Читать книгу Automotive Upholstery & Interior Restoration - Fred Mattson - Страница 9

CHAPTER 2

SEAT RESTORATION

The main focal component of an auto interior is the driver’s seat. Its purpose is to provide a safe and comfortable place for the driver to operate the car. Over many years of evolution, the driver’s seat has changed in style, comfort, and safety.

Early seats consisted of a hand-crafted wooden frame with coil springs that were covered in leather, linen, or wool fabric. After many years of service, these seat covers have worn through, exposing the springs, horsehair, cotton, and burlap that had been supporting the cover and providing comfort.

Seats in this condition do not necessarily need to be replaced. They were built with raw materials and basic woodworking joints, so repairing a distressed seat frame and springs can be restored to original condition with a lot of patience, time, and basic woodworking skills.

This front seat is from a 1952 Cadillac. The original cover is dry rotted and in need of a complete restoration. The owner bought the car when it was already disassembled and the repaint process had been started in a non-original color. I will re-create this seat in a period-correct red.

The post-war car era began fabricating seats with metal frames and zigzag springs. These frames were mass produced by stamping out components from sheet metal and spot welding the pieces together, making the frame stronger and very durable. The springs were covered with burlap and employed a latex rubber pad for comfort. Because of the abundance of man-made materials, manufacturers were now able to mass-produce the seat coverings from broadcloth, leather, and vinyl. This allowed many variations in style and features.

In the early 1960s, the challenge of restoring a seat became more difficult for trimmers to reproduce when manufacturers began to emboss vinyl with patterns and logos. The process of dielectrically embossing vinyl involves expensive equipment. The average trimmer typically does not invest money to acquire the tooling or the time learning the process to produce one-off seat covers. Sewing the patterns into the vinyl used to be the only way an upholsterer could get the general look of an original embossed piece. Fortunately today many manufacturers can do the embossing of these patterns and once again these seats can be restored to original condition.

The market today offers many ready-made reproduction seat covers and interior kits. A lot of these interior kits use generic materials that are not correct in color, texture, and fit. The tailoring on some of these seat covers and interior kits fits well, but many do not fit. This is why a professional upholsterer should install these kits so that alterations can be made to the panels and seat covers to make the finished job look good. A lot of time and effort can go into fitting and re-fitting these kits, and it is for these reasons I prefer to make the interior panels and seat covers from scratch.

The goal of a restoration is to have a new seat that looks like the original, but an original-style seat cover is based on the choice of materials, pattern, and design used for the restoration. Some of the original materials used in vintage cars are no longer available, so a substitution of modern materials must be made. Products chosen for the restoration should be similar in characteristics to the original materials in look, feel, and performance. One product that is not available today is the thin cotton coach wadding used in almost every component of an interior. Coach wadding is no longer produced, leaving the trimmer to substitute a felt underliner to cushion the fabric from the subsurface of wood or sheet metal.

Seat cover materials produced today are more durable and colorfast than their vintage counterparts. The modern synthetic fibers being produced are also softer and more comfortable than the vintage woolen fabrics, yet they are very close in appearance to the originals.

The look of a new interior in a classic automobile can vary considerably. A custom tailored interior is suitable for a highly modified street rod but just does not have the right look if you are going for a vintage restoration. The seat pattern can be the basic design or upgraded to the deluxe interior of a higher-level model. Most manufacturers produced base model cars, which were more affordable but limited in accessories and options. The base model had a very simple interior covered in wool broadcloth and a rubber mat covering the floor. Deluxe models were equipped with more luxury and upgraded options. Door panels and plush seat covers of mohair with wide pleats was a common design along with woven carpet on the floors. Whether the seat cover is plain or fancy, you are striving for a period correct restoration, meaning that the interior reflects the vintage of car.

Seat Cover Panels

A seat cover is made up of many individual panels and each panel has a name and purpose. Knowing what to call them helps with the design and assembly of the seat cover.

The face panel of the seat is called an insert. Inserts can be plain, pleated, or made up of decorative patterns. Raised panels called bolsters surround the insert. The insert and bolsters make up the top and/or front of a seat cover. Around the outsides of the seat are panels that make up the boxing. The face panel is attached to the boxing by sewing them together. The seam may be trimmed with a covered welt cord, a single top cap stitch, or a decorative double stitch called a French seam.

