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As much as I hate to replace the original seats in my 1949 Olds 88, the front seat is so worn out and thin on padding that it causes pain in just a few short miles. Im taking it to a couple upholstery shops this week for an estimate and was hoping to first learn if anyone knows the factory colors for the seats in 1949. I'll attach a picture of my seats to this post. They are original but Im sure they have faded and aged quite a bit. Anyone have any resources that would name the fabric and colors? I'd like to match up the original as close as possible.
Thanks!
Oldsmobile called the fabric Bedford cord. Actually, I guess everyone did at the time. No color name other than green. I'd be tempted to have the internals worked on but see if they can salvage the original upholstery.
Oldsmobile called the fabric Bedford cord. Actually, I guess everyone did at the time. No color name other than green. I'd be tempted to have the internals worked on but see if they can salvage the original upholstery.
I agree and I wish they could save the original. Sadly, it’s so thin it will never survive being taken off and reinstalled. Hate to see it go, but driving it is the pleasure I choose first. That’s hard to say because I’m sentimental to original classics!! Thanks for the help.
Another question, does my trim and body tag support the "Greed Bedford Cord" option? It has number 49 and 49c listed but I may not be reading the tag corectly. Thoughts?
Last edited by maineolds; Nov 16, 2022 at 01:26 PM.
I would find a good upholstery shop and see if they can come close to duplicating what you have. If you can get somebody like SMS to duplicate the interior materials, you will probably be waiting close to a year to get them. When I had my 54 convertible, I had the dealer book with the factory swatches like the one above. The trim shop came pretty close to the original material. You are fortunate you have the original upholstery to go my.
It was so nice when green was green, or maybe dark green or maybe light green; not willow leaf blush, or Saturn's ring dusk, or whatever some designer know nothing calls it.
Another question, does my trim and body tag support the "Greed Bedford Cord" option? It has number 49 and 49c listed but I may not be reading the tag corectly. Thoughts?
The Trim number denotes upholstery combination. (# 6)
The 49C code is for the paint. Seafoam green metallic, as seen here; 1949 Oldsmobile (autocolorlibrary.com)
The original cloth must have faded badly, because it's a much lighter green than shown in the upholstery samples.
It does mention in the brochure that convertibles were also available in all leather interiors.
I would think that if it were re-done in all leather, it would be more practical.
If you can't afford leather, there are leather look vinyls that are much cheaper and more durable.
Does anyone have a picture of an original seat in full leather? I’m wondering if there were any pleats in the seat. If the upholstery shop needs to replace the original leather/cloth I’m going to have them go full leather because the Bradford cloth is no longer available according to SMS.
Thanks for the pic! That sure does look original. Here’s an original leather interior from a 98. It has pleats in the leather. I wonder if the 88 had none and the 98 had pleated seats?
my upholyguy recommended pleats because the leather would stretch over time and look baggy. But I don’t want pleats if they aren’t original to the 88 with leather.
Thanks for the pic! That sure does look original. Here’s an original leather interior from a 98. It has pleats in the leather. I wonder if the 88 had none and the 98 had pleated seats?
my upholyguy recommended pleats because the leather would stretch over time and look baggy. But I don’t want pleats if they aren’t original to the 88 with leather.
Better double check that - Never saw pleats on any of these factory leather jobs to include my own. The light blue pleated seats seen in the image the OP provided is certainly not correct or original. It is much easier for the upholsterer to arrive at a acceptable result with pleats.
Your original upholstery can get repaired by a expert willing to do the job, with you also willing to foot the bill.
Better double check that - Never saw pleats on any of these factory leather jobs to include my own. The light blue pleated seats seen in the image the OP provided is certainly not correct or original.
If you follow this link, it will take you to the same car before the front seat was reupholstered. They kept the original coverings and left the back seat original. I tried to insert just the seat photo, but Mecum won't let me save images. This is an original, unrestored, low mileage car.
All I can say is clear, superb photography factory publicity photos exist for every year post 1948 year. I have a lot of them for 1952 and a few for other years, but none I am aware of for 1949 convertibles, all of which were leather upholstery. Check any you can find to verify my claims.
I put marble countertops in Walter Miller's house buying much Oldsmobile Literature from him, including many of the stills I mention. He had tons of prints and negatives for those years as he acquired the stock of the publicity house who represented Oldsmobile for many years, and they are referred to today as the last word on production appearance, even though some were pre-production. Find one or a few or perhaps the concern who ended up with his stock and collections. There used to be lots of them in internet image searches, but too much time has passed.
One of my 1952 convertibles has a 65+ year old upholstery job partially pleated which is likewise not original. Some one new to these cars might conclude it is the factory stuff but it isn't. I won't trust any of the auction houses for what they report on originality, in this case I already know the claim of originality if made is incorrect.
Thanks friends. It's a safe bet to say the 88 leather wasn't pleated. If in the end I need to replace my material, I'll go the full leather non pleated route. Now while were talking originality, anyone know if the convertible top rear window was originally plastic or glass? I've seen both on new tops and always wondered which came with the car. I could start a new string on this, but I figured those that chimed in so far seem to be informed on originality for the 1949 88.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nathan
Thanks friends. It's a safe bet to say the 88 leather wasn't pleated. If in the end I need to replace my material, I'll go the full leather non pleated route. Now while were talking originality, anyone know if the convertible top rear window was originally plastic or glass? I've seen both on new tops and always wondered which came with the car. I could start a new string on this, but I figured those that chimed in so far seem to be informed on originality for the 1949 88.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nathan
I don't believe GM used a glass back window on a convertible until 1965. All of the back windows I have seen on 49 and 50 Oldsmobiles had a small plastic window. I replaced the top on a 1950 88 that I sold out of an estate and both the old one and the new one had the small window.
Here is a link to a 49 convertible that is coming up in a Mecum auction. It has a pleated interior but judging on the condition of it, I feel pretty sure it is not original material. The car is a 98 though.
