1964 seats
 

Where is the best place to get all the parts to rebuild my seats for a 1964 got? There really flat , have no tension under the cushion .

Where are you located? There's a place in Fond du Lac, WI named United Auto Trim that does an excellent job. Look at my wife's seats after they rebuilt them and put covers on. Note the deep seams that actually make these seats feel like bucket seats!

They did an excellent job on those. Note the extra foam on the face and the extra dense on the edge so it doesn't collapse as much when you get in and out.

It really feels great! When I compare her car with my '64, it's like night & day. My seats were just re-covered without new burlap, extra foam.

I highly recommend United Auto Trim in FDL.

Wow those came out very nice. I live on Long Island. That's what I need to get don to my seats!

Do they sell the parts if I want to do it my self?

Bucket seat restoration
 

There are several places on-line that sell the things you will need if you want to restore your bucket seats.
http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com


also check out: www.wsusol.com

I am in process of putting together the front bucket seats in my '63 lemans. I have the front bases almost done, still working on the folding backs. The bases look good so far. Be prepared for a bit of a learning curve. You've got a metal framework, springs, burlap, cotton fluff or jute (I used gray jute), molded foam and then your vinyl covering. Some front bucket seats I have taken apart; on top of the foam; right under the vinyl covering is a thin layer of cotton gauze along the side bolsters. You have to build all the soft parts up to get the proper shape and look to the seat when you are done.

Guaranteed you will find a few broken springs, those have to be fixed or replaced. I would get all new foam, and you'll want to replace everything else. Since the inner stuff is natural (cotton-burlap) when it gets old that stuff gets a smell to it which can't be removed.

Here are some build photos:

Thanks for the links and pictures!

www.legendaryautointeriors.com


Go to: http://www.legendaryautointeriors.co...deos/1876.html


There you will find a bunch of how-to videos. Be forewarned those guys in the yellow shirts do this for a living; so they move pretty fast in the videos and have all the special tools. Plan on it taking you a bit longer, specifically if this is your first attempt at seats. Go slow and take your time; carefully study how everything comes apart. I guarantee the end result is well worth it, not to mention the feeling of accomplishment.

Pete, what brand of hog ring pliers are you using? I have two pair and they both suck. One doesn't close the ring properly and the other one is so small that it blisters my palm.

Hog ring Pliers
 

I have tried several different kinds. The professionals also have access to some that are air or perhaps electric powered.

These are the ones I use now.

Cost vs. ease of use I like the ones with the red handle the best. They are "spring loaded" so that it holds a fresh ring inside the jaws. Really makes the job a lot easier.

Perfect. Just ordered a set. The one set I had that would actually close the ring is the set they throw in with a bag of hog rings. It worked better than the set I bought later but were way too short...hence the palm blister. Then on top of that the rivet that served as the hinge pin broke. Rigged it up with a screw and nut and limped through the remainder of the job but don't want to do that on the next set.
I tell you, guys that do this for a living using these things should have forearms like Popeye.

Thanks for the videos. They are very helpful . It would be nice to find one where they actually do a seat over for a 64.. I bet its a little different..

The '64 and '65 are identical except for the pattern of the vinyl cover. Any of the cars from this era used the same methods to hold the covers on the seat frame. I don't know of anything unique to a '64.

The 64/65 seats requre some extra attention in the upper cushion if you plan to install it properly with the bolster tucks... You will need to compress the hell out of the springs before you try and pull the cover right side out, other wise it will rip at the top of the side seam.

Heat is also your friend on that style. heat the heck out of the covers before hand to get them to loosen up... then keep a clothes steamer or heat gun handy to heat the areas you are about to pull on so they will streatch easier and not rip.

I like to use zip ties up near the top springs to compress them down for me. Then after i have the cover right side out, i reach up inside with side cutters and remove.

Also use some thin plastic sheet over the top of the bun when pulling the cover right side out... helps it to slide.

64/65 A-body seats (The upper cushion) are among the most challenging I get due to those side slits.

If you go to a show and look at a lot of 64/65 cars, many people "cheat" on the seats and don't hog ring the bolster listings down in the upper cushion because of this.

Here is a pic of how i compress down those upper cushions. DOn't be afraid to zip them down tight. You need all the space you can get.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/...psnixemr0h.jpg

Also be sure and add some extra jute or some kind of pad to the rear steel if your original is missing or shredded. This does two things, it softens the corners (so you don't see the edges of the steel in the cover) but also makes the front of it a tiny bit tighter.

I have lots of pics in here from a set of 65's I did for a customer a year ago. Maybe some of them will help you.

http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/se...?sort=3&page=1

That's good info rambow. I did mine in winter and it really does help to use a heat gun. I also used plastic sheet in a couple of spotsto help reduce friction and bought a couple of 'sheets' of foam to help my compressed cores 'fill out' the covers a bit. Basically, carved the foam to shape to prevent any possible 'lumpyness'.

Thank you for the pictures. Now I just have to figure out the best place to get all the material to rebuild the whole seat. When I sit on mine all you feel are the springs bottoming out .

Most likely you have some broken springs or a broken edgewire... Not complicated to fix at all, just need to take it apart to see exactly what is up.

I'll send you a PM. I help you locate what you need if you haven't already.

Ben

Dick...Did they make the covers for you or are they from Legendary? They look nice.

Subscribing. Just ordered all of my stuff from Legendary.... some very helpful info here.