The front seatback cushion has an outside back cover that is either sewn to the seatback cover or it may have a metal shell–type back that is covered with matching seat material. The seatback outside cover may also have a robe cord attached.

A denim sleeve is sewn along the outside edges of the cover. This sleeve is referred to as a listing; inserted into the sleeve is a listing wire that will be hog ringed to the seat frame.

Overall, the seat cover is assembled in a sequential order by creating subassemblies and joining them to create a complete seat cover.

Seat Removal

The first thing that you need to do is to remove the seat from the car and put it up on the bench. Early-model seats have a frame that the seat cushions are set into. This seat frame is called a sleigh. The upholstered cushions simply lift out of the frame starting with the bottom cushion, and then the backrest can be lifted off the frame.

Postwar cars had seatbacks that were assembled to the lower frame as one unit. Many of these bench seats had skirts to hide the seat tracks and backrest pivot arms, while robe cords graced the backs of the front bench seat. All these extra fittings make the bench seats exceptionally heavy and awkward to move, so the simplest and safest way to remove the front seat from the car is to disassemble the seat by section while it is still in the car.

Before the seat can be unbolted from the floor, the seat-bottom skirts and aprons need to be removed to gain access to the anchor bolts holding the seat to the floor. Remove the countersunk washer trim screws with a #2 Phillips screwdriver and disconnect the power seat actuator from the seat by removing the bolt that connects the power ram to the seat frame.

The decorative side skirt is attached to the lower edge of the seat bottom with countersunk washer trim screws. Use a screwdriver to remove the trim screws and set the lower skirts aside. If there is a power-seat switch in the skirt, label and then disconnect the wires from the switch. Remove the switch from the skirt by removing the screws that hold it in place.

Pivot points for the seatbacks are under the skirts on each side of the seat bottom. A two-door car has a seatback that pivots forward, allowing the passengers to access the rear seat. Remove the spring clip by prying it off the pivot post. The center pivot point on this seat uses a long bolt to hold both inner arms in place. Simply loosen and remove the retaining nut and washer and remove the bolt. The backrest can now be removed from the seat bottom.

Many variations to these anchors are available depending on the manufacturer, make, and model. Some seat pivots use a cotter pin and others use a spring-clip pin through a hole in the pivot post. Other models are secured with an “E” clip fastener. Grab the fastener with needle-nose pliers and pull on the clip to remove it; now slide the backrest off the post and lift it out of the car.

Four-door cars do not have backrests that pivot. They are typically bolted directly to the seat bottom frame. Simply remove the bolts and lift the backrest off the seat bottom.

When you are down to the seat bottom, adjust the seat all the way to the rear and unbolt the front seat anchor bolts from the floor. Adjust the seat forward and then remove the rear anchor bolts. Now carefully lift and float the seat bottom out of the car. I find that it is easier to remove the seat through the passenger’s door because it is not obstructed by the steering wheel. Place the seat components up on the workbench so they can be worked on much easier.

Removing a Seat

1 A hydraulic ram under the seat provides power for the seat. Apron panels on the front of the seat cover the access to the under-seat accessories. The panels are removed from the frame by unscrewing them from the seat.

2 Not only are the side skirts decorative, they are also functional. The side skirts conceal the seatback mounting hardware and pivot point. By removing the trim screws and skirt, you gain better access to the seat mounting bolts that hold the seat to the floor.

3 Before the backrest can be removed from the seat bottom, the spring retainer must be pried off the pivot post. The center pivot bolt must also be removed to release the inner pivot arms from the seat bottom.

4 The hardware used to assemble a seat varies by manufacturer and seat type. A two-door car has a split-back seat that pivots on a pin or bolt allowing passengers access to the rear seat. A spring clip and washer retain the seatback pivot arm to the frame.

Disassembly

Before you begin with the disassembly of an old car seat, I must remind you that it is very dirty and I strongly recommend that you wear protective eyewear and a dust mask to protect you from the dust, rust, and mouse dirt during the teardown process. Prolonged exposure to these elements can lead to long-term health problems.

