Fredbird

I need to safely remove either the side bolster (You know the kind that you can adjust in and out) from the sport seat or just remove the leather cover from it.

Of course... Like everyone elses, my 1991 Vette Side bolster is worn and torn. I'm wanting to take it off so i can use it as a pattern and make a new cover for it.

Anyone done this?

24695bob

NO..BUT I sure am interested...I own a 35th Annv 88 (white on white on white) and my drivers side bolster is showing the effects of me getting in and out ..It would be nice if I could get away with just redoing the bolster ...the interior parts for this car are somewhat hard to find...and not cheap...

Bob G.
64 72 & 98 Convertibles as well as 76 79 & 88 Coupes

c4speed

I know on my 95 it can't be done the leather is glued to the foam. Sport Seats only

npbassman

I currently have my drivers seat on the workbench to repair the lumbar bladder. Take a look at my pics. I didn't remove my bolster but as you can imagine, with the condition of mine I definitely thought about it. So, I took a look back there to see how to get them off and I think there are two 10mm nuts on the inside of the seat frame that hold the bolster in place. The nuts are behind the bolster motor as seen in pic 2. I think after you remove those nuts it'll come right out. In order to get access you need to remove the seat and seat back cushions as seen in the pics.

I thinking about taking mine off and having an local interior guy make up a new one. Also thinking about swapping the one from passenger side over.

Hope this helps...

mikess68

1993 40th
1st take out the seat buns/covers. next unhook a maze of lines and hoses etc. unbolt the back of the seat from the sitting part. several bolts, a seat back release, etc. then you have the back with the bolsters, unbolt the bolsters from the back, (I unbolted the bolster motor but left it attached to each one, don't know if necessary) thus allowing them to tilt forward enough to replace the leather. the bottom will still stay mounted to the large support bar running across the bottom of the rear/back of the seat.

I just did it. have 20 bolts and parts etc. laying ever where, pull the pin from the seat release and leave on the bottom part as the cable is too hard to remove. use the rubber glove trick to replace the diaphragm in the air pump while you are at it, its easy. bought a BP cup replacement bag(9.00 at Walmart, really) for lumbar support. works fine. took me about 8 hours to take it all apart and add the new bolster cover (after adding foam to the top you wear off by sliding in the seat) and now to put it back together. then when successful, have a strong drink and do the drivers seat. its not easy but not high tech either. just labor and not loosing any bolts and remember where they came from :0

if anyone has a easier way, tell me now before I do the drivers side!!??!?!?

HAD2HAV2

Bob,
The 88 side bolsters are single pieces separate from the backs. Factory has the outer side of the bolster leather stapled to the black bucket back and inside leather bolster hog ringed to the main back leather. I am not sure if you can buy separate bolster leather pieces as the part that is stapled has a black plastic strip running up the entire side. This plastic strip is what holds the side bolster to the back bucket.
I purchased the white leather already attached to new foam (15% off retail price). New foam makes a heck of a difference in your ride seat height. I did not have staple gun that will penetrate the black plastic bucket. I used small screws instead. I used white wire ties instead of hog rings as it takes a special shaped pair of hog ring pliers to pull the 2 pieces together.





Finished product. Notice no bottom switches installed as both the lumbar and bolster switches did not work.

fredk

Wow awesome job, they look great !!!

mikess68

update, able to cover the side bolster when the top of the seat and the back is removed leaving just the two bolsters and the motor and they are mounted on a rear bar. they do not come off the rear bar. while there I had a bolster switch that was seized and would not work (car sitting for years) after lots of advise, I ask my IT guy at work and he said a squirt of wd40 and that dissolved the old elect grease, then move the switch back and forth several time, and you should be in fine shape. YEP, worked like a charm. works like new, 1st time in I bet 10 years. I then took the advise here, and used a rubber glove, (I went first quality mr clean long cuff heavy duty etc. for $2.00, nothings too good for my car ) cut out the piece for the air pump, hooked back up and works fine. used the blood pres cuff bag replacement, $8, (like I said nothing too good for my vette) from Walmart and replaced the hose and lumbar. Works BETTER than new.
ready to place the seats back in the frame. Lots of ways to do and save on this site . I will post pics when completed with a better write up. Thanks for all the good advise.

mikess68

brief update.
found out that the bolsters foam had shrunk over the years. on the 2nd seat bolsters, made sure the leather was ok with no tears etc. left the old leather on and covered the bolsters. fit like a glove and did not have any issues like on the other side making the fit tight like on the drivers seat. it also gave you some better "meat" to attach the hog nose clips onto. wish I had done the other side the same way. but live and learn. now that I feel like an expert, I will have to never do it again and forget all I learned. ain't it funny. posted pics in album
now, back to that pesty radio issue. . . .