Opel GT, Wod's Site, restauration, Seats

This page is about restauration, and I renounce any claims according to use the tips on this Site. It is on one's own responsibility to follow the restauration-steps.

When You are going to restore the seats, You have to consider buying new seat-covers versus sewing Your own. You can buy seatcovers (almost like original) to mount instead of the old covers. The price are about 300 £, 3000 dkr, 750 DM, each, and they are available at Henriksen Denmark, Parsget Germany, ATZ germany, Lenk Germany and USA etc (have a look in the spareparts-section).

It is cheaper and more difficult to make Your own. The price fore materials: Zippers 4 long ones (You have to messure) 15 £, 150 dkr, 40 DM and the vinyl about 40 £, 400 dkr, 100 DM which You can buy at the local saddler.

Step 1: unmount the seats, 4 screws under each seat.

Step 2: unmount the back from the seat

Photo by Ole Wod

Step 3: Open the zippers in the back and use a small nipper to dismantle the eyes which hold the middlepart of the back in position from the rear. You can now remove the entire cover of the back.

Step 4: Losen the wire in the bottom edge of the seat, and dismantle the eyes which hold the middlepart of the seat in position from the bottom. You can now remove the entire cover of the seat.

Step 5: Use a ripper to gently unstich all the sewings (be careful so you can use the part off the original material which is OK). Mark all peaces when you take it apart.

Step 6: If You can use some of the original pieces it is very good, even if you have to strengthen it with clothes on the back (look at photo).

Step 7: Use the old pieces which you have to renew as pattern (remember about 1 cm ekstra fore sewing) and mark on the back of the material exactly where you have to sew.

Photo by Ole Wod

Step 8: Tack all the pieces together with red thread (it is easyer to remove later). The sew all the pieces together with syntethic thread (it dont rotten) and use a needle fore canvas or lether, then a normal sewing mashine will do (the needle is essential because in the middle you have to sew through ½ cm and in the edge you have a relativly hard platic edge to go through). Any way, if You have a relativly new and expensive sewingmachine, I will advise You to buy a secondhand. When it is all sewed together, You can gently remove the red thread.

Step 9: look at the foam, some places you have to fill out holes, other places you have to cover whith a new thin layer (look at photo). When you glue the new foam, the best way is to buy a spray with glue dedicated to foam other wise you risk to dissolve the existing foam and then you have renew all the foam.

Step 10: Inspect the framework, repair it if nessesary, and spray it black.

Step 11: Mount the middle of seat cover from the bottom with eyes and the nipper again. Then mount the wire in the bottom-edge of the seats again.

Photo by Ole Wod

Step 12: Mount the middle of back cover from the back with eyes and the nipper again. Then pull it over the back and close the zippers.

Step 13: Mount the back on the seat

Step 14: Mount the seat in teh car again with the 4 screws underneath.

If you use vinyl close to the original, small wrinkles will disapear after a week because the vinyl can streach, but if you use leather, you have to be very careful when you cut, sew and mount it because wrinkles will not disappear.

Photo by Ole Wod