Labeling and Bagging

Although car seats may be similar in basic design, they are often assembled with little differences that may create a challenge when you try to figure out how they come apart. Make notes as you disassemble the seat and take pictures as to how the hardware is attached so that you are able to correctly reassemble the seat later. Carefully label and bag small components to avoid confusion upon reassembly. Place all the parts in a container promptly after removal so that they do not get lost. The hardware will either be replaced or reconditioned before it is reinstalled on the seat.

Preserving the Cover Material

The key to making a good pattern is to preserve the old seat cover as much as possible. You can carefully remove the bottom seat cover without further damaging it by cutting the hog rings, pulling tacks, and unclipping the material from the frame.

Cutting the Hog Rings

There may be hidden or blind listings that secure bolsters to the seat frame. These are hog ringed to an anchor wire under the seat cushion and they are removed by cutting the hog rings to free the seat cover. After the cover has been cut free from the frame, lift it off and set the cover aside; you will get back to it once the frame is cleaned up. With the old seat cover removed and the seat padding exposed, you can now see the old support materials that cover the lower seat springs. These old support materials are dry-rotted, dirty, and have served their time. Replace them with fresh new materials upon reassembly.

Cut the hog rings that secure the old cotton, foam, and burlap covering the seat springs and discard all of it. All that should remain of the seat bottom are the springs; you will address them after you finish with the rest of the seat tear down.

Removing the Outside Shell

Working now with the seatback, the removal of the outside shell is done by removing the screws at the inside bottom of the seatback. If you encounter a problem with the release of the outside shell, look for additional screws or fasteners that may be hidden from view. Do not try to force the seat components apart as they may bend or break. Try pushing in and up, or sometimes a slight twisting motion frees a stuck component. If the seat has a robe cord on the outside back, it may be necessary to remove the trim bezel screws to get the back cover off. On most GM cars, you can release the robe cord by pushing the cord into the trim bezel and then giving it a quarter turn to pull it free.

After you have the seatback shell removed, cut the hog rings that are holding the listing wires of the old seat cover. Peel back the seat cover from around the seat frame and then carefully remove the seatback cover. Do not discard the old seat cover; it will be used as a pattern for the new backrest. Continue to remove the cotton and burlap that is covering the seatback springs by cutting away the hog rings that hold the old material in place. Discard all the dirty cotton padding and old, worn-out underlying burlap cover. The remaining seatback springs need to be refreshed. They are full of mouse dirt and the burlap casings are failing.

Disassembling a Seat

1 A single screw holds the center seatback bumper in place. The rubber bumpers are no longer useful and are replaced with new rubber pads. The base plate is also reconditioned and color matched to the new seat cover.

2 The hog rings are cut from underneath the seat frame, which releases the listing so that the old seat cover can be removed carefully with minimal damage to the old material. Having an original pattern allows you to re-create the new seat cover without guesswork.

3 A blind listing is revealed when the seat cover is pulled back. The hog rings holding the seat cover in place are to be cut free to allow the old seat cover to be removed from the seat frame. Use the old cover as a pattern to make a new one.

4 After 65 years of service, the foam padding and cotton in the seat has broken down completely and is no longer usable. The old padding and support materials will be removed from the seat frame and discarded.

5 The outside seatback shell is removed from the backrest by removing the small screws that hold it in place on the backrest frame. The outside shell is stripped down and reconditioned with new padding and materials.

6 Additional screws are removed from the robe cord escutcheon and trim. The screws also help hold the outer seatback shell to the backrest frame. With the screws removed, the outside shell can be lifted off the backrest frame.

7 The hog rings are cut that hold the listings of the old seat cover to the seat backrest frame. The old backrest cover can then be removed carefully from the frame. By preserving the old cover, you end up with a better pattern for the new seat cover.

8 All the old cotton padding and burlap cover must be removed from the backrest. The hog rings that hold the cheesecloth-wrapped cotton are cut away from the seat frame so that the cotton can be discarded. The underlying burlap should also be thrown away.

