Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL seats are still in the capable hands of our in house trim shop.
Lydia has been leading the charge with the interior, creating each seat cover by hand. Brian has also lent a helping hand with the frame and hind mechanisms. Lydia has recently been heating and stretching the fabric, applying sprays of water to help steam and stiffen the leather in the process.
Brian has been fitting the cover to the base of the front seat, pulling the cover tight around the frame and glueing the flaps at the back and hog ringing the rear flap. He has fitted the cover to the front squab seat and glued the centre in place. Pulling the cover around the frame, Brian works on fitting the material tight to the frame and securing it into slots on the side of the frame. The next step included Brian cutting headrest holes out and fitting the plastic trims. With the cover fitted, all that’s left to do is to fit the metal runners and sliding mechanisms to bottom of the base frame.
Lyda has added foam to the shoulders of the front squab seat frame. This ensures the cover fits well enough. Lydia then glued inside for the flute lines to stick to which helps give it definition. Lydia then glued new leather to the backboard which goes with the squab. The backboard slots into place at the back, the sides tuck under the frame to hold in place and plastic ring inserts are added for the headrest poles to go through and connect the seat and headrest. Lydia made slits and holes in the sides of the squabs for the mechanism pieces to slot into place and finished by cleaning up the parts and putting the mechanisms in place.
