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Tpower66 · 01-04-2011, 06:32 PM

Anyone tried the wider $90 seat piping that comes in pieces. Worth the $ or just use the narrow.

ryan389 · 01-04-2011, 08:12 PM

I just bought the piping from Ames today.
They tried to sell me the wider piping but I don't think it's cost worthy.
I've used the piping for $13.00 a roll and it was fine, those little chrome ends are expensive! and you need 12 of them!
I had a couple laying around, so i bought a couple more.
I guess if your going to make a show car, I would go that way.
Hope this helps
Other people will have different opinions.

66Post · 01-04-2011, 08:35 PM

I bought the "less wide" stuff about 2 years ago, looks great. I still have the original wide stuff that came off the seats, but have to figure out how to re-color it.

Tpower66 · 01-04-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan389

I just bought the piping from Ames today.
They tried to sell me the wider piping but I don't think it's cost worthy.
I've used the piping for $13.00 a roll and it was fine, those little chrome ends are expensive! and you need 12 of them!
I had a couple laying around, so i bought a couple more.
I guess if your going to make a show car, I would go that way.
Hope this helps
Other people will have different opinions.

I have the narrow on mine but it comes loose on the drivers side seat where I get in. Did you glue yours on? Also I don't have end caps. Are they difficult to install. I think they would look good.

6 Grrrs · 01-04-2011, 10:19 PM

I have the older/narrower stuff on mine and it falls off alot. I have glued it, silicone rtv'd it, etc and cannot get it to stay on. My original stuff is in good shape (I still have it), but the chrome is gone. Wonder if it could be rechromed? It is a molded to fit the metal seat pans/side covers and I would think that helps it stay on.

Tpower66 · 01-04-2011, 10:41 PM

That is why I started the post. To see if anyone had used the new formed piping that comes in sections. Wanted to know if it fits any better. Seems if it is form fitted it would be much better. But if it fits no better, then it is a waste of time and $$ IMO.

P Glade · 11:14 PM

The new piping is excellent....fits well and it's made just like the original stuff. I installed it awhile back on a '70 Olds with buckets and IMO it's worth the $$ if you want something that's just like the original piping.

You do need to "pre-fit" it, mark it carefully, remove it and trim it to the correct length....they make them a bit longer than you need.

As far as being pre-curved/pre-formed....Yes, it goes on and stays on....no glues, etc required.

CAVEAT: Notice I'm talking about using this on a '70 Abody...those had the plastic seatbacks/bases and I don't know if the profile of the part where the piping snaps over is different from earlier cars that may have used metal backs/bases. +I'm assuming the earlier cars used the same plastic piping as '69-72 cars.

P Glade · 01-04-2011, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66Post

I bought the "less wide" stuff about 2 years ago, looks great. I still have the original wide stuff that came off the seats, but have to figure out how to re-color it.

You really can't "re-color" the original stuff as the "chrome" is sandwiched in the piping under a layer of clear plastic. I've had reasonably good luck with rubbing the outer clear layer with something like Meguiar's Plastic Cleaner and/or Polish. A lot of times any yellowing you see is on the clear outer layer anyway.

Don't expect "chrome-like" miracles...the original stuff was nowhere as bright or shiny as the thin repro piping (the thin piping has a chrome/mylar layer as the TOP LAYER typically so it appears more chrome-like). The clear layer over the "chrome" layer on the factory stuff mutes the brightness (same thing on the new Ames repro stuff).

Give that a try.

Tpower66 · 01-05-2011, 02:50 PM

P Glade do the end caps with the new piping fit ok---never had caps so just wondered. Thanks for the info on the new piping. Sounds like the way to go.

P Glade · 01-05-2011, 03:05 PM

Sorry---I know nothing about end caps!! The later cars, like the car I put the piping on ('70 W30) don't use end caps on the bucket seat plastics. I think GM stopped using the endcaps after '67 (don't quote me on that as maybe different divisions carried them over, etc).

oldgoat16 · 01-05-2011, 08:32 PM

I had visited with Steve Ames, last winter and he was working on these pieces the day we stopped by, the fit and finish is very nice, Steve had stated that they were very time consuming, but the finished piece is nice, The moulds are taken from factory pieces and heated to get the proper contours, I will be buying a set for my 66 when I get to that point! Steve is a great guy with an unbelievable collection of rare cars

gomowgto · 01-05-2011, 09:11 PM

I just got done doing all my metal seat backs and the four aprons tonight with the new more expensive chrome piping and I am very happy with the way it installed. One of mine was done with the narrow stuff, and whoever did it glued them on and must of used too much glue cos it oozed out and dripped on my carpet in the summer months. The narrow ones also rolled out of position as 6grrr stated. I bought and installed the bullet caps and installed them using a pair of pliers that had a recess the same roundness of the caps, I just put 4 or 5 layers of duct tape over the teeth so as to not damage the chrome. And once you crimp them down good and lock each end on with the cap in place, they kind of click or snap on at the ends and they are on there tight. I say to each his own, but me personally it about killed me to spend that kind of money for that piping, but after I spent $1,200 having both seats resprung, painted, new foam, covers, etc. I can't see cheaping out on the finishing touches, and I say do it right, then you won't have to redo it down the road. When I bought this car a made a promise to myself that I was going to keep the car as original as possible and screw the cost.(I do however have a question to ask you guys, I had to go to my local salvage yard for a donor apron for my bucket seat, and knowing that he had a lemans with buckets on the lot, I got one from that car, my question is when I removed the apron, the two front mounting screws holding the apron on had plastic spacers between the metal and the seat. I checked both buckets and they all had the same spacers in the front two mounting holes, so I grabbed them too. Are these factory correct, cos mine didn't have any at all. Thanks for the help and good luck with your project.)

ponderopa66 · 01-06-2011, 12:11 AM

I have the new set from Ames, and I'll let you know how it goes.

