Four States of Separation: Seeking and Hiding in Massachusetts (Post # 67)

Peeling back the hide of one of the front seats. Locating
original materials with which to reupholster the seats
and door panels is proving difficult. Derrick Dunbar. 

In an update in September Derrick Dunbar at Paul Russell & Co. indicated he is still seeking correct or similar hides (well, vinyls and rubber, actually) for the seats and door panels.  It looks like the headliner and vinyl covering the shelf under the rear window can be reused, but most of the rest of the interior will have to be replaced.   It's a Spartan interior for sure, more race car than grand tourer, and that's just as well as far as I'm concerned. 

Beneath the upholstery of the svelt racing seats lurks
several different cushioning and support materials--all 
having exceeded their "best before" date. Derrick 
Dunbar.

While the search for materials continues, disassembly of the seats, frames, door panels, and package shelf under the rear window has revealed that other types of work are needed.  Original support and cushioning materials include a potpourri of burlap, at least two types of foam, felt, and something that looks like cotton batting! 

The backs of the front seats were designed to pivot forward
to allow access to the rear seating area.  Although the
driver's seat does pivot, for some reason the passenger's
seat back was brazed to the lower frame, rendering it
immovable. We decided to leave it that way. Derick Dunbar 

Having lost all of its springiness decades ago, the original wide Pirelli rubber webbing supporting the seat cushions had to be replaced with new material and secured with matching compression rivets. 

The seat frames and bases needed to be stripped, primed and refinished, making sure to match the original color and type of paint.  

Beneath the upholstery on the door panels Derrick found The Alfatross' Zagato serial number!  Derrick Dunbar.

The fluted vinyl upholstery on the package shelf looks like
it may be reusable, but The 4 mm plywood it is tacked to is
warped and split, but the supports underneath will be
re-used.  Derrick Dunbar.

The aluminum interior door panels to which the upholstery was attached had to be straightened and flattened and oversize fastener holes had to be filled.  In the process Derrick discovered the car's Zagato serial number boldly painted on the surface between the panel and upholstery. The thin, fragile plywood used to make the parcel shelf under the rear window will have to be replicated and replaced.  

The carpeting is another matter awaiting resolution. Derrick will not be able to install carpets until The Alfatross is in his trim shop, but that will have to wait until Tim, DeWayne and I have finished our parts of the restoration.

This kind of work is all about labor. The materials used originally were cheap and they're (relatively) cheap now.  The cost of materials so far comes to less than $100, but labor is many times that amount. 

If it sounds like we are "polishing away the past," remember that The Alfatross may have been a preservation or even "barn find" candidate 45 years ago when it fell into my lap, but those days are long gone.  Sympathetic restoration is now the only path to follow with the intention that when we are finished it will look great, be totally roadworthy, and offer seating that enhances the driving experience.