Redoing my seats
#22
Burning Brakes
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.
#24
Racer
Thread Starter
Seats are done!!!
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
#25
Race Director
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.
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.
#27
Racer
Thread Starter
#28
Drifting
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.
#29
Safety Car
Great job!
#30
Racer
Thread Starter
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.
#32
Drifting
Wire ties were on my seats when I bought my car 18 years ago and they are holding up just fine.
#34
Drifting
Member Since: Jul 2006
Location: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
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
#35
Racer
Thread Starter
#36
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Westminster Maryland
Posts: 30,173
Likes: 0
Received 2,878 Likes
on
2,515 Posts
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
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
#38
Drifting
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 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
#39
Racer
Thread Starter