67 Cuda bucket seat reupholstery help needed

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bluefish1967

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Finally finished the rear seats, which went pretty well. Now I started the work on the front buckets which are much more difficult.
Bought the seat covers and foam for the front from Legendary...Pearl White.
My question concerns the area on the lower rear section of the seat cover around the post for the seat back. The material does not have an opening in it for the post to go through. The only pictures I have show the material kind of bunched around the post.
Just trying to see if this is indeed how it is supposed to be, or if I should cut a small opening for the post to come through. My fear is that the material will split.
Will try to post pictures later...Larry
 
Yes, there are posts on each seat bottom that hold the seat top from going back to far. There are also the holes in the seat bottom for the attaching bolts for the hinges...those I believe need to have holes put in.
I have a lot of interior photos of Cuda's for research, but the few I have of the lower hinge section show the material bunched up around the post. Just wanted to see if that is how it is supposed to be...
 
I just did mine...67 Dart GT, Legendary foam and covers. Came out great.
The tops just wrap around the seat stops. The bottoms need a hole made in them for the seat hinge blots. I just used a pin/needle to locate the holes and carefully made a small "X" across the hole.
 
Different method similar result.
I lightly push the bolt against the bolt hole with my cordless drill and run it.. End of the bolt wears, melts, cuts, a perfect hole in the vinyl.
 
The white metallic vinyl is your problem. I install many sets of legendary
covers for customers in my shop and have no problems from a professional
installation point of view from any of their seat covers with one exception.
The white metallic vinyl.
For whatever reason ( probably it is the only product they can find) the vinyl used in manufacturing this color covers does not stretch. Woven backing problem.
This makes these covers very very difficult to install. I ran into this problem on a set of 69 dart convertable seat covers I got from them. I had to steam them next to the point of tearing and
removing the grain in a few of the tighter areas.
Wish I could give you better news but that was my experience with that color from them.
I just installed them and moved on and never let them know about the problem. They know already believe me. At least the person sewing them knows. Everything else I receive from them is as good and better than anything out their available.
These covers will not last as long as they should because the material won't stretch as it is being used. I haven't got a call back on the job but I know they weren't as durable as most covers they make. If you must have that color this is what is available at this time. I personally
think they should not be using this material and would be better off not tarnishing their name
over a flawed product.
Be very careful and take your time. I was able to get them on but not by myself.
The rear convertible seat cover was the worst in my case. You should be alright with the
front buckets.
 
Make sure the seatcovers are warm when you install them. Lay them in the sun or VERY CAREFULLY use a heat gun or hair dryer. Like described previously, "fish" around for the holes in the seat frame with a probe to line the vinyl up before making holes. Make sure all your seams are straight before securing the cover in place. A piece of steel tubing (fuel or brake line) can be sharpened by chucking up in a drill and spun against a file to make a "hole saw" for vinyl, gaskets, etc.
 
Wow....more bad news today if I didn't have enough already. If I had known that in advance, I would have tried harder to talk the wife in changing the interior color to blue.I was concerned about just keeping the white clean.
The rear seats went on pretty easy. I thought the fronts wouldn't be any worse.
Guess at this point I'll just do the best I can, and see what happens.
Hardest part so far is the previous owner put smooth seat covers over top of the original seats. Probably had to cut 75-100 hog rings off of both the seat back and bottom just to get to the frame.
Thanks for all of the advice. I'll post pictures as I go. Larry
 
Every old retired upholstery man I have known had arthritis crippled hands. That's because it aint easy work. The skins are supposed to be tight as a drum.
The factory workers had a pneumatic press above their work stations to compress the assembly. Put the hog rings on and release the press ( No wrinkles ). On to the next work station.
Last seats I covered were Legendary's black skins. I did renew the batting in the rear seat, new foam buns in the front buckets. Aint no way I would have pulled the material to positions with my hands. I stacked the assembly in on the floor. I laid a piece of 2X6 across the frame bottoms and had adult son and daughter-in-law stand on it while I attached hog rings. Wife stood on the bucket seat sections for me. Different pieces of wood of course. Mimic factory method and results.
Browse ebay and you'll see lots of car listings that state "new Legendary seat covers" and many of them show the wrinkles in their pics. That shows us they didn't put proper effort in the job or they didn't renew those aged, collapsed, fillers.
 
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