# Home Stretch - (yeah, right...)



## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

The little things that make you go grrrrrrrrrr..... 

Weekend before last I thought I'd install the steering wheel, but figured it'd be wise to make sure the horns were working first. They weren't. The problem looked to be the horn relay, and maybe the horns themselves (they barely managed a groan when the relay was bypassed), so both were ordered. Installation of the new parts didn't completely solve the problem, which was then traced to the turn signal switch in the column so out it came. At first I was amazed to find a replacement available at O'Reilly, but it turned out that the harness connector, although visually the same, was just different enough to not work. Sigh... so I took my old switch apart and managed to repair it. Horns working - check. Still waiting to install the steering wheel though just in case something else happens that it will be "in the way of'.

I was getting all geared up to install my headliner this past weekend. I had everything ready to go, then discovered that I was missing one of the plastic retainer clips for the center bow. Of course it's something I have to order.

So, I figured I'd swtich gears and work on installing the new seat upholstery. I'd done the rear seat recently and that had actually gone fairly well, so I expected the front seats to be relatively easy as well. :rofl:

It took me _hours_ to figure out a way to get the hog rings in so that they'd actually capture the listing wire on the webbing strips inside the covers that pull down into the crevices on the seat bolsters. Once I finally got that done, I discovered that the whole cover needed to slide forward about 1.5 inches --- so I had to cut them all off and do it again. My poor old hands are beat to smithereens  So far all I've got done is one seat bottom. I still have the back of that seat, plus the complete other seat, to go. There's no telling how many hog rings I wasted trying to figure out how to install those, but my garage floor where I was working right now looks like an explosion in a chain mail factory. 

So, if the parts come in this week perhaps the headliner can go in next weekend. Maybe I can get the seats done this week during the evenings after work. Maybe I'll install the carpet before or shortly after the headliner. 

After that, it will need the rest of the exterior trim (rocker mouldings, drip rail mouldings), door 'furnishings' (handles, window mechanisms, weather strips, window trim), quarter windows, console and shifter, wheelsandtires (which I still need to measure for and decide on), glass and glass trim, bleed the brakes, charge the a/c, tags and inspection... 

Sometimes it still seems like a mountain.

Bear


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Keep the faith!! :cheers


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## Pontiacpurebrred (Jun 22, 2011)

It's never an easy climb either, we all know that. But it's the journey as much as the destination that makes these cars "OURS" as much a product of PMD. 

Keep after it, we're all pulling for you and I am still living vicariously through you. Can't wait to see it all done up with a bow.

Good luck!


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Bear, I feel your pain. I too managed to easily do the rear seat of my '67, but the front buckets had me so bent out of shape I just threw them in my truck and hauled them to an upholsterer. I gladly paid the $200 he charged (in '93) and he did a great job. My good friend just did all the seats and headliner in his '67, and they turned out well. I think he did the seat bottoms upside down and pulled up on the hogrings....he said it was a tough job. The headliner took him about 9 hours over a couple of days, in stages. I paid to have the one in my '65 installed. Both came out just fine. As stated, keep the faith. You're doing your entire car all by yourself....a huge accomplishment, IMO.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

"It took me hours to figure out a way to get the hog rings in so that they'd actually capture the listing wire on the webbing strips inside the covers that pull down into the crevices on the seat bolsters. Once I finally got that done, I discovered that the whole cover needed to slide forward about 1.5 inches --- so I had to cut them all off and do it again. My poor old hands are beat to smithereens So far all I've got done is one seat bottom. I still have the back of that seat, plus the complete other seat, to go. There's no telling how many hog rings I wasted trying to figure out how to install those, but my garage floor where I was working right now looks like an explosion in a chain mail factory. "

Hey Bear, i used two hog rings with the cheap pliers and tossed them in the garbage...i am all for originality but not a masochist so i grabbed up a big pack of black zip ties and used them, just used a x-acto to put a small slit where i wanted a tie, they allow you to pull it as tight as you want tucked under and the ends clipped you never see them. main reason i did it is i will probably be taking the fronts off in the future to put in new foams and the original hog rings were a rusted mess and a pain to get off even with bolt cutters. May not be for others but i did my whole interior in around 3 hours...and unless you can crawl under the seat you will never see them. And they will never rust.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ I need those front seat belts!!


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

the were rusted solid Rukee, had to take them apart soak them in miracle oil for 3 months, and as you can see the dye did not take, have jet black hair dye to try next....


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Zip ties sounds like a great idea, thanks G8ter.
Keep it up Bear, you'll get er done..
Nice input for what not to do. I need new seat bases for my 66. Seats have been redone, but you sit on the floor, bases are gone.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks Jet, kinda embarrassed to even put it out there....figured i would get lambasted but i do what works for me....and the zip strips give you about 6" of play until you pull them tight evenly and securely, really allow you to stretch it even which is the secret.....glad to be of some help...:cheers

My buckets came out of a 65' Corvair...cross referenced and found out they were the same as 65' GTO except the inner side bar is black and not chrome. 200.00 for nice drivers beats the 600.00 they wanted for junk "GTO" strato buckets. Just shows how much of a premium our cars parts command.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I think the zip ties are a brilliant idea, even if you just wanted to get the seat cover positioned correctly for the hog rings later on. You need 3 hands with the hog rings at times.....


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Instg8ter said:


> Hey Bear, i used two hog rings with the cheap pliers and tossed them in the garbage...i am all for originality but not a masochist so i grabbed up a big pack of black zip ties and used them, just used a x-acto to put a small slit where i wanted a tie, they allow you to pull it as tight as you want tucked under and the ends clipped you never see them...


Zip ties!!!! You're a genius. Why didn't I think of that???? :willy:

I've got one complete bucket seat done and it took me 2 days - one evening for the seat bottom and one evening for the back. What I did was thread some wire through it and out through the foam/springs so I could grab it with vise-grips and pull it tight enough to get it close enough to snag with a hog ring. It worked, mostly, except for a couple of areas where I just couldn't get my big ol' hands in there with enough room to operate the pliers - down near the "bottom" of the seat back, so I just left those two spots alone and called it good. I've got some fat nylon zips that are pretty strong, so maybe I'll use them on the seat I'm doing tonight. 

I did go out and by a couple pair of good hog ring pliers. I started off with an "economy installation kit" from one of the major restoration houses, and it's junk. One good squeeze with one hand bent the pliers all to heck. I reported it to the vendor who said "Oh,we've never had that happen before" and sent me another kit --- identical to the first, which lasted just as long  At least I got a "free" bag of hog rings out of the deal. 

On the way to work today I stopped by an upholstery shop to get some more rings, and in the back I saw where they had a huge box of identical pliers sitting out on a work table. Apparently, they're disposable. No kidding...

Bear


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

*Another famous quote!*

"The Home Stretch runs out yonder, just over the horizon..... - E. Animal 
 2011


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