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I've got a split in the seat bottom of my 67. It is black vinyl. The split is right between two of the pleats, so you can't see it...but it's there...and it keeps getting bigger. I'd like to have it repaired from the inside of the vinyl (underneath) so it won't show. Is it difficult to remove the seat? And when the seat is out, is it difficult to remove the seat-bottom vinyl and then re-install it after being repaired? Can it be attempted by someone who hasn't done it before? Will I need special tools? Thanks for any help you can offer.
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Re: Seat Vinyl Repair
The seat is not hard to take out- 4 bolts. The seat cover is another matter. In addition to the hog rings you see around the outside, there are some clips that hold the seat center down. These can be pretty difficult to remove and replace. If you go to this much trouble, you have done most of the work to replace the seat cover. Seat covers are not very expensive as Corvette parts go. If the covers have not ever been replaced, the seat foam may be in bad shape. The foam unfortunately costs as much as the covers. An upholstry shop may be able to repair what you have at a reasonable cost. Those guys that do it for a living can R&R a seat cover a lot quicker than us amatuers can. -
Re: Seat Vinyl Repair
The seat is not hard to take out- 4 bolts. The seat cover is another matter. In addition to the hog rings you see around the outside, there are some clips that hold the seat center down. These can be pretty difficult to remove and replace. If you go to this much trouble, you have done most of the work to replace the seat cover. Seat covers are not very expensive as Corvette parts go. If the covers have not ever been replaced, the seat foam may be in bad shape. The foam unfortunately costs as much as the covers. An upholstry shop may be able to repair what you have at a reasonable cost. Those guys that do it for a living can R&R a seat cover a lot quicker than us amatuers can.Comment
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Re: Seat Vinyl Repair
Much said above is ON-THE-MONEY! A lot is subjective too, what's easy for one may well be considered tough for another....
If the objective is to maintain factory original upholstery (Bowtie/Survivor look), then you're on the right track in trying to repair what you have. If the rip is along a stitched seam line, qualified trim shops can often work 'miracles' by tearing out existing stitches and moving the join line slightly inboard to gain fresh 'anchor' material.
If vinyl needs to be repaired, there ARE off-the-shelf vinyl repair kits, but I can almost guarantee you your first attempts will look shoody and probably not hold in a high stress environment like seat bun/along stitch line. After you come down the learning curve with doing these 'fixes' the results get progressively better. BUT, pros who do it for a living (repair seating in restaurants, Etc.) are known for 'invisible' repairs that REALLY good....
The input that the labor to get to the rip and put the seat back together once it's fixed is also dead nuts on! But, a few more words. The material usually breaks along seam lines for two reasons: (1) natural age/wear of the material, and (2) deterioration of the underlying support material (springs, foam) that promote over-flex.
So, if you're in there already, it's probably a real good thought to replace the seat bun foam. Also, by visiting local Corvette shops it's possible to find a good used seat cover (from the passenger side of a similar car that saw a complete restoration). Of course, you're replacing used with used, but you can get a bargain with this approach and maintain the factory correct/original material....Comment
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Re: Seat Vinyl Repair
Much said above is ON-THE-MONEY! A lot is subjective too, what's easy for one may well be considered tough for another....
If the objective is to maintain factory original upholstery (Bowtie/Survivor look), then you're on the right track in trying to repair what you have. If the rip is along a stitched seam line, qualified trim shops can often work 'miracles' by tearing out existing stitches and moving the join line slightly inboard to gain fresh 'anchor' material.
If vinyl needs to be repaired, there ARE off-the-shelf vinyl repair kits, but I can almost guarantee you your first attempts will look shoody and probably not hold in a high stress environment like seat bun/along stitch line. After you come down the learning curve with doing these 'fixes' the results get progressively better. BUT, pros who do it for a living (repair seating in restaurants, Etc.) are known for 'invisible' repairs that REALLY good....
The input that the labor to get to the rip and put the seat back together once it's fixed is also dead nuts on! But, a few more words. The material usually breaks along seam lines for two reasons: (1) natural age/wear of the material, and (2) deterioration of the underlying support material (springs, foam) that promote over-flex.
So, if you're in there already, it's probably a real good thought to replace the seat bun foam. Also, by visiting local Corvette shops it's possible to find a good used seat cover (from the passenger side of a similar car that saw a complete restoration). Of course, you're replacing used with used, but you can get a bargain with this approach and maintain the factory correct/original material....Comment
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