Seat backs

[Woody]

Interesting note:  Tearing seat back out for rebuilding I noticed a tag that states~~
PARATEX trademark,  Blocksom and Co.
Michican City, Indiana -- Acme Awning, serial #100
This was attached to the inside back under the horsehair.

[Brett Lovett]

Culver Drawing #4783 "Cushions" specifies "PADDING MATERIAL MOULDED RUBBERIZED CURLED HAIR BLOCKSON & CO. MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANIA", and "COVERING MATERIAL "NAUGAHYDE" COLOR TO SUIT UNITED STATES RUBBER CO. MISHAWAKA, INDIANA". 

You sir apparently have the original seat padding.  I've wondered what colors and patterns of naugahyde the factory originally used.  The "Acme Awning, serial #100" is interesting.  I'm not sure what that means.

I've contacted Blocksom & Co. about making new Paratex paddings for the Culver, but they told me it would be rather cost prohibitive.  (Thousands of dollars per cushion.)

[Dan Rhinehart]

Wow,

Could you please take detailed pictures of the seats and post them on this sight?

I have access to some really good antique car restoration people and I suspect they could duplicate the fabric used on the seats.
I think that it's likely that the materials used were standard automotive products, many of which are reproduced for antique car restorations.

[Dan Rhinehart]

Hi all,

I just thought that I'd ad a picture of a factory original instrument panel to this page (goes with original seats).

This panel came out of NC37803 S/N 313, which my dad bought in 1977 and it was an unmolested original.

The only modification(?) is the addition of the far lower right instrument hole.
Note, that the panel IS NOT mahogany, but rather birch???, with a very thin (1/64") wood veneer finish.
I don't know what kind of veneer the wood is, but I'll work on finding that out. Perhaps burled walnut???

If anyone wants a paper pattern just let me know,

Dan

[Brett Lovett]

Dan,

Naugahyde upholstery is still being made today.  I think the only issue would be finding the closest currently available texture and color.  I've got several naugahyde sample booklets, but I don't have an original sample from a Culver to compare with.

Brett

[Woody]

For what good it does, the covering on my seats were white (which looked like leather until I carefully examined it. Down the middle (horizontally) was a welt to separate the red from the white.  The seats have a rough texture of red (white is smooth) which reminds me of oil cloth as I remember from a child (lol)    I will try to get a pic later.      I'm making semi bucket seats of leather for the new seats.  There was NO sidewall fabric in my plane but in the top and turtle deck was a valour pinstripe as in the Al Capone days.  No ~ I did not get pictures of that as at that time I thought it moot.