Installing seatback ornaments

[Ghoste]

Quick question for any of you that have restored interiors with an ornament in the seat back; did you have any issues reinstalling the ornament over new foam?
I did my 67 seatcovers last summer and at the time I wasn't able to get the new foam to compress enough to allow me to reinstall the little ornaments that go into the backs.  It was right before leaving for Columbus so it wasn't a big deal to me then.  Now I have time to finish it but I'm unsure about putting a clamp or something on there to compress the foam enough to get these things on.  If it is going to reduce the life of the foam in any way I don't need them on there that badly.
Or am I just overthinking it and worrying about nothing?

[kab69440]

Can't you just mark the spot where you need them, pull the cover up and install them? Sure it will cost a few extra hogrings, but in the grand scheme of things, so what...   You know?

[Ghoste]

That isn't the problem, the issue is compressing the foam so that they sit properly.  I understand what you are saying but to do it that way would basically leave them hanging limply off of the front of the seat cover.  It's difficult to explain without being able to show you but that option was considered when recovering them to begin with.  There is a long set of wire tangs on the back of the ornament that need to go through.

[kab69440]

OK, I understand the problem now...   I know the "ornaments" of which you speak, as I have '67 rear seats in my '69, and I have a spare set of 4 bolsters in my stash of goodies. If memory serves, the long tangs were simply bent over away from one another tightly against the backing plates, cotter pin style, with the upholstery sandwiched in-between. I wouldn't think they could loosen, and would just compress the foam where needed on their own.

[Ghoste]

So compressing the hell out of the foam isn't going to be cause for any worry then, correct?

[kab69440]

They won't really compress the foam all that much. You'll end up with a divot 1/8" deep, or so, over time. The tangs don't poke straight into and through the foam, they are bent over parallel to the bolster and rest on top of the foam. Do you have the bolsters themselves and not the backing plates (thin strips of 20-22ga. galvanized sheet steel) that secure them to the upholstery? I could make you a template for new ones if you need it. You'll end up with a sandwich that goes:
vinyl bolster center- potmetal bolster trim plate- upholstery vinyl- bolster backing plate
If you need it, I can take a few pics of the pieces and the assembly order, it's really not as difficult as it seems.

[Ghoste]

The original set had the tangs going through the foam (as in the way they came from Ma Mopar).  That is where this began because when I tried to install them through the foam it was impossible to get them through without heavily compressing the seat bun.  I did try the method you describe with the tangs just behind the vinyl but then the ornament hung there loosely and stuck out too far no matter how tightly the tangs were bent over.  That's about where I was when time ran out and I needed to take the car to the Nats.  Now I want to finish and I was going to duplicate the way the factory ones were but I didn't know if the repopped seat buns were a higher density foam or something and I was going to screw them up or what.

[kab69440]

If that's the case, I'd pre-punch the holes with an icepick or similar implement. Maybe one of those tire repair tools for roughing up a nail-hole before inserting a rubber plug? That should make a sufficient guide hole, shouldn't it?