Finally - A Bambi Project Update!

[ACME A12]

So I finally have something to post about my beloved Road Runner! Yesterday we dropped the seats off at the upholstery shop to get them recovered. For anyone that missed it, this car came out of Texas (south of Fort Worth) and the Texas sun had completely fried the interior. The front bench seat defies description. I have been complaining about the springs poking me in the back since we bought it. I finally wised up and made the wife drive it around some a couple of weeks ago. She immediately changed her tune about this part of the resto being out of sequence. We talked to a couple of shops and found a guy we liked. He is giving me the frames back on Friday so that I can have them media blasted and paint them. Then back to his place for new foam, cotton padding, burlap, and Legendary covers. I AM SO EXCITED!!! May not be much, but until the 'bu is finished this all I can undertake...

:banana:
Ray

 

[Hoosier Bird]

If I'm not being too nosey, what will that run you?

 

[ACME A12]

Hey Hoosier, you're not being nosey at all - isn't the point of all of getting together here to share info & ideas?

The car came with new, correct Legendary seat covers in the box - nice, two-tone blue Belvedere taxi-cab vinyl by the way! On the bench seat cars the bottoms are foam padded and the seat backs are cotton padded. None of mine is salvageable so the guy will have to recreate both. He quoted me $500 - $600. I received quotes as high as $800 - $1,000 due to their condition. I'll post some pics just to frighten any small children that might be surfing the site...

I was able to get the same services performed on the seats in Tammy's Swinger about 5 years ago for about $300. However, the work was shoddy, I ended up taking them back twice for rework, and in general was not happy at all with the way it went down. By bitterly complaining I was finally able to get them right, but it just seemed to be an extension of the adage that "you get what you pay for".

As for this time around, I was very forthright in explaining to this gentleman what I wanted and the relative value and rarity of the car - I assume that he factored this all in. He came highly recommended, but we really won't know for sure for a couple of weeks... Keeping my fingers crossed...


Ray

 

[Big John]

The Legendary stuff is nice. I have some of the first stuff they ever made in my car and it still looks good. In fact, for a while I had the repop seat cover on one bucket and the original on the other. There was a very slight difference in the seat stitching, but I would have to point it out to see it.

If your seats don't need rebuilding like Acme's do, the Legendary covers aren't too difficult to put on yourself. A good pair of dikes and some hog ring pliers are aall the tools you need. A nice sunny day makes it easier.

 

[toms69rr]

Big John is right
Redid all mine with Legendary stuff myself.
New seat foam from Year One (Close to my house) 10 miles
Was not hard, Just hard on your hands (Pulling and Stretching)
But well worth it
Comes with instructions from Legendary.
I would have to look back at old receipts to check prices couple of years old now.
Did the whole interior.
Seats
Front (buckets) early 69 no headrests
carpet
door panels
package tray
door Sile plates
armrests & bases
Sun visors
Headliner.
sail panels
Other stuff I don't recall right now
about 2800.00 worth.
I remember paying card off, saying is this ever going to end?
Answer: no it never dose, Its a Black hole

 

[ACME A12]

about 2800.00 worth.
I remember paying card off, saying is this ever going to end?
Answer: no it never dose, Its a Black hole

This made me chuckle out loud. When I bought all of the interior stuff for the Swinger I did so at the Turkey Run at Daytona. Legendary had a swap meet space. I had called them weeks before to ensure that they would be there and that a "show discount" would be available. Affirmative on both. I also bought some pieces for my two '70 340 Dusters at the same time to take advantage of the discount. Spent well over $3K. The guy told me that his boss had told him that this show hadn't been good for them historically, and that if this show didn't produce any sales it would be their last appearance. After we wrote everything up, he told me I had just made it possible for him to come back down for the Spring Show!

As for the credit card bill, well, that is what made me laugh. My sentiments exactly!

:jester:
Ray

 

[Basketcase]

I did the seats in Freebird, piece of cake, and I had never redid a seat before. One of the best things about the yellow car is the previous owner had put all new Legendary interior in it.

