Ice blue exterior and interior trim colours

[TS528L]

I have after many years started planning the restoration of my TR2, TS528L built on 2 February 1954. it has been in my possesion for over 40 years so it is a really long term project. The heritage certificate specifies the exterior colour as Ice Blue with a Grey (leather) interior. But the door sides and the side part of the seat cushion shows that it was originally fitted on these parts with the trim called "wicker pattern". I also suspect that the dashboard had the same trim. Since this is not available anymore (thankfully?), what is the replacement in your opinion?

 

Gunnar

 

Edit:

wicked to wicker

Edited December 19, 2016 by TS528L

[Don H.]

I have after many years started planning the restoration of my TR2, TS528L built on 2 February 1954. it has been in my possesion for over 40 years so it is a really long term project. The heritage certificate specifies the exterior colour as Ice Blue with a Grey (leather) interior. But the door sides and the side part of the seat cushion shows that it was originally fitted on these parts with the trim called "wicked pattern". I also suspect that the dashboard had the same trim. Since this is not available anymore (thankfully?), what is the replacement in your opinion?

 

Gunnar

 

"Wicked" sounds pretty nifty! But, alas, the original pattern was called "wicker".

 

It's kind of a neat pattern. Sometimes called "metric" as well. Nearly impossible to find these days, even to see examples. Here are a couple images of scraps in my files for those who don't know the pattern.

 

 

 

There's really no "right" replacement. It's all about what you like. Whatever you prefer will sound good to us, Gunnar!

Edited December 19, 2016 by Don H.

[EdwinTiben]

Well.. i do have an opinion on this matter take a look at My signature below for pictures from My ice blue with Blackberry interior.

 

The wicker pattern is rare and " interesting ".. But dont think grey would suit ice blue..

[Guest]

I have seen only one pic of a 'wicker'ed' TR and I love it. First thing that sprung to mind when I read the first posting: "How difficult can it be to have this pattern printed in this day and age of photoshopping?"

 

Menno

[Don H.]

Wicker trim is a texture as much as a pattern, of course, Menno -- but you're right, simply to reproduce the effect with a printed pattern would seem well within the capabilities of today's digital printing.

[EdwinTiben]

There are several companies, who specialize in smaller batches. You could do a print in stead of texture, allthough not the same feeling.

 

I have a friend who has Some panels in quote good shape to be scanned if needed.

 

http://www.enviroleather.com/resources/customization

[Guest]

Nowadays you can have cracked dashboard repaired, complete with the correct 'grain' pattern. So perhaps gou can have the wicker pattern and 'feel' copied as well.

 

Menno

[2long]

FYI, this thread shows Lou Metelko's very nice Ice Blue TR2 with a Geranium trim. I do think the Blackberry on Edwin Tiben's car looks really nice. I also think that you should try photoshopping in some of the colors to see what looks good to you. If the BMIHT certificate says grey, then I would at least take a look at that as it is a subtle but nice shade. The Jabekke TR2, MVC 575, will have a dark blue interior, and you can draw your own conclusion on that!

 

Cheers

 

Dan

 

http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/21983-tr2/page-2

Edited December 19, 2016 by 2long

[EdwinTiben]

Nowadays you can have cracked dashboard repaired, complete with the correct 'grain' pattern. So perhaps gou can have the wicker pattern and 'feel' copied as well.

Menno

Anything is possible, but at what cost?

 

With this texture you have to create stamps for larger area production runs..

[TS528L]

I will post some pictures of one seat and also one door trim to show the wicker pattern, do you have a good link to where to put the pictures?

I also have to tell you how important it is to try to contact the previous owners to get the history of the car.

