Hi fellows,

I have a 1978 Corvette Pace Car and am considering getting new covers for the seats. I have seen many ads with prices that vary greatly. I wonder if anyone has replaced the seat cover by one of these and can give me some hint of how it was, if it was worth or if you know any brand that is not good.

 

My .02: purchase your new upholstery already installed on new foam. Makes Life a whole lot easier.

 

OR...if youwant to make life harder/if cash is limited......buy 1" or 2" thick foam upholstery squares----trim each piece to fit between the seat-frame and the original foam pieces (to improve the comfort and thickness of the old foam pieces). Then install new seat covers(bought from a reputable vendor). Some seat covers are overpriced for what you really need.

 

I went to Carlisle and Corvett America had a work shop on installing new foam and seat covers. I spent 500 and installed them before winter, what a blessing! My 78 with standard full length seats is now comfortable on long drives. Your pace car must have split seats, new foam and ccovers would make a great driving experience.

 

I thank everyone who responded to me. Really put new covers and foam is the best option. However I live at 12,000 miles away from you and to put the foam in the luggage is kinda hard. So I'll have to buy just the covers. I was also atCorvette America workshop in Carslile last year's . I believe this workshop seems to me was on Saturday morning. The material of them is very good but it is one of the most expensive. I have seen in other places like in Wilcox, Ecklers and Corvette Central for half price. Does their stuff is good too?

 

IMO, most all new seat foam is overstuffed for the plush look of car shows, but in a vette, it's just too much seat gets narrow, seats too high, and forward....unless totally destroyed, you better off with the OEM foam and some extra done with care, if necessary in spots....

my car is a '72 and still has the OEM foam, but there is a trick to installing seat covers....first off, you use TIE WRAPS from electrical work instead of those stupid hog ring/pliar, this way you get to determine how you want a certain pull to look....second trick is to take a garbage bag single layer of plastic and put over the foam, then pull the seat cover over it, it all slides in place then, making the install simple as sin to poke the tie wrap through the plastic around the springs/mesh and zip tie as necessary....mine been there that way for some ten? years now, in the FLORIDA summer sun....

can't see why a later shark would not behave the same way....

I BET you don't need new foam, so save the angst....

 

Our covers for your car are made by CA Brand. The original covers were made with a leather center and vinyl skirt too. http://willcoxcorvette.com/advanced_...&keywords=pace

You can use the current sale to save even more money.

 

I did the same thing and it made the whole process a piece of cake. And the new seats are awesome. I also ordered the full leather option. (The originals were vinyl with leather inserts.) Much nicer.

 

I did the seats in my wife's 78 and just finished my 69 last week. Do not scrimp. Go with new foam or you will be sorry. It's not a hard job but you have to do it right and it's under the covers that will make it or break it. I bought my stuff from Wilcox and it worked out great.
Use new seat foam. Below is a pic of my 69 seats after I finished them.

 

Grant.. those look great!!!!!!!!!!

 

CanadaGrant, if you could post a clear picture showing where exactly those front jack stands are located I would really appreciate it. (Sorry to hijack the thread.) The seats do look great!

 

Corvette America has how to video s on on their website.http://www.corvetteamerica.com/cf/displayspecial.cfm?specialid=961&idlist= 1161,1159,1158,1151,1149,1124,1123,1122, 1121,1120,1119,1118,1093,1080,1077,1042, 1031,971,961&searchdest=%2Fcf%2Fdefault% 2Ecfm%3FisStatic%3Dyes&subcategoryid=&se archname=Specials

Hope this link works, Mike

 

There are many ideas and tips that I'll have to think. My seats are not bad but I do not know if the foam shrank. I will review all the tips that you gave me, but I think taking the foam is something I'll decide when buying stuff. The seats from CanadaGrant are very good . I'll see these videos from Corvette Central to assess what should be done. I thank everyone who tried to help me.

 

The jack stands are just positioned under the front portion of the a-arms so the depression in the jackstand catches over the lip just outboard of the inside front attach point. I don't have a pic as I am not at home today.

 

I got new foam and seat covers a couple years ago and did them myself. Was surprised how easy it was. Take a few hours of work and they turn our really nice.

 

Mines not a 78 Pace Car, but just a C3 that just last night I finished the seats. My car is a 74, and, for the most part seems to have been kept under cover for most of her life, but the seats...not that they were in great shape, but talk about uncomfortable. After pricing the new foam and seat covers, I realized I didn't think I'd be happy with NO side to side support. I had sat in the C5 seats, and liked them, however they are rare, cost 500-1000 bucks and I'd still have to contend with a color not really matching the rest of the interior without a pricey cover change on those as well. I have a friend with a mid 80's car, sat in his seats and fell in love with them. Side support, comfy as all get out and in not too bad of shape. 100 bucks later and they were mine. I ordered the "leather like" covers from Corvette America and patiently waited for them to arrive. Once they did, I eagerly began to install them. Sort of. I did one. What I was SO disappointed about was the fit. way too loose in the bolsters and side supports. Loose enough I didn't want to do the other seat. I pondered a day or so, and broke down and ordered new seat foam (another 250 bucks) and patiently waited for the foam. A few days ago, I recovered the passenger seat, then compared it with the drivers seat I had done with the factory foam. The difference was steller. Mind you, I could have glued and packed the original but the results might be questionable. Last night, I re-upholstered the drivers seat using the new foam. Buy a decent pair of hog-ring pliers and take your time. I must add I purchased the seat installation kit which had new wires as well as a bag of hog-ring clips. The hog ring clips they give you are junk. It also gives you a much shorter "bite", enough so I vertured into a local upholstery shop for a handful of hog-rings. The lady there didn't think there WAS a difference....until I showed her the hog ring clips from Corvette America. Shame on them for that one. Someone saved some money at the expense of quality and should receive a spanking. Otherwise, the fit and finish with the new foam turned out as good or better than if I had taken them to an upholstery shop. And the best part is I DID IT and not someone else. I couldn't be happier! So, the short moral of this story is if it's a 30 plus year old seat and your taking the time and expense to put a new set of threads on them, replace the foam. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Here is a photo of the seat with the original seat foam (which ISN'T in bad shape, I might add) with the new seat covers. Note the loose areas that wouldn't "fill".
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Here is a photo of the new seat foam from Corvette America. The most notable difference is I'd swear they used some kind of gel in the new foam as they are a TOTALLY different "feel". Reminds me of the expensive seat foam gel I had custom made into a motorcycle seat. COMFY!
[IMG][/IMG]

Finally, the finished product with new seat foam.
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Sir I visited your site now and also your ad at ebay. The item 421762 and 130700197022 are the same in both sites? If I buy it on ebay how long does it take to arrive in Florida?

 

OPO, where are you located??

 

You are a forum member.. use the forum link and the 10 off coupon code posted in our sale thread. Here is the link and... yes they are all three the same part.

http://willcoxcorvette.com/advanced_...leather%20like

 

I'm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.