# Seat Covers - ARRRGH!!!!



## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

So, tonight I'm putting on the last of the bucket seat covers, using Brian's idea about zip ties to make it easier to "catch" the bolsters and it's working like a charm. Folding the bottom edge of the cover back down over the seat foam, stretching as I go... RRRIIIIIIIP!!!!!!! right down the seam. :shutme

[email protected]#$%^&*()_ cheap Chinese CRAP!!!!! 

So, who makes decent repro seat covers - recommendations?

Thanks,
Bear


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## freethinker (Nov 14, 2009)

BearGFR said:


> So, tonight I'm putting on the last of the bucket seat covers, using Brian's idea about zip ties to make it easier to "catch" the bolsters and it's working like a charm. Folding the bottom edge of the cover back down over the seat foam, stretching as I go... RRRIIIIIIIP!!!!!!! right down the seam. :shutme
> 
> [email protected]#$%^&*()_ cheap Chinese CRAP!!!!!
> 
> ...


legendary are considered the best but also the most expensive. pui second. wouldnt uae any others.


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## facn8me (Jul 30, 2011)

I installed the legendary because I read they were better than the pui's. They are nice but they are just vinal and thread. Anything can be screwed up!! crap happens even with the best stuff.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Bear i used the new PUI covers and was very happy with them, they have new dies and are sharp and dimensional , stitching and fit was all top notch and material thick and consistent with the originals.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I don't know what burns me more... having to spend the money or having to wait for them to come in. I had planned to be done with the seats and the headliner this weekend. So far I've only found one source that lists a single cover, everyone else seems to sell them in pairs only. Anyone know of a source that will sell PUI or Legendary singles? (69 GTO - Black)

Thanks,
Bear


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

If it honestly wasn't your fault, contact the manufacturer and they may send a replacement. What color is it, some of us may have some laying around.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I'd be hard pressed to prove it wasn't my fault -- I was pulling on it pretty good to get it stretched tight and flat. Doggone it... well, I guess I could choose to look at it as a good thing. If I just bite the bullet and order another pair of good covers I won't have to decide later whether or not to re-do the passenger side seat after Brian's zip tie trick works as well as it looks like it's going to. 

Now would be a good time for all of you to invest in a hog ring company. I'm burning through them at a pretty good clip here :rofl:  :willy: 

Bear


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Is it possible you tightened the zip ties too much? I don't know, I have a set of seat covers I havent' installed yet, so just trying to learn. Also had a jeep I took the top off of, and it never went back on, shrunk like anything.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Don't think so, Jet --- any "looser" and I'd never have been able to catch the listing wires from the bottom with the hog rings. I was working on the seat bottom, left hand holding onto the back rear bottom corner of the cover and working it down over the side of the seat foam - holding tension on it with my left hand while working it down over the seat edge with my right. The seam split where I was holding it with my left hand and separated along the side towards the front of the seat. I didn't think I was pulling on it THAT hard, but maybe I was....

Bear


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## Josh.AZ.GTO (Jul 11, 2009)

Here is a video that makes it look pretty easy. Obviously the video is sped up. I thought it was cool to watch. It's a PUI video I found on youtube. This guy makes it look easy. If you watch some of the other videos, he has a special pneumatic hog ring gun that looks pretty sweet.


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## Josh.AZ.GTO (Jul 11, 2009)

Wow!!! Just looked up how much those hog ring guns sell for ..... some can get up to $500 used and up for new. 

If any of you see a pneumatic hog ring gun at an auction or for sale for super cheap ... buy it. Providing the circumstances that it works.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Thats the beauty of using the zip ties, you can tighten them around incrementally to stretch it even, i started in the middles centering it and worked toward the corners. Is the seam sew-able Bear?


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I don't think so -- the vinyl tore along the seam, it didn't just come apart. I just ordered a set of Legendary covers - now I don't have to decide whether or not to re-do the other seat. 

