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How-To Install New Seat UpholsteryRecovering the Seats Is a Big Step in Restoring an Interior From the October, 2003 issue of Mustang Monthly By Miles Cook Photography by Miles Cook
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We began resurrecting the standard interior in a '69 Mustang SportsRoof. While the cabin in this vintage Mustang needed lots of help, it was a worthwhile endeavor since the rest of the car was in nice shape, sporting a 351W small-block to go along with the recently installed T5 five-speed transmission that we detailed in the July '03 issue. Here's a before-and-after... Here's a before-and-after to get your attention. Admittedly, the driver seat (left) was worn out, and the freshly re-covered passenger seat provides quite a contrast. When we started, the passenger seat was relatively presentable, but the driver seat needed a complete overhaul. We figured after 34 years, the cabin could use a redo, which will last another 34 years, if not more. In the August 2003 issue, we replaced highly visible bits, like the interior carpeting, door panels, sill plates, quarter-pillar panels, and rear package tray. Here, we concentrate on one, albeit big thing--the front and rear seat upholstery. As was the case for all the above-mentioned goodies, everything is available from National Parts Depot, which conveniently has warehouses in California, North Carolina, Florida, and Michigan. NPD can deliver just about any vintage Mustang part to anywhere in the lower 48 states within a day or two. As far as installing the covers, unless you're adept at doing your own upholstery work, you need to enlist the skills of a good upholstery shop, such as Mike Ambrose Custom Interiors. If you're in the SoCal area, Mike and shop tech Brian Burke are great resources. Just plan ahead because Mike and Brian--since they're so good at what they do--are always busy, but they're worth the wait. In addition to the upholstery kit, NPD offers new seat buns, shown here in the following caption sequence summarizing their installation.  The '69 standard interior...  The '69 standard interior covers for the front-seat bottoms and backs look like this when they arrive from National Parts Depot. Also shown here are new covers for behind the seatbacks, and new headrest covers, which are at the top.  The complete kit also includes...  The complete kit also includes new covers for the rear seat. In the foreground is the cover for the seat bottom, and in the background is the cover for the seatback. Although the rear seat has virtually no wear, we elected to re-cover it anyway to make the interior look uniform. The procedure for redoing the back seat is similar to that for the fronts.  NPD also offers new seat buns....  NPD also offers new seat buns. If you're unsure whether you need new ones, remove the covers on your seats to examine the buns so you can make a decision.  First, the seats need to come...  First, the seats need to come out of the car. The four nuts that hold the seat in place are accessible from underneath the car. Lift carefully when you pull the seats out--they're heavy.  Before removing the upholstery,...  Before removing the upholstery, the seats need to be disassembled. There are many bits and pieces to remove, most of which we don't have room to cover in this article. Removing the seat tracks is a good place to start. Be sure you release the slide mechanism on the seat track before removal, when the seat is all the way forward in the car. If it snaps back, you could cause considerable discomfort to your hands.  The seat bottom and back need...  The seat bottom and back need to be separated. This cotter key at the seat hinge is removed to facilitate separation. Once the key is out, pry the upper seat arm off the hinge pin to separate the two halves of the seat.  Here are the two halves separated....  Here are the two halves separated. The seatback and bottom are now easier to handle due to less weight.  This striker plate that locks...  This striker plate that locks the seat in place (not present on '65-'67 cars) is one of several pieces that need to come off before removing the old upholstery.  Much of the seat cover is...  Much of the seat cover is held in place with hog rings, which are pried out along the perimeter of each part of the seat. To be clear, this is the driver-side seat bottom. Each of the four (the two bottoms and two backs) parts of the front seats are redone in much the same fashion as the piece shown here.  Once the covers are off, the...  Once the covers are off, the seat buns lift off the seat frame. They're already gone here. Clearly, the burlap on the seat frame is toast. Mike Ambrose installed new burlap, shown in a following caption. The piece being removed here is known as listing wire. It's reused to help shape the new upholstery and the seat buns when it all goes back together.  Here's the bare seat frame...  Here's the bare seat frame stripped of everything, including the old burlap. It's the starting point at which you build an entire new seat when you have new upholstery and seat buns. If you're doing a full restoration on a car, you might elect to refinish the frame. But since this car was somewhat of a restified daily driver, we commenced with reassembly as it was. Structurally, the frame was sound.  