Replica Mustang covers and foam restoration techniques

Replica covers and foam restoration techniques make an old Mustang look young.

Upholstery Journal | February 2009

story and photos by Marshall Spiegel

A look at the re-covered front bucket seats in the 1985 Ford Mustang convertible, illustrating the brothers’ top-notch handiwork.
A look at the re-covered front bucket seats in the 1985 Ford Mustang convertible, illustrating the brothers’ top-notch handiwork.
  • Jaime Castaneda unpacked and examined the Acme replica seat covers for the 1985 Mustang when they arrived at Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif.
  • Although the original Mustang front passenger bucket seat looks pretty good, the foam is no longer “cushy” and the comfort is gone.
  • Jaime began by removing and dismantling the front bucket seats. The seat bottom cushions were carefully disassembled. Then the hog rings anchoring the original covers were carefully opened and the seat covers were removed.
  • Several slits were cut into the bottom cushion pad and each was filled with a slice of quarter-inch, closed-cell foam to refresh the bottom cushion. Each foam strip was secured in place with spray adhesive.
  • After the strips were trimmed with shears, they were vigorously wire-brushed to blend into the foam form.
  • Half-inch foam was prepared for covering each seat bottom to soften the seat and add durability and consistency. Sections of the foam were cut to fit the bottom cushions. Spray adhesive was applied to the foam and to the cushion to bond the foam in place.
  • A bolt of headliner fabric was cut to cover each cushion. Then the headliner fabric was bonded over the half-inch foam over the quarter-inch “baffles.” The original foam form is ready to begin its new life.
  • Unlike most aftermarket seat covers that come with plastic welts for affixing the hog rings, the Acme covers feature quality metal tie-downs.
  • After watching a trained upholsterer like Jaime install the seat covers, one can’t help wonder how “Joe Citizen” would have fared at the job.
  • The bottom cushion cover was applied and smoothed into place.
  • The bolsters, an integral part of the bottom cushions, were disassembled and the cushion rebuilt. The bolster assembly was installed into the bottom cushion.
  • Jaime pulls the seat-back cover into place on the driver’s bucket seat.
  • The completed front bucket seat, rebuilt, refoamed and re-covered, awaits installation.
  • While Jaime was rebuilding the front bucket seats, brother Javier removed the rear bench and removed the original factory cover. The pad was inspected and “massaged” to be rejuvenated.
  • After installing the quarter inch strips as baffles, Javier prepares to wrap the rear bench foam form in half-inch foam. After Javier bonds the new foam over the original form, he prepares to cut a section of headliner material to wrap the bottom cushion.
  • When the bench seat cover wouldn’t fit, we realized we’d gotten a cover for the rear bench seat of a sedan rather than the considerably smaller version for this convertible (proving that even experienced professionals can make mistakes).
  • The error was immediately corrected, and the correct cover was applied to the rear bench.

Share This Article

  • Del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmark
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • Twitter

Tags

Acme Auto Headlining of Long Beach, Calif., a long-time leader in the manufacture of automotive upholstered products, offers a line of seat covers that are replicas of original factory covers.

The company’s promotional material promises that the covers can be installed by any “Joe Citizen.” The covers seemed to be the logical choice to enliven the tired, old seats in a 1985 Mustang. Theoretically, “Joe Citizen” could remove the original factory covers and slip the Acme covers into position. However, after 23 years of service, the original foam forms on the factory seats no longer hold their shape. Frankly, slipping the new covers onto the very tired, very compressed foam forms would result in very sad-looking seats.

Enter the brothers Castaneda of Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif. Jaime and Javier are talented, young upholsterers, working at the trade most of their time and attending school part-time to sharpen their talents. Jaime worked on the front bucket seats and Javier attacked the rear bench.

The original factory covers were removed. The bottom cushion pads were carefully “sliced” and then the slits were filled with quarter-inch, closed-cell foam, which act as baffles to refresh the bottom cushions. The new sections of foam were thoroughly wire-brushed to blend the new foam into the original foam forms. This resulted in better distribution of weight. Each bottom cushion was then wrapped in half-inch foam to further soften the seat. The cushions were wrapped with headliner fabric to add durability and consistency.

