Seat Covering Help...

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Hunyadi

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OK - so I bought enough to completely redo the interior of my well-worn 65' Barracuda. New carpet, headliner, seat upholstery etc... I redid the rear seat with no problem - almost even look s professional. Now I am on to the front seats. The seat foam was worn out so I bought new seat foams for the front seats. Got the new seat foams and just got the inner ring to the seat upholstery installed (the part of the seat cover that has the tree metal rods and makes the "indent" in the center of the seat. Now I am finding that the seat foam appears to be too big - though it pretty much lines up with the old one, just more material.... I am afraid of pulling the vinyl too tight across the seat foams (which would require another person pushing with all their weight and me stretching the material over it. Anyone else done this and had similar experience problems??? Do I shave some of the foam off??? (Though that seems to be a bad choice) The parts came from Year One - and they seem to be the "right" parts - (IE the seat foams line up perfectly with the rails, the design, etc... but they are just too stiff esp. along the outer corners..) Help...
 
I've heard of people putting plastic trash bags over the foam before installing the covers. The covers will slip on more easily over the plastic than directly over the foam. Then just pull the bag out.
I also saw an old school upholstery guy turn the cover inside out and 'roll' it onto the seat.
Hope this helps,
Dallas
 
I like the bag idea - it would cut down on the friction - if anyone has done this beofre with a Barracuda / Dart / Valiant front seat set let me know - will try to post a photo of my dillemma....
 
I like the bag idea - it would cut down on the friction - if anyone has done this beofre with a Barracuda / Dart / Valiant front seat set let me know - will try to post a photo of my dillemma....
 
Hunyadi said:
I like the bag idea - it would cut down on the friction - if anyone has done this beofre with a Barracuda / Dart / Valiant front seat set let me know - will try to post a photo of my dillemma....
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yup. i used both those ideas, would have been a knockdown drag out fight otherwise. a little sprinke of talc powder on the inside of the upholstery helps also. only difference with mine was that i made my own seat foam.

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Don't forget to warm the vinyl really good in the sun. Makes it more pliable. There was an earlier thread with this regard some time ago; do a search and you might find some more advice there.
 
I had so much trouble with the front seat upper covers that I sent them back to Legendary and they did them under warranty for me. Came back looking good and all it cost me was shipping them there.
 
Those seat foams made for a-b-c-bodies bucket seats will include instructions for shaving bolsters ,etc.. This may not apply to yours.
The skin is supposed to fit very tight though. I've seen so many vehicles on ebay with "new seat covers " in the description. Then wrinkles are seen in the pics which scream lack effort install.
My bucket seat bottoms weren't as hard and the rear seat bottom. I had them upside down on the floor with my 200 lb junior standing on them. For the rear seat bottom I had a piece of 2X6 across the springs with junior and his wife standing on it.
Every life time experienced uphostery man I've met has had his hands messed up bad with artheritis.
Now about those rods in the seats. There should have been 2 hogrings daisychained down to the seat frame. That didn't prevent the rod from traveling lengthwise.
I know one guy who bends a small loop at each end of those rods. A torch is required to bend that stuff. The loops look down , replacing one hogring. This leaves their ends rounded and anchored. Prevents customer comebacks.
Thats all I have to offer. Good luck.
 
67Dart440GT said:
Is it possible to start from the big end and work your way back?
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Unfortunatly no - there are three rods in the center that have to be snugged down first then the excess along the pried over the foam...In the photos I have installed the three center rods - it would have been a better idea to have bent the ends though....:disgust:
 
OK - HELP - I have PUI seat foam covers and there was NO instructions with them - matching them up with the old ones it seems like I should shave off the top - however i dont want to do this without real true instructions.... secondly even using the plastic bag method - I just ripped the bottom portion of the vinyl... my wife can patch it and its where you wont see it, but still I'm getting close to tossing $600 down the toilet... HELP....
 
