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Car · Upholstery, interior and hood
Fiat 500 C Topolino
A grey Topolino 500 C on its black Cuneo plate: seats stripped down to the springs and rebuilt, new padding, panels and trim, rubber mats and a checked folding hood.
- Model
- Fiat 500 C Topolino
- Built
- 1949–1955
- Engine
- 4 cylinders, 569 cc, overhead valves
- Colour
- Grey
- Plate
- Period black Cuneo plate
- Work
- Upholstery, interior trim, mats, hood
The story
The 500 C, launched in 1949, is the last evolution of the Topolino: a redesigned nose with the headlamps set into the wings and the overhead-valve engine inherited from the 500 B. It stayed in production until 1955, when the 600 took its place.
This grey one, still on its black Cuneo plate, arrived with sagging, torn seats and a worn interior. Most of the work was inside: seats stripped down to the springs, padding and fabric redone, new panels, rear compartment trim and mats.
The restoration step by step
From springs to fabric
- Step 1 of 5
How it arrived
Complete and on its black plate, but with sagging seats and torn fabric. The engine is pulled out through the front to be checked at leisure.
the interior as it arrived 
the engine pulled out through the front - Step 2 of 5
Stripping the interior
Seats, door panels and trim come out of the cabin. Under the fabric: rust on the frames and the old, damaged cardboard panels.
the seat removed, with its rusty frame 
the seat frame under the old cover 
the old, damaged cardboard panels 
the door before the new trim - Step 3 of 5
Springs and padding
The seat springs are cleaned, straightened and checked one by one; then the cloth that carries the padding is stretched over them.
the seat springs laid bare 
the spring mesh of the backrest 
the cushion with cloth over the springs - Step 4 of 5
New trim
Rear bench and rear compartment trimmed in grey cloth with piping, the headlining under the hood finished in the same colour.
the rear bench trimmed in grey 
the rear compartment finished with piping 
the hood bows and the new headlining - Step 5 of 5
The finished cabin
Grey seats redone, new door panels, ribbed rubber mat on the floor: the interior is plain and tidy again, as it left the factory.
the finished cabin with the grey seats 
the ribbed rubber mat 
pedals and rubber mat
As it is today
Does your Topolino need its seats redone?
Springs, padding, fabric and panels: in the workshop the upholstery is redone as original. Mimmo also works for clients in Switzerland: tell him about your car.
More restorations
This is only a small selection: over the years Mimmo has restored many more cars and trucks, and we'll keep adding them from the workshop's photo books.
