Now let's remove the chrome covers. There are two versions of Pagoda seats, as far as I know. I have two pagodas, 1965 and 1966 and each has a different system. Mercedes has probably changed them somewhere between July 65 and December 66. I find the later system to be much user friendlier.
Let me describe both. First you'll need to remove the rosette. On the earlier cars, the rosette is attached by a spring through the rosette base. Just pry the spring out by a nail and hammer. Try not to lose the spring! (See the detailed photo of the rosette removed - the spring has been replaced so that I do not lose it)
The rosette on the later cars has two parts. The middle cap can be pried off by a screwdriver through the reverse side - see the two holes on the photo - just locate one of them and push the from the back.
The earlier chrome covers have four or five "paws" which are bent around the reclining mechanism. Usually, if your seat has been disassembled before, those paws break away. This was also my case and the only remedy was to drill a hole through both the reclining mechanism and the chrome cover and attach the chrome with a bolt with countersunk head - otherwise it always tillts up.
The later cars have a much better solution - the chrome is held by a two plastic teeth which can be easily pried away and the chrome comes off.
