|
|
How To Install Front & Rear Seats - Please Be SeatedComplete Reupholstery Of E-Body Front And Rear Seats From the April, 1999 issue of Mopar Muscle By Steve Dulcich
|
|
If your interior looks like... If your interior looks like this, dropping the top on your 'Cuda convertible can be humbling. Open the door on your classic Mopar musclecar and survey that interior. Unless we've paid attention to the vintage vinyl inside, the 30-plus years that have passed-since skilled craftsmen sewed the upholstery together-have taken their toll. Fortunately for us, aftermarket reproduction suppliers such as Legendary Auto Interiors sew together new skins to make old and tired vinyl look new again. Our vintage '70 'Cuda ragtop was no exception to the ravages of time. Far from being a time capsule survivor, our 'Cuda was reassembled 10 years ago with a rag-tag combination of boneyard and swap meet parts. Seat upholstery from a Gran Coupe was part of the first poverty-rebuild effort. With a blast of white Marhyde and some Pep Boys seat covers up front, the 'Cuda made due in street duty with shabby old skins. After being on the back burner for a decade, it was time to face the music and do the interior right. A complete seat upholstery kit and bucket-seat foam were the first items on our interior shopping list. Upon receiving the Legendary set, we were immediately intoxicated with the look, feel, and smell of the fresh threads. True to the company's reputation in the restoration industry, the new skins are faithful reproductions of the originals, with the correct, factory-original grain on the material, the factory pattern smoothly stitched in true form, and the correct density backing sewn in. Unlike the cheap pieced-and-glued replacements sometimes found in reproduction foam, the Legendary front seat foam (rear bench foam is not currently available) is a true molded reproduction, in the correct durable, high-density material.  Stripping out the seats is...  Stripping out the seats is an easy task, with the fronts unbolting from below the floorpan.  The lower rear cushion is...  The lower rear cushion is pushed back and unhooked to lift away, while the seatback on this car is bolted in at the bottom, and attached to the top well liner with a long moulding strip.  We'll begin with the front...  We'll begin with the front high-back buckets. First, the molded seatbacks are removed. Earlier high-backs, such as these, used a three-piece seatback with the main moulding in plastic, and two die-cast hinge caps. Later seats used a single-piece moulding, and some versions eliminated the back cap altogether.  Next, the seatback is unbolted...  Next, the seatback is unbolted from the bottom, and the latches, hardware, and tracks are removed. Organize all the bits to make the reassembly less of a puzzle.  Now its time for the Charles...  Now its time for the Charles Atlas Grip Workout. Cut loose the hog rings, which secure the seat cover to the frame. Special hog-ring cutters are available from Year One (PN YJ3, $13), or use a mondo set of diagonal cutters, such as these.  With the hog rings cut, pull...  With the hog rings cut, pull the old cover from the seat.  The old foam comes off next....  The old foam comes off next. We've chosen Legendary's new molded foam, since the original was trashed.  If you're lucky, you're ready...  If you're lucky, you're ready to reassemble. Under the foam on our seats, like many, was this mess. The burlap had perished, the fine support wires that were woven in it were rusted and splintered, and the frames also were a rusty mess. Cut loose the burlap jute surrounding the perimeter, and listing wire anchors. The placement of the anchors for the listing wires is critical. Know where spring loops are clamped, or take a photo.  The seatbacks were in better...  The seatbacks were in better shape underneath, but we decided to go the full resto route and strip them to the bare frames. Note the fine vertical support wires woven into the burlap. The rear seat bottom was the... The rear seat bottom was the roughest of the bunch. Jute padding was used between the upper and lower front springs across the front and across the center. Having never graduated from upholstery trade tech, we were faced with the decision of whether to attempt the installation ourselves, or pay a hired gun to do the dirty work for us. Although we have had some experience in reupholstering simpler bucket seats, the highly sculptured form of musclecar-era Mopar seats places them among the more difficult reconstruction jobs. True to Mopar Muscle's hands-on reporting style, we went for the deadline-crunching, do-it-yourself approach. With most of our prized Mopars pushing the 30-year mark, it's not uncommon for the seats to require major surgery instead of a simple cosmetic facelift. Our 'Cuda seats were no exception-they required a complete frame-up rebuild. While any reputable upholstery shop will install the new seat covers, the process of refurbishing the frames, burlap, support wires, and jute padding can be an entirely different matter. We went the whole nine yards on our dilapidated saddles, bringing all the inner workings up to the level of the gorgeous skins above. If you are looking for professional installation of your new repop upholstery, carefully assess the condition of the seats below the tired old skin. If extensive rebuilding is part of the requirement, take the time to shop for an establishment in tune with restoration-oriented work, to get the job done right. As well as providing reproduction interiors for a wide range of classic Mopars, Legendary has a complete installation and repair facility which allows you to go to the source for your seat salvation.  Since the rear seat foam is...  Since the rear seat foam is not available new, it must be carefully peeled off for reuse.  All the seat frames had a...  All the seat frames had a jute strip around the upper frame perimeter to keep the frame from cutting the foam, and ultimately the cover. Remove it intact for a pattern.  After years of use, fatigue...  After years of use, fatigue often sets in, and the frames crack or break. Carefully inspect the frame and spring structure, and repair as required. The damage report on our seats-one cracked bucket seatback above the hinge, and a few popped spot-welds on the rear seat. All our springs were intact, saving us a trip to the boneyard for transplant material. Will your upholstery shop make these repairs? Once the covers are cinched in, who knows?  Rust and flaking paint were...  