I read several posts here about covering the seats and the zip ties were used by several folks so I gave them a try. My seats came out fine and I have only had them covered a month or so but they seem perfectly fine. I don`t know how they will hold up over time and I may use hog rings when I redo my 72 seats but so far I like the zip ties.

 

i will have to try that..

 

I got the seat done. Wow! that was fun... little tricky . Glad i did them instead of somebody else. My seats where leather, and i want with look alike leather.(price) They look the same as leather but not as tuff. Have to make sure i have nothing sharp in my back pocket..lol

 

Nice work!! Now put them in the car and get on the road.

I put a plastic dry cleaning bag over the foam when pulling on the seat covers. They are slippery enough that the seat covers just slide right over them. Then when the covers are on, you can just pull off the bags.

 

Nice job!

Take a heat gun to them now and work out the remaining wrinkles.

Feels good to do it yourself don't it?

 

Yes it does. almost as good when i got done painted it!!!

 

Outstanding job!! Good for you. They look great. Do you think you'll like the looks like leather material or do you wish you would of went with real leather. Reason I asked is if I ever have to redo my vert seats I may go with the leather instead of vinyl. I used a hair drier on my seats to pull out those wrinkles like eastltd mentioned. Best 17.00 dollars I have spent was for that hair drier. Not for me but for the car.

 

Great job!

 

Thanks.. They look like real leather. Just putting them on you can tell there not. they strech more then leather would. For the price not bad if you want the look..

 

Your seats look great!

 

Wire ties were on my seats when I bought my car 18 years ago and they are holding up just fine.

 

ty wraps aint going anywhere....police have them in the brim of their caps for large busts, they make great handcuffs.

 

Is it just me, or is the trim piece on the left seat upside down?

 

No its up side down. My dumb ***... lol i didn't see it until i was posting the pictures on the forum. ha ha.. Got it fixed now thanks

 

Hi O
It looks like you did an especially nice job. Often the trim (even up side down) isn't straight with the sewn seam like yours are.
WELL DONE!
Regards,
Alan

 

I've been debating (with myself) about doing this myself or having it done --- the quality of your work pushes me toward doing it myself

 

I have a old guy in town that has an auto upholstery shop. He has done many Motor Trend, Hotrod magazine cars and did a couple of George Barris's concept cars. He showed me a trick many years ago and I use it almost every time I re-upholster a seat. Sometimes your seat foam is not in very bad shape. It is just "shrunk" from time and weight sitting on it. Your original seat foams fit much better than aftermarket foam for obvious reasons. You can take 1/2 inch foam from an upholstery shop or some sewing centers and carefully glue it to the original seat foams. You use 3M #74 adhesive made for foam rubber. It is an orange can. You mould the new foam over the old glueing both sides and pressing together. The new foam can compress down to 1/8 inch so tight areas are of no concern. Another trick with aftermarket foam is to use the same adhesive and apply 2 layers of heavy burlap to the bottom and backs of your aftermarket seat foams. It is what the factory did and it keeps the seat springs from cutting into your new foam. It will cut into the foam very quick if you do not have this burlap in place. The 68 and newer seats had the burlap glued into the foam. Earlier seat like the 66 seats in the follow recovers had the burlap loose with wire stays.
I have done 30 plus seats for myself and others. I am no professional.
I would not be afraid to tell anyone with decent skills to try their own covers.
In the following examples you can see how I did some of the seats and foam. It really makes the seats look full and comfortable.

85 seats





66 seats



New burlap with original wire stays





Here is one of the bottoms for a 72 I am doing this week.
The covers were not torn but a little "shrunk"



and with the foam overlay

 

I was in the same boat as you. I said what the hell and gave it a shot.
it wasn't that bad!!!