re-upholstering c4 and c3 corvette seats

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
watch video
http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-c4 ... -9892.html

http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/0306vet_c4 ... index.html

http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/0307vet_c4 ... index.html

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/interio ... ement.html

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-c4 ... -3972.html

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 5-2005.pdf

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 6-2005.pdf

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 8-2005.pdf

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-c4 ... -9091.html

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=1.1001

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette?frame=1.1001

http://www.zip-corvette.com/GroupDetail ... .aspx?gid={aca2fba5-a378-4659-bed6-5447c6a71c52}&SearchType=_GROUP_SEARCH&GroupName=Seat+Covers+%26+Hardware&

http://www.vette2vette.com/ (used parts)

viewtopic.php?f=61&t=981&p=1717&hilit=+hog+rings+pliers#p1717

related info
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...eplacing-c4-corvette-carpet.10649/#post-68534

c4seatkit.jpg


if youve never done a seat reupholster job Id suggest you ask around , and offer to help someone do their car before you do yours..
(remember the advice to join the local muscle car and corvette clubs, and get a shop manual, yeah! I was serious...even if 70% of the members don,t know how to do more than drink beer and polish and wax cars)
yes you can do this, watch the videos and read the links
you will need the seat cover installation kit ,
you will need the new foam,
you will need the new seat covers and
you will need the hog ring pliers , rings and retention wires to complete a seat rebuild, pay attention to how things come apart and take pictures because its not super simple to do the first time, but its far from something only the dealership or an upholstery shop can accomplish either.

now this looks really difficult, and truthfully its best done with experienced help, because the seat covers take a good deal of pulling and stretching to get them to fit correctly and yes you need some 6"-8" dikes to cut the old hog rings, but with some care its about a 3-4 hour job for a beginner if you have new foam, covers and tools and a good deal of the times in figuring how things come apart or go back


IF your not overly concerned with exact authenticity
http://www.corbeau.com
has seats that look great and are competitively priced that can be adapted for use with much less effort
you can buy replacement foam and seat covers separately, or covers already mounted on foam for a few hundred dollars more, the whole seats in several designs are available new from the aftermarket and if your not concerned a great deal with originality theres always the option of late model salvage yard wrecks supplying seats

18114.jpg

100179.jpg

DSC000091440ccacbc.jpg

O1443hogring.jpg



C3 corvette seats

http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_0405_ ... to_04.html

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... to_01.html

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... pholstery/

http://www.corvettefever.com/techarticl ... to_05.html


 
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Re: re-upholstering c4 corvette seats

looking for better seats
my sons 1992 corvettes got those damn narrow factory seats with the extended side supports that in his vette,are rather uncomfortable and difficult to get in and out of, and before you comment on my lack of weight watcher meeting attendance,being the main issue here I measured my corvette seats in all three of my corvettes and I fit and feel fine in those.
his seats need to be replaced or totally re-upholstered, they are just very uncomfortable.
so Im going to need to replace the seats as re-upholstering them would seem rather a waste of effort, so Im open for ideas gentlemen, as Im about to replace a good deal of his cars interior
 
Re: re-upholstering c4 corvette seats


Will the seats from the same year Vette as you have and like, fit in the 1992 Vette???

Seems like that would be the easiest way to solve the problem, but maybe not the cheapest.
 
Re: re-upholstering c4 corvette seats

Im sure I can get rebuilt or used seats from several sources or re-upholster my kids cars seats, but Im looking at the option now of aftermarket seats as a replacement before I decide on what route to follow.
BTW I completely rebuilt the seats in my 1985 corvette, and replaced the carpets, etc. so I know whats involved and the cost for the re-upholstery kits is not cheap, I probably had $800 in just two seat kits, once the manufacturers see the name CORVETTE the price on any part jumps up significantly

BTW heres some interesting info

all the corvette parts are available on line from several sources, its an old car in most peoples view but corvettes have a strong cult support, theres bound to be minor repairs required,and theres dozens of part sources.

http://www.zip-corvette.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=&q=1969+t-top+stainless+trim

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/exterior-parts-and-trim/roof-panels-and-t-tops/roof-panel-and-top-hardware.html?cat=775&ea_a=&ea_bc=&ea_c=exterior-parts-and-trim_roof-panels-and-t-tops_roof-panel-and-top-hardware.html&ea_path=-ymm%3d%271969%7eCHEVROLET%7eCORVETTE%27/exterior-parts-and-trim.html/exterior-parts-and-trim_roof-panels-and-t-tops.html&gclid=CP21_qrGwtMCFYFEhgod7bIN5A&gclsrc=aw.ds

http://www.wernersparts.com/N.O.S. New Old Stock.htm

https://www.gulfcoastcorvette.com/

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb...~S4WJ0R0YYF99177616814a~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000036b

http://www.parts123.com/corvettecen...0&page=1&_ga=1.25837309.1359699975.1493224836



http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/seatbelts.html

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 5-2005.pdf

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 6-2005.pdf

http://content.mamotorworks.com/pdf/vet ... 8-2005.pdf

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-1-0-9892.html

http://www.mamotorworks.com/corvette-1-0-2961.html


DreamRide said:
I tried to do this from start to finish and keep it as simple as possible. I hope this helps someone that's never tried this before. This was my first time also.

