Plastic seat covers

[kbeach]

Remember the clear plastic seat covers that were available in the 50's and 60's? Some even had a bubble type surface that looked similar to what we use nowadays to mail fragile items. In anyevent, does any one know of a source for either the seat covers or the material used to make the covers?

Any ideas / help is appreciated.

[Coley]

Fingerhut I believe was the company responsible for those "Burn you butt/Freeze your butt " covers.

Don't know if they are still around or not.

The last 2 times we have traded in very well cared for cars, the dealers didn't even walk out and look at them. They looked out the window and figured a trade in value. So much for taking good care of your car to keep the value there at trade time...

[kbeach]

Thanks for the reply. I'll see if I can find them.

Ken

[Guest Commodore]

It was Fingerhut, but they don't make seat covers anymore. Haven't since the 60's. On a Hudson forum a representative talked to us about them once.

[Mark Huston]

Several years ago, I acquired a mint 1958 Cadillac Coupe Deville with 30,000 original miles from an estate sale. The seats were flawless with a combination of white leather and black fabric. I wanted to protect them and keep them looking nice so I went to a quality auto upholstery shop and had them cover the seats in the bubble surface clear plastic. The upholstery shop had the material and did an authentic 50s style job.

Perhaps if you call around to the good upholstery shops and see if they can direct to where you can buy the material, or sell it to you if they have it in stock.

[Waldren]

Jo Ann Fabric has it here in Florida.

[kbeach]

Thanks everyone.

I did try Fingerhut and you are correct, have not made for many years. Upholstery shops in my area tried but were not able to find any from their suppliers.

Will try Jo Ann's next.

[X-Frame]

J.C. Whitney use to have catalogs of retro parts but not sure if they still do? I also remember Pep Boys growing up having a variety of "custom" parts which included seat covers.

The clear plastic covers wasn't restricted to automobiles but home furniture was covered with it too.

Only problem is that moisture can go between the stiches and get trapped as well as getting creases, wrinkles, and crushed cushions around the corners of the seats due to the tight fit of hard material used in the clear covers along with human weight on top of it.

[John_Maine]

My father insisted on having these plastic covers in his cars. He also had full floor mats and cut pieces of plastic to cover the carpet where the mats didn't cover. My mother hated it but she let him do it. I could never see the sense of covering everything up in a new car to protect it for the next owner.

[X-Frame]

John, It was a completely different era with completely different mindset. People were out to impress the neighbors (Keeping Up With The Jones). Women stayed home while the men worked. Plastic covered anything was mainly for to protect cloth fabric from children. The idea was to remove it once the kids were old enough to not play on the furniture or were out of the house. But they just kept it on everything especially if they were "clean freaks". The other reason was cigarettes. Nicotine covered everything with a brown film and the smell got into fabrics... not to mention the threat of burn holes. The plastic also helped especially with heavy smokers.

My father insisted on having these plastic covers in his cars. He also had full floor mats and cut pieces of plastic to cover the carpet where the mats didn't cover. My mother hated it but she let him do it. I could never see the sense of covering everything up in a new car to protect it for the next owner.

[kbeach]

My goal here is to protect the original upholstey in my Chev. It's a 57 with 43,000 and I am afraid if I start driving it the meterial will come appart due to its age.

Still looking at Jo Ann's as a possibility.

[gruberv8]

the ones I have seen were reproduced by an upholstery shop. I think it would be neat to put them on - like they did back in the day.

[John_Maine]

X - my father was very fussy. It wasn't just the car, he had plastic everywhere and he always had scatter rugs in front of every chair and sofa in the house so the carpet didn't get worn or dirty. His younger brother was the same way only worse. Ironically, his two older brothers did not inherit the neatness gene.

[kbeach]

OK, took some time this afternoon and found a Jo-Ann's. They do have 12 gauge clear plastic (vinyl) but not the bubble type. Bought 1 yard ($4.99) to take to the upholstery shop for their approval & estimate for number of yards needed.