My car was not a barnfind, but it was found outside a small cottage here in Sweden, when I got in around 1976. One big problem was that I did not have any registration number, I had the old style of tax holder we had long ago in Sweden, but it was empty. Since we changed to a new registration system in 1973 and the car was off the road then it was impossibleto trace it with only the chassis number. The old system was based on local areas, like the english countys, and my county were I found the car was Östergötland. It must have had an E-registration I hoped. In 1950-60 the swedish police sold a register of all cars registered in a particular county for a specific year, so I found on Swedish Ebay a book for my county for 1962. It was a list of around 70000 cars. The system was in numerical order starting with E1 for the governors car, E2 for the bishop and so on. The book showed the number, year, make (no model) and owner and his/her address. Luckily for the year of my car 1954 Triumph only made TR:s. So after going through 70000 posts I ended up with two Triumps 1954 and could then ask for a copy from the Swedish Archive where these registers are now. After a week I got two copies, but of course they were the wrong cars. Back to square one. Another book on Ebay and I found a similar book for 1958, this time with two counties D and E-county, together around 100000 cars. Looking through these, quite a few hours work, I ended with another two from E-county. One week later I had two copies in my post box, the first witch chassi number TS538L (wrong again). But the other was my car TS528L, and now I have an identity and previous owners of my car. I looked up three of them that were still alive, well above 80 years old. They were very surprised when I called them and told that the car still existed, one of them was the second owner of the car and had a lot of stories to tell me about it, which I took notes of. I asked him about the colour of the car and he remembered that it was a very light green colour, I told him that it was Ice Blue, but he said it was definitely a green tone. I then told him that the colour I found on the car was orange, and he replied: Oh yes I painted i orange 1957 the day before midsummers eve, he thought it was a much more sporting colour. "You cant imagine how many girls I have had as passengers in that car!"
So before its too late, try to contact previous owners and get their impressions and stories about your cars.

 

Gunnar

Edited December 19, 2016 by TS528L

[Alec Pringle]

What an excellent reward for diligent searching !

 

Well done Gunnar, and many thanks for explaining your local systems and how you found the previous owners . . . .

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[Guest]

Great story!

 

My Saab 96 came with a credit card sized thin alloy plate with the name of the original owner (I am the second) stamped on it. There's a small pocket/card holder in the passenger's footwell where the card is stored. Interesting and totally not-done these days.

 

Menno

[EdwinTiben]

Great story ! he was right about the color, no one believes iets called ice blue with the lime/pale green color it is in reallive, except for some situation in the shade of in the garage. with some lights theres a grey/blue-ish stance, but outside its definately green.

 

And how about the remark of all the girls.. curious if with every year aging the count went +1

At the time i'm 80 i'll look back at the tr2 as a womens-magnet

[stuart]

Some pictures of the "Metric" trim that was on a car for sale on Ebay a while ago.

Stuart.

[Guest]

This fabric on the dash looks great. Having said that, I personally like the black wrinkle laquer on the center dash as nice varition.

 

Menno

[Bill.P.]

The Wicker or Metric trim found on early TR2s (and also on some drum braked TR3s (in the 8000s to 10000s) is ALWAYS described as "Grey" in colour in the build records I have access to.....it only came in that one colour, which isn't really Grey but a sort of buff/fawn...... On TR2s it is particularly common on Ice Blue and Geranium cars....I've never seen it on Black cars, and it is rare on White ones....I also don't think I've seen it specified on any TR2 over about TS5000, though as I say, it came back on TR3s....Triumph were probably offered by suppliers a few rolls of the stuff cheap, and so used it up.....never underestimate how strapped for cash the company was ! Any TR2 or TR3 described in the records as having "Grey" trim will have this wicker fabric.....as far as I know, there was no other Grey trim ( even though it isnt grey ! ) Bill Piggott

[TS528L]

Here are two pictures from what remains of the seats and one door side.

What is interesting compared to the pictures Stuart found on Ebay, is that my seat has the wicker pattern on the bottom side of the cushion only.

Back rest is black vinyl and seat cushion is grey leather, as the heritage certificate listed: Interior grey (leather).

They seem to have used the wicker pattern material scattered here and there.

 

Gunnar

 

 

[EdwinTiben]

probably replaced over time with another set of seats but maintaining the cushion.

[Don H.]

probably replaced over time with another set of seats but maintaining the cushion.

