Early A ('65) Bucket Seat Foam: Make Your Own?

dibbons said

Is there any reason one can't do it oneself? Is the foam offered for sale reinforced with metal framing or something like that? I have two '65 Abodies and would need four of these and don't have time to wait for another inheritance. Thank you.

Edit: I previously introduced this post saying: "These a now selling for $380.00 each. I can purchase a mountain of foam for that price." But I could not find that "deal" when I looked for it again later. Must be a mistake. Please see post #4 for more reasonable prices.

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Having gone through this before, I can tell you that not all foam is alike. They have different densities and the more dense the foam is, the more expensive it is. Cheap foam will look good initially but eventually will lose its shape from sitting on it and it will also deterioriate faster, turning into those little yellow/orange particles you see on the carpet under the seats as they age. The wires that are used to define the contours of the seats are called listing wire and should never be installed unless they are wrapped. They are usually done with a material that looks like craft paper. This is done so they dont saw through the foam or the seat cover as the seat surface moves with useage. The glue is specific to upholstery as well. Not your normal contact cement!

Here's mine, done using the Legendary Rallye kit. I refinished all the metal parts, rewrapped the listing wire and repaired a few broken springs before re assembly. These guys are great as are the materials in the kits.

4 years and 5000miles later and the interior is as fresh as the day I installed it.

Cheers!!