saablog

Last week I had the drivers seat bottom upholstery fixed by removing it from the seat frame and having it stitched up at a shoe repair place. Total cost: $10.89 including tax. I guess the tax rate is slightly lower in Edmonds than in Shoreline. Again, thanks to Ani for her stellar suggestion of getting it sewn at a shoe repair place.

 In any case, on Friday night I picked up the upholstery, re-assembled the seat, and installed it in te car so I could move the car to mow the grass that was growing under it. It was fairly straightforward to re-install the upholstery, though I didn’t tie it down at the center seam, so it doesn’t look at fitted as the un-molested passenger seat. Below you can see the seat without and with upholstery.

You can see it’s definately not perfect. But it’s sewn together for cheap. And that was the goal!

Here’s what the car looked like without its seat (after I vacuumed). There wasn’t much yucky stuff under there at all, mostly just some dusty stuff from the slowly deteriorating seat cushion foam.

It’s interesting that the nuts into which the four bolts (shown) thread are loose in a track, not secured to the car. I guess that’s so if the bolts were damaged in an accident or cross-threaded, the bolts can be replaced rather than needing to try to tap new threads into floor of the car. Whatever. I was careful not to move/lose the nuts. So, now the car is back together and a bit nicer to use on a regular basis.

For a change of subject, the first autocross event I’ll be competing in with the 900 is this Sunday, June 03, at the Boeing Everett west parking lot. I registered yesterday, and the number 9 was still available as a car number. That’s superb, because I happen to have magnetic number 9 decals for my car. In fact, I have six of them, plus three number 7 logos.

When I lived in Portland, my brother got me two number 9 logos as a gift for my ‘95 900, along with white “Grassroots Motorsports” number boxes. I drove around Portland with those on the car for a few weeks. It was hilarious. I wish I could find photos. But I digress. When Erik moved to Wisconsin, he brought over some “extra” numbers. Turns out he had four more number 9 decals, and three number 7 decals that he had ordered along with my original 9 logos.

The only problem with the numbers is that they’re black. The same color as my car. Not enough contrast when magnetically on the car. I wanted to think of a way to make them more visible on the car without using the Grassroots Motorsports surrounds. And today the idea struck. I have extra racing stripe from the segment Erik ordered for my rear hatch. I could make the number racing-stripe orange. I asked nicely for Ani to help me, and she did.

It’s really easy to do. Peel back the adhesive paper on the stripe, throw the number down (actually, line the number up with the stripe, then carefully set in place), then cut around the number. Remember to put the decal on there magnet-side-up, so that the orange color is facing out! Ani’s good at crafty stuff like this.

Then, voila. Cool orange number(s). With stripes that match the rest of the car.

When not at the track, the orange-stripe 9s can live on the washing machine with their friends, the black 9s and 7s.

Thanks for reading. I’ll let you all know how it goes on Sunday. At least I will if I don’t come in last place!