 

Dunno, Edwin... The "leather" reference on the BMIHT certificate seems telling.

[EdwinTiben]

 

Dunno, Edwin... The "leather" reference on the BMIHT certificate seems telling.

 

hi Don, i meant the backrest from the seats. the cushions are easy to maintain while the rest of the seats can be damaged.

[Don H.]

Ah -- got it. I misunderstood, Edwin. Yes, I think your comment makes perfect sense.

[TS528L]

probably replaced over time with another set of seats but maintaining the cushion.

I dont think the backrest has been replaced, the history of the car has information that it was taken off the road already in june 1965, and the wear of the cushion matches the wear of the backrest. It was only used on the road for 11 years. They had a hard life with many owners, changing owner almost every year. During its 11 years in traffic it had 10 owners, not counting car dealers. The longest period was four years on the owner next to the last one,

The document also shows that when we started with mandatory MOT in 1965 there is a note for the car to pass this before June 13 1965. Then there is a note of due to not passing the MOT, the car is not allowed in traffic. And the last note is that the car was withdrawn from the registry on June 30 1965, with comment; "Scrapped".

Luckily this did not happen.

 

Gunnar

Edited December 21, 2016 by TS528L

[Alec Pringle]

The only original photos I have seen of metric/wicker trim showed either a more-or-less complete metric set as per Stuart's photo, or a seat with leather facings (only) and the remainder in metric.

 

It is worth bearing in mind that this kind of pattern was popular in Belgium and Northern France through the first half of the twentieth century, as woven fabric and as oilcloth and subsequently vinyl or whatever - and still around in 1960s homes and cafes, for example. Similar synthetic fabric was used on some French cars of the 40s and 50s . . . . .

 

In the early 90s I looked through several archives of fabric at Belgian weavers (nothing to do with cars, the then day job!) and one of these had a whole range of metric/wicker type designs, in line, oilcloth and embossed synthetic. I can't now recall which manufacturer, probably Van Maele at Tielt.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[Guest]

The only original photos I have seen of metric/wicker trim showed either a more-or-less complete metric set as per Stuart's photo, or a seat with leather facings (only) and the remainder in metric.

 

It is worth bearing in mind that this kind of pattern was popular in Belgium and Northern France through the first half of the twentieth century, as woven fabric and as oilcloth and subsequently vinyl or whatever - and still around in 1960s homes and cafes, for example. Similar synthetic fabric was used on some French cars of the 40s and 50s . . . . .

 

In the early 90s I looked through several archives of fabric at Belgian weavers (nothing to do with cars, the then day job!) and one of these had a whole range of metric/wicker type designs, in line, oilcloth and embossed synthetic. I can't now recall which manufacturer, probably Van Maele at Tielt.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

I think you can call this information a major step forward! How nice would it be to find a roll of this fabric on a top shelf somewhere in Flanders.

 

Their website: http://www.vanmaele.be Since they've now joined with a US company, I am sure you can contact them in English!

 

This could be a starting point as well: the website & platform of the Flanders Textile Museums in Ghent. I am pretty certain that there are a library or sample room as well. http://www.miat.gent.be/en/node/12948 The website is not totally in English, when you need help, just give me a shout. Also, we have several Belgian & North French members here who are more aware of the local situation/addresses/history.

 

M.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Menno van Rij 2

[Alec Pringle]

Hardly new information in my comments . . . . . the descriptions 'metric' and also 'continental' were mid-twentieth century euphemisms for a British idea of a European design trend, albeit some of our interpretations of European style might well have raised eyebrows the other side of the Channel . . . . Apart from which, surprise surprise, we were generally a bit behind European times . . . . .

 

I'd have thought there would have been dozens, probably hundreds, of similar variation on a theme fabrics produced in Europe . . . . . and latterly in embossed format with the developments of synthetic materials lending themselves to added texture.

 

Given the current retro trends, it would not surprise me if someone, somewhere comes up with an acceptably similar style fabric suitable for car trim ?

 

Cheers

 

Alec

Edited December 23, 2016 by Alec Pringle