Original B seat material?

Hi,  I have a model B that I am restoring, with a fabric seat.  It is the only one I've ever seen with a fabric seat.  Is this original and would it significantly add to the value?  Thanks,  Steve

I found  Albany foam has horse hair. Kinda pricey. http://albanyfoam.com/images/Page_21.pdf

Currently restoring my grandpaws 1942 model B which had a burlap sack for a seat cover when I got it. My dad says he rembered a canvas seat with stripes as a kid. All I can find is the black cushion, not that Im close too needing a seat. Lol

I just sent a OD Green Heavy Cotton Duck Canvas seat cover to the Netherlands. Man over there has a 51B with a Black Vinyl  seat cushion and wanted a more 50s looking seat.

sbaker...do you have a side and bottom view? My 50 C came with the remains of a canvas seat. Springs and bottom are good. I am going to try to reupholster it. Thanks

Edited by mdtractormechanic - 05 Sep 2011 at 9:35am

Here is the side of the seat.

I like the fabric and think I will redo mine with it. I do like the green duck cloth.

I vividly remember the seat on a brand new B in either 1953 or 54 having a silverish covering.  I assume it was canvas but I was only 5 or 6 so I MIGHT be wrong.

Ken in Texas wrote: Now all we have to figure out is. Is this in fact a true example of a original seat. Or.  Is it a old one that has been recovered .

When I got my 1950 C it had the remains of the original canvas seat on it. (I bought this machine from the family that got it new so the history was easy to follow) I looked at it today and found the seams on the canvas (without a welt), the holes in the bottom board with the staples and the corner cleats match sbaker's example above. Inside the seat and on top of the springs is a layer of straw like material topped with a layer of cotton matting. I know my example has not been reupholstered.

Edited by mdtractormechanic - 06 Sep 2011 at 12:57pm

I remember our 42 B had a canvas covered seat (green).  They did not last long in hard use.  We must have replaced it at least twice in 10 years.  You will not like the canvass if you leave the tractor out and it rains.  Takes forever to dry the seat.  But, canvas is cooler that black plastic.

I have a `39 B  it had a worn canvas seat cover on it  and the metal corners and metal buttons on each corner with a small nail holding it on to the wood like the metal corners and button that Don in MI is showing on his seat.  The interesting thing is it has a cardboard tag with the part number on it stapled to the wood bottom.  Sorry, no picture.

I got what I think is the right HD OD Cotton Duck Canvas from Brett Phillips . He got it from McMaster-Carr.  Gary A ordered a 10 yard piece from them a year ago.  Got the same stuff.  Went to the M C web page today and can't find it listed now.  When I find my orriginal stock number I will call M C to see why it is not listed any longer.

Ken, that was kind of my guess too..... The springs and other components probably are original, but it could have been recovered at some point in time.

Thanks Steve K

This was on my 41 B when I brought it home. The stuff that looks like horsehair might not be. They used to harvest spanish moss in the swamps and submerge it in ponds to decompose. What was left when they pulled it out was the wirey core. It was used almost exclusively in the early days of the auto industry. I have a hand crack moss gin in my garage they used to use to comb it out and remove twigs. I've been trying to find a museum to donate it to so I've done some research on the subject.