My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:38 PM

I received a PM about the seat I reupholstered recently, so I figured it made sense to make a post about it.

I ordered the upholstery kit from USA 1 Interiors. Took about three weeks for them to make it.

https://www.usa1interiors.com/1967-6...ch-pleats.html

I went with seat foam from American Cushions Industries. It is available from GMCPauls, although I ordered it from NPD because they had it in stock.

One thing about the upholstery set is that it has some foam backing sewn into it that ends up making the seat bottom slightly taller than stock. This creates some interference between the bottom cushion and the back rest. I actually had to push down pretty hard on the back to get the pivot bolts in. This makes it somewhat difficult to tilt the seat forward. I had to tilt the back forward to get the seat belts through, so it does tilt, but not easily.

It is kind of challenging to get the back upholstery onto the seat frame while trying to keep the foam in place. Took lots of pulling and adjusting, but it did eventually get there. I got a small separation of the stitching in one spot on the back upholstery down at the lower corner that I had to stitch back up. Be careful about tugging too hard on it when wrestling it onto the frame. It really is a tight fit.

I didn't do a good job of centering the bottom upholstery perfectly left to right. I should have measured and marked the center line of the cushion and upholstery to make sure they were lined up during assembly. The houndstooth panels on the bottom and back cushions don't line up perfectly with each other as a result. It's only a slight misalignment though, so I'm going to live with it. Since the lower upholstery is held on mostly with clips as opposed to hog rings, I could remove them and adjust the upholstery, if needed. I ordered the clips from ClassicParts.com. I used hog rings and pliers I had left over from reupholstering some 350Z seats a few years ago.

Here are some photos of the seat in its original form that I took as a reference for attaching the new upholstery.

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:41 PM

More photos of the original seat

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:42 PM

Some more photos of the old seat. The seat back had cotton stuffed in it between the foam and upholstery. I don't think there would have been room for cotton with the new upholstery since it has foam sewn to the inside. I saw this online, which is a kit that includes a 10lb roll of cotton:

https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...s/ak50104.html

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:46 PM

The pivot stop was cracked on the driver side, so I had to do a little welding. The side spring on the driver side bottom frame was broken, so I replaced it with a replacement spring from LMC (part number 30-3124). A couple of the smaller springs in the back frame were broken. I found replacements that were fairly close to the originals at Ace Hardware.

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:48 PM

Pictures of the lower assembly. As suggested in posts by other people, I started in the middle and worked my way out. Attached the front first and then the back.

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:52 PM

Pictures of the back assembly. I placed burlap cloth purchased from Walmart between the foam and the springs. I should have used an adhesive spray to hold it in place. Instead, I had to adjust its position repeatedly while pulling the upholstery onto the frame. This was definitely the most difficult part of this project. I should have trimmed the foam a little smaller so it wouldn't be as visible from the back. Nobody is going to be looking back there though.

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 05:54 PM

The final product

Chevys4life · 02-05-2021, 06:10 PM

Thanks for the information on your bench seat installation. I purchased everything from USA-1 interiors and will start on my reupholster project very soon. I have a 1970 seat frame that I will be tackling!!!

1968 K20 · 02-05-2021, 06:15 PM

Thanks for the help on this.

**too much stuff** · 02-05-2021, 06:21 PM

Nice job!

notsolo · 02-05-2021, 06:29 PM

Nicely done, Thanks for sharing.

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 06:37 PM

Here's a review I submitted on NPD for the foam:
I was planning on purchasing the PUI BUN678TB because it is half the price of the American Cushion Industries foam set, but multiple reviews online said the PUI set is excessively firm. The ACI set, on the other hand, is nice and plush. It fit my 67/68 seat frame and upholstery perfectly. I like how the lower cushion has cloth bonded to the bottom of it to protect the foam from the springs. The foam sheet provided for the back was significantly larger than needed, so I trimmed it down and backed it with burlap fabric from Walmart. With this new foam, my seat is ready for another fifty years. My only complaint is the price, which is a bit extreme.

YES I would recommend this product.

sick472 · 02-05-2021, 06:48 PM

Very nice write-up! Very nice Job, and very nice taste in color combo! Mine was farmed out to the local upholstery shop due to my carpal tunnel and the shop's low low cost. They did it all - made the covers, repaired the foam, and put it all back together. Well, I did blast the frames and re-paint...

**pjmoreland** · 02-05-2021, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sick472

Very nice write-up! Very nice Job, and very nice taste in color combo! Mine was farmed out to the local upholstery shop due to my carpal tunnel and the shop's low low cost. They did it all - made the covers, repaired the foam, and put it all back together. Well, I did blast the frames and re-paint...