Coil Springs

Coil springs have been used for many years to give support and comfort to seating of all kinds. For springs to be effective, they need to work in unison to give proper support. If the springs work independently of each other, the result is lumpy and uneven support, making for a very uncomfortable seating experience. Taking the springs apart and putting them back together may seem overwhelming at first. You may feel that this is too much work and ask yourself, “What if I can’t do it, then what?” Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through the process.

It is vital to the restoration of the seat to have a good and solid foundation for the seat cover. Tearing the springs apart and putting them back together may at first look impossible, but if you take it step by step, it is not hard to do at all and will give you a lot of satisfaction. You will appreciate knowing the job is done right and was not just patched up. The coil springs are re-cased in new burlap or denim. This gives the springs the correct tension for seating comfort and the durability to last for many more years. The seatback, too, is made of rows of coil springs that are sewn into burlap pockets that compress the springs to a predetermined tension.

Seat Springs

Many different types of springs are used for seating support in car seats. The earliest cars used coil springs just like the ones used in furniture: rows of springs encased in burlap and padded with cotton. This was the technology at the time, and if it was good enough for grandma’s parlor, well, then it must be good enough for the open road.

Many variations of the coil spring exist. Some are just helical coils with the same dimension from top to bottom. Double coil springs are tapered in the middle like an hourglass, and conical springs are cone shaped with a smaller coil at the bottom, growing progressively larger at the top just like a cone.

Postwar cars started to use the no-sag or zigzag springs in car seats because they were faster to install and cut the cost of manufacturing. By the mid-1960s, manufacturers had started using less metal in the seats, and the spring work began to get weaker. When fewer rows of springs are used the result is going to be a lot of broken springs. By the early 1970s the spring was replaced by a solid foam cushion. The foam used was very dense, and yet it made a comfortable seat cushion.

Tensioner Removal

Begin working the springs by removing the tensioning burlap along the top and bottom of the springs. This piece of burlap limits the expansion of the springs. Having a small amount of tension on the springs as a unit gives the seat cover some definition. Label and save the tension burlap pieces so that new pieces can be made.

Spring Removal

The springs need to be removed from the seat frame so that they can be cleaned and re-cased. Cut all the hog rings that hold the springs along the edge wire of the spring frame. This frees the spring unit from the edge wire frame. A legend card can be created to map the position of tension rods and the rows of springs. Component location and measurements are taken and recorded on the legend card. This information helps when it comes time to rebuild the spring unit.

To get the springs out of the wire frame, you need to remove the edge wire clips from the tensioning rods and then mark and number the tensioning rod position with masking tape to aid in reassembly. To release the tension rods, carefully open the edge wire clips without destroying them. You will reuse the clips when the unit is put back together. If a clip is broken, a replacement clip must be fabricated from sheet metal. Remove the spring unit from the seat frame by lifting it out of the frame. Set the seat frame out of the way and begin to cut the hog rings holding the coils to each other. Do not cut the springs when removing the hog rings. Work on one row of springs at a time to prevent a mix-up of the spring placement. When a row of springs has been cut free, it should be numbered on the right-hand end of the row to identify its position and orientation. After the row has been numbered it can be set aside. Continue with the next row until all the rows of springs have been separated and numbered.

Double-Check Your Work

Before any further disassembly occurs, lay all the rows of cased springs out along with the other components that were removed and check them against the legend card you made. This way you begin to understand how they were assembled and it makes it easier for you to rebuild the spring unit. Make any corrections or add any additional information to the legend card now; it will be very difficult to remember later.

Keep Your Springs in Order

To remove the springs from the old casing, begin by cutting the stitching along the top of the casing and pull the spring out. Observe that the outside springs are sometimes a heavier gauge than the inside springs, so keep the springs in the same order that they were placed in the original casing. Flex and squeeze the springs to check for cracked or broken springs. Any spring component that is broken, worn, or rusted through must be replaced with a new part. Unfortunately, welding cannot repair a broken spring. The nature of a spring is to flex and, if you weld the metal, it draws the temper in the metal and it becomes brittle and prone to breaking, which brings me back to a broken spring.

