MTFCA Forum

I removed the upholstery from the rear seat of my 1917 Touring and found something I could use some input on.

Wrapped around the wooden "armrest" and tacked to the bottom inner wood rail is a piece of heavy cardboard. Is this correct or did a previous owner come up with it on his own?

not org but it sure helps,charley

Better quality cars used such material, called leatherboard, as backing for the seat side panels, just as it is used on door panels on model Ts. The nearest equivalent we have nowdays is 3mm MDF. The edges of the board can be filed off to taper the material around them, and a good sewing machine can even sew through the MDF when making door panels.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

To be factory correct, the cardboard covers only the wood armrest. The wood armrest has countersunk holes for bolts. The cardboard covers those holes, creating a smooth surface for the upholstery. On the wood armrest, there is no stuffing between the cardboard and the upholstery material.

Might depend on the year but here are some photos of the arm rest from about an original unmolested 1920 body the jute covering goes under the cardboard and there is some padding on the inside edge.

On a '17, there is burlap or jute between the cardboard and the wood armrest as you show in the picture of the '20.

The stuffing doesn't go on top the armrest - it's basically a hard surface and the upholstery is nice and tight on the armrest. I'd post some pictures but I'm at my parents' house, not on my own computer.

Note that the cardboard has a notch in it. On the roadster. the top bracket sits further forward along the armrest than it does on a touring. That notch is to accommodate the roadster top bracket.