Looks great! A restored seat has a big impact on enjoying an old truck, at least for me.

**MDPotter** · 02-09-2021, 02:23 PM

Great writeup! I have the exact same frame, foam, and cover that I'll be getting into in the next couple months so this is very helpful.

**pjmoreland** · 02-09-2021, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDPotter

Great writeup! I have the exact same frame, foam, and cover that I'll be getting into in the next couple months so this is very helpful.

Very nice. I think you will be happy with it.

I was thinking about how difficult it was to install the upper upholstery while keeping the foam and burlap in place. I wonder if it would work to wrap the foam securely with a piece of thick plastic. this would keep the foam in place, and it would allow the upholstery to slide on more easily. The plastic could then be pulled out after the upholstery was in place. I don't know if this would work, but it might be worth a try.

69Tom · 02-11-2021, 03:41 PM

Good write-up. Thanks.

Impressive how much that kit is from Classic Industries.

Peanut74 · 02-12-2021, 09:59 AM

Very nice write up thanks for the posting it.

Right now I am debating which seat option to use.
- Option 1: One that needs to be totally rebuilt out of a 71
- Option 2: One that came with my 67 which I think is an 80 model
- Option 3: Buy one out of a Silverado so I have integrated seat belts and 40/20/40

Options one and two will require me to buy new seat belts. So my current thinking is that option three would be the most cost effective.

**pjmoreland** · 02-12-2021, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peanut74

Very nice write up thanks for the posting it.

Right now I am debating which seat option to use.
- Option 1: One that needs to be totally rebuilt out of a 71
- Option 2: One that came with my 67 which I think is an 80 model
- Option 3: Buy one out of a Silverado so I have integrated seat belts and 40/20/40

Options one and two will require me to buy new seat belts. So my current thinking is that option three would be the most cost effective.

Option 3 does sound like the most cost effective option assuming you get a good deal on a seat. What kind of work would it take to bolt a newer seat to the floor? Will the seat mounts line up with the reinforcements on the underside of the floor? That seems important from a safety perspective if you are relying on the seat to support the seatbelts.

Would the 71 seat need foam? If the foam is good, then it wouldn't be terribly expensive just to replace the upholstery. You'd still need seatbelts though.

**pjmoreland** · 02-12-2021, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69Tom

Good write-up. Thanks.

Impressive how much that kit is from Classic Industries.

Yeah, no kidding. There's gotta be a more reasonable way to buy a bag of cotton.

northerngmc · 02-12-2021, 02:50 PM

Great write up thanks.

Has anyone tried putting plastic garbage bags over the foam before putting the covers back on? I have read about people doing this, it holds the foam in place, and makes a slippery surface between the foam and the cover. Then once the cover in on and in place they rip the bag to get it out.

I am hoping to recover my 68 seat before the snow melts........

72c20customcamper · 02-12-2021, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northerngmc

Great write up thanks.

Has anyone tried putting plastic garbage bags over the foam before putting the covers back on? I have read about people doing this, it holds the foam in place, and makes a slippery surface between the foam and the cover. Then once the cover in on and in place they rip the bag to get it out.

I am hoping to recover my 68 seat before the snow melts........

I did that with the buckets in my Chevelle some silicone spray helps too. Wouldn't use the silicone on cloth though

**MDPotter** · 02-12-2021, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peanut74

Very nice write up thanks for the posting it.

Right now I am debating which seat option to use.
- Option 1: One that needs to be totally rebuilt out of a 71
- Option 2: One that came with my 67 which I think is an 80 model
- Option 3: Buy one out of a Silverado so I have integrated seat belts and 40/20/40

Options one and two will require me to buy new seat belts. So my current thinking is that option three would be the most cost effective.

Not to detract from the objective of the thread, but I think if I were to do it again, I would have restored the bench seat that came in mine rather than the buckets from an 03 escalade and console out of a 2018 tahoe. They are probably the most comfortable and yes they have integral seatbelts, but they just don't look at home in my truck. I like the look of the bench seat and it bolts right into your factory reinforced locations in the floor. The buckets and console barely fit in my truck and I had to drill holes in the floor. By the time I spent the money on the seats and new covers, I'm into the seats and console for over $1,000 which will almost buy you a Snowden seat. Or half that will get you new foam and cover if you already have the frame. I'm excited to be putting on the exact same foam and cover as the OP on my old frame for our current project.

