I saw this little Fiat in the parking lot at Trader Joe’s here in Redlands and I couldn’t believe it. In Europe, these little cars are pretty common, but in Southern California?
I started to chat with the owner; I thought maybe he was Italian or something. Nope. Just a good fellow who loved his little car. We chatted for a while and I learned that his other mode of transportation was a motorcycle. I also learned that his little Topolino (another name for the 850) needed some work.
So he pulled the car into the shop so I could redo the front seats. Getting that little Topolino into the shop was a piece of cake…much easier than some of the boats we finessed in the back door!
Once the car was inside, I got to work. It’s important to know that NO cars are parked outside when they’re getting work done. They stay inside or I just come and get the seats and bring them to the shop. If it’s a headliner or door panel, I can take measurements, do the work, and then install. Leaving cars outside, unattended is not our policy.
Back to the Topolino. The seats were original to the car, meaning they had seen a lot of miles. The owner liked the black vinyl, but wanted to upgrade just a bit. So, we replaced the flat vinyl with carbon fiber black and I covered the headrest, too. It all has to match to look good. Below are the two front seats mid-way through the project so you can see the difference. Obviously, the new one is on the right!
This was a simple project, but just as much fun as some of the more complicated ones. It’s always nice to see the smile on the owner’s face when he comes back for his car. And it’s fun to see the little Topolino in the parking lot every once in a while and think, “Hey, I had that little car in my shop.”
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