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Thuis spring we replaced the lifters and did a lot of small chores on my car, which now starts and runs nicely. the air issues have been sorted out, so I'm good to go in that respect as well.

I have one other problem: the foam in the seats is headed for someplace else, so I have decided--if possible--to remove the seat upholstery and redo the seats.

I have one tear in the chevron shape on the back of the frontseat. I hope suitable broadcloth can be found to replace the panel.

My upholstery is blue cloth (original) which seems to be in good shape, but quite faded into a greenish color. The original color was a lovely (to my eyes anyhow) medium blue with navy broadcloth. I'm thinking that it would be simple--while the cloth is off--to dye it with a translucent color to get closer to the original. I thing a magenta family dye is called for to offset the green, possibly followed by a blue wash.

In your experience, is this a wildeyed dream or something that could be a practical reality?

Redoing the cabin with SMS fabric would be wonderful, but is financially not going to happen. My car is a nice driver, but not a show car.

One other thought: my windlace is in tatters. How much labor is involved in replacing all of it? (and how many feet is needed?)

Thanks again!

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For the blue wood broadcloth, I'd say start saving your bottle caps and go for new material when you can afford it. But SMS would probably be my last choice for a source, I'd go to the folks who specialize more in wool broadcloths, LeBaron-Bonney or Bill Hirsch, the later especially.

It's all well and dandy to bring up SMs, Bill Hirsch and similar specialists...but I need practical help within the parameters listed.

A total redo with these fine, first class products is not in the cards. Period.

Think frugal (but not necessarily cheap) and advise accordingly.

PLEASE!

I started to post a comment yesterday but deleted it since my experience wasn't exactly apples to apples. Here it is anyway.

I did the work to dye NOS material a green color to match original colors on a 54 fabric. Used ordinary RIT fabric dye mixed with very hot water per mfg instructions. The material was the stuff called nylon matelasse. It turned out well but what I dyed was new unsewn cloth and white over black so no changing color questions. Quite the production with that large amount of material though.

Based on that experience and for what they're worth, I'd have some concerns on dyeing your fabric. First, I think there may be a not easily removed thin padding already sewn to the light blue fabric. Can't remember the exact pattern but if seat has the wide pleats, there is good chance it may be sewn in layers and different thicknesses may not take color equally to give an even dye shade. Since it's a fabric already sewn to a size, that could also be an issue if it tried to shrink any. Main reason I bring that shrinking up is because my upholsterer said the 54 had a fair amount of cloth underneath sewn on the bias and crisscrossed to hold the pattern fabric from bunching or shifting. I'd expect the 56 might have the same construction so if something suddenly changed size, what would happen.

Another issue is getting the shade you want on the light blue. It will take some experimentation to find the right time in the dye and mix for the starting color. Since yours is already colored, finding enough hidden scraps in the faded colors to play with might be an issue. Trying with unfaded blue colored scraps already the shade you want from a hidden area will probably result in a different shade on the "faded to greenish" areas. At any rate, even if the job turns out reasonably even overall, whatever end color will most likely wind up being darker than the original. On the dark navy wool broadcloth, not so much the issue getting the color but I'd wonder how it would hold up with shrinking -- or at all for that matter. When I had my 56 Patrician, I remember the broadcloth over the seat backs -rear was really bad- being faded, thin and fairly weak. It may self destruct if you remove and try to dye it.

If you do try, the only other thing to suggest is do it all at once. Not in batches because a difference in time submerged in dye and the temp of dye will result in a different shade. Having a multicolored car will be the inevitable result.

For a low cost presentable option for now, I'd lean more toward finding or having made an acceptable seat cover along the lines of the "Cushion Toppers" Packard offered as an accessory in 56. Once finances permit then do the upholstery properly.

I am not at all familiar with the construction of your seats, but if you have a tear and can get to the back of the material after it is removed, you might try one of those iron on batches to bring the fabric together. If done carefully, the rip may not be noticable anymore. At my work, we have material with an industrial heat activated glue that we use to repair welding garments and gloves. I was going to try it on the weak areas of my seat, depending on what it looks like when I remove the old vinyl seat cover. Just a thought.

Dyeing may well be impractical for exactly the reasons you list.

Thats why I ask these questions here; I figure it's my best chance of getting an answer from someone who has had that experience.....

I theorized that dyeing would be at least a two step process: magenta to cancel the green, then blue to restore the blue.

The mechanical guy has been unable to finish with the hoses due to family problems, so haven't been able to get it to the upholstery shop.

My experience is in photography where customers had hairbrained ideas about how to get whet they wanted, When you looked at how they reasoned, it all seemed logical--but it didn't (and usually wouldn't) work that way.

I could well be out on the same limb.....

Years ago I worked at an auto dealer, to freshen used cars they would spray a coating on vinyl and sometimes other upholstery items (door panels, carpet, kick pads, etc.)

I don't know that I would say it was a long term fix, but it did initially look better than before.

Maybe this wouldn't be the best long term solution, but would masking and spraying some sort of dye limit the problems of trying to remove upholstery and dyeing the material in a vat?

Just a wild thought for your consideration.

Since that broad cloth is made in England, not going in my packards,

I will find something close, and go with that, or keep my fake fox fur,,

I have a customer with his dad's 56 Patty who rubbed GoJo all over the seats (handcleaner) and then steamed it out with a rented steamer. Looks terrific. Seriously.

Alternately, get a bunch of cans of brake cleaner, which I believe is the same stuff as dry cleaning fluid. Spray it on a clean towel, rub a portion of the seat and repeat. Works great and I use this on spots all the time.

The brocade portion of your seats is amazingly robust and colorfast. If yours has turned color it is probably because of smokers and the "drycleaning" technique may remove enough of the yellow-brown to leave the fabric blue again.

The larger issue is that the foam sewn into the pleats is dying and there is no help for that. New underlaying foam between the springs and upholstery will be a big help in comfort though.

Ross,

will the brake cleaner work on the headliner?,

my dads pat. went thru a garage fire be fore he passed on, the seats are covered in clear plastic, ok there, but the headliner has that light brown smoke residue ..

I was thinking steam cleaner, some of them are under 100 bucks.