Bear


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Well.... strip my gears and call me shiftless.... watching that video I saw one HUGE thing that would have made everything so much easier. It never occurred to me to install the hog rings that hold the seat seams down into the foam crevices from the top.... I was trying to do them all from the bottom and finding it insanely difficult to work "between" the seat bottom and the springs. Duh..... :willy:  :shutme

At least now the prospect of re-doing all that work doesn't seem so intimidating. 

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Bear, do yourself a huge favor and install the Legendary covers. Take solace in the fact that if it ripped down the seam on install, it would NOT have lasted while in use. I installed Year One covers in my '67 in 1993, and they still look like new. I think that they were manufactured by legendary, as they are identical to original covers, with great texture and depth of the pleats. Stay away from PUI, IMO. The ones I've seen look nothing like the original upholstery. Good luck with the re-do....it'll come out great.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

He needs an emergency Jim Beam transfusion! I'd do it but I only have 750ml left!!!:cheers :rofl:


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Bear's feeling more better now.  The headliner is DONE - and I'm satisfied with how it looks. That was the last roadblock to being able to finish out the interior, door trim, and all the glass. The only tasks remaining after that are wheels/tires, a few pieces of external trim, bleed the brakes, charge up the A/C, tags and inspection. :cheers

A big thanks to Brian :seeya: for the binder clip tip and also for the encouragement. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. 

Bear


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

no problem Bear always happy to help...GREAT JOB!!! i still have to take door panels back off to do felts, waiting until i put it up for the winter. I know how many man hours it takes to put all the final touches on one of these beasts, that car is looking A1 can't wait to see it finished off with you back behind the wheel......sure you'll need a few of these while staring at it every night before you head to bed....:cheers:cheers.....


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Great info, thanks guys..
Still confused as to where you use zip ties, on most of the connections. Video looks like a ton of ways to screw up seats. I've done boat seats and they looked like crap, but I didn't sew, just installed flat vinyl and tried to pull it straight.
Anyone want to buy a complete gold interior?? May stick with black, redo the springs and call it good, lol.. Minus headliner, all new, only one seat installed, and removed..


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

Jet used a zip tie everywhere the was a hog ring on the originals, just cut a small slit behind the binding rod once you get it dry fitted pull them all so they have even tension and work out any wrinkles (mine all ended up fully tightened).


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Hey Jet,
Where the zip ties came in handy on mine was in the "crevices" in the seat foam between the main part of the seat and the side bolsters. I'm not sure what all the correct terms are so I'll just try to describe it. There's a long pocket that runs along underneath the seams on that part of the each cover (two on the bottom, two on the back). There's supposed to be a stiff wire in that pocket (might have been cardboard on the factory cover) that gets stuffed down into the foam crevice and then clipped -through- the foam and onto the springs/wiring underneath the seat. This is what holds that part of the seat down and makes those two "creases" that run front to back / top to bottom between the center part of the seat and the side bolsters and keeps the seat from just being "flat" all the way across. Getting those wires hog ringed onto the seat structure is the devil... especially if you do it "wrong" like I was trying to do by installing the hog rings from the back side.  With the zip ties you can loop them around the wire in that pocket, insert them down through the seat foam and around the spring/structure of the seat, then cinch down the zip tie to pull everything tight and hold all the parts in close proximity to each other so that it's MUCH easier to get the hog ring on so that it "catches" everything like it's 'sposed to. What I saw on the video that was the big "aha" moment for me was seeing that you're supposed to install those hog rings from the top - inserting them down into the crevices in the foam then clamping them around the wire in the pocket and the underlying structure. I never thought of doing it that way. The fancy pneumatic tool with the long skinny snout the guy was using in the video probably makes that easier, but even using pliers it's got to be easier than trying to do it from the bottom. My hands are still all cut up from trying that... 

Bear


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

yep sticking your hand up from underneath is akin to a chinese finger trap made out of barbed wire.....:willy: 

when i pull my seat to check my harness for the brake/turn signal fault i will take a few pics for you jet.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Thanks,
so you zip tied to get close, then installed the hogrings. I thought you just replaced the hog rings with zip ties.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

i did, you could do it either way, i want to take mine off in the future for new foams so i did not hogring since all i need do is snip the zip ties with a side cutter rather than a bolt cutter to clip the hogrings, ties will never be seen and i doubt they will ever work loose.