*****On picture #4 it should read 'Pull Up' instead of 'Push Down'. ******

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I had fun doing this, and it's not near as bad as you'd think it would be. So if you do yours just jump in and hang on.
 
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http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/0306vet-c4-interior-upgrade-install/

0900c.gif

ToniH said:
Leather used is very high quality german car upholstery leather (better that italian).

Here is some quick tips:
1. avoid furniture leather at all cost, in few months it has stretched and is a total mess. Many upholsterers use this.
2. C4 std leather: don't know what animal this came off (if any ;) ) but it is horrible. No such plasticky stuff is used in any car (or anything else) in Europe. If you are aiming for quality feeling avoid this too.
3. when you get a time estimate to the job, double it. It will take minimum of that, maybe more.
4. the parts must be cleaned really good out of all silicone or none of the upholstery will stick not matter what glue is used. Special cleaner needed here, your upholsterer should know without thinking.
5. there is many different glues, some will work another will not. Make sure your upholsterer has options and knows his stuff.
6. any cracked panels should be repaired before upholstering and leather alone cannot replace missing part of plastic.
7. remember that by covering the panels wiith leather they will get thicker and this can cause fitment issues. Luckily most of the stock interior panels are not very well made so there is big gaps which the leather will fill nicely.
8. take this oppoturnity to glue some felt between the panels so they don't squeak so badly.
9. also add loads of sound insulation and some stuff that will lessen resonation (bitume, Dynamat or something). Consentrate to the floor surfaces.
10. good upholsterer repads your seats so they end up better than new, don't bother with new foams - they dont last or even fill the seat backs properly
11. even the GM approved carpet kits are not perfect and need trimming.

http://hilakari.com/

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more.
pictures taken during re-upholstery and restoration of 1991 corvette
c4impl1.jpg

c4impl2.jpg

c4impl3.jpg

c4impl4.jpg

c4impl5.jpg

c4impl6.jpg

c4impl7.jpg

c4impl8.jpg


ToniH said:
EDIT 2016: Major picture link overhaul done! Thread should be operational again.

The original thread is from 2006 and starts here:

Hi, after 6 years of sitting in my red and worn interior I decided to bite the bullet and redo the whole thing. You might have seen some of this in another forum but I am so exited with my progress I want to show it off :)

So, I've been working on my interior couple of times a week for few weeks now. Here is my interior project and some project pictures.

Starting point: 1991 Coupe with 107K miles and dirty and worn red interior.

Job description: renew everything, change color to black, full leather interior, paint minor panels, get rest upholstered with leather or alcantara (sills and knee panels). Do 2-4x sound insulation. Install new audio system. Enjoy rest of the summer :laughing:

The pictures, i put most of them as links so the thread loads a bit faster. I will only cover the major things, there is dozens of smaller things like cutting, punching holes into carpet etc. etc..

The dismantling.
Starting point in the morning
In the afternoon
And stuff is out!
These bits will be upholstered with leather or alcantara
And these bits will get new paint or other attention.

Sound insulating with bitume, MAD insulating kit, factory insulations and Dynamat Extreme:
Bitume
Trans tunnel insualtion
Rear done
Floors insulated

Stereo stuff (Blaupunkt Las Vegas DVD -head unit, 5 1/4" separates at front, 2x8" subs at back + digital amp + full rewiring for audio system):

Rear 8" subs and their amp
Mounting plate for the subs
Speaker boxes (ie. sub boxes) need to be airtight, going through all the seams here
Pass. side sub installed with parallel wiring
Amp will be installed here

Fitting rear carpetting and both subs in place

Some of the plastics:
Plastics being colored from red.......... to black.

Got some bits from upholsterer today:

2cmoeg0.jpg


Seat back also leather:

2lcbvvq.jpg


Rear compartment frames leather too:

2cf6s7d.jpg
]

and a-pillar headliner and glove box lid:

156bq7a.jpg


I should be getting the rest of upholstered panels next week. Hope to get this project ready in 2-3 weeks. The car will be driveable next week in any case. Well, to achieve that I really only need the driver seat, steering wheel, hand brake and gear knob

Hope you enjoyed the show ;)

Will post more as the project progresses.

