How much to install seat covers and foam?

[scgamecock]

I'm not sure I want to do this job myself.  How much would\should it cost to take the seats and the new foam and covers to an upholstery shop and have them do it?

 

[Pegleg]

If your covers are ready made it makes sense to do it yourself. Save your money for aprts and pay someone to do jobs your not capable of doing. Every time you sit on them seats you will smile in the knowledge you made them look new again

 

[SteveO_71]

I took my front and rear seats to a local shop a few years ago. As I recall, it was about $300 to replace all the covers.

Its possible to do it yourself and save the money but from what I've heard it isnt a lot of fun, especially if its the first time. There is probably an acquired skill to putting the new ones on, getting them fastened correctly and getting the wrinkles out.

 

[Don C]

It's not a lot of fun installing them, especially the hog rings, but not all that bad. Take your time, do it when you won't feel rushed, give yourself a couple of days. Everything has to be warm, the warmer the better. Cover the seat back foam with thin plastic sheeting, like the stuff you buy to cover the floor and furniture when painting, really makes it much easier to pull the cover on.

I think there's been several threads on the forum about how members did it.

 

[73' mach 1]

I just did mine not that long ago. It was my first time doing it. With the right pair of hog ring pliers it will make things easier. Mine didn't come out perfect and I hope to work out some of the wrinkles in time with use but I'm happy enough with them to say I did them myself. Here is my thread with the pics.

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-started-to-reupholster-my-seats-tmi-sport-r-added-pics-of-rear-seats

 

[7173Vert]

I paid $900ish (cdn. Taxes in) for the two front and rear bench seat. They supplied the foam and all necessary parts to complete the job (I supplied the seat covers). Apparently, it was difficult job as in some areas, the cover mfr. did not supply adequate excess material... I thought about doing it myself, but at the time I had 10 other major jobs going on with the car and just bit the bullet... At the end of the day, for me, it was worth paying a professional to do this job...

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I had TMI foam and covers and paid 300 to have them installed. As it turned out the seat covers did need some alteration that I would not have been able to do.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I did mine myself, and admit that they're not perfect - however, my car is not perfect, either.  

I would say it depends on how mechanically inclined, determined, and how much time you have to dedicate to the project.  If you've never done upholstery before, you'll develop a whole new appreciation for those who do.  It's tough, can be very challenging, and even a little unforgiving at times - but you'll definitely feel the 'job well done' satisfaction afterglow once completed.

As for what it costs to have someone else do it, you'll need call around.  What's reasonable for some places might be ridiculously cheap or expensive for others.  I know (based on other projects I've seen done for others) that paying someone to do it for me would've cost more than the materials I bought from TMI Products via CJPP (and that would be in the 'ridiculously expensive' category for most people who have more competitors available locally).  

Then again, I expected to get raped based on my own experience getting a simple 'street bike' motorcycle seat recovered, which wound up costing me $300.  :whistling:

 

[73pony]

Wow. Upholstery prices must be cheap around here compared to other places. I had a shop do a complete recover and foam on a set of triumph spitfire seats for $250 and that included retie of the springs weld up a couple spots in the frames, new foam and them stitching and making the covers from scratch, material included and they turned out fantastic. She quoted me $500 to redo the front and back seats of the Mustang and that is her making the seat covers. Going to probably have her do them next winter.

 

[c9zx]

$400.00 to install front and rear. I supplied the seat covers and front foam, he supplied the rear foam. The steamer he used made the results acceptably good. Chuck

 

[clevelandcoupe]

I paid $350 to install front and rear covers, I supplied the new foam for the front and used the original rear foam.

I hd them back in a couple days and I finished other things. I would suggest having a profesional complete this work, you will be pleased with the results.....

Thanks, Jay

 

[Hemikiller]

I paid $15 in beer to have a couple friends come over and give me a hand. Hardest part was the seat backs. Bought the hog ring pliers and 1000 pack of rings off McMaster for less than the rings from a Mustang supplier. The plastic sheeting makes a huge difference, you can tear it out when you're finished.

 

[Rmach1]

I'm not sure I want to do this job myself.  How much would\should it cost to take the seats and the new foam and covers to an upholstery shop and have them do it?

 

[NOT A T5]

I paid a "Professional" installer $300 and then had to re-stretch all the corners (it looked like the seat covers were too small, but the people just didn't take their time to do it right). After I re-worked them they looked pretty darn good! I have to mention that I supplied seat covers, new foam and seat heaters were also installed. Now after about a year or so ALL wrinkles are gone. Also use stainless steel hog rings!

