<VV> Who Wants A Set Of 65/66 Head Restraints?

[airvair]

Actually, there's more to them than meets the eye. When you get into 
metal fabrication, it can get expensive. Especially with heavier stock, 
like what's used for the post material. Then there's the parts that are 
WELDED into the seat frame, which are fairly complicated (spelled pricy) 
assemblies, in terms of dies needed for reproducing them. I'm speaking 
from the point of view of a retired diemaker with 30 years of experience 
in the field of automotive stampings. Then there's the chrome plating, 
which isn't cheap. I just had a Corvair shift lever replated, and it 
cost $90. So just in metal pieces alone, the $350 price figure on eBay 
is not unreasonable, considering what it would take to reproduce such 
assemblies. Plus you have to remember that they probably sold to 
Corvette people, who usually have more money than brains, IMHO. (Wish 
they'd stop raiding OUR parts bins.)

And I didn't even mention the padding and upholstery. The '66 style 
wouldn't be too bad to repop, but the '67-9 styles would be extremely 
pricy, as the covers are one-piece molded with an additional bottom piece.

-Mark C

Nick Elzinga wrote:

>The topic of head restraints for 65/66 models was discussed at length last
>week and a set of good restraints only, with no hardware, sold on ebay for
>$350 yesterday after the bidding exceeded the reserve by $200.
>
>Clearly these items are in huge demand.  I've watched auctions for these for
>4 years now and observed that wrecked and grotty seats sell for hundreds of
>Dollars.  What is there to a head restraint? - nothing much - a piece of
>flat steal bar, chrome plated, 2 holes, a bit of a frame with some foam
>rubber and a vinyl cover, a chromed embellishment where the post fits into
>the seat backrest and some hardware inside the seat to hold the post secure.
>Should be reasonably easy to reproduce, surely?  I'd do it myself, but
>there's just one problem;  I don't have a sample set.
>
>So I've e-mailed Clarks and suggested they re-produced them.  The response
>was positive and they will consider these in their next line of
>re-productions.
>
>So who wants a set?  I'll take a pair - anyone else?
>
>Nick Elzinga
>  
>