Iam back into my 49 ford two door sedan project and was deciding to just bite the bullet and have an upholstery shop do the seats. So I have the original split bench and was wondering if it would be worth re doing. I notice how springy and saggy and just over all uncomfortable it is and was wondering if they get better when pros re do them. I've never been around or on one of these new. A guy told me I could re do the S shaped springs and that would help but I thought I'd ask you guys what you thought. It will probably cost a small fortune so I want to get it right. I would be interested in a contempory allternative as well if any of you have ideas on a different make or aftermarket product that fits with minimal fabrication. Not a show car but want a comfortable seat done right. Thanks charlie
Well for me, in my car nothing but the original would be correct. I can tell you that when the fabric out and the foam turns to dust the other issue is the spring ties are also gone. Now you have no support to sit on. Unless the springs are broken all that's needed is to put it back together as it should be. That's what a good upholstery guy will do for you. My seats were gone and now they are not. It sits and looks correct and after 45K miles it's still looks Correct. This was done in house as was the total car. You don't have to brake the bank to do a nice job. The Wizzard
They're quite comfortable when redone correctly. I redid a stock one for my 52 when I got it and the late model seats that had been transplanted there went in a dumpster. There are no new seats that look good in an old car. People keep trying it and it always looks awkward or cheap.
There is nothing that beats the look of a stock seat in an old car. I do upholstery for a living, and have re built and stiffened up ALOT of seat springs. As long as you find someone who knows what they are doing, you'll be fine, and that being said you also get what you pay for just like any other service. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Great job on your seats and car! I actually bought a walking foot sewing machine second hand and I've done a few things so far but it's pretty hard to do it well. Reason I asked was cause I tried a practice run on the seat. I did a layer of burlap and then I did a foam layer and then I did some foam molding stuff and I sewed up a basic cover. It really is un comfortable so I must have got it wrong. I plan on doing all the interior panels and the maybe the back seat so I'll get my 200 bucks out of my sewing machine lol. I think I could pull it off if I had a mentor. When I started this car I had a daughter, now I have three ! It's easy with all the time you need in the shop but man I get a 1/16 the time now lol! Should've got neutered years ago!
Coil spring seats can be very comfortable. And when rebuilt correctly using wadding will last many many years. Far longer than modern foam seats. Unless mice/rats / moisture get at it. The rebuild process however can be timeconsuming if lots of the springs are broken and need replacing. The key is tie the springs together so they move as a set not as individuals. This process is far more time consuming than changing to no sag style springs and big lump of high density foam. At work we generally strip them very carefully not destroying the wadding. Then repair springs as needed and rebuild using as much of the original wadding as plausible and replacing any foam with new stuff. If they are really fargonewe call the customer and give home price based solution that'll fit a budget.
I brought bare springs to the upholsterer. I don't know how they do this shit, but I got a nice comfortable seat back from him, and it was under 300.00
I live in Alberta, Canada. You can stiffen springs up yourself too by running edge wire across your springs length wise attaching by wire clips or hog rings. It is typically 9 gauge wire.
Thanks for the reply. Well iam in Montana so we're neighbors ! Might could drive up there for a flames game and drop off the seat? How's the dollar doing now lol?! Thanks for the tech tip. My seat has the interior coil springs wrapped individually with burlap so I've never really noticed whAt was going on there but if I can't find someone to do them I'll give it hell I guess.
Oh nice and all most free for this hobby! I'm in Bozeman where did you have your seat done? I was just up there yesterday getting a lift from stevensville. If you don't mind turn me on to your shop and I can have them do it. That is if our Canadian friend doesn't want it.
Haha oh true enough, I'm in red deer, about an hour and a half north of Calgary. The dollar still sucks, I was in California when it was really bad. Worst time for a trip down there. Yeah it isn't too difficult of a job really. As for that other guy somehow getting bare frames foamed and upholstered for under 300, that's insanely cheap. Unheard of cheap. Well, to me anyways. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
As I remember, a 51 seat is superior to a 49 seat cause they have zigzag springs in the later seats.Pist n brokes example is perfect, don't downgrade your car by putting a late model seat in it.
Had an old Dodge 1/2 ton . Seat was bad. Took it to a guy at 9 a.m. He called at 3p.m. Seat done, springs redone . Best $175.00 I ever spent. That was in Tn. There used to be a bunch of chair manufacturing factories and guys started doing cars after the factories closed.
I'm no upholsterer, but when I did my seats I tied the S springs together with some plastic zip ties and I ran some heavy wires across the length of the seat. I actually used electrician's fish wire which is flat and very stiff like spring steel. Then, as a base layer, I hog ringed some canvas across the tops before the foam layers. The goal is to get the springs to help each other.
Wow that looks nice! I must just be a dumbass cause mine just looked ok and feels terrible. Thanks for the tips. Ism a ways out so I have time to year it all down and re do the springs if I can't talk my socialist friend up north into it. Thanks for the pic
Thanks, but actually I accidently over stuffed it. It's comfortable, but I sit too high and I'm not even very tall. I'll be removing an inch or more of foam sometime soon. BTW, I layered 2" foam + 1" foam, plus 1/2" batting. If you flip the seat upside-down you can do some work on the springs without removing any upholstery.
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