MK I carrier seats

[Michael R.]

The original seat cushions and seat back cushions used an assortment of springs and horse-hair filled cloth pads. Although the horse-hair padding can be purchased, the price and performance when compared with modern fibre-form compressed polyester makes the use of horse hair less desirable. Jack I. has a fresh supply of horse hair, but for the rest of us I imagine the compressed polyester is good 'nuf.

When the cushions have additional padding, they take on a pleasing form and added level of creature comfort. Not that most of us are driving great distances or for extended times, but comfort all the same. The seat back on the left has half the amount of padding from that pictured to the right side. Too much padding pulls against the lift-the-dots fasteners somewhat, there is a happy medium at about 2"; I hope after a period of time the padding will settle in nicely. The horse hair padding does not hold a sharp 90 degree edge, so an original seat back will look very different from a new one if the new one is fitted with a 90 degree cut foam pad.

These seat covers were made with marine grade vinyl, stitched on an industrial sewing machine using 69 polyester thread and needle size 18 as appropriate for the material. The home use sewing machine simply does not work well with these components. The original seat bottom cushion cover has piping around top and bottom, with four black coloured brass snaps for access to the spring box and cushion pad. I did not use the original style combination of spring box and horse-hair filled cloth pad. The seat bottom cover as well as the seat back cover is filled with compressed polyester, which is made for exterior use as it is washable, mildew resistant, quick drying and odor free.

[Jim Burrill]

I have one NOS Wireless Operator's seat back cover and have seen other originals and they all look a shade or two lighter than what you have used, but, honestly, That is still pretty close!

Where did you get the fabric from? Can you post the contact infor? URL? phone number for the shop you got it from?

Thanks!!

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Jim Burrill

I have one NOS Wireless Operator's seat back cover and have seen other originals and they all look a shade or two lighter than what you have used, but, honestly, That is still pretty close!

Where did you get the fabric from? Can you post the contact infor? URL? phone number for the shop you got it from?

Thanks!!

PM sent with requested information. Tell the lurkers to join up and contribute.

If the colour (color) is darker than the seventy year old material we are comparing it with . . .yes, it is. Seventy years from now . . .

[kevin powles]

Hi, Very interesting stuff on carrier seat pads, when I made mine i Realised the horse hair went in the end with the five 'lift the dot' fastners, then I got thinking does the five go at the top or does the four 'lift the dots' go at the top?.

I have seen an original black and white carrier picture of a canadian carrier with four at the top, and original british mortar carrier with 5 at the top

kev.

[Michael R.]

The last seating cover for the Canadian MKI* Universal Carrier series. Ten lift-the-dot fasteners, three grommets at the cushion pad opening. This example is dated F.M.CO. 41, with part number TL 13173. There is a wood mounting base fitted on a metal mounting plate. The metal plate is fixed to the upper rear armour plate just to the inside of the signal pistol case if so stowed.

This seat back can be found in both the C01UC MKI* and the C21 UCM NO-2.

[universalgrl]

In post # 4 arn't those FAT seats the ones that flip forward so the rear seat passengers can get out, I'm looking at a 1/35 FAT.
The MK I front carrier seatback are fairly easy to reproduce. Does any one have pictures of the mounts for the rear seat pads, dimensions would really help.
One pic of my drivers seat and a pdf which I obtained from one of the guys in Ont.

Bobbie J

[Michael R.]

E-mail sent with drawings of the rear seat bearers.