell?

Or at least let me know what foam you used for each part, and where you got it?

Jay you can get covers and foams from:

Dave
www.classictrim.co.uk
+44 7587129264
classictrim@btconnect.com

 

[Jay Laifman]

The foams have different firmness. The foam on the bottom is "rebonded foam" and very firm, while the blue foam soft.
The whitish fabric is called decking fabric.
All of the foam will need to be shaped with a cutter & sander.
Ian & I had the seat tubing bent up at a shop about 20 years ago and I had just enough tubes left to weld up the last set of seat frames. Not making anymore.
Jan

Thanks. I was inquiring about just the foam - if you could make extra of those.

 

[jumpinjan]

I have all the fulcrum pins pressed in the upper & lower A-arms now. I ran into a problem where one upper A-arm was twisted and the 15/16" bores didn't align up very well (In the picture one can see the problem). I thought I could twist the arms to align them up but didn't work so I sawed them in half and straighten one arm at a time, and that worked. Then I just clamped them down & welded the halfs together.
I can finish the assembly tomorrow and I can be done with the front suspension and put it away in storage until it's needed this summer.
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

Doing the assembly today, and finishing it up tomorrow (if it not storming)
Jan