Casing Measurements

After the springs are removed from the old casing, lay the casing out flat and carefully measure the overall height and width of each compartment. Also remember to measure the spacing distance between the spring compartments. These measurements allow you to accurately make the new spring casing.

Some compartments may have an extra seam in the bottom to add more tension to the spring. Record these measurements on the legend sheet as well. This will be your guide to help make sure that the springs are tensioned and spaced correctly when they are reassembled. Each row of springs is most likely different in height and by the number of springs it holds. Carefully measure and mark each row as you lay out the original pattern onto the new burlap. If your old casing measures 8 inches tall by 37 inches wide, mark the new burlap 16 inches tall by 37 inches wide. Then when you fold the strip in half it will be the correct size. Continue to mark the selvage on the ends of each row along with the closing allowance at the top. Include the tensioning seam along the bottom if needed. Now the new casing row can be cut out and sewn according to the original measurements.

Reinsert the Springs

Straighten any bent springs. Wire brush any rust off the springs to clean them before you insert the springs into their new pocket. It is easier to work with just one spring at a time. Compress the spring flat and insert it horizontally into the pocket of the burlap casing. Sew along the top of the casing to lock the spring into its new pocket. After all the springs are encased in burlap they must be turned to a vertical position and expanded. Rotate the spring inside the pocket until it is correctly positioned. Continue doing this until the row of springs are all turned and then set the row aside. Repeat this process until all the rows of springs have been restored. When all of the springs are re-cased, insert the back row of springs into the wire frame first and progress forward. Insert each tensioning rod in its correct position as you add rows of springs.

When all the rows of springs are in place, secure the tension rods to the edge wire with their clips. Hog ring the lower edge of the springs along the outside edges of the seat frame and then finish hog ringing the rows together just like they were. Do this one row at a time to prevent any missed springs. When you are finished with the top of the springs, turn the seat over and hog ring the bottoms of the springs in the same way as the top.

Reconditioning Coil Springs

1 Several rows of coil springs make up the cushion system of the backrest. Being sewn into a burlap casing tensions the springs. Collectively, the springs work as a unit to provide comfort and support for the driver and passenger.

2 Each part of the spring system plays an important role. Along the top and bottom of the spring unit are tensioners that limit the amount of expansion of the springs. An edge wire frame contains the springs, allowing them to work as a unit.

3 The spring unit is attached to the edge wire frame with hog rings. Removing the hog rings to free the spring unit from the seat frame is the start of the rebuilding process. Parts removed are labeled for reassembly.

4 To keep track of all the parts and their positions a legend card is created. As pieces are removed their size and position are tagged with tape and recorded onto the legend card. Accuracy and detail are key elements to a successful spring unit rebuild.

5 With the spring unit on the workbench, it can be cut apart carefully. All the hog rings that connect the rows of springs are removed without cutting or damaging the coil springs. To keep the process simple, only work one row of springs at a time.

6 Each row of springs is numbered to identify its location and position. Knowing that the row number is on the right helps with the orientation of the row of springs as well as its position during the reassembly of the spring unit.

7 All the separated spring components are laid out and rechecked against the legend card. Good notes ensure a successful spring rebuild. Visualizing the placement of the parts also gives you confidence when it is time to reassemble the springs as a unit.

8 Springs are removed from the old canvas casing, cleaned, and checked for cracks. Each row of springs is different and some may be different in size and gauge. It is important to keep the springs in the original order they came in.

9 Measurements are taken from the old burlap casing and recorded onto the legend card. Height, width, and overall length of the burlap are needed to reproduce the new casing. Variations in the spacing of the pockets should also be noted.

10 Spring tension is an important part of the rebuild. To create the correct spring tension, some pockets may be shorter than others. This measurement is also added to the legend card so that it can be sewn into the new casing.

11 New spring casings are cut from burlap and marked according to the measurements taken from the original casing and recorded on the legend card. Individual pockets are then sewn into the new casings that divide and space each spring for proper alignment and tensioning.

12 Each spring is compressed and inserted into its pocket and then it is sewn closed. After the row of springs has been sewn in, the springs are turned and expanded vertically in their pocket. The rows of springs are now ready to be reinstalled into the edge wire frame.