 

[tony-muscle]

I did mine myself, and admit that they're not perfect - however, my car is not perfect, either.  

I would say it depends on how mechanically inclined, determined, and how much time you have to dedicate to the project.  If you've never done upholstery before, you'll develop a whole new appreciation for those who do.  It's tough, can be very challenging, and even a little unforgiving at times - but you'll definitely feel the 'job well done' satisfaction afterglow once completed.

As for what it costs to have someone else do it, you'll need call around.  What's reasonable for some places might be ridiculously cheap or expensive for others.  I know (based on other projects I've seen done for others) that paying someone to do it for me would've cost more than the materials I bought from TMI Products via CJPP (and that would be in the 'ridiculously expensive' category for most people who have more competitors available locally).  

Then again, I expected to get raped based on my own experience getting a simple 'street bike' motorcycle seat recovered, which wound up costing me $300.  :whistling:

I did it myself and it was my first upholstery endeavor. Not too bad if you follow the help from this forum. There are a lot of threads out there so search for TMI seat and you shoukd get some hits.The hog rings are a pain until you jave done couple dozens and you get the hang of it. I also used the plastic bag trick on the back to help. In my case i used those thin bags you get your shirts from the laundry places.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I went to the local tech school and took an upholstery class. Included the sewing. It is best to have a helper and a bench covered with carpet. I would never take to someone to do the job. The listing wires in the front seat is the most difficult part but if you have an extra pair of hands not a big thing. Like stated the plastic helps a lot. Lots of punching and slapping the foam and cover helps also. If you do not have a steamer you can use hair dryer to also help with wrinkles. They all have wrinkles even original.

I have told about this before. The teacher in the class brought in a friends Chevy truck 62 I think. In a 4 hour class we took the seat and door panels out. Took the seat cover apart to use for pattern. The teacher cut new cover from denim material and also the door panels. He sewed it all and installed in a 4 hour class. I think the interior is the easiest part of a restore.

There are some great videos on youtube also covering mustang seats.

The interior would be the last thing I would do on a restore or refresh. Too much trouble to keep dust and paint off of it when doing the paint.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I did mine myself, and admit that they're not perfect - however, my car is not perfect, either.  

I did it myself and it was my first upholstery endeavor. Not too bad if you follow the help from this forum. There are a lot of threads out there so search for TMI seat and you shoukd get some hits.

The hog rings are a pain until you jave done couple dozens and you get the hang of it. I also used the plastic bag trick on the back to help. In my case i used those thin bags you get your shirts from the laundry places.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I like the idea of the dry-cleaner bags, but I actually used some of those plastic bags from the grocery store, convenience store, etc., and just left 'em in there.  An added benefit is that if there's a spill, the plastic could somewhat protect the foam (providing the fluid somehow manages to find a way out, rather than puddling up or something).  I would've thought it to be a problem, but I haven't noticed any crinkly plastic noises when sitting in the seats, either.

I also went with the 'bent' hog ring pliers, which seemed to make more sense to me rather than the straight ones - I imagine it's just personal preference, really, and whichever ones you get used to using would be fine.

I would do it myself again, if I had the opportunity.  Oddly enough, I felt like the rear seat back gave me the most grief.  I started with the bottom cushions of the front seats, struggled with the first one, then discovered the plastic bag trick and had a much better time with the other.  The front seat backs weren't all that bad, aside from never feeling like I could ever get them to stretch far enough... but they did.  The rear seat cushion looked like it was going to be a PITA to figure out, but it was pretty simple, actually.  The rear seat back lures you in with a false sense of security - it's just a flat piece of wireframe, foam, and a single piece of vinyl covering that covers just one side, after all... should be a piece of cake after everything else, right?!  Yeah... I was ready to throw that thing across the shop a couple of times - pull on one side, and the other shifts that direction... it all feels like the vinyl is too small to cover all of the foam and wireframe... stuff like that.  Whatta PITA for such a seemingly simple piece.

I'd still do it again.

 

[scgamecock]

I have looked at some videos on YouTube and several of them show putting burlap down over the frames and then putting the pads and covers on.  Is that necessary?

 

[Mister 4x4]

I'm pretty sure it helps spread out the load so the wires of the frames aren't as easily able to cut into the foam over time.  That's just a WAG on my part, though - I'm sure there's probably an actual reason why they did that.