1973 Duster Bucket Seat Restoration

[goldduster360]

After wrestling with trying to find NOS foam or repro foam for the last 2 years I gave up and just accepted the fact that I am going to have to work with what I already have. The upside is all the foam is still intact but it is mushy,unsupportive and in need of some help before putting on an expensive set of repro seat covers.

Here is what I started with:

 

[goldduster360]

On teardown there are two rods, one running down each side of the seat underneath the upholstery which pulls the cover down to the seat foam and gives the seat a sculpted, taut appearance. You have to cut the hog rings loose at the bottom of the seat flap to gain access to the rods. Once you locate the rods, cut the hog ring off holding them down and then push down slightly and twist to pull out. You have to do this before sliding the old seat cover up. If it is too difficult on initial teardown you can just cut the upholstery off, reattachment will become quite apparent once you see how it is put together. Not rocket science stuff here and the first time upholstery installer should not feel intimidated by this. You cannot install the new seat cover with the rods in place, you have to go in blind after slipping the new cover over the foam and do it by feel. A tad trying but anyone will be able to do it. This seat was partially re-upholstered over 20 years ago and I used nylon ties to re-attach. They outlasted the upholstery and are a heap easier to remove than those dang metal hog rings.

 

[goldduster360]

With the old cover off the seat foam did not look too bad but needed additional lumbar support so I added some 1/2" thick open celled foam. I simply measured and cut it with scissors and then glued it down with some 3m general trim adhesive. Super trim adhesive might melt the foam.

I got this foam and some 1/2" closed cell for the seat bottom from my friend Justin at O'neil Industrial. He has been supplying foam for automotive and aviation needs for over 20 yrs. Very knowledgeable guy on all types of foams and their applications. He even does accoustical kits for older muscle cars to take out the drone. Quality foam in the right thickness added to the right places will make a world of difference on these seats.

Pics show all the rods that will be used to re-attach new upholstery to freshened up seat back. The top horizontal rod goes into a sleeve on the upholstery and has to be cinched down with rings or ties, the vertial ones are the ones that go in the sleeves after sliding the cover completely on. Cover has to be turned inside out to start installation too. That is how you have access to the center pull down. The bottom two rods go into the flap halves that seal up the bottom of the seat while making it taut.

Also note the seatback is molded in one piece over the seat frame, the main reason there is not any repro stuff out there, they would need to make a new frame to mold it to or you would have to send in your old one. Too complicated?

 

[goldduster360]

Here is the upper ready to go back in the car. I will post pics of how I rebuilt the seat bottom also. It was a little more involved as it takes most of the abuse from our derrier's.

 

[goldduster360]

My seat bottom had become so soft that I used to get a back ache from driving this car. After I got this seat back together I sit about 2 inches higher in the car than I did before. Sits like a Cadillac,or should I say Imperial?

I used 1/2" closed cell foam for the seat bottom and 1/2" open cell on the side bolsters as on initial fit out they were wrinkly and not taut due to the original seat foam compression and shrink. Be careful with the closed cell stuff as it holds body heat. Since the pleated part you sit on has open cell on the upholstery already there is enough insulation from the closed cell to not have a problem. O'neil warned me not to put this stuff directly under vinyl as it will get too hot to sit on in the summer.

 

[goldduster360]

Here is the finished Driver's seat. She sits as good as she looks. May even sit better than a new one, lots of lumbar support and you don't sink into the seat anymore. Best performance mod I've done to this car in a while.

 

[340plot]

nice write-up. we need more like this!

 

[goldduster360]

nice write-up. we need more like this!

Thank You!!!

 

[goldduster360]

My Mom always warned me about going against the grain. I ran into a small conundrum with my new Legendary seat covers when I discovered the bolsters and skirts were upholstered in coachman grain instead of the cologne grain my Duster had as delivered in July 1973. One of the other members on the board was kind enough to point me over to the Hamtramck project which listed what the factory showed for vinyls used on the 1973 interior for a car with C-6 seats(plymouth code for bucket seats not a heavy duty brand *** transmision). To my surprise the grains shown in the mopar books did not match what came with my car but do match what Legendary sent me. Oddly, the 1974 book showed the smoother cologne style grain for the skirts and bolsters as my 73 has. My seat material when removed from the car shows 5/73 for the build date.

I actually like the coachman grain better than what the car had because it matches the other textures in the interior better such as the door panels and armrests and kind of goes with the grain of the plastic door tops and sail panels.

Another Mopar mystery? See attached pictures, coachman is on the right side of both pics. Full disclosure, I did replace the seating surfaces on my seats in 1990 but retained the original seat back material and seat skirt bottoms.

 

[mbaird]

I was going to suggset the zip tie trick.
I thought I had invented that one.....lol