P Glade · 01-06-2011, 12:18 AM

I forgot

....TRIMMING THE PIPING.....

>I highly recommend a good fine toothed mini-hacksaw for trimming. I tried a razor knife (what a joke) as well as some nice heater hose cutter pliers (also a razor type blade device)...still not so great.

>Get a good miniature hacksaw with a fine tooth blade. Tape over the spot you want to cut. Cut...carefully.

>Do a couple test cuts after you have measured and marked one piece. Just cut on a part of the trim that you know is excess and won't be used.

>If anything, cut the stuff so it fits relatively tight....I've pulled dozens of nice used original seat piping pieces and they all seem to be shorter than the lip that they snap onto (they have gaps at the ends). IF THIS IS DUE TO SHRINKAGE OVER TIME, then cutting the new stuff so it doesn't have a gap will allow some room for shrinkage in the years ahead. Or, maybe GM just made the stuff short to save money!!!

You'll get the hang of what I'm talking about once you make a couple test cuts. You can dress the ends of your cuts with a FINE file or maybe some sandpaper. Lots of times the cuts don't come out perfectly perpendicular to the trim so the file, etc can help here.

AGAIN---Try a couple test cuts...no use in ruining some $90 trim by getting in a hurry

ponderopa66 · 01-07-2011, 07:39 PM

Well, I checked the fit on the "new" $85 seat piping for my 66 GTO. I bought the piping from Ames. First impression: on the seat lowers, the piping does not snap into place. It is not formed to exact shape. Looks like I'll being gluing in some fashion. Does anyone have a pic of a finished piece with end caps? Just checking on length, since mine were absent when I purchased the car.

jd66 · 01-07-2011, 10:20 PM

i took mine apart on my 66 a few years ago for the first time, there were spacers on all the screws if i remember correctly. jd grim

ponderopa66 · 01-07-2011, 10:20 PM

Ist piece fit, second one wont stay down even with crazy glue. God I hate repop crap. And don't give me the "our Host is great " either. $79 for rear window trim that fit like 2 left shoes. I trashed it...

P Glade · 01-07-2011, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponderopa66

Well, I checked the fit on the "new" $85 seat piping for my 66 GTO. I bought the piping from Ames. First impression: on the seat lowers, the piping does not snap into place. It is not formed to exact shape. Looks like I'll being gluing in some fashion. Does anyone have a pic of a finished piece with end caps? Just checking on length, since mine were absent when I purchased the car.

I can tell you with 100% confidence that the set I installed fit great and snapped on easily (again, this was on a plastic seat and base car...1970). No glue needed and no part of the piping looked like it wanted to pull away or not go into place.

I did buy another set at the big event that Ames held up at Norwalk this summer...I took the box back to our vehicle and while we were standing around I opened it up to take a look. One of the lower seatplastic pieces didnt' seem to have the right curve in it....it appeared to be sort of twisted or reversed (can't remember which). I was comparing the shorter pieces to each other and this one sort of "looked odd". Loaded the box back up and hiked back over to their tent, showed it to them and asked to exchange it. No problem and we opened the box to take a look at this second set....looked fine.

NET RESULT IS check the stuff when you receive it....IMMEDIATELY. I know most of us probably won't install a lot of the stuff we buy immediately (I never seem to!) but at least you can catch any "glaring errors". Had the same thing happen to a buddy on a carpet set he got through Legendary for his '72 Olds convert. He "sat on it" for a year before getting around to installation and the stuff was GARBAGE. It was ACC carpet (Legendary, in their defense, doesn't make the carpet). TERRIBLE FIT around the tunnel and the heel pad was WAY OFF in terms of location.

I called Legendary and spoke with them and since it had been over a year and he had also thrown out the box (apparently marked with batch codes, dates, etc they could use for reference) and they understandably said there wasn't anything they could do.

Ponderopa66....none of what I am saying is meant to "argue" with you....I believe what you say and it unfortunately happens with repro stuff. Instead, I wanted to reiterate my experience with this newer item and let others know to CHECK THE PARTS IMMEDIATELY upon receiving them. As most of you probably know, you lose alot of "bargaining power" when you try to return items that were purchased A LONG TIME PRIOR to your installation.

ponderopa66 · 01-08-2011, 12:06 AM

Good advise no doubt! These will work with a little Loctite Gel and I'll post a pic when I'm done. My Dad told me 50% of the things you try don't work exactly right. With classic cars, it may be closer to 75% !

ponderopa66 · 01-08-2011, 06:02 PM

Well, I had the lower pieces in place and ready to secure the ends with a little glue (snap in place? I don't think so...). Moved to the seat backs and they were more than difficult. Tried loctite superglue nothing holds it down. When you try to turn the corner, the top pops up and won't sit down.

I'm giving the new chrome piping for the 66 GTO a Big Thumbs Down. Spent 2 hours on it and got a big bag of frustration for it. Maybe these fit the plastic repop seat backs, but my metal originals? Not even close.

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