Can anyone advise me on some detail regarding the front seats on my 1934 RP Box Saloon. Mine is a "standard" model, registered 1/7/34 chassis no 196968. (Maybe Sandy Croall can help!).
In particular I want to recover the seat squab. I have been loaned another squab from another 7, and although both squabs will fit the frame they are of different shapes at the front. One has a straight edge (vertical from the ground) and the other looks like the prow of a ship when viewed from the side. Can anyone advise? Thanks.

I'll have a lok at my seats tomorrow, I gave away some original RP seats to a friend in Cornwall recently, so if I cannot answer the query I know they will still have the seats.

So if nobody else comes forward, I'll be in touch.

Sandy

Thanks Sandy. Besides the shape of the seat squab front, I am also curious as to whether the seat frames should have the runners/sliders on them for a late Box Saloon. Also is there likely to be any differneces between the std and the de-luxe - the seats in my Standard appear to be covered in the original leathercloth rather than leather as I expect. The frames are also covered in leathercloth with sliders. A final question on the squab is whether you see a plywood bottom if you turn the squab upside down, or whether you see a bum-shaped piece of steel. Many thanks for your help so far - we are coming to Cornwall in the summer!. Mark

Mark, email me, my addy is on the A7CA web site - I'm the Registrar http://www.a7ca.org/the_association.htm re. visiting Cornwall in the Summer, although be aware we do go up-country to Rallies and some of us are in Spain and France as well + of course the big Rally in Scotland and tour.

I am not aware of an RP having sliders as original equipement, although this is a popular mod, especially in the 1950's. The leathercloth is correct for the Standard Saloon - I have both a Standard (with Smokers Hatch) and a De-luxe - the base of the seats have a plywood base, the ergonomic bum sheet is hidden, or at least all the ones I've seen are.

Any info required, email me and I'll see what I've got.

PS Only just got home, about to go out again and forgot to look at seat bases, will do after the pub closes, God it's hard work being retired.

Sandy

Mark, They are "Prow "Shaped and pleated. The cushions were tacked on to a flat wooden base. With a thin strip of wood along the back to locate them it the frame. They are loose.They should have flap at the back where the original a blow up cushion was fitted, and also acts as vent when your weight squashes the cushion.I fill them with granular foam shaped with an electric carving knife.The "bum" shaped base was made for the Ruby.Runners were only fitted to the Ruby model. There are 2 types of these.The later one being the one that could be fitted. Actually they are not necessary in pratice.The frame into which the cushion locates was covered by mill board on the outside,riveted in place,which in turn was covered by material .hope this helps. Mac

Interesting that... looks like my RP has got Ruby seats! One with runners, one without - both with exposed bums!

Thanks Mac - it looks like I have got seat frames from a Standard Ruby - i.e they are leathercloth but they have sliders. The seat squab is also leathercloth with a steel "bum plate" underneath, again making it from a Ruby if I've read your reply right. The seat squab however has the "prow" front - which your note seems to imply is from the Box. Could it be that a late Box Saloon had some of the early Ruby fittings?

As you can now see seats are readily being swopped!. In my experience , I have trimmed all models. The cushions all "Prow" on the later Boxes and Rubys.So the cushions look similar from the top. The first early boxes even had plain cushions ,in some cases, and were much more sculpted.Vertical sides.What can be done is to tack a wood base on the "bum" seats to make them look early...The wooden version was sloped in wood ,not concave as the metal type.