How many have reupholstered their own seats?

[Ghoste]

And was it worth the trouble or next time would you prefer to pay someone else?

[1969chargerrtse]

Not me, but last night I took my reupholstered buckets out and found a cheap ( free ) way to make them firm like new car seats of today.  I hate when I sit on the bucket and it sinks down.  I took pictures and will post it.  Problem is I ( someone ) lost the camera cord so I'm waiting for the one I bought on ebay to come in.  Me I'd probably pay someone.  What makes me do my own stuff is when I get a long waiting time or sickly high Price, then I research and just do it myself.  10,600+ post!!  You been around since day one or what?   Wow. 

[71charger_fan]

I've done it. It's tedious, but not truly difficult if you take you time and follow the directions.

[Ghoste]

...  I hate when I sit on the bucket and it sinks down.  I took pictures and will post it.

   ...10,600+ post!!  You been around since day one or what?   

Just about since day one but what it really means is that I don't have much of a life. 
As for the sinking feeling, I do recall an older thread where someone had put a piece of carpet between the foam and the springs in his seats and that firmed them right up.  Is that similar to what you did?

[1969chargerrtse]

...  I hate when I sit on the bucket and it sinks down.  I took pictures and will post it.

   ...10,600+ post!!  You been around since day one or what?   

Just about since day one but what it really means is that I don't have much of a life. 
As for the sinking feeling, I do recall an older htread where someone had put a piece of carpet between the foam and the springs in his seats and that firmed them right up.  Is that similar to what you did?

No. I'm gonna post with pics when I get my camera cord but a quick idea is like this.  I was driving my kid around on our quad down the road past a school bus lot.  They had piled up about 10 seat bottom foam seats.  I was in love.  We took a seat bottom home, it is about 6" of high density foam on a thin 1/8 plywood base.  I cut a piece 12" X 13 and jammed it under the cross seat bars on my 6  way seat frame.  It  put the seat leather on the bucket to high, looked a little odd.  So I pulled it out (real hard to get back out as it was jammed )  and cut an inch or so off ( in it's height ) and jammed it back in.  It covered the whole seat bottom and worked GREAT!!!   The pass bucket is wide open underside so I cut some lenght of the same foam and slid a board base over the edges of the rail guides which held the foam up against the bottom of the seat and worked GREAT!!! again.  Whole thing took like 20 Min's for the driver side (first time) and like 10 Min's for the pass side and I have nice firm bucket bottoms, not the backside, though which is not an issue for me.

[Ghoste]

Interesting.  Similar to the carpet idea inasmuch as they both add support between the actual seat bun and the springs. 

[1969chargerrtse]

Interesting.  Similar to the carpet idea inasmuch as they both add support between the actual seat bun and the springs. 

Well, I find the springs weak and mine are shiny new.  By wedging the foam on top of the board resting on the bars, it really firms it up.  I would think adding carpet or anything under the seat still moves downward if there s nothing down there to stop that movement?   I dunno, worked good though.

[JimShine]

I did my own and I was fairly pleased with the results. At the time I lived in an area where having it done by a pro would have been expensive. Now I live where I can get it done cheaper by a pro than the time is worth to me, so I may never do it again.

I had decent seat cores to start. Meaning nice springs and such. They sagged a bit because the old burlap had degraded and the foam was squashing through the springs. I cleaned and freshened up the paint on the springs then laid 2 layers of new burlap with the 'grain' running in opposite directions. After that the old foam was fine, so I reused it. The seats are very comfortable and the contour looks better to me than most with new seat buns.

[Charger1973]

I did my fronts and im very happy with the way they turned out.  I still need to do the rear this spring/summer.  Heres a few pics...

before shot


test fit


after shot

[farmerjon]

my seats were in good shape but the covering was shot.  I bought new covers and did mine  they are the original aztez gold and look pretty good 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Interesting.  Similar to the carpet idea inasmuch as they both add support between the actual seat bun and the springs. 

Thats exactly what I did about 8 years ago to my seats when I recovered them...I read it in an old HotRod mag....firms up the seats nicely.

Not a hard task to do.....just do one at a time & take pics for refrence if you are not sure....wear gloves when using the hog ring pliers......fingers blister up fairly quickly if you dont!

[Ghoste]

Aha!  Then you must be the "someone" on here that I heard it from.

[tan top]

yeah ghoste done mine ..    just remember to get the vinyl very warm ..

[myfever]

A tip if I may....When putting the actual covers on [the seat part]and you are struggling with the hooks and getting a tight fit,you should........of course turn it upside down on a table,get a 2x4 and from the ceiling beam above seat in your garage,wedge it from the ceiling and compress the seat down[a 1ft by 1ft peice of plywood],put on the hooks and then release the 2x4 wedge and you should have a nice tight fit.

[E5 Charger]

Charger1973, where did you buy your upholstery from? They look like a great fit!

[rrockchrger]

I found a good tutorial website with pics on restoring '70 cuda seats which are very similar to a '70 charger..

http://www.lamopar.com/How%20To%27s/Bucket%20Seats/index.htm

[Charger1973]

Charger1973, where did you buy your upholstery from? They look like a great fit!

They are the Legendary covers.

[gordo1968charger]

i got some pui ones,front fitted fine,back was too small.YEAR ONE sent a replacement this was also too small,in my fustration i took the 2 kits for the rear seat to my local trimmers who custom made them to fit.including fitting new sponge for a mere 120 quid.
i do them at work on occasion,so it was a walk in the park.....yellowstone park.

[Back N Black]

I had a friend replace his last winter, what he did was pull the clear garbage down over the seat back and one on the bottom cushion area. They slide on no problem. When he was done he trimmed off the excess plastic.

[squeakfinder]

Did mine with the wife. I don't think I would try it by myself. It really helped having two of us because there was a lot of pulling at the same time hog rings needed to be applied. The covers fit pretty tight on a 68, not sure if what your doing would be the same.

[694spdRT]

I did the front and rear seats in the '69 and also the fronts in my '77 T/A.

I used some carpet to firm up the seats in the T/A because they have a thin wire supports that cut though the foam quickly and it worked great.

[Charger1973]

I also used the carpet in my seat bottoms and I may do the same with the rear seat, we'll see when the time comes. 

[Finn]

Do you guys mean just like lay a piece of carpet on top of the springs or attach it somehow?

[Ghoste]

Probably laying on top of the burlap (which is attached to the springs) but in either case, it should be hog-ringed to the springs to keep it from moving around.

[JrJohnston]

Probably laying on top of the burlap (which is attached to the springs) but in either case, it should be hog-ringed to the springs to keep it from moving around.

You are right on hog ringing it in place,and here is a good tip for sagging springs.
If you have a old couch or chair you are trashing,pull the springs from it.You can bend them into the shape of your old spring and use them as replacements,they are a bigger diameter than the automotive springs.Kinda of a pain in the rear to bend,but will firm up a seat real good.