57larry · 02-12-2021, 11:59 PM

very nice job, thanks for sharing

rmawyer · 02-13-2021, 06:16 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience. I did an C10 interior upgrade (swapped out my bench seat for bucket seats and replaced door cards) over a year ago, and I wish I had some prior knowledge of the challenge to be. My seat swap went OK but the door cards did not align with the door rollers, so I wasted a lot of time doing some Dremel and re-upholstery work. It's great to learn from others but they have to take the time to share before that can happen - thanks for sharing!

02-05-2021, 05:38 PM	#1
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation I received a PM about the seat I reupholstered recently, so I figured it made sense to make a post about it. I ordered the upholstery kit from USA 1 Interiors. Took about three weeks for them to make it. https://www.usa1interiors.com/1967-6...ch-pleats.html I went with seat foam from American Cushions Industries. It is available from GMCPauls, although I ordered it from NPD because they had it in stock. One thing about the upholstery set is that it has some foam backing sewn into it that ends up making the seat bottom slightly taller than stock. This creates some interference between the bottom cushion and the back rest. I actually had to push down pretty hard on the back to get the pivot bolts in. This makes it somewhat difficult to tilt the seat forward. I had to tilt the back forward to get the seat belts through, so it does tilt, but not easily. It is kind of challenging to get the back upholstery onto the seat frame while trying to keep the foam in place. Took lots of pulling and adjusting, but it did eventually get there. I got a small separation of the stitching in one spot on the back upholstery down at the lower corner that I had to stitch back up. Be careful about tugging too hard on it when wrestling it onto the frame. It really is a tight fit. I didn't do a good job of centering the bottom upholstery perfectly left to right. I should have measured and marked the center line of the cushion and upholstery to make sure they were lined up during assembly. The houndstooth panels on the bottom and back cushions don't line up perfectly with each other as a result. It's only a slight misalignment though, so I'm going to live with it. Since the lower upholstery is held on mostly with clips as opposed to hog rings, I could remove them and adjust the upholstery, if needed. I ordered the clips from ClassicParts.com. I used hog rings and pliers I had left over from reupholstering some 350Z seats a few years ago. Here are some photos of the seat in its original form that I took as a reference for attaching the new upholstery. Attached Images

02-05-2021, 05:41 PM	#2
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation More photos of the original seat Attached Images

02-05-2021, 05:42 PM	#3
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Some more photos of the old seat. The seat back had cotton stuffed in it between the foam and upholstery. I don't think there would have been room for cotton with the new upholstery since it has foam sewn to the inside. I saw this online, which is a kit that includes a 10lb roll of cotton: https://www.classicindustries.com/pr...s/ak50104.html Attached Images Last edited by pjmoreland; 02-05-2021 at 06:42 PM.

02-05-2021, 05:46 PM	#4
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation The pivot stop was cracked on the driver side, so I had to do a little welding. The side spring on the driver side bottom frame was broken, so I replaced it with a replacement spring from LMC (part number 30-3124). A couple of the smaller springs in the back frame were broken. I found replacements that were fairly close to the originals at Ace Hardware. Attached Images Last edited by pjmoreland; 04-26-2021 at 04:49 PM.

02-05-2021, 05:48 PM	#5
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Pictures of the lower assembly. As suggested in posts by other people, I started in the middle and worked my way out. Attached the front first and then the back. Attached Images

02-05-2021, 05:52 PM	#6
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Pictures of the back assembly. I placed burlap cloth purchased from Walmart between the foam and the springs. I should have used an adhesive spray to hold it in place. Instead, I had to adjust its position repeatedly while pulling the upholstery onto the frame. This was definitely the most difficult part of this project. I should have trimmed the foam a little smaller so it wouldn't be as visible from the back. Nobody is going to be looking back there though. Attached Images

02-05-2021, 05:54 PM	#7
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation The final product Attached Images

02-05-2021, 06:10 PM	#8
Chevys4life Registered User Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 671	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Thanks for the information on your bench seat installation. I purchased everything from USA-1 interiors and will start on my reupholster project very soon. I have a 1970 seat frame that I will be tackling!!!

02-05-2021, 06:15 PM	#9
1968 K20 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Southern Colorado Posts: 88	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Thanks for the help on this.

