The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named Poppy

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Fatbloke
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#221 Post by Fatbloke » Wed Mar 18, 2015 7:50 pm

Thanks Admin...I was having a very bad day....honest!
Mike.

A Fatbloke in a Herald

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TerryG
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Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 pm
Location: East Midlands

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#222 Post by TerryG » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:06 pm

No problem. when you edited the quote, you removed some tags which stopped it working and made it look "odd".
If you click the edit button on your post you'll see how a quote should look and you'll be able to check against it if you have a problem in the future.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.

Fatbloke
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#223 Post by Fatbloke » Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:28 pm

Well I’ve only gone and done haven’t I?

It’s been 14 years since deciding it needed doing but it got so bad that it had to be done!

Fanfare and drum roll please!!..... I’ve actually sorted out my driver’s seat!! No. Really. I have. I’ve even got photo’s to prove it.

Here’s what happens when a fatbloke sits in a 45 year old chair for 14 years! :oops:
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I actually started preparing for this daunting task last year when I saw a very distressed and lonely 13/60 Herald seat on the great bay of E. The covers were in a dreadful state, all covered in mould and tears with the foam padding leaking out of the holes. However, from the photo’s the frame looked OK and I needed a frame so I put in a desultory low bid and to my surprise, I actually won it for 6 whole English Pounds plus the diesel to collect it. Quite a bargain I thought.

When I got the seat home I stripped off the offending covers and foam (and boy did they offend!) to reveal that all straps and diaphragms had also gone to meet their maker. The frame was also covered in surface rust and the rail that the base cover clips onto was rather severely bent. A double disappointment as I didn’t even find wads of cash stashed behind the covers!

So I immediately threw out all the rubbish and hid the frame in the shed so Mrs FB wouldn't laugh at me.

I then started buying the 2 new foam cushions, diaphragm and back straps one piece a month as well as a vinyl/leather repair kit. I have decided to repair and reuse my existing covers. Possibly because shiny new ones would stand out like the proverbial in a punch bowl among all the nicely patinead interior of the car, or, I couldn’t afford shine new ones but I now had all I needed except the courage to start.

It took a couple of weeks to psyche myself up to the task and thought it best to start with the spare seat frame which I immediately attacked with a hammer and various shaped bits of metal and surprisingly quickly had the bent rail straightened. AND…apart from a “Tom and Jerry” thumb I hadn’t actually broken anything!

It probably doesn’t look straight to all you perfectionist and experts out there, but for my very 1st attempt at trying to “shape” metal, I’m quite pleased with myself and I WILL cry if anyone is rude about it.
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Last edited by Fatbloke on Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:40 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Mike.

A Fatbloke in a Herald

Fatbloke
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#224 Post by Fatbloke » Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:32 pm

Next I rubbed down the frame to remove the worst of the rust before brush painting it with 2 coats of black “Smoothrite” (Like “Hammerite” but with a smooth finish. It’ll all be covered up anyway!) After it was dry, I fitted up all the strapping and after drilling new holes, the, what turned out to be a TR6, diaphragm. Then I had to touch up all the scratches resulting from the metal hooks and my ham-fistedness.
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It was now time to get my longsuffering old seat out of the car. I very carefully removed the covers and took very careful note of where all the various clips and sprigs came from and stored them carefully in a jam jar. Which I then knocked over a spread them all across the patio.

I cleaned the covers with “soft top” cleaner and left them in the conservatory to “condition” in the hot sun. (I know! April? In the UK too?) The best bit is though, I did find an old £50 pound note stuffed under the old squab cushion! Things could only have been better if it was a real one and not monopoly!

The inevitable then happened and Mrs FB came in and asked why there were bits of old car seat all over her conservatory. I think she was a bit taken aback by my reply that it was because I didn’t think she’d want them in the dining room, but hey, my black eye will soon fade wont it?

The 2 new foam cushions were put in place and now the wrestling match really began as I tried to fit the covers as neatly as possible. I won in the end and had them all fitted and clipped into place. The final job was to use the vinyl/leather repair kit on the 2 small tears which was really rather fiddly but the repairs look ok from a distance (Quite a big distance) and I’m really rather happy with the results.

Before you look at the culmination of all this hard work and artistry, please remember that I wasn’t aiming for a showroom, concourse winning seat and in that I think I have definitely succeeded! But at least my bottom is now as happy as the rest of me to be driving around in Poppy! :D
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I wonder how long it will be before I get around to doing the passenger seat?? :oops:
Mike.

A Fatbloke in a Herald

kevin
Posts: 856
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 7:49 am

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#225 Post by kevin » Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:23 pm

I think that is spot on, well done FB

Kev :thumbs:

Fatbloke
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#226 Post by Fatbloke » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:16 pm

Thank you Kevin.
Mike.

A Fatbloke in a Herald

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JPB
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:24 pm

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#227 Post by JPB » Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:13 pm

That's very impressive work. Shame there was no real money in the donor seat but even so, I'm much impressed and a little envious. 8-)
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

Fatbloke
Posts: 381
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:50 pm
Location: Royal Wootton Bassett

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#228 Post by Fatbloke » Sat May 09, 2015 7:26 pm

MOT expiry caught me a bit by surprise and I had to put Poppy in without having a chance to have a good look over but to my total shock, she went straight through! :o

The Ministry man even thanked me for sorting the seat as it damn near crippled him last time! :)

Apart from that, lots of happy motoring luxuriating in my comfy seat!
Mike.

A Fatbloke in a Herald

kevin
Posts: 856
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 7:49 am

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#229 Post by kevin » Sun May 10, 2015 7:04 am

Fatbloke wrote:MOT expiry caught me a bit by surprise and I had to put Poppy in without having a chance to have a good look over but to my total shock, she went straight through! :o

The Ministry man even thanked me for sorting the seat as it damn near crippled him last time! :)

Apart from that, lots of happy motoring luxuriating in my comfy seat!
Hurrah, well done FB

Kev

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Grumpy Northener
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Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:26 am
Location: Hampshire UK

Re: The misadventures of a fatbloke and 13/60 Herald named P

#230 Post by Grumpy Northener » Sun May 10, 2015 8:27 am

Looks like a bloody fine job to me - so you going to start using the car now ?
1937 Jowett 8 - Project - in less pieces than the Jupiter
1943 Jowett Stationary Engine
1952 Jowett Jupiter - In lots of peices http://Jowett.org/
1952 Jowett Javelin - Largely original
1973 Rover P6 V8 - Original / 22,000 miles

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