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If the original OEM seats in your 1978 Volvo 242, the seat construction is may be very different than the seats in the 1980s+ models.
Please see the others thread respondents comments. I may have duplicated Tony's work in the following narrative.
Padding may come in the form of plant fiver like sisal or jute in a anchored mat. The seat anchors to the frame through the plant fiber mat or the seat foam rubber.
The 1978 Volvo 240 seat frames are much stronger than the newer frames. That stated, your seats may be a replacement. You can usually discern date of manufacture when you remove the seats and look at the bottom of the seat rails.
The older Volvo seat covers were made of less durable material than the seat cover you find in the 1980s (version II) and the 1988 or 89+ (version III).
My 1979 GT and 245 models had rubber seat foam. My 1975 244 DL and 1976 242 DL had the strong seats with the sisal or jute padding (no foam).
If the seat cover you have are in good shape with no flaws or minor seam separation as the thread pulled out, a good nylon carpet thread and heavy needle allows you to stitch it up. Stitch up from the interior side to hide the thread.
If the material is thread bare and worn, like a driver seat where one drags their duff and backside across the material a bazillion times entering and egressing your Volvo 242, you'll have to replace the seat covers.
Your best value is seeking a matching color seat cover for your car color scheme. You want seat cover from, at best, the newest junkyard Volvo 240 as these have the most durable and easily cleaned material of any Volvo 240 seat. You can clean the material in simple green and de-greasing detergent to clean it. You may still need to stitch up separated seams on the inside.
If you need new foam, you can try used foam from a passenger side 240 seat that has the vinyl cover. Volvo 240 seat foam is ambidextrous.
You may also be able to glean the seat web and the seat back lumbar support from a passenger side 240.
The seat web anchors at the eight or ten springs (four or five each side). I also use coated wire rope to tie up the springs for a strong seat web. But I'm a very tall and heavy person so I need to.
The plastic lumbar support box should have a reinforcing stainless metal spring flat section that hooks to either side of the plastic lumbar support box. Sometime the wire anchors break easily or the used one you have is fatigued and about to break. Grab several of these.
I've also replaced the lumbar support using wire and other sort of line like nylon.
Just don't put any nylon rope inside your engine, okay? For any reason.
If the seat frame is bent or the seat back adjust is faulty, there is not much that can be done beyond a full seat frame disassemble and possible welding. You may want to get your welding kit out to separate and realign bent or fatigued metal sections.
With all of this stated, you can go to the junkyard or look on craigslist. All Volvo 240 driver side seats are replaceable with other Volvo 240 driver side seats and likewise for the passenger side seats.
Going to an auto or other upholstery shop may yield outstanding results, yet may be extremely $$$ or $$$$, if the work is done right.
Hope that helps.
MacDuffed.
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