Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Kaiser Forum => Topic started by: Tom on December 01, 2013, 07:41:14 PM
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I'm going to redo the seat cloth. I tried sms and didn't care for what they offered. It was a type of velour and I think that will ruin the original look.Also got a sample from original auto interiors that I liked better but it's not really correct. Is there any other places I should be looking? Thanks, Tom
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Tom, Doug Pollack at SMS is alledgedly reproducing a hybrid 53/54 fabric for our cars. I say "alledgedly" because he's been telling me this for over 4 years now. Believe it's supposed to be a hybrid between the Luxura (53) and the Lamar (54) fabric.
A lot of people need this fabric. Maybe if you called and spoke to him or sent an e-mail, it would help. Then again, maybe he's stringing us all along...? :'(
I just hope he gets the project finished before I have my teeth in a jar on my nightstand!
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They sent me a type of velour that kinda gives the look,my problem with it is the velour is to modern and I think it will destroy the look of originality, velour is to new looking.
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Is the cloth in my car called luxura? It kinda looks like a very wide terry cloth.
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To this point, I have no Kaiser-Willys Sales Corporation Trade Letters identifying the various exterior colors and interior trims used on the 1954 Early Special. If you post paint & trim numbers, I can see what I find in 1953 information.
If you check the 1953 Kaiser information in the KFOCI HANDBOOK section (Manhattan models) you may be able to determine if you have Luxura cloth or some other material to begin with. I understand that someone in the KFOCI was supposed to be doing Luxura on their own. Is this correct?
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I think I posted all the info in the thread 1954 early special very rare from when I had it for sale. I have since decided to keep it.
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I went back and looked. I think that is what it is. So if I'm going to do the inserts there isn't a lot of options ?
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One thing you can do is take a sample and start looking at fabric shops and online. Years ago I found a fabric at Jo Ann or some such place that was really close to the beige in the '53 Manhattan. Redid the front seats and hard to tell the difference. Only problem is that it wasn't as stiff and got wrinkly after some years. Fixed that by applying latex carpet stiffener on the back. Sometimes things do pop up in random searches
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Automotive upholstery is NOT the same as non-automotive fabrics. For starters, automotive upholstery is uniquely woven and finished with specialized chemicals for UV protection, to meet flammability requirements, wear, fiber elongation, color fastness, etc., etc., etc.
Just a factoid from someone who's spent 23 years in the textile industry.
While anyone can use anything they wish, just sharing "for what it's worth!"
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The parts list issued Feb. 1954 for the Kaiser Special Model K545 only lists sheet metal parts but has a notice inside the front cover that says: IMPORTANT This parts list covers only those replacement parts used exclusively in or peculiar to the 1954 Kaiser Special Model K545. All other replacement parts are the same as listed for the 1953 Kaiser Manhattan Model K532.
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The vinyl is good so how many yards do I need to do front and rear cloth inserts?
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I'm guessing no one knows
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These are the estimates for redoing our 1953 Kaiser Manhattan 2 Door, Your 54 Special should be very close but this is the entire interior so you will have to pick out your pieces if you are not doing the entire vehicle. My upholstery guy did not lay it out exactly and we ended up with around a yard of each extra.
Material in yards Required - White Boucle 4yds, Blue Boucle 7yds, Bambu 8yds and Blue Luxura 3.5
yds for a total of 22.5 yards. See the Spreadsheet below for details.
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Holy crap.......Where did you get Luxura ? I have been looking for what they call copper for a year !!!
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Wow that stuff looks nice Jim!
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Can anyone help me with copper luxura and white boucle {that is the rough texture vinyl I think}?
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SMS had both the white and Blue Luxura. Send them a sample of your "Copper" and I bet they can make it if they don't have it in stock.
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Just to be clear luxura is the cloth insert that kinda looks like a heavy terrycloth. Copper is the color, it is a kinda cranberry color. Is that what we are talking about? .Because I reached out to SMS and they sent me a sample that was a type of velour. I need to be sure because I ordered something different because I was told it was not available. {sent SMS pics}Already set it up with the upholstery shop, If the correct material IS available I want to buy it. Thanks Tom
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This is the "Luxura" we got from SMS. It is a modern material... not an exact match but it has the diamonds I was looking for and they dyed it specifically for me to match the blue bouche I had decided on.
The material show creases when you leave a suitcase or butt on it to long but it smooths out after bit. I am happy with it. The custom dye ran the cost up $90 a yard. ZOOM in on the Blue cloth on this seat an see what you think.
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The sample they sent I think it is from your's it's blue. It looks great, looks much better than I expected, I thought it would look to new looking because it's velour looking up close. You think that is as close to origionl as it gets?
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How long ago did you get it so I can call and tell them that I will be looking for what you have.
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I got the material in 2010. It is not perfect. If the nap was a bit longer it would be better but it was the best I could find.
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Mike , I talked to Doug. on Friday12/4/2013 1:00 pm. He informed me he is running a grey color seat insert HYBRED on the looms now, for a Kaiser member and how ever it turns out will be the best that can be accomplished by his machinery and people, he didn't volunteer who that was. Our only recourse from that is to follow up on the information I have and have it done in Australia, with the wool/rayon overwrap as was the original material. The problem I had at the time of their quote was 500+ yards of each color.
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Thanks Richard. The guy kills me...I've been trying to get him to run green for 4 years and he runs grey! Oh well, we'll see what it looks like when he's finished. Any idea if he plans to run other colors? I'll drop him an e-mail and see if I can get a swatch of the grey when he's completed.
Wonder how many yards to do the seat inserts of a 54?
Thanks for the update!
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Ok, lets say I do the seat inserts with a material I like better than the one you used but it's not original will that make the car less valuable? The rest of the seats are original.
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Here is a couple of shots of the material. Tell me what you guys think. Be honest I don't want to make a mistake I will regret.
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Here are more pics.
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Be honest I won't be offended if you think it's a mistake.
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Thought I'd ask the experts.......Well I guess not. At least can anyone say if it will diminish the value?
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The material is close but doesn't have the same pattern as the original. Finding NOS is almost impossible and the talk of having more done by a firm like SMS is at this point, just talk. If you plan to keep the car and drive it, I would use what you have. While it won't be inexpensive to have the work done, you will end up with a new set of seats that will provide good service for years to come. Then, one day when you're a lottery winner (don't we all wish) you can have the material reproduced and your seats reupholstered.
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Thanks,but I'm still not sure. It is kinda carpet looking but I liked the color and it is original 1950's vintage auto interior material. I like the far away look of the material that was used on the blue one [ Jim Betts ] but up close it looks very velour-ish because I think it is velour with a texture. I have a sample from SMS. I always work on a car assuming if something happens and I have to sell it I don't do anything that would make it difficult to sell. That's why I was looking for answers for kaiser experts. Having said that I am inclined to go with the SMS material but it looks very current up close but it is pretty similar to the correct luxera from a distance. Tom
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This is a shot of a blue luxura that is stock I am quite sure.
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Yes,that is what I have but in what they called copper. It's more reddish than copper color. The SMS material is as close as it gets. I like the distance look,up close not as much.........but as the saying goes.......it is what it is. I will most likely go with it.