13 Each casing of springs is hog ringed together one row at a time by following the legend card. Working in a methodical way ensures that no hog rings are skipped. Tension rods are secured in place and the edge wire frame is hog ringed to the outside edges of the spring unit.

Seatback Supports

Now is a good time to address the mounting arm on the backrest of the front seat. The arm is a structural element to the seatback, and on a four-door car it is attached to the seat bottom with bolts and does not pivot. The backrest upholstery covers these supports, hiding them from view.

The design is different on a two-door car. The seat is designed to allow the backrest to be tilted forward for access to the rear seat. Because of this pivot action, the support arms are somewhat visible. The factory painted the metal arms to help them blend in with the upholstery, but their color choices were very generic.

The support arms need to be cleaned and any chips in the old paint should be sanded smooth before priming the metal. A complementary color can then be sprayed on the support arms and allowed to dry.

Zigzag Springs

The bottom seat frame of this project uses modern zigzag springs. The name obviously comes from the design of the spring. Clean the springs by wire brushing them to remove any rust and debris.

The backrest support arms are visible and they deserve to be cleaned up to look like new. Cleaning, sanding, and a good color coat make them fit in with the new seat cover that is installed over the freshly tensioned spring set.

Check for broken or loose springs and repair them as necessary. If the springs are rusty from mouse damage they need to be washed with a 50/50 solution of bleach and water before they are painted. Painting the springs seals them to keep them from smelling bad. The paint also helps prevent further corrosion. I use Rust-Oleum to paint the springs in my projects. What makes it a great paint is that it covers well and comes in rattle cans that are ready to use.

I don’t recommend powder coating the seat springs. The powder coating does not like to be flexed as this cracks the coating, causing it to chip off.

The adjustable seat tracks must be serviced along with the lower seat springs. Clean the seat tracks and lubricate the roller bearings so that the track can move freely. It is not recommended to sand blast the seat tracks. Grit gets into the roller bearings and causes the seat tracks to grind and wear the bearings.

This seat bottom frame is fitted with zigzag springs. These springs provide all the support necessary for a comfortable ride and yet they are easy to work on. The attached adjustable seat tracks give the seat the correct ride height and secure the frame to the floor of the car.

Decorative trim panels are used to hide unsightly components in the car. The small apron panels are stripped of their old cover material and the surface is cleaned and straightened in preparation for a new layer of upholstery.

Adding a felt underliner material before the new vinyl cover is applied softens the surface of the metal. The new cover material is held in place by a coat of contact cement that has been sprayed onto the back surface of the material.

Trim Panels and Seat Skirts

Along the outsides of the seat are additional upholstered panels that conceal the raw edges and working elements of the seat. These decorative pieces need to be stripped and reconditioned before they can be reinstalled. Most of the panels are covered or wrapped with the same upholstery material as the interior. Some trim panels are metal or molded plastic and are painted to match the interior color scheme.

The simple flat apron panels are stripped down and the surface is cleaned. The metal is straightened and a felt underliner is applied to the face of the panel and trimmed to the edge. The underliner gives the panel a softer appearance when it is re-covered.

New vinyl is cut about 1 inch oversize of the panel to allow for the material to wrap around the backside of the panel. Glue is sprayed onto the backside edges of the panel and the overhanging vinyl material.

After the glue gets tacky the edges of the vinyl should be pulled taut as it is wrapped around the panel.

A little heat from a heat gun helps the vinyl conform to the panel when pulled around the corners. Press the vinyl into the glue to secure it to the panel. Trim off the excess vinyl that has bunched up on the backside of the panel.

Although seat skirts are mostly decorative, they do have a function: The seat skirt conceals the seat track and pivot point of the seatback. Some skirt panels have decorative chrome or stainless trim attached. This must be removed before the panel can be re-covered. First remove the inner liner of the skirt by lifting the staples holding it in place. The stainless trim is fastened to the skirt panel by small screws or tabs that are bent over to hold the trim in place. Remove any screws that may be holding the trim to the panel and from the backside of the panel carefully lift the tabs or pins that hold the trim in place. Try not to break off any of the fasteners or damage the trim when removing it from the panel.