Rust and flaking paint were mopped up on a date with the sandblaster. Chemi-cal dipping is another option. Make sure the chemicals are neutralized if you go that route.  No spray-bomb antics here....  No spray-bomb antics here. All the seat frames were coated with bulletproof PPG urethane for long-lasting protection. Work the gun in every conceivable angle to get complete coverage over the complex shapes.  Now comes the fun stuff. New...  Now comes the fun stuff. New burlap was marked about an inch larger than the seat frame, and marked for the support wires. We used a coated, fine gas welding rod, which was thicker than the original wires. Working out the spacing and placement provides hours of clean amusement. Leave the support wires out, and the springs will shred that nicely molded new foam in no time.  Originally, the support wires...  Originally, the support wires were crimped to rolled cardboard cord. We substituted clothesline, which was ideal for the job. I wonder how many concours points this move will cost?  The burlap containing the...  The burlap containing the support wires was then clamped tautly to the frame with hog rings purchased at the local upholstery shop.  Bulk jute padding was sourced...  Bulk jute padding was sourced at a regional upholstery supply company to match the original. A strip is cut and hog-ringed to the top of the seat frame.  The listing wire supports...  The listing wire supports go in next. The originals were wrapped in wound paper-this keeps the wires slightly spaced and insulated from the springs. Our paper covering was shot, so the wires were wrapped with electrical tape for the same effect.  The Legendary foam kit comes...  The Legendary foam kit comes with a sheet of muslin that anchors the foam. The material is marked according to the instructions, and cut to size.  Mark the placement of the...  Mark the placement of the muslin, and glue it to the foam as specified. We used 3M General Trim Adhesive in a spray can. The original muslin at the back of the seat bottom was larger than what was specified in the kit, and had a pocket for a support cord at the free end. We remade this section from some bulk material sourced at our favorite local yardage shop, and sewed the pocket in the end.  With the muslin glued in place,...  With the muslin glued in place, the foam is positioned, and anchored by the fabric to the frame with hog rings. Looks OE fresh down here.  Next, the listing wires go...  Next, the listing wires go in. These wires hold the center insert firmly to the foam, giving the seat its sculptured shape. The pocket must be slit for the wire. Start with the center wire, and make sure it is centered in the cover. We found it necessary to crimp the loop at the end of the wire in a vise to close it, in order to get it through the pocket.  The foam has a groove molded...  The foam has a groove molded into it that corresponds to the listing wire location where the seat insert lines up. Feel through the foam, and make sure the listing wire anchors are where they are supposed to be-inline with the groove. Mark the centerline of the foam at the groove and the insert. The foam must be slit to clamp the listing wires to the anchor wires below.  Line the insert into position,...  Line the insert into position, reach in, and clamp the listing wire to the anchor-as if you mean it.  Work from the center out,...  Work from the center out, all around the insert, keeping the cover taut to prevent it from bunching up. With the listing wires done, flip the cover over the front of the seat, and stretch it around the sides and back.  Stretch the cover smooth,...  Stretch the cover smooth, clamp the rear of the cushion in place with hog rings, and then work the front and sides. A considerable amount of finessing is required to stretch the cover in place for a smooth and tight installation.  The bucket seatback assembly...  The bucket seatback assembly begins with this burlap anchor, which sets the spring height between the top and bottom of the frame. Pockets were put into each end with clothesline cords inserted to mimic the factory piece.  The seat back was prepared,...  The seat back was prepared, as was the bottom, with new burlap, support wires, and jute. The listing wire anchors are then installed.  The high-back bucket seat...  The high-back bucket seat foam includes the top cap as a separate piece. It should be glued on and reinforced with the muslin cloth. Note the two wire hooks holding the halves together until the trim adhesive dries (arrows).  Installation of the foam and...  Installation of the foam and cover on the seatback is similar to the bottom, but the listing wires are a tougher dig. Flip the cover over at the top after the insert is locked down.  Don't forget to reinstall...  Don't forget to reinstall the seatback latch before the cover is secured.  Stretch, pull, smooth and...  Stretch, pull, smooth and fight, until the cover lines up tightly for a clean installation, with the latch window inline with the latch, and all seams taut and straight. Lock it down with hog rings.  Reinstall the seatbacks, latch...  Reinstall the seatbacks, latch covers, tracks, and miscellaneous hardware. We redyed the seatback covers and latches to match with PPG products, rather than going the less-durable spray-bomb route.  The rear seat bottom is prepared...  The rear seat bottom is prepared in the same way as the bucket-seat parts.  We added a layer of jute over...  We added a layer of jute over the support wires on the rear seat bottom to help compensate for the time-compressed foam we will reuse.  New jute padding was added...  New jute padding was added below the springs as per the original.  The old foam was a little...  The old foam was a little ugly, but still in good shape. New muslin attachments were glued in place of the torn originals.  The foam was anchored, then...  The foam was anchored, then the covers were worked into place and locked down.  The rear seatback required...  The rear seatback required all the same steps as the other pieces, but instead of foam, it had a stuffed fill mate-rial in a sewn pad. To compensate for compression of the original material, a layer of 1⁄2-inch, low-density, foam sheet was laid over the stock stuffing.  The convertible's seatback...  The convertible's seatback cover takes three listing wires. We replaced the rusty originals with homemade stiff wire replacements.  Our new seats looked great,...  Our new seats looked great, but the interior will need a full rebuild to match. Stay tuned as we transform the rest of the interior in our ragtop revival.
|
|
|