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New Seat Covers! 200 1991

For about the cost that IPD charges for pullover cloth seat covers, an upholstery shop in Tucson made me new vinyl front seat covers using my old seat covers as patterns.

The seats now look exactly like the original seat covers, blue with texture and random wrinkles to make them look like leather. The only difference is that they sewed foam onto the back of the vinyl, so the seams are a bit more pronounced (rolled) now and the seat feels a bit more cushy. That is good because the foam beneath has hardened over the past 20 years.

I pulled off my seat covers and took them to Tucson when I went there on business. I removed and tossed out the seat heaters that were crumbling. Before reassembly, I secured the webbing and springs in the seat bottom with picture hanging wire so they don't shift around. I also took spray adhesive and put a layer of old denim beneath the bottom cushion. That will keep the side panels of foam attached as they were starting to separate from the bottom cushion. The denim between the seat bottom and the springs should also stop the springs and wires from crumbling the old foam that is getting hard. I was finding foam crumbs in my carpet when I vacuumed. I also put a cloth-backed foam panel between the lumbar support and the seat back to make the lumbar support more pronounced.

The fit is perfect except right around the seat hinge. The way the original vinyl tucked and clipped was very tight and a little tricky, and he never saw the complete seat. However, to see that it is not perfect, you would have to have your head down on the rear seat floor. Also, I realized that I did not pull downward quite hard enough on the first seat back I installed, but once I had made the hole for the lumbar support knob, it was too late to re-stretch it. It is not noticeable. It is best to warm the vinyl in the sun and pull long and hard to stretch it to a perfect fit.

I am extremely pleased with the results. Much better than any pullover seat cover.

I don't have the shop info handy, but if there is interest, I can put up before and after pictures on my web page, along with contact info for the shop in Tucson.






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New New Seat Covers! [200][1991]
posted by  Farm Boy  on Mon May 31 05:35 CST 2010 >


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