Wrapping the trim panels in vinyl gives the piece a nice, soft appearance. Applying a small amount of heat to the vinyl helps it to conform to the shape of the trim panel as it is pulled over the edge and glued into position.

A prominent feature of this era of car seat is the lower side skirt. This front skirt has a decorative band of stainless trim that helps the cover material contour to the profile of the skirt. The stainless trim is held in place by small pins and a trim screw.

The decorative stainless trim should be marked on the backside or with a piece of masking tape as to its orientation on the panel. Clean the stainless with #0000 steel wool to bring back its luster. Repair any broken mounting pins if necessary.

Cover Removal

The wrapped cover material of the panel is glued and/or stapled to the backside of the panels. These fasteners are lifted from the panel and then the cover material can be peeled off. Retain the old cover material so that it can be used as a pattern for the new panel cover.

Panel Cleaning and Prep

Under the upholstery material is usually thin cotton padding or coach wadding. Remove this by scraping it off with a putty knife and de-scaling the panel with a wire brush. Clean the surface of the panel with lacquer thinner to remove any residual glue and dust. The surface of the metal may be rusty and it should be sanded, primed, and painted to prevent it from further corrosion. If the panel is damaged or rusted out, proper repairs must be made before the panel can be re-covered. Replace the cotton coach wadding by gluing a felt underliner or foam-backed headliner material to the metal skirt. Wrap the padding around the edges of the skirt and trim the padding to fit.

Cut a new piece of vinyl about 2 inches oversize and set the skirt panel on the vinyl. Spray glue onto the backside edges of the skirt and around the vinyl cover material. Now stretch the vinyl over and around to the back of the skirt on the top and bottom edges. Add a couple of staples to hold it in place. Pull forward on the vinyl to remove any wrinkles and staple the vinyl to the front edge. Apply heat to the vinyl if necessary to help it stretch and lay smooth, and finish working the vinyl until it covers the skirt.

Welt Edging

Sew on a 5/32-inch welt to trim the upper edge of the skirt. Cut a vinyl strip 2½ inches wide for the welt cover. The extra selvedge material is stapled to the inside of the skirt. This decorative welt gives the skirt a finished appearance and it looks nice once the skirt is fit to the bottom of the seat, giving the skirt some extra definition.

Trim Installation

Before the stainless trim can be re-fit on the skirt the mounting holes need to be opened. From the backside of the skirt locate the trim mounting holes and with help from a regulator, poke through the surface of the vinyl to open the hole. Set the stainless trim in place by guiding the mounting pins through the holes in the vinyl.

Secure the stainless trim to the skirt by bending the mounting pins over with a tack hammer. Take care when bending the pins so that you do not break them off.

Cover over the staples and trim pins with a new inner liner made from a piece of panel board. Staple the liner in place.

Apply any other badges or trim pieces to the skirt. The skirts are finished and should be set aside until they are needed for the final assembly of the seat.

Restoring Seat Skirts

1 Before the skirt can be re-covered it is stripped of all the old upholstery materials. The inner liner of the skirt is removed along with all the staples holding the cover material in place. The old cover material is removed and used as a reference for the new cover.

2 Special care must be taken when removing the stainless trim from the trim panel. Lifting the mounting pins is a delicate job if you do not want to break them off. The pins are raised from the backside of the trim panel with a staple lifter.

3 The stainless trim piece is lifted carefully from the panel without bending it. Clean the stainless by wiping it down with a damp rag and polishing the surface with #0000 steel wool. The mounting pins are also straightened so that the piece can be reinstalled.

4 After the removal of the old cover material and coach wadding, the metal surface reveals some signs of corrosion. A light wire brushing and some sanding yields a clean surface for a new felt underliner to be glued in place.

5 With the padding applied and trimmed, the outside of the skirt can now be wrapped in vinyl. An oversize piece of vinyl is cut and fit to the skirt. Glue is applied to the backside of the vinyl and inside edges of the skirt.

6 The vinyl is heated and stretched over the skirt and stapled along the backside to hold it in place. To get the vinyl to conform to the contours of the skirt’s profile, additional heat is applied while the vinyl is pulled forward and worked around the corners.