Thanks everyone for your help and comments.

Ken

[cool57]

LeBaron-Bonney may have them.

[kbeach]

Thanks Cool57

Gave LeBaron-Bonney a call this morning and they do make them - about $215 plus shipping etc. for a two door. This comes out to be about the same as the local shop was asking.

Ken

[cool57]

Thanks Cool57

Gave LeBaron-Bonney a call this morning and they do make them - about $215 plus shipping etc. for a two door. This comes out to be about the same as the local shop was asking.

Ken

You are welcome.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I have a NOS set of Fingerhut plastic seat covers for a '54 Hudson Wasp 2dr. I've never been sure why they are specifically for a '54 and not say, '52 or '53. I never remember to look at '54s when I go to a Hudson show. They're clear with a small gold fleck throughout. They are for a Wasp rather than a Hornet, as the Hornet would have had a large arm rest in the rear. The set even comes with the original, fairly tattered Fingerhut box. I wouldn't begin to guess how far off the fit would be. I know that your Chev probably has thinner (I don't mean narrower) front seat backs. Perhaps these could be reworked by somenone who knows what they were doing. I could try to send you some measurements, but it may take me a while to find them. If you want, you could PM me.

[kbeach]

Thanks for the offer but have already ordered a set from LeBaron Bonney.

Ken

[X-Frame]

What they are talking about banadictauistin is something that most likely predates you so you are not fully aware of what we are talking about? It is basically a heavy gauge "clear" vinyl that was sewen up to seal a seat to protect the original cover. You can see the original cover through the plastic one. Was a popular fad during the 1950s and early 1960s but some old folks kept them way into the 1980s-1990s until it either could no longer be replaced or just long out of style.

[ginette]

This thread brings back such memories. Dad only once had all the seats covered in the clear vinyl plastic, and Maman complained so much due to seat burns on our legs, that he only did it in the one car. 

In 1961 my parents bought a 1962 Chevy Impala convertible, and Dad wanted to cover the seats in the vinyl, but Maman winged, so he didn’t. We went on a road trip shortly after buying the car, and I barfed (hugely) all over the backseat and floor. Instantly Dad regretted not getting the seats and back flooring covered. 

I was that kid. LoL. 

[John348]

On 6/17/2012 at 9:32 PM, John_Maine said:

My father insisted on having these plastic covers in his cars. He also had full floor mats and cut pieces of plastic to cover the carpet where the mats didn't cover. My mother hated it but she let him do it. I could never see the sense of covering everything up in a new car to protect it for the next owner.

 

My father was the same way, he thought he would get more on the trade in

[Bloo]

I miss those things. Also the plaid ones everyone seemed to have that clashed with the rest of the upholstery. I hated them back when. Now it adds a bit of realism and connection to the past you rarely see in restored cars.

[Rusty_OToole]

You would do much better to use something that will keep the sun from fading the colors and at the same time be more comfortable to sit on, like corduroy or some kind of cloth.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I know that I still have the set of Fingerhut seat covers that I mentioned earlier. At least I know that I never sold them. Maybe soon I'll start to dig through my stash and turn them into money.

[TerryB]

From my 1942 “Sure-Fit” seat cover catalog,  a striking plaid design as the catalog calls it.

 

[R Walling]

On 6/18/2012 at 3:46 PM, kbeach said:

My goal here is to protect the original upholstey in my Chev. It's a 57 with 43,000 and I am afraid if I start driving it the meterial will come appart due to its age.

Still looking at Jo Ann's as a possibility.

 

 It is probably no use to put clear plastic on the seats of an old car.

 I had a 63 Falcon with perfect rear seats, I sat on them once and the fabric completely broke apart due to dry rot.

[junkyardjeff]

I have installed those covers and would never put any on any of my vehicles,I still do not understand why anyone would have installed them when the cars were new. The way I look at it is with the covers you are saving the seats for the next owner and I did have a 50 Chrysler that had covers since new and the seats still rotted.