If you’re lucky to find seats that match your interior, you can drop them in unmodified. But if you want to color match your late-model Mustang seats, or perhaps you’re looking for something custom like the Sport R kit we used in Mach 1 material with a silver “carbon fiber” seat stripe, TMI Products can help make your Mustang interior stand out.
There’s no denying that none of us are getting any younger. Like many of you, taking a drive of more than an hour or so in a vintage Mustang with the stock low-back seats means climbing out at the culmination of said trip with inevitable back pain. But even on shorter drives, the original seats leave much behind in the way of support, safety, and some may say even looks. There are plenty of options on the market for performance seating, but they often come with a hefty price tag or require custom upholstery to match the rest of the interior. However, many owners have discovered a solution—swapping in modern Mustang seats.
Why has the late-model Mustang seat swap been gaining momentum? The easy answers are the seats are relatively cheap, they offer more comfort and safety, and they bolt right in using the vintage seat tracks with minor modifications. Lastly, TMI Products offers great upholstery kits that mimic the ’65-’66 “Pony” or the later Mach 1 seats for a retro look, as well as matching rear seat upholstery and even door panels if you want to stretch your restomod looks further. TMI has dozens of vinyl, cloth, and leather options to help you build just the interior you’re looking for. If it’s not in their catalog, just ask; you’ll be surprised at the materials they have available.
So what makes this swap so easy? The detail lies in the fact that the vintage Mustang and the ’79-’04 Mustang share the same seat track width (though TMI states that the ’82 and up seats are what their upholstery is designed for). We’ve been told this is common to other Fords as well, but we certainly like the thought of Mustang seats in a Mustang, plus TMI only offers their upholstery kits for Mustang seats, so there you go! Bolting up the vintage seat tracks to the late-model seat bases takes a few minutes of light bench work. Most simply reuse one set of the stock mounting holes and then drill two new holes in the seat frame. We have what we feel to be a bit easier, and stronger, mounting option we’ll share in our photos. So start your hunt for some take-out ’82-’04 Mustang seats and follow our instructions to make this seat swap a quick afternoon job.
1. Our subject’s ’68 fastback...
1. Our subject’s ’68 fastback had been upgraded with’69 buckets at one point, which offered a head rest but little else in the way of comfort or adjustment. Four half-inch nuts per seat are removed from under the floor pan to extricate the old buckets.
2. With the front buckets...
2. With the front buckets removed, we scavenged the vintage seat tracks from the bottom of the seats with the help of a Phillips screwdriver. Be careful of the seat track springs when releasing the tracks for access to the mounting screws. Reproduction seat tracks are available if yours are damaged or worn beyond use.
3. We scored these ’85 Mustang...
3. We scored these ’85 Mustang “base” seats after a fellow Mustang owner upgraded. We literally saved them from the dumpster and they cost us nothing. Bad news: they’re blue. We’ll fix that with TMI’s Fox Mustang Sport R upholstery kit and new foam cushions!
4. We begin by breaking down...
4. We begin by breaking down the late-model seat into separate seat back and seat bottom so they can be recovered. Remove the two metric bolts on the recliner mechanism and the T-40 Torx bolt on the opposite side. Of course, these steps are optional if you’re not swapping upholstery.
5. With the back and bottom...
5. With the back and bottom separated, we’ll work on the seat bottom first. Flip it over and remove the seat track bolts (also metric), once again being mindful of the powerful seat track return springs. Unclip the four plastic upholstery retainers and pull the upholstery inside out to reveal the listing wires.
6. Using pliers or hog ring...
6. Using pliers or hog ring cutters, remove the hog rings that retain the upholstery to the foam cushion. There are three listing wires to free, one on each side of the center cushion and one at the front.
7. You will now have a bare...
7. You will now have a bare seat frame bottom in front of you. You’ll notice the Mustang’s seat tracks bolt through a welded reinforcement at the front and rear of the frame. At the rear there are additional holes (presumably Ford uses the same frame with other tracks). You’ll need to use an 8x1.25mm tap to thread the forward most holes in the rear on each side.
8. Next, take your vintage...
8. Next, take your vintage seat tracks and slot the original mounting holes with a “rat tail” file approximately 3⁄8-inch outboard. You want to remove enough material to allow the vintage tracks to line up with the two tapped holes in the seat frame.
9. Test the fit of the vintage...
9. Test the fit of the vintage track to the Mustang seat frame and file any additional amount to allow the seat tracks to line up with the tapped holes in the frame. For additional security, we used flat washers, filed on one end to clear the slider stops, to cover the slotted opening in the seat tracks. We know some people simply drill a hole in the seat frame and use a bolt and a nut, but we feel using the factory threaded holes is a stronger solution.
10. Transfer the original...
10. Transfer the original seat upholstery’s listing wires to the new seat base upholstery (note the seat base upholstery is side specific). Due to the way the material is sewn, the listing loops often have to be cut open at the ends, so have a razor blade or sharp scissors at the ready. The new seat foam simply sits on top of the seat frame.
11. Hog ring the listing wires...
11. Hog ring the listing wires to the metal rods embedded in the new foam, carefully working the material into place and ensuring it is centered. Check your work often, as it is much easier to remove one hog ring and reposition the cover than to cut them all out after you’re done because the material is crooked.
12. Roll the upholstery over...
12. Roll the upholstery over the bolsters using a steamer or a heat gun as needed to work the material. You’ll also do well to reach up into the upholstery to guide the foam into the right place. Once the upholstery is in position, roll the material over the frame and hook the plastic retainers to the frame.
13 .Moving on to the seat...
13 .Moving on to the seat back assembly, the bottom is opened by unhooking the plastic J-hook strip or simply unzipping the zipper (depending upon year/model). Inside you’ll find two long L-shaped listing rods that secure the upholstery to the cushion. Cut away the hog rings or stainless retainers and pull the rods out.
14. Place the seatback on...
14. Place the seatback on end and roll the material downward until you can access the listing wire at the top of the seat cushion. Cut the hog rings out to free the upholstery.
15. Before you can remove...
15. Before you can remove the upholstery completely, the head rest and head rest guide need to be removed. Use a large flat blade screwdriver to release the lock tab for the headrest and slide it out. The head rest retainer will often just slide out due to age, but if it doesn’t there’s a small lock tab you’ll need to pull free with a pick tool.