7 A finishing touch is added to the skirt. The upper edge of the skirt is adorned with a decorative bead of welt. The welt on the outside edge of the skirt helps the skirt stand away from the seat cover boxing.

8 Replacing the decorative stainless trim on the skirt helps the vinyl keep tight to the surface. A regulator is used to pierce the vinyl, which then allows the mounting pins to easily pass through to the backside of the skirt.

9 The stainless trim is secured in place on the skirt by gently tapping and bending the mounting pins over with a tack hammer. The staples and mounting pins are concealed on the inside of the skirt with a new inner liner.

10 The lower seat skirts are completed and ready to be installed. The seat trim makes all the difference in how finished the seat looks once it is installed in the car. These trim pieces are mostly decorative but worth the effort to make them new again.

Seatback Panels

The outside seatback also must be stripped down and reconditioned. Finish removing the robe cord from the inside of the seatback by removing the hook end of the robe cord from the spring-loaded tensioning retainer. The robe cord also needs to be restored. You will reuse some of its parts; set it aside until you address it later.

Remove the decorative welt cord from the edge of the seatback by lifting the staples that hold it in place. Continue around the shell, removing all the staples that are holding the cover in place. Peel back the edges of the old cover material and remove the cover from the shell.

With a putty knife, scrape off the cotton coach wadding that is on the seatback shell and clean the metal as you did with the skirts. Since coach wadding is no longer available, apply a layer of foam-backed headliner material or a felt underliner material to the seatback frame to replace the coach wadding.

Restoring the seatback shell requires that all old materials are stripped off. The hook end of the robe cord is disconnected from the tensioner that is located inside the shell. The old robe cord is set aside and saved for reconditioning.

Cut new vinyl and fabric for the seatback cover. Use the old cover as a guide to size the materials. Apply the materials in the reverse order that they were removed. Wrap the outside end cap with vinyl and glue or staple it in place. Begin with the long sides and then work the top and then the bottom. Apply a little heat to help the vinyl form around the corners of the shell.

Now work the fabric panel by blind tacking the inside edge of the upholstery fabric before it is pulled to the outside and tacked in place. Work the top edge and then the bottom until all the wrinkles have been smoothed out of the material. Reapply the decorative welt along the outside edge of the shell with staples.

Staples that are holding the decorative welt along the outer edge of the shell are removed, freeing the welt and upholstery material from the shell. The old upholstery materials can now be removed from the seatback shell.

With the outside upholstery removed, you can see that the coach wadding has deteriorated and it must be scraped off the frame. Before the new felt underliner can be applied, the metal shell is wire brushed and cleaned.

A fresh layer of felt underliner has been applied to the shell frame in preparation for the new cover materials. The new vinyl and fabric pieces are fitted to the metal frame by stapling, stretching, and gluing them in place.

Robe Cords

Early-model cars did not have good heaters and the passengers in the rear seat used a “lap robe” to help keep their legs warm. Robe cords were attached horizontally across the back of the front seat and the lap robe draped over the cord, where it was stored out of the way when not in use. This project has a robe cord on each seatback. The robe cord is constructed of a metal chain inside a vinyl-covered rubber hose. Although the chain may be reusable, the original robe cord cover is usually dry rotted and must be replaced. Originally the core tube of the robe cord was made of rubber. The cost of rubber today is prohibitive, so I am opting to use a piece of PVC vinyl tubing instead. The new tube has a 1/2-inch outside diameter with a 3/8-inch inside diameter just like the original.

Size Measurement

To make the vinyl cover you need to know what size to cut and sew the cover material. To figure the width of the robe cord cover material, place two 1/2-inch strips of vinyl running parallel on top of the vinyl tubing. Now wrap a scrap strip of vinyl around the tubing and mark the point where it overlaps itself. This is the finished width of the robe cord cover.

Before cutting the material for the robe cord you also need to add an inch to the finished diameter, which gives you a 1/2-inch seam allowance along the edge. Now measure the length of the vinyl tube to get the final dimension of the cover material. Lay out the dimensions on the vinyl and cut the cover material to size.

Robe Cord Cover