79 Original Seat w/Velour?

[riverrock]

I was wondering if FJ40s in 1979 had velour w vinyl as a seat option. Mine has it on the seats and even the jump seats but they need recovering and I haven't seen any repros offered. I think they would definitely be more comfortable but am trying to stay close to original. Any ideas or opinions?

 

[3_puppies]

I'm thinking those have been recovered

 

[Texx]

Definitely not stock. Spector off road has nice seat covers, as does Atlas1X on this forum. CCOT also has em, I've only used the SOR ones, but they always worked fine and looked good.

 

[Weedhopper]

Ya know, I looked at a 79 with fabric like that, including the jump seats. The inside of the truck was completely carpeted too. Could it have been an option?

 

[AATLAS1X]

Ya know, I looked at a 79 with fabric like that, including the jump seats. The inside of the truck was completely carpeted too. Could it have been an option?

Not an option, the fabric used was way common back in the day and could have been a dealer option meaning they sold it along with stripe kits, Warn hubs and rust prevention.

Shane

 

[Dusty 66]

That most likly a dealer option, Dealer installed Fabric inserts very common here in the Desert SW.

 

[77HesterSue]

I have a very similar velour on my front seats too. The jump seats have aftermarket SOR covers. My 40 is a 1977. They are very nicely done, who ever did them.

 

[Bear]

Fabric (brown-white "zebra-stripe") was used on the LX 40 models.
The factory also made up some special red velour-covered seats in LX-versions for some very wealthy clients back during production.
Although this runs contrary to the utility nature of the vehicle, money does talk.
And yes, likely any fabric-covered 40 seats other than as mentioned, would be re-upholstered non-factory.

 

[AATLAS1X]

Fabric (brown-white "zebra-stripe") was used on the LX 40 models.
The factory also made up some special red velour-covered seats in LX-versions for some very wealthy clients back during production.
Although this runs contrary to the utility nature of the vehicle, money does talk.
And yes, likely any fabric-covered 40 seats other than as mentioned, would be re-upholstered non-factory.

I was told and understood that these were port installed for NZ rigs only. And not OEM, and yes I have seen many but never seen EPC with them.

Thoughts?

 

[Bear]

Shane,

It's been a few years, but I have personally seen the red seats on a 40 specially-prepared for a Saudi prince--they were a heavy-textured red fabric with white vinyl--door panels were also non-standard; I have seen similar interior photos also, though on a second, different truck. Pleats, stitching, padding and frame finish appeared OEM; although not present in the factory where they were being sewn, or on the assembly line when they were being placed into the vehicle, I do believe the info I was given that this was produced for a "special" customer. The truck was an original all-black color--not a standard color--and there were other minor variations from the rule.

My experience with Italian exotic cars would confirm this practice. Ofttimes "special," meaning mega-wealthy, clients are occasionally supplied with non-standard options on specially-ordered and prepped vehicles. So-called one-offs, while not available to the general public, are occasionally produced, and little appears in the books of the exceptional model. Typically smaller manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati have done this, and sometimes records are kept of upholstery, paint, or other items. Restorers are often left confused when confronted by an odd-ball item, and unknowingly change it back to the usual and expected style, when exactness should dictate otherwise.

Iconic Toyota, the mega car factory, will undoubtedly officially tell anyone who asks, that they do NOT make exceptions with their products. But stuff happens, anyway. Is it something you or I could order, probably not, unless Dad owned the factory, or we owned our own country.

On a different note, I have a set of LX seats, again a Toyota product, fit, finish, etc.. I have examined several sets up close--cloth fabric. I also have a Toyota brochure I believe you sold me years ago with the LX seats prominently featured.

I suspect that much like the US, Toyota has different subcontractors providing materiel "just-in-time" for their assembly lines. Any of these subcontractors could be asked by the parent corporation to vary an item. For Toyota the LX was an attempt to go "up-market" a bit and acquire a relatively few extra customers. We here in the States were already out of the loop by then, and the focus was on Australia to market them. Surely some of these special trucks went out to other spots, but the preponderant number were for the Aussie market.

The original poster here had asked if Toyota EVER offered velour/vinyl as an option, and so I was responding to his question. Technically, yes, a very limited few were produced under Toyota's banner, and a few more of cloth were marketed in a special edition. But, as we all know, 99.99999% of all FJ4xs were originally produced in full vinyl for all markets, and likely his seats had been re-covered at some point. I know this is splitting hairs, and I should mind my own business, it's just the OCD of spending way too much time at this. Pray for the cure !

 

[AATLAS1X]

I am off on another vision, the NZ trucks had a brown and white stripe interiors not the same as LX, maybe I need to do some searching.


I have seen white, pewter, gray, mustard and red door panels