Valiant VJ Hardtop Coupe Parchment Vinyl Seats

In recent times we’ve been fortunately enough to help restore some seats in VH and VJ hardtop coupes. Both cars are in NZ.

  • The seats have all been stripped down, inspected and repaired thoroughly. This means doing tedious tasks such as taking the factory springs out to blast and paint the frames, doing welding repairs on the frames (often back seat frames are bent from being used a lot over the years and/or yanked out of the car etc.), bending up new springs to replace broken or fatigued seat springs (and often adding support springs to reinforce inherently weak factory springs), etc etc etc…
  • then we make the fun, new and clean stuff like foam and covers. The VH VJ hardtops have been a new model for us so we need the original seats to develop, test and iron out our patterns in terms of the foam kits and seat skins. We love this part because it’s new and exciting, although it takes time and patience.
  • Before we fit new foam and covers, the seat frames need to have been properly prepared and readied. This again means doing tedious things like padding places where springs can squeak, wrapping jute paper around connecting spring wires, gluing felt/rubber/leather onto sharp parts of the frame so to protect new covers from being damaged prematurely etc etc etc etc etc… …
  • then onto the strenuous part of the job: fitting. This part is a mixture of wrestling, massaging and persuading so to make every seat look its best (as can be imagined).
  • The final part of tuning out beautiful seats is a mixture of checking and fixing the alignment of seat pleats, massaging out wrinkles and creases, installing hardware and sometimes we finish off by gently heating the seat skins to sit into the foam better.

Each interior is a bit of an experience or a journey. Some are easier than others because we had been there already and had learned to do things better or more efficiently. We enjoy every set that we’ve done and thank our customers for your patience and support.

Valiant VH R/T Charger Seats

Recently completed a set of VH R/T seats for a Charger that a customer brought to NZ from Australia. Not a bad way to start 2025!

Front bottom seat springs in both seats were fatigued and way past their usefulness. New seat springs are a must for seats this old. Wouldn’t be very comfortable or great looking seats if we simply put them old springs back in.

We love a comfortable drive so we think great driving seats are a must!

Speaking of long drives and road trips we happened to visit Te Aroha, where we spotted a “Valiant” … …

Complete VH 770 Seats

This is an updated post.

One of the first jobs that we did since moving back to New Zealand from Melbourne is a front set of VH 770 Charger bucket seats for a customer in Auckland. This customer has a New Zealand built Charger who wanted the right seats. This set of Australian built VH 770 Charger seats are actually perfect for the car. The Ozzie seats tilt forward as well as recline.

Seat Materials

The seats’ pleated inserts are made using Chrysler diamond dot vinyl, which look very cool and make a great contrast to the outer panels which are Chrysler roebuck.

If you’re intending to trim your Charger using this diamond pattern vinyl, you would need approximately 2 metres for the seat inserts front and rear, another 2 metres for the rear parcel shelf and four door top sections (2 front door tops and 2 rear quarter sections). This vinyl is imported from America. The rest of the seats, and door trims are done in Chrysler roebuck, which is obtainable from Australia.

Door Trims

Chrysler door cards are as tasteful as their seats’ designs. We recreate factory looking door trims using a sewing machine for the stitches/pleats.

Choices

We think it is utterly cool however you envision doing your Charger, as adding a touch of difference or uniqueness is what we think makes rebuilding/restoring these cars fun and challenging. In the past, customers have opted for cowhide leather, original vinyl/cloth fabrics, as well as vinyl colours close enough to the original. Whatever you choose, we can assist in obtaining the fabrics and making sure everything looks as holistic and aesthetically pleasing as possible.


Each project might feel like a big long build, but nearing the end of the tunnel you’d want to know you have comfortable seats to drive in!

NZ Valiant Chargers by Todd Motors

This is an updated post written on 6th June 2025.

Consider this our journal because it has been a journey.

Before moving back to NZ, we knew the Todd Motors assembled Chargers have a somewhat different interior to the OZ counterparts. But until we stripped down some and took apart and studied what’s lacking, we did not realise how saggy the seats were.

The journey has been to fix the foundation first. This means working out why the seats were saggy to begin with. And it was not just because the Charger is 50 odd years old. Apparently the seats were saggy and un-supportive from new, which we could totally understand why after studying the construction of the seat frames.

So apart from replacing EVERY single factory seat spring in the bottom seats, we also discovered that the bottom seat frames had unused(!) holes in the frames which could take additional springs. Richard made up some new springs and added them to the back of the seat. As well as this, reinforcing springs were added to the middle and also to the two front folded springs. We each sat on the seat to test it out and we are now both satisfied that this newly ungraded seat would be better than before. Now we consider rebuilt seats to be better than factory!

NZ VJ Charger with Leather Seats in VK Style

Since moving back to NZ we have been busy bees. In a recent trip to Whakatane and Opotiki to see family, and a customer to whom we supplied complete leather seats to a few years ago, we had the pleasure of seeing this customer’s NZ VJ Charger in person.

This VJ Charger’s interior is fitted with reclinable seats that we retrimmed in cow leather, and vinyl door trims done by Richard Kirby from Gore.

It is our absolute joy to see our customer being so happy with his interior. As a huge bonus, we found out this interior won an award this year!

Valiant VH Hardtop

This is a new model for us, so we’re very excited. As development is needed to make and test the new foam and ensure new seat skins fit like a pair of gloves, we can only work on development jobs in the background. These jobs take us longer as we must have access and reference to the original seats. This is the only way to ensure everything is done right and well. This page will be updated as we progress.

Customer’s original tan interior, which will be changed to a black vinyl interior.

One of the issues that the customer has spotted is how saggy the backseat is when his grandchildren sit in it. Bad / worn out foam and/or potentially broken / fatigued seat springs. This will be inspected when we strip the back seat down.

VH hardtop front seat patterns getting made:

One of the issues we have spotted in the front seats is that we can feel the metal of the seat. This indicates that over time, the foam and skin have shrunk so much so that the foam is essentially crêpe. The seat skin hugs and wraps around the seat as if it were fitted over bare frame, without much in the way of cushioning / padding. What should have been 25mm thick foam when new, for example, would look about 10mm thick by the time we strip the seat down and inspect the foam. This is why we find it extremely inaccurate and pointless to copy from shrunk vinyl skins. Fitting that back onto seats means you will either have to use old foam, or deliberately use a smaller / slimmer foam kit.

Inspections of the factory foam show what’s lacking:

Valiant VH hardtop seat: common problem shared by seats of this age is that you can feel the metal frame through the trim. Foam padding is virtually non-existant, and the seat skin is not reliable to copy from.

This part of seat foam breaks down more quickly from wear due to the lack of foam.
The edge wire of the seat has also cut through the foam.

Door Cards:

Meanwhile, we’ll be sourcing the backing panels for these door cards. The door trims will be recreated using a sewing machine. So the heat pressed stitches from factory will be real stitches. Door trim backing panels will also get test fitted to the actual doors before the door trims get made.

To be continued…