1913 Studebaker Touring car upholstery

[Guest John Warr]

I wonder if any of you can help us ?

I am looking to source leather to re-cover the seats on a 1913 Studebaker Touring

car. Can anyone tell me what the original leather would have been like, and what one would use now-a-days to replace it ? Photographs would be great.

Any drawings or paterns I would gladly pay for or make a chatitable donation.

I have been told that it would have been a "sort-of" patent, but modern patent leather will not work on this seat cover type.

It is not actually within out usual line of work, but we are looking to help out a family member.

John

[nzcarnerd]

Check out the link to the 1913 car for sale lower down this page. The upholstery pattern in that car is good copy of the original, going from what I have seen of the original cars of 1913 in the Crestline Studebaker history book. There is a huge range of very good vinyls available these days so take your time and find out what you can get. Best quality leather can be expensive and does require maintenance. Check with the Studebaker Museum, but I doubt that your car used leather originally.

[1940_Buick]

Here's some pictures of the 1913 Studebaker Model 25 I used to own. It was a 4,000 mile original with original upholstery, floor mat, and top. Only the seat bottom had been redone.

As I recall, it was leather, but not shiny patent leather.

[trimacar]

There was no "vinyl" as we know it available in 1913. There was oil cloth, which was a fabric which had been painted (or lacquered) on one side. This material was mostly used for back sides of seats, liners, and a heavier grade was used for tops.

Leather is correct for your car. There are lots of leather suppliers, and it will cost from $3 to $10 per square foot, depending on quality and vendor.

[Richard Lichtfel]

Yes, leather. That is a diamond pleat and tuff pattern. My Peerless looks like that and used the long grain pattern. There are leather venders advertised in Hemmings. My touring took 7 hides and lots of hours from a good upholsterer. Not cheap but it makes the car.

[nzcarnerd]

I have always wondered why they went to the bother of diamond pleating and tufting. If they used best quality hides none of that is necessary. The very best cars - Loziers were one of many - used plain seats. Pleated seats guarantee you a wet backside.

[Guest Studebaker1925]

Open cars had leather seats and the Patent leather was used, to make them weatherproof.

I have a 1913Stude touring (see signature picture). The leather on the back of the seats and top of the cushions would certainly have been shiney 'Patent' leather but it looks a bit brash nowadays so I think you could choose to use something less shiney. The front of the seat cushions, facing forward, was also leather with a strip of stiffening material sewn horizontally in the centre of the front of the seat, in an inch band behind the leather but showing an inch wide pair of lines of stitching, but the other 3 sides, which are hidden, were faux-leather made from oil cloth, and the closest thing we have nowadays is 'leatherette' sort of vinyl.

The backs of both seats was made from 3 pieces of leather.

The tufting was not sewn along the diamond shaped lines except where there was a join, but they were folded and held by the buttons. The buttons have two metal tabs at the back and pass hrough the leather, the horsehair, the sacking (jute, hessian or whatever it is called in the US) and then a thin washer about 2 inches diameter, before simply being bent outwards.

I know all this because I repaiered the original seats on my car. However, I too am looking to recover them now... after the differential has been repaired (see other posts by me). I have the crown wheel and pinion done but there are more problems than that because other parts in the diff and also broken. It is with a specialist which will cost $$$ but be done right.

Edited January 13, 2012 by Studebaker1925 (see edit history)

[oldcarfudd]

Until mid-1913 even Henry Ford was still using real leather in a diamond pleat pattern on the Model T!

Call Mel Draper in Ohio, (419) 368-3226. He'll send you swatches of appropriate leather. He also sells horsehair for the stuffing.

If you know how to do this stuff, great. If you don't, there are lots of people around who'll do it very well. I use an Amishman in Pennsylvania. Joe Swann is also very good. Where are you located?

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

[poci1957]

Those are some good photos of the original car from 1940 Buick. Any vinyl would be totally inappropriate for the seats in this car, as would be the use of foam for padding.

Take a look at LeBaron Bonney Company - Antique Auto Upholstery and in the miscellaneous books section you will find an old book called "Auto Body Leather Work for the Restorer". This book is tailor made for cars of the teens and will give you an idea how the job should be done. BUT unless you are an upholsterer looking to expand your skills or a very accomplished and patient amateur it would be best to find an experienced upholsterer to do this work. Good luck, Todd C

[trimacar]

Todd, totally agree with both the leather and no foam, thanks for mentioning that. Button tufted seats were compressed curled horsehair, with a thin layer of cotton directly beneath the leather. Laying out button tufting to end up with a smooth surface is done mathematically, and while it's not a lost art to the Amish, it's quickly becoming one outside that community.

If you wait a little while, I may retire and hang out my trimmer shingle! I have, and can, do it the old fashioned way.......

[Rusty_OToole]

If you have the old seats the horse hair stuffing can be reused. Old upholstery shops used to have a machine to comb it out and fluff it up.

[Guest Studebaker1925]

Couple of comments: there was no material between the horsehair and the leather in my seats, on the sides, dead centre, there were grommetted holes to let the air out when you sit on them and, lastly, of course the 'horse hair' is actually cow-tail hair. Steve

[trimacar]

I'm not sure how you determine that the stuffing is actually cow-tail hair, but that is a possibility, as there are different types and grades of hair that were and are available.

The most common now (and, from my understanding, the most common when the cars were built), is curled horsehair. The offerings these days usually consist of a mixture, however, with some percentage of curled horsehair and hogs hair. Hair is washed, sterilized, then spun into a rope to give it the curl, then cut....the curl is what gives it the great springiness....

You may be right on no batting of any kind, though many cars used a thin layer of cotton just to even out the surface. The roughness seen under the leather is the hair. When one installs new hair, gruesome as it sounds, you have to go through it and make sure there are no lumps or pieces of skin.

[dei]

John,

Just wondering how you made out with your upholstery issue?

Did the pictures clarify for you the pattern and dimensions for your car?

I have to check the year but the Club/Museum I belong to has a Studebaker touring that was donated (among 40 - 50 other cars) and in our 25,000 square foot museum. If it is a '13 I could measure and take more pictures for you.

I have known this car since 1967 and can verify it's originality. It participated in the 1967 Canada Centenial Celebration when I was 12 by driving from Windsor, Ontario to Ottawa, Ontario. The owner at that time (Pop as he was known) was indeed a Studebaker Car Dealer in his early years and quite a character.

Let me know.

Any pictures of your car in progress even? it would be interesting to see the process for the diamond tufting.

Doug