Seat upholstery and interior MACH 1 dark green - to be continued

Hi guys

I would like to share my experiences with the upholstery set from NPD which I purchased on my last trip to CA. Additional to the upholstery I got the foams as well.

“A house should be built on a solid ground” so first I fixed the frames (welded the cracks on the edges of the lower seat frame bent and adjusted the seat springs back to their original shape. Through this forum I also got a lower seat frame in good condition – my passenger seat was badly bent.

After sandblasting I brought all seat frames to a long established company for powder coating. The result was amazing and worth every Euro.

Without questions the aftermarket foam and upholstery is slightly different in shape and style to the original, but with respective efforts you can get a proper result. As I am not a pro upholsterer I spent some hours studying specific literature. I also don’t want to judge the quality of the set I bought, due to I don’t have any long term experiences and comparisons yet. Armed with silicon spray, jute, hair dryer, needle and thread I started rebuilding my seats.

But as pictures tell more than thousand words, here they are:


more pics

Wow - beautiful job! That is something that I am a little hesitant to try but yours came out great. Maybe I will have a go at mine! One question - your plastic seat backs look to be in very good shape - did you paint those, get new ones, or were yours in really good shape to start with?

Coming to the U.S. anytime soon...... I have a set just like that in Black I can provide the Beer and watch... LOL. Great job, did you do the rear seats as well?

Hi Steve

They didnt came in this shape... I cleaned them with dish detergent and a soft sponge. After that I put vaseline on them. Thats a good trick to make it shine and soft again by the way I got the idea to do this from my countryman and user Canadian red maple leaf.


As you can see on the picture above - there was an issue with the rear edges of the lower upholstery. I didnt liked it as it was - looked somehow undone. So again I grabbed the needle and thread in order to get it done satisfactory.

Mike rear seats are still under construction, but will publish a report as well!

The seats in my car are in fantastic shape, and I have all the new covers ready to go. But now you have me thinking if I'm doing this I should buy new foam as well. How pricey was the foam cushions?

There are two qualities available now. I would go with that

http://www.npdlink.com/store/products/product-138525-0.html?shop_by_year=1972

I also refurbished my seats during the ongoing restoration process of my 71 Mach 1. Other than machmeter's interior, my car is Acapulco Blue outside and Medium Blue inside. But it also has a deluxe interior.

Replacement was necessary because of excessive rot and mildew in the seats due to water intrusion though the rusted cowl vent. These chairs started to become "alive"...

I did the work myself, using pretty much the same techniques as machmeter. The new repro seat covers and foams were made by TMI, one of the two big makers of classic Mustang interiors in the U.S.

I got them from Virginia Classic Mustang and the quality leaves nothing to be desired. They fit tightly and excellent when installed properly. Upholstery work is nothing for weaklings. It is hard work. Even with a rattlecan of silicone spray...

It is best done on a sunny an hot day outside in the sun. The material becomes more "workable" in the heat.

The most obvious difference from the originals is the missing two-tone design on the reproductions. The vertical stripes normally come in a lighter blue or green than the rest of the seat. On the repro covers the color of the stripes is the same than the main color.

Did anyone buy a repro cover from Distinctive, the other maker of seat covers for the Mustang? Do they use correct two colors for Deluxe interiors?



The old original seat cover





The new TMI seat cover installed

Machmeter , you did a verry good job !!

Oh man! Now I have to learn how to thread a needle too? You guys are killing me with this level of work. Great job guys!

Great job! I may try the vaseline tip on my seat backs.

Hi guys

I would like to update my seat project and show you pics of the progress. Unfortunately there is no foam available for the rear seat...so far I know. But after some attempts with different thicknesses I achieved a porper result. The frames received same treatment like the front frames - sandblasting + powdercoating, jute and some textile cover on the edges did the rest. In the sense of a picture is worth a thousand words - here they are.

Kind regards from Europe

Wolfgang

Great job! Looks fantastic.

Great job! Looks fantastic.

Click to expand...

Thanks marks73 for positiv feedback - appreciate that!

Dang, that looks awesome. Good job, Wolfgang.

Great job! Looks fantastic.

Click to expand...

Thanks marks73 for positiv feedback - appreciate that!

Click to expand...

No problem. BTW how did the engine stand work out for you?

Well done I did my fronts awhile ago need to do the rear never saw the frames before thanks

Only picture I could find (can't find the picts of doing the seats) I know how we all like pictures.

Nice job on the seats Wolfgang

Great job! Looks fantastic.

Click to expand...

Thanks marks73 for positiv feedback - appreciate that!

Click to expand...

No problem. BTW how did the engine stand work out for you?

Click to expand...

Works great, guess you missed my video from first firing - you can check it out here



Carburator and timing still need some adjustment but so far engine ran smoothly. Anyway will post a better video in the next months.

But lately I am very much occupied with my job...

Man that is great. What a great way to heat the paint and check for leaks!