02-05-2021, 06:21 PM	#10
too much stuff Roadtrip! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Grand Rapids MN Posts: 13,801	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Nice job! __________________ 67 gmc custom lwb dakota truck. Sold...And bought back 69 swb 4x4 project (in progress) 70 c-10 lwb texas truck 70 4x4/BB/bkts/posi/tach(retired) 70 swb (wifes) 70 jimmy camper 71 K-5 factory 2wd 71 cheyenne 4x4/tach/posi/ plow rig 71 Cheyenne20 BB, buckets, tach, tilt, 4 speed 72 jimmy CST wyoming rig 72 jimmy Colorado rig 72 lifted texas 4x4 3/4 ton burb 65 fury conv. 383/auto 65 chrysler 300 "L" 413 auto

02-05-2021, 06:29 PM	#11
notsolo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Md Posts: 2,482	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Nicely done, Thanks for sharing. __________________ http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=635605

02-05-2021, 06:37 PM	#12
pjmoreland Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: CA Posts: 6,039	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Here's a review I submitted on NPD for the foam: I was planning on purchasing the PUI BUN678TB because it is half the price of the American Cushion Industries foam set, but multiple reviews online said the PUI set is excessively firm. The ACI set, on the other hand, is nice and plush. It fit my 67/68 seat frame and upholstery perfectly. I like how the lower cushion has cloth bonded to the bottom of it to protect the foam from the springs. The foam sheet provided for the back was significantly larger than needed, so I trimmed it down and backed it with burlap fabric from Walmart. With this new foam, my seat is ready for another fifty years. My only complaint is the price, which is a bit extreme. YES I would recommend this product.

02-05-2021, 06:48 PM	#13
sick472 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Sedalia Mo. Posts: 1,131	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Very nice write-up! Very nice Job, and very nice taste in color combo! Mine was farmed out to the local upholstery shop due to my carpal tunnel and the shop's low low cost. They did it all - made the covers, repaired the foam, and put it all back together. Well, I did blast the frames and re-paint... Attached Images __________________ He who is without oil shall throw the first rod. Compressions 8.7:1 1972 C10 1976 C10 (parts truck) 1985 K20

02-09-2021, 02:23 PM	#15
MDPotter Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 1,165	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Great writeup! I have the exact same frame, foam, and cover that I'll be getting into in the next couple months so this is very helpful. __________________ 1964 Chevy C10 - Gen IV 5.3 Restomod http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=768632 1968 GMC C15 - Gen III 6.0 Restomod http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=772047 1969 Chevy C10 - Restoration http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=809184 1978 Chevy Scottsdale K20 1993 Chevy C1500 - 5.3/T56 swapped 2008 Silverado Duramax

02-11-2021, 03:41 PM	#17
69Tom Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,335	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Good write-up. Thanks. Impressive how much that kit is from Classic Industries.



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02-12-2021, 09:59 AM	#18
Peanut74 Registered User Join Date: May 2018 Location: Prattville, AL Posts: 611	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Very nice write up thanks for the posting it. Right now I am debating which seat option to use. - Option 1: One that needs to be totally rebuilt out of a 71 - Option 2: One that came with my 67 which I think is an 80 model - Option 3: Buy one out of a Silverado so I have integrated seat belts and 40/20/40 Options one and two will require me to buy new seat belts. So my current thinking is that option three would be the most cost effective. __________________ -------------------------------------------------------- 1967 C10 "Snowball" (Currently in a thousand pieces down from a bazillion) 1989 Toyota DLX pickup "The Hulk"

02-12-2021, 02:50 PM	#21
northerngmc Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Whitehorse YK Canada Posts: 2,651	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Great write up thanks. Has anyone tried putting plastic garbage bags over the foam before putting the covers back on? I have read about people doing this, it holds the foam in place, and makes a slippery surface between the foam and the cover. Then once the cover in on and in place they rip the bag to get it out. I am hoping to recover my 68 seat before the snow melts........ __________________ Blaine 59 GMC 9314 a.k.a. Whoopee 68 C20 50th Anniversary a.k.a. The Rat http://www.flickr.com/photos/northerngmc/ http://www.members.tripod.com/P-wee/index_032.htm 1.61803 is one H of a lot better than 3.14159, no really it is!

02-12-2021, 11:59 PM	#24
57larry Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 1,161	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation very nice job, thanks for sharing

02-13-2021, 06:16 PM	#25
rmawyer Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Fishing Creek, MD Posts: 49	Re: My Experience with Bench Seat Upholstery Installation Thanks for sharing your experience. I did an C10 interior upgrade (swapped out my bench seat for bucket seats and replaced door cards) over a year ago, and I wish I had some prior knowledge of the challenge to be. My seat swap went OK but the door cards did not align with the door rollers, so I wasted a lot of time doing some Dremel and re-upholstery work. It's great to learn from others but they have to take the time to share before that can happen - thanks for sharing!

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