Mike Ambrose supplied the...  Mike Ambrose supplied the new burlap for the job. It needs to be cut to size, using double thickness for added durability. The burlap is then fastened around the frame with hog rings. Then, the listing wire is installed and fastened over the burlap, as shown.  Before the seat buns are set,...  Before the seat buns are set, upholstery adhesive is applied to help keep them in place.  After the seat bun is installed...  After the seat bun is installed over the burlap, the original listing wire is reinstalled in the new bun.  Here, installation of the...  Here, installation of the new cover begins with the first of many hog rings. The covers also use listing wire (again original pieces) to help them maintain their shape.  The next several captions...  The next several captions show the cover being installed on the seat over the bun. First, the cover is stretched over the edge of the seat by hand.  The first corner is stretched...  The first corner is stretched onto the seat like this.  Then, the other side of the...  Then, the other side of the front is stretched into place.  The cover is then stretched...  The cover is then stretched and smoothed over the top before it is secured at the back of the seat bottom.  Now the cover can be attached...  Now the cover can be attached at the back of the seat bottom.  Once the cover is stretched...  Once the cover is stretched over the seat bun, the listing wire (from the old upholstery) is installed.  After a little more smoothing...  After a little more smoothing of the cover to ensure it's completely in place, it's held firmly in position with a series of hog rings around the bottom of the seat. At this point, the seat bottom is finished.  As with the bottom, the seatback...  As with the bottom, the seatback has numerous small components that need to be removed. Then, removal of the old cover can begin, as shown here.  The headrests need to be removed....  The headrests need to be removed. Use a screwdriver to release the catch that holds the headrest in place in the seat.  Once the headrest is out,...  Once the headrest is out, remove the plastic sleeve in the seatback. This tab holds the sleeve in place; it's pressed in with a screwdriver to allow removal of the sleeve.  With the seatback dissembled,...  With the seatback dissembled, the old hog rings are pulled to allow removal of the old cover and seat bun.  After the seatback is taken...  After the seatback is taken down to the bare frame and new burlap is installed, the buns are given a coat of adhesive and set in place on the frame. The top of the new bun lines up directly with the smaller bun on the other side of the seatback.  As with the seat bottom, the...  As with the seat bottom, the seatback uses the listing wire from its old covers.  Installing the seatback cover...  Installing the seatback cover involves similar procedures used for the seat bottom.  Once the cover is on, holes...  Once the cover is on, holes need to be punctured in the new cover's material to accept the clips for the new seatback panel. The panel snaps into place once its clips are installed.  Next, re-cover the headrests,...  Next, re-cover the headrests, since the NPD kit includes new covers for them. Begin by removing the plastic trim piece that exposes the staples, and pull the staples out as shown.  Once the staples are out,...  Once the staples are out, pull the old cover off the headrest. It can be cut or ripped apart to get the cover off. There's no need to worry about damaging the headrest since it's made of a hard Styrofoam-like material that's gotten stiffer over three decades.  We stretched the new cover...  We stretched the new cover over the headrest and manipulated it into place, as shown.  Finally, the cover is stapled...  Finally, the cover is stapled closed onto the headrest, and the plastic trim cover can be reinstalled. When the seatback is assembled, the headrest and its sleeve can be placed back into the seatback.  After the covers are installed,...  After the covers are installed, it's time for the final task--reassembly of the seats. Reinstall all the parts that came off before removing the old covers. Some parts of the covers will need holes placed in them to facilitate reinstallation. With a hammer, tap around the circumference of the seatback lock pin that sticks out of the seatback to make a clean hole in the cover, as shown. Reinstall the knob that allows the front seatback to be unlocked to gain access to the rear seats.  Among many other bits, the...  Among many other bits, the seat tracks are reinstalled on the seat bottoms.  Some holes in the new covers...  Some holes in the new covers must be made with scissors. Note the pin already protruding through the new cover. This is the hinge pin, where the seatback and bottom join together.  Final reassembly comes when...  Final reassembly comes when the seatback and bottom are rejoined. The seats can now be reinstalled into the car. Refer to the beginning of the article to see what a finished front seat looks like.  The rear seats are re-covered...  The rear seats are re-covered in much the same manner as the fronts. Here, the rear seatback is already reinstalled in the car, and the rear-seat bottom is being rejoined in its home to make up its half of a freshly re-covered rear seat.
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