Axistr new project

[wbute]

Hope the seats come up ok!
Sometimes it’s better not to go back and look at the past. No one ever respects your tools/machines/etc etc like you do yourself.

[Spike]

That's a nice job you are doing there [ understatement ]. Lucky to have access to that type of machinery / workshop though, so many of us don't.....

[axistr]

Hope the seats come up ok!
Sometimes it’s better not to go back and look at the past. No one ever respects your tools/machines/etc etc like you do yourself.

Ha Ha the old man always told me that the only thing you got from looking back was a sore neck.

Thanks once again James for the seats and I hope the WB seats work out for you. It was also good to meet up. I got the new door trims and seat covers last Friday and decided to strip out the seats today and start rebuilding them. When I removed the drivers seat base I got a little surprise. He is nice and hard and has been a sleep there for some time but let me know if you want him back? The foam only needed minor repairs where he decided to munch on a bit of foam for lunch.

Thanks for the encouragement Spike.

DSC_0150[3437].JPGDSC_0151[3438].JPGDSC_0152[3436].JPG

[axistr]

I hope the Sandman experts can help with this one. When I went to fit the seat backs covers I realised the new covers were different at the back. The seats I have are in closed and the new covers attach with clips showing a bit of the steel seat frame. I remember my hj sandman had plywood to cover the seat backs, but that was forty years ago and from memory.

So my question is did HZ sandman come from factory with plywood covers or vinyl. And if they did use plywood on HZs what colour was the plywood painted. I think my HJ was painted white, seat covers were black.

[wbute]

No he was a bonus with the deal!

[Sandaro]

Back of seats same deal as HJ, not sure that it is white, maybe the same as the cargo area colour??

[Valencia]

I think Sandaro is right i thought they were painted Vynacote Grey like the cargo area to

[axistr]

The new reproduction set covers turned up last week and started to fit them. Its no rocket science and have don't a few trucks over the years and thought I was up to the challenge. Swapped over the pocket wires and used my fencing wire c clips and pliers to attach the new covers to the wire within the foam and worked my way around until its secured in the foam recess, than pull the rest of the cover around the back and again clipped it to the rear of the seat frame. The bases come up pretty good, unfortunately the same can't be said for the seat backs. The inserts sections are very loose and in my opinion the inserts have been made and sewn in 10mm to big all the way around.

DSC_0160_1[3476].JPGDSC_0162_2[3472].JPGDSC_0165_1[3490].JPGDSC_0163_1[3469].JPG

I rang the company that supplied them and discussed my thoughts and the problem. He agreed they weren't right and told me to bring the seat backs in and he would fix them. I have used this company in the past and have found them to do quality work. I measured the old covers and new covers which also confirmed my suspicions that they were made 10mm to big all the way around the insert. The new covers were 20mm wider across the insert piping. The owner again looked at them and said come back in two hours and he would have them ready. Its a three hour round trip and suited me so I took the Mrs to the local shopping centre. Half hour later he text me saying the seat backs were ready. I immediate thought he couldn't possibly remove the inserts the resewing them in that quick.

When I walked up his workshop driveway they were sitting outside in the sun. He meet me as I inspected them and said "don't they look great", my comment was they looked very poor and puffy around the inserts. All they did was wack some extra foam under the inserts to take up the slack, big short cut and bodgie warranty patch up. I told him my thoughts and the way it should have been correctly, he of course thought it was fine and commented it was because the seat foam was compressed over the years (bullshit), I said no because the measurements were different between the new and old covers. I took the old covers along to show him but he wasn't interested and after ten minutes there was no use arguing the point he had made his mind up and that was it. I said I would take them home and assemble them to the bases and see how they look but wasn't hopeful that they would pass my expectations.

I went home unimpressed, knowing dam well they would no longer do anything to rectify the poorly made covers. I could have got some ebay covers a fair bit cheaper, but thought I would go with them due to the good workmanship from previous jobs and if I had any issues I would be looked after.


They didn't look any better assembled and now there is quite a big gap between the backs and base. Because they tried to pull the covers down so bloody hard to get rid of the excess wrinkles the foam has been pulled up hard at the bottom and also flattened the side bolsters.

DSC_0167_1[3488].JPG

I know I am a bit fussy but I don't think I am over the top. I owned my own truck repairs business for over thirty years and had between 6-8 mechanics working for me at any one time. I know how hard it can be trying to get every job out to the customers expectations, but I never rushed them to get the covers made, then give them the opportunity to make good under warranty. I hate having to take things back and having a whinge but it looks like I am on my own. Its just another bad job to go with all the other F--king ones I have had to redo myself. As I said yes I'm a bit fussy but not unreasonable. I suppose I expect people to run the business the way I conducted mine and unfortunately it just doesn't seem to happen these days.


OK I am over it so I decided to strip them again and mucked around and got them better, by no means perfect but defently better. I also cut up some plywood panels today and painted them same colour as the back. But the Mrs hated the painted wood and started an argument, so ended up covering them with the same black vinyl.

DSC_0178[3506].JPGDSC_0173[3510].JPGDSC_0177[3504].JPGDSC_0179[3503].JPGDSC_0176_1[3515].JPG

[maxsandman]

Im with you, hate paying for something that isn't up to scratch. (restaurant meals especially & if I don't get a good meal for the money, wont ever go back there) Its getting more common for businesses not to care if the customer is satisfied.

Whats with the seam/join near the bottom of the sides?

With a bit of luck the vinyl will tighten up a bit over time. You did well making the seats look as good as they do

cheers
Max

[Robbo]

I’ve had similar issues over the years with other products, I also hate paying for sub standard work. It shouldn’t happen.