Hunyadi said:
OK - HELP - I have PUI seat foam covers and there was NO instructions with them - matching them up with the old ones it seems like I should shave off the top - however i dont want to do this without real true instructions.... secondly even using the plastic bag method - I just ripped the bottom portion of the vinyl... my wife can patch it and its where you wont see it, but still I'm getting close to tossing $600 down the toilet... HELP....
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A plumber cant help with the car seats LOL
I've done my share of bad mouthing PUI already so I wont go there.
I wouldn't expect another vendor like Legondary to provide any support on anothers products.
Areas where the foam is shaved will get a piece of muslin fabric glued over it . This serves to smooth the edge lines.
My best suggestion is take the works to a local shop. They will have enough experience to make it go together for you regardless who made or sold it.
 
x2 what Redfish said, find a good auto upholsterer who has experience with old cars. Some further words of advice: make sure you agree on a firm date when you need the work finished...NEVER say "take your time" to an upholstery guy, or he may have your car for weeks.
 
FWIW, I had new foam and covers put on a spare set of seats (front buckets and rear bench) for my '68 B'cuda 'vert. I supplied the covers and the foam for the front seats, the shop supplied the foam for the rear seats. Cost me $175. Worth every penny considering the aggravation to a novice like me.
A car dealer I know said I was stupid for spending the money as he did all of his cars himself. They looked like it, too. :-D Anyway, the last car he did, he worked on the seats for a long time, trying to get the wrinkles out. Kept saying they would come out after it sat in the sun awhile. lol Last I heard he took it to a pro to get them done right. They were PUI covers, too.
Dallas
 
Not to Hi-jack this thread or anything , but whats the going rate to have a set of bucket seats reupholstered ? And also a back seat. I have all the materials from Legendary already.
A local shop quoted me $200 labor per seat , + $400 to install my headliner I bought from Legendary . All this is for my 68 Cuda , I have all of the car stripped and glass out also

Thanks
Donnie
 
At this point its all a part of economy - to try again will cost me $300 for the front covers - then $120 each for the foam if I cut it wrong and need to get another one. Currently waiting for a call back from the local uphosltry guy... will post what its going to run me for his hands to fix it all...
 
From what Donnie posted the $175 I paid was a bargain. Sounds like his shop wants $600 labor to do his. Hopefully you will get a more reasonable quote.
Dallas
 
MOBodyman said:
From what Donnie posted the $175 I paid was a bargain. Sounds like his shop wants $600 labor to do his. Hopefully you will get a more reasonable quote.
Dallas
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There are lots of factors that play into pricing, If a vehicle needs the headlinner replaced there may be an hour labor in removing the original but... it serves as a guide for the new one. That job would go in and out of the bay in 4 hours at the most.
When one has been stripped there is no R&R. That vehicle could tie up a bay for a week.
Same applies to seats. Deliver seats that need the only skins replaced and they clutter the workbench for 4 hours. If the skins aren't correct when compared to the originals, They sit in waiting for reorder.
If the seats are stripped and delivered with aftermarket foam and skins the guy will have to figure out are they correct or not. He might whittle the foam down until it fits undersized skins then the seats dont look right in the car. Good luck to all
 
The seats are intact but out of the car , all new Legendary covers and foam , The headliner is removed, and I have many pics of the headliner before removal , and pics of the bows in factory position with the headliner out.
I was told the glass needs to be removed for a proper job for the headliner , which I had the all the glass out anyway.
$200 per seat labor , + $400 for the headliner $1000 labor and me furnishing the material........... I guess hog rings are expensive

Donnie

My Cuda on trailer, going to sandblasted resized0007.jpg
 
Well - I got the seats and the covers down to the local upholstry guy... labor is $40 per hour and he thinks it may take about 4-5 hours to finish them. When I showed him the tear he simply relayed that even with all of his "secret" knowledge he still tears some from time to time - but he assured me when he's done that I wont even notice. I asked around and everyone whom I asked quoted that the guy does good work. The best comment on his work was from the local auto resto shop (does mostly Mustangs...) who was all gald to do them for me at the rate of $58 per hour. So I figured that I would save about $18 per hour and go with the upholstry shop. Will post a photo of the seats when they are done...
Thanks for all the advice
 
Good luck to you and the guy installing those PUI skins.
 
Dropped mine of at another local shop
$250 to reupholster my two 68 Cuda buckets and I furnished the foam & covers .
Pics to come later , about a 3 week turnaround
beats $200 a seat !!!!!!!!!!
Donnie
 
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