Chris; That molded plastic piping may have been what the factory used originally but it still seems rather a cheesey thing to use while the rest of the seat is leather or cloth. They do still sell coloured plastic piping, whether it is the same as the product you describe I don't know, but must upholterers regard it as inferior to the type they can make themselves and don't use it. Part of the problem with it is that it is stiff and tears itself away from the corners, it also can split where it was sewn through. I suspect that part of the motivation to use originally it was related to labour, material cost, or both, since it would come ready made on a 500' roll. My 54' Imperial uses the other type where a cord or wire was wrapped with leather first, it was more labor intensive to make but I think that it looks a little more classy. Best Regards Arran Foster 1954 Imperial Newport ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Hawkins" <imperial1966@xxxxxxxxx> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:03 AM Subject: Re: IML: 64 Imperials Upholstery Actually, 1964-66 Imperials use a color-keyed molded plastic welting - very thin and delicate in scale. It is impossible to replicate by wrapping material around a cord. Seeing fat welting made with leather or vinyl is one of the easiest ways to tell if an Imperial of this era has been reupholstered. Chris H. 66 LeBaron --- "A. Foster" <monkeypuzzle1@xxxxxxx> wrote: > Hi; > Welting or piping is not a problem, most > upholsterers with a lick of sense > make their own by wrapping a strip of leather, > cloth, or vinyl of the > appropriate colour and pattern around a cord of the > appropriate size while > sewing the cover together. Someone referred to the > vertical pattern in the > seat panel as rolls, most car seats from this era > didn't use tuck and roll > upholstery but used either a quilted pattern, an > English pleat, or no > pattern at all. A quilted pattern is sewn just like > the one on a bed, a flat > pad is sewn inbetween with the stitches showing > through the top. With an > English pleat, or hidden stitch, the stitches are > not visable, much like > tuck and roll, but the padding is sewn inbetween > much like quilting. Tuck > and roll is really a series of cloth tubes sewn > together and then stuffed > afterward, much like a sausage, the effect is much > more rounded then English > pleat. > Best Regards > Arran Foster > 1954 Imperial Newport > Needing A Left Side tailight bezel and other trim > parts. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Chris Hawkins" <imperial1966@xxxxxxxxx> > To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 7:24 AM > Subject: Re: IML: 64 Imperials > > > Unlike most Imperials of the '60's, the 64 > convertible > upholstery pattern is relatively simple to re-create > authentically. The only problem you might have is > finding black welting delicate enough to match the > original. Also, pay attention to the grain and > sheen > of the leather you buy. Most new leather today > looked > sunbaked and chalky compared to the glossy leathers > used in 1964. Specify a gloss finish. > > Definitely go this route. Finding a worthy used > interior is likely to be nearly impossible. By the > time you ship it and go through the process of > dyeing > it you'll wish you had reupholstered your originals > instead. > > There is a thin chrome band encircling the top well > opening, with fasteners at regular intervals. > > Chris H. > > 66 LeBaron > > > > --- GPAGENCY@xxxxxxx wrote: > > > Hi, > > I'm a new member and was looking for some advise > on > > my 64 conv. The interior > > needs new black leather on all the seats (torn). > Am > > I wasting my time trying > > to find good used seats? I assume the color won't > > matter since I can dye > > them black as long as they are decent seats? > > Was there a chrome strip at the rear of the conv > top > > well near trunk or did > > the tonneau cover it? > > Speaking of tonneau covers, anyone doing repairs > on > > them? Are they available > > or reproduced? > > What a great club you have here. I have already > been > > able to find so much > > helpful information. > > Thanks, > > Greg > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com > ----------------- > This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing > List. Please > reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your > response will be > shared with everyone. Private messages (and > attachments) for the > Administrators should be sent to > webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to > http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm > > > > > > ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com > ----------------- > This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing > List. Please > reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your > response will be > shared with everyone. 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