 

[droptop]

I just got through putting new Legendary covers on the '66 300 that I am working on. They fit very nice and went on...well, let's just say it would have been easier on a warm sunny day. I could only do one section at a time. My hands and fingers could not take all of that tugging and pulling. The aid of a hair dryer helped out a lot. I can't wait to be able to get in and drive it without duct tape sticking to my butt. :lmao:

 

[Basketcase]

well the duct tape is better than the pia blanket that you have to keep messing with.
Love to hear more and .......you know.......about the 300.

 

[Plymouthfan]

I did both my Scamp and RR seat covers.... front on the Scamp and rear on the Runner.

When I did the Scamp, the burlap was toast and I thought, "what the hell do I need this for?" So I ripped it out and omitted it. I quickly realized what it was for That barrier between the foam and springs is pretty important. A friend mentioned that carpet works really well to replace the burlap with. I took the seat back out, removed the new cover, went down to Home Depot and bought a runner and cut it to fit. I hog ringed the carpet to the frame then reassembled. Man, what a difference! I sit about 3" higher than I ever have and it's really comfortable. I'm gonna do the same thing on the RR this spring!

 

[ACME A12]

I did both my Scamp and RR seat covers.... front on the Scamp and rear on the Runner.

When I did the Scamp, the burlap was toast and I thought, "what the hell do I need this for?" So I ripped it out and omitted it. I quickly realized what it was for That barrier between the foam and springs is pretty important. A friend mentioned that carpet works really well to replace the burlap with. I took the seat back out, removed the new cover, went down to Home Depot and bought a runner and cut it to fit. I hog ringed the carpet to the frame then reassembled. Man, what a difference! I sit about 3" higher than I ever have and it's really comfortable. I'm gonna do the same thing on the RR this spring!

I went back to the shop on Friday afternoon to retrieve my seat frames to get them media blasted. While there and talking to the upholstery guy he mentioned that he too uses carpet for this application. I immediately thought of this post which I had read only hours earlier...

:jester:
Ray

 

[ACME A12]

Okay, as promised, pics of what I started with... These are not for the squeamish... That nasty pillow was the only thing that made the car driveable...without it, there was just NO WAY...

Please kindly note the Belvedere taxi-cab steering wheel...at least it has the factory tach...

Updates to follow...

:jester:
Ray

 

[Roadcuda]

Those seats weren't used too much,,,,, were they? :haha:

 

[69hemibeep]

Oh I bet those seats could tell stories :jester:

 

[Hoosier Bird]

The potential is great. I never see the bad only the good. Just like eating an elephant...."one bite at a time".

 

[ACME A12]

The potential is great. I never see the bad only the good. Just like eating an elephant...."one bite at a time".

Oh, no doubt. The car is wearing all of its original sheetmetal and is INCREDIBLY solid; only the original hood is missing. It just took one too many trips down the road with the hood pins out... :wave: See ya! Only the interior is toast. Still has the grease pencil markings on the underside of the decklid for the G70-15 redlines, no hole in the passenger fender for the antennae (radio delete), and not a single hole drilled under the hood to mount ANYTHING aftermarket. It was all of these attributes that finally convinced me that I had to bite the bullet and bring it home... Until just a few days ago it was the only KNOWN B5 four-speed A12 RR coupe. Another one just surfaced but I really don't care about all of that stuff - B5 might eventually turn out be the highest production color since so few of the cars are accounted for - who knows? Doesn't matter as I didn't buy it to flip it; it's just a neat car. Possilby the lowest optioned A12 ever built - which I have to admit that I kinda like that aspect...not even any rear armrests... Just can't wait to get started on it in earnest...


Ray

 

[Basketcase]

e gads! I don't think I would want to even touch that seat! who knows what might remain on the remains!
sounds like an interseting car!

 

[ACME A12]

e gads! I don't think I would want to even touch that seat! who knows what might remain on the remains!

Just give me a shipping address and I'll send the remains to you...we found some chunks of something F8 colored upon disassembly... :lmao:

Ray

 

[Basketcase]

 

[69hemibeep]

F8 tastes like