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## stracener (Jul 27, 2010)

This goat is looking GREAT Bear! arty: Can't wait to see it on the road!! 

I use a lot of your photos in mocking up and fitting my motor, fuel system, body work, etc... Great job! Thank goodness I don't have to do the seat covers... imported mine from an '05 GTO.

Dave


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## peahrens (Jun 7, 2010)

When I did my '66 restore in '92, one of the few things I didn't do myself was the bucket seat backs upholstery install...could not get it on without likely tearing it in half. Gave up an took them to an upholstery shop...they did it no problem but I didn't ask how. Back then...no forums like this to help out!


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Waiting for my Legendary covers to come in this week, so I've been working on other things. Carpet's in and done. Also I made a new package tray myself. Starting with a piece of masonite cut to the right size and shape, including oval cutouts for the new stereo speakers, I covered it with black foam "new" headliner material from a local fabric store to give it a little padding and then covered it again with black speaker grill cloth. It was funny that none of the local electronics stores carried speaker cloth, but a local woodworking supply store did. :lol:

I still need to cover the two separate sail panel boards with headliner material and put those in, also the sun visors and all the other "stuff" that goes over the headliner like garment hooks, rear view mirror, shoulder belts, etc.

I had to order side windlace for the headliner --- I thought I had my old pieces and (thanks to freethinker) actually found a photo of them in my digital photo "parts index"...

(Back a couple years or so ago when I got restarted on this thing my sweet bride helped me go through the massive pile o' parts I had. We took digital photos of EVERYTHING, put stuff into numbered plastic storage bins, then toook photos of the bins. Now when I'm looking for something I just flip through my book of all the pictures until I find it, then I know what bin to go dig through. Did I mention I love that woman?)

...However when I looked in that bin they weren't there, so evidently I'd discovered they needed replacing and chunked them, and had just forgotten about doing that. - They say when you get olde the memory's the first thing that goes - I forget what the second thing is...:rofl:

I need to get the center console and shifter in, and figure out how I'm going to deal with the line-lock button in the process. Then there's the kick panels. I bought a set of the repro ones with the good Pioneer speakers "made" into them but the plastic finish is awfully cheesy looking, so when I bought the foam headlner cloth for the package tray there was also a remnant of black vinyl there that ought to cover them nicely and improve the looks.

Then I guess it'll be time to try to blow more cobwebs out of the memory and see if I still have all the trim parts and mechansims for the windows + door locks/latches and can remember how that all goes together. I've already got all the new weather-strip and felt - I think.  Clean up and reinstall the door panels, arm rests, levers and cranks, steering wheel ... I'm looking forward to putting on those cool lock knobs and valve stem caps that Alky made :cheers

Lessee.. then what -- front and back glass, wipers, rest of the outside trim, bleed the brakes, wheels and tires, evacuate and charge the a/c, legal stuff... 

I think subconcisouly I may be putting off the rest of the mechanical/control stuff because it'd be too tempting to go DRIVE this thing!

The last time I started it this past weekend there was a bit of a nail-biting moment when the factory temp guage headed for the stratosphere. I shut it down and double checked everything electrical having to do with the fans - and found them working just fine. Using a hand-held infrared temp probe told me the temp gauge in the car was lying to me - so I cranked it up and monitored with the probe, verified that everything was working, fans cycling on and off at the right temps, it wasn't really overheating, etc.
AFTER I installed the sending unit for the temp gauge (of course) I learned using teflon tape on it is a no-no because it can inhibit the ground path and cause false readings, so perhaps that's my problem, or perhaps it's the wrong sending unit --- it's an easy fix either way because I've got a new correct replacement on hand now - so that's another thing on the list. I hope that's all it is because I don't want to have to fool with 'fixing' the factory gauge or adding an accurate aftermarket piece somewhere.

Still plugging away...

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

That is really looking good, Bear. Like a new car. Glad you bought the "good" seat covers!


