I am in the process of restoring B382000975, and recently completed the seats.
I documented a step-by-step as I went along that follows. This is (c) 2003,
and for the list, only. Further, to questions raised, there is room for, and it
appears appropriate to, trim excess at the bottom. The seat cover is likely
not oversized, but the extra stock needs to come off as you go along.
Concerning gluing down the center pad of the seat cover to the foam, I would
have to take issue with not doing so. The purpose is to provided a formed
finish with the indented seat, and if this is not done the butt-part will rise
to the outside level, and not hold the formed shape of the cushion.
With respect to the gluing location, the cover itself should locate this
provided the cover is centered to the cushion. On mine (Pro-Prep cover), the
cushioned part of the seat bottom just started turning up at the corners of the
indented part.
The step by step:
Turning to the bottom, remove the seat cover and foam, and wire brush as the
back was done. Remove the bladder. To remove the seat cover, take a hammer
and screwdriver, gain a bite on the edge of the numerous clips on the bottom of
the seat holding on the stock, and tap away from the frame (towards the inside)
until they can be finally removed by hand. Also drill out the pop rivets
holding the spring retainer, and remove. Finish the frame parts to be seen
with the marine gray paint. Replace the bladder. Glue the foam to the frame
with some sparse intermittent glue to the bladder. (Although the originals
were glued copiously to the bladder, the light glue should allow later bladder
replacement if needed without total dismantling and replacement of the seat
foam). Use weights and clamps all around to secure the seat foam to the frame
as required. Let dry. Stretch and center the seat cover to the seat. Your
reference point for how far back to stretch the cover should be the tabs on
each side that slip to the inside of the seat mechanisms and must pull through
an opening of about the same size. Clamp these down to hold the spot. Again,
with the hand covered in a surgical glove, scoop up some glue, reach your hand
through and inside the back of the stock between the cover and the seat foam
and run glue to the seat foam around the low point center edges on the top of
the foam. Set the seat bottom on a hard surface, center the tucked portion of
the seat stock to the seat foam. Set the box that approximates the size of the
tucked portion of the seat bottom cover atop the cover, center, adjust, and
fill the box with books. Let dry overnight. Turn the seat bottom upside
down. Work relatively fast here. Glue as you go to the bottom of the frame,
covering a side with glue as the first clip for that side is installed. With
new clips, start tucking. The more modern stock is thicker, and some parts
(the back for example) of the seat frame have a thicker gauge steel than
others. Some of the clips might have to be slightly opened with a screwdriver
to get a bite. I began with a center clip to the front and back, and then to
each side. Thereafter, I worked outward in an alternating fashion and pulled
the stock tighter as each clip was added. For final shaping, the very first
clips installed needed to be reset a little tighter. To install a clip, get a
bite with the stock folded and then complete with the light tap of a hammer (or
the head of a larger Crescent wrench which is what was in easy reach while I
was doing this). Before reassembly, donbt forget to rerivet the spring
retainer to the bottom rail of the seat frame. My car was bone stock, and I
recognize there has been some confusion on this part. It goes right over the
seat stock, and was painted the same color gray as the seat frame.
Good luck:
Bob Nersesian
Facsimile: 702-385-7667
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