Re: Welting questions

Posted by BH On 2012/3/17 9:24:32

Howard -

Judging from the appearance of the deteriorated OE windlace on one of my '56 Packards, the fabric must have been (primarily) of cotton. As installed, it had sort of a basket weave pattern, and the strands were comparatively fine. The weave was only coarse in the portion that was tucked/tacked/stapled - out of sight. That portion also had a steel wire "mesh" and (IIRC) a strip of paper sewn in - though the wire tends to rust and crumble to dust over many years.

Modern replacements lack that mesh, but I've seen them installed on Packards. The fabric-covered windlace that's readily available in mass-market - though popular with cutsomizers - is too soft, loose, and fluffy - stand out like a sore thumb, IMHO.

Upon finding suitable fabric, in their continuing quest for automotive sundries, Restoration Specialties has it sewn up into windlace. I've personally inspected examples from them with weave, strand, and colors similar to what was used on the V8 Packards, but it appeared to be of a synthetic material - reasonably close, but not quite authentic.

I suspect SMS would be closer to original.