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## crustysack (Oct 5, 2008)

that car is looking awesome


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Thanks guys :cheers

It's a "cool" car now, since I charged up the A/C last night and checked it all out. Everything's working. The console is back in it too, with the line-lock button on the shifter  and the shift cable connected and adjusted. Even though it still doesn't have any glass and there's a lot left to do on the interior, it's starting to become tempting to throw the steering wheel on it, bolt the passenger seat (the one I've got done but will re-do) in on the drivers side and sneak it out around the block 

Bear


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## Pontiacpurebrred (Jun 22, 2011)

Hey Bear,

That's really coming along looks AWESOME! I don't know if I could resist that temptation to take it for a "roll" around the block. If you do I don't think anyone would blame you.

Oh and I AM SO JEALOUS!
:cheers


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Still waiting on seat covers to arrive, but there's no shortage of other work to do. I installed the passenger side door glass last night. I got all the door latch/lock mechanisms installed and adjusted over the weekend, then found the new gaskets I thought I had but couldn't find last night, so that job got redone 

My original steering wheel had the decomposing problem already way back when I was still driving the car, so all the glass is good and gummy on the inside surface. I was finally able to cut through it and get the glass clean last night with lacquer thinner - done with the glass still off the car and WAY away from my paint! 

There are two C-shaped rubber seals (I guess they're seals) about 6" tall that clip onto the body, inside the glass, on the forward edge of the sail panel sort of in the rearmost "corner" of the quarter window opening. I still have mine, but the rubber on them is pretty dry and brittle. I've had them soaking in transmission stop leak for about 3 days now trying to soften them up but it doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. I've not yet been able to find a source for repros/replacements so I may just have to use them as is and hope for the best. If someone has a source for these, or perhaps a different concoction that will help soften them up, I'm all ears.

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Bear, if you can't find the rubber pieces, maybe you could make a plaster mold and make impressions and cast a new pair out of ......silicone, RTV, or that rubber stuff you dip tool handles into...a long shot for sure, but an option. I think the trans stop leak is the right stuff for old rubber/foam, but if it isn't working.....Also, BTDT on new parts that "vanish" at the time I need them, only to "re-appear" after the job was completed re-using the old parts......It's happened more than once, too!!


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Wait!!!!! What's this strange crystalline substance filling in all those nice big holes I used to have in my car????


:confused 


Bear


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

:cheers


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

The new seat covers from Legendary have arrived. Comparing them to the ones that tore, there's a huge difference in quality. I guess I got a little carried away tonight as it's now almost 3:30 am and I have to go to work in a few hours 

But, it was worth it arty:

Bear


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Nice!! The fit looks good. :cheers


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

My bride wanted to know how come there were so many wrinkles....... then I realized she was talking about the old guy in the photo, not the seats 

Bear


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## Josh.AZ.GTO (Jul 11, 2009)

Seats look great!!! 


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app


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## DukeB-120th (Oct 19, 2009)

Hey bear! I sure am excited for your car. Clean shaven is a good look for you, by the way.


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## stracener (Jul 27, 2010)

Awesome Bear!! Keep up the great work, that car rocks! What did you use to install the windshields? I used 3M window weld, hope it holds. I had called a few places to come install the glass for me, but cheapest was $150 PER glass, and they wouldn't be responsible for breaking it. We did it ourselves.

your car looks great, looking forward to a good "first drive" video!


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

I found a guy to come out and do it for me, but I watched how he did it. He laid a bead of urethane adhesive into the openings, then applied a run of butyl tape to the glass. He set the butyl into the urethane, then went back around the outside edges of the glass with more urethane. I feel pretty good that it's in there and isn't going to leak.

Total cost to me, including a new windshield, was $220.00

Thanks for the kind words on the car --- that 'first drive' could be happening really soon now. I'm buy tags this week

Bear


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Bear, It's all lookin' good...You did a nice job on that seat. I guess after all that re-upholstery work, you decided to change your "face cover" also!!!!:lol: :rofl: arty: :cheers Eric


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