Thanks for reading.

Toni
Great Job! Where did you get the rear deck insert?
 
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I recently had a friend purchase two really nice looking bucket seats for his corvette,

HE LOOKED AT THE RE-UPOLSTERY KITS AND DECIDED,
THAT BY THE TIME HE BOUGHT THE KIT AND HAD SOMEONE REBUILD THE SEATS,
IT WAS FASTER AND CHEAPER TO BUY NEW SEATS
IT was only after

the seats arrived he thought to ask if they would bolt to the O.E.M. seat brackets
(NO THEY DID NOT)
and by the time he got the correct mount brackets the cost increased 40%,
once he installed the seats he found they were about 19" wide inside,

and he really needed about a 21" wide seat to fit his old BUTT comfortably..
and the O.E.M. power adjustment option was no longer functional

there are reasons that most experienced guys who do upholstery work charge the money they do,
and reasons why most experienced guys don,t,
just randomly swap seats in corvettes


the seats looked damn impressive, when delivered.....then he started to learn about reality!
you don,t just unbolt stock seats and bolt in MOST aftermarket seats,
and if your on the chunky side those great looking seats may not fit your overly wide BUTT!

I thought I'd put out a few facts that I see some guys never bother to research

READ THE FINE PRINT VERY CAREFULLY AND ASK LOTS OF DETAILED QUESTIONS

(1) if your in the market for new seats in your project car you'll want to,
ask a few basic questions before,
you use that credit card thats burning a hole in your pocket!
(other than the advertised COST)
AND
(WHAT COLOR AND MATERIAL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE)
AND
(ARE YOU THE MANUFACTURER OR A DROP SHIPPER?)

(A) do the seats come with any guarantee/warrantee,
and what exactly does it cover and for how long?
(HOW ARE THE SEATS PACKED AND WILL THEY BE DELIVERED TO MY HOME?)

(B) do the seats come with mount brackets or do they fit the O.E.M. seat brackets?
(if the car has power seat adjusters will the new seats work with them)

(C)are SOLID MOUNTING brackets available If I don,t have any?
(COST) ARE THE SEATS RATED FOR RACE USE?

(D) do the seat brackets adjust as to position forward & back, mounting angle or recline?(are there options)

(E) do the seats use the factory mount holes to bolt in?(are bolts included?)

(F) do the factory seat belts work, or do you need matching after -market belts?

(G) if you need different MOUNTS OR BRACKETS OR BELTS DO THEY SHIP WITH THE SEATS

(h) (what is the expected time delay between ordering and ALL products ordering arriving?)

(I) HOW TALL AND WIDE IS THE SEAT INSIDE DIMENSIONS
(IF YOUR ON THE HEAVY SIDE THIS CAN BE CRITICAL)
you certainly don,t want a seat your old butt can,t fit into.

(J) whats your return policy if ...
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OR FIT AND FUNCTION?

(K)what are the shipping costs?

(L) IF I NEED REPAIRS OR SPARE PARTS ARE THEY AVAILABLE?

 
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you'll need some basic tools, but once you understand the process and order in which things are done,
its generally not all that difficult, if you watch a few videos first.
watching the videos and carefully reading instructions, carefully several times, is critical if you have limited experience
you'll damn sure need hog ring pliers and hog rings
but the best tip I can put out is buy the very best quality upholstery kits ,
you can afford from a high quality manufacturer with a good long tern reputation,
as the dirt cheap import crap will make you insane!
it rarely fits and its much easier to damage or tear or stain.don,t scrimp, a couple hundred dollars in cost can make a huge and obvious difference in your results

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GearWrench-Hog-Ring-Pliers-Set-2-Piece-3702D/204622166?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D25T-HandTools|&gclid=COHI77uA4NECFQ0Hhgodx5cNaQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...-scott-drake&gclid=CMuEotqA4NECFVUGhgodqfIIdA

https://www.amazon.com/Galvanized-f...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZN7NZFGY3XBESZHBA1YW

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-P7DW-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZN7NZFGY3XBESZHBA1YW


100179.jpg

DSC000091440ccacbc.jpg

O1443hogring.jpg



http://www.sears.com/crescent-9-in-...gclid=CKmZ09mB4NECFURahgodVREDVw&gclsrc=aw.ds
ID suggest a set of these compound leverage dikes
spin_prod_247627201


high quality scissors would be useful

IF YOU NEED CORVETTE PARTS,
SOME ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER ,
AND EASIER TO LOCATE USED

https://www.corvetterecycling.com/

https://corvettesalvage.com/

http://www.contemporarycorvette.com/

https://www.vette2vette.com/
 
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