Of course, this method of reviving the seats was only possible because, despite the 23 years of hard service, the original foam seat forms still had life in them. If the foam in the pads wasn’t still “alive,” the pads would have had to be redone. Replacement foam pads are available, but their quality is typically not as good as the used original pads.

After the seat bottom cushions were rejuvenated, the seat backs were covered. The seat bottoms were reinforced, and the new Acme covers were installed. The seats in the ’85 Mustang include adjustable “bolsters,” which are built into the seat bottoms of the buckets and can be extended manually to support the legs for added comfort and style.

A set of Acme seat cover replicas and rejuvenation of the old factory foam forms made the Mustang convertible interior look like it just rolled out of the showroom. The accompanying photos and captions show how it was done.

  • A look at the re-covered front bucket seats in the 1985 Ford Mustang convertible, illustrating the brothers’ top-notch handiwork.
    A look at the re-covered front bucket seats in the 1985 Ford Mustang convertible, illustrating the brothers’ top-notch handiwork.
  • Jaime Castaneda unpacked and examined the Acme replica seat covers for the 1985 Mustang when they arrived at Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif.
    Jaime Castaneda unpacked and examined the Acme replica seat covers for the 1985 Mustang when they arrived at Bud’s Auto Upholstery in Signal Hill, Calif.
  • Although the original Mustang front passenger bucket seat looks pretty good, the foam is no longer “cushy” and the comfort is gone.
    Although the original Mustang front passenger bucket seat looks pretty good, the foam is no longer “cushy” and the comfort is gone.
  • Jaime began by removing and dismantling the front bucket seats. The seat bottom cushions were carefully disassembled. Then the hog rings anchoring the original covers were carefully opened and the seat covers were removed.
    Jaime began by removing and dismantling the front bucket seats. The seat bottom cushions were carefully disassembled. Then the hog rings anchoring the original covers were carefully opened and the seat covers were removed.
  • Several slits were cut into the bottom cushion pad and each was filled with a slice of quarter-inch, closed-cell foam to refresh the bottom cushion. Each foam strip was secured in place with spray adhesive.
    Several slits were cut into the bottom cushion pad and each was filled with a slice of quarter-inch, closed-cell foam to refresh the bottom cushion. Each foam strip was secured in place with spray adhesive.
  • After the strips were trimmed with shears, they were vigorously wire-brushed to blend into the foam form.
    After the strips were trimmed with shears, they were vigorously wire-brushed to blend into the foam form.
  • Half-inch foam was prepared for covering each seat bottom to soften the seat and add durability and consistency. Sections of the foam were cut to fit the bottom cushions. Spray adhesive was applied to the foam and to the cushion to bond the foam in place.
    Half-inch foam was prepared for covering each seat bottom to soften the seat and add durability and consistency. Sections of the foam were cut to fit the bottom cushions. Spray adhesive was applied to the foam and to the cushion to bond the foam in place.
  • A bolt of headliner fabric was cut to cover each cushion. Then the headliner fabric was bonded over the half-inch foam over the quarter-inch “baffles.” The original foam form is ready to begin its new life.
    A bolt of headliner fabric was cut to cover each cushion. Then the headliner fabric was bonded over the half-inch foam over the quarter-inch “baffles.” The original foam form is ready to begin its new life.
  • Unlike most aftermarket seat covers that come with plastic welts for affixing the hog rings, the Acme covers feature quality metal tie-downs.
    Unlike most aftermarket seat covers that come with plastic welts for affixing the hog rings, the Acme covers feature quality metal tie-downs.
  • After watching a trained upholsterer like Jaime install the seat covers, one can’t help wonder how “Joe Citizen” would have fared at the job.
    After watching a trained upholsterer like Jaime install the seat covers, one can’t help wonder how “Joe Citizen” would have fared at the job.
  • The bottom cushion cover was applied and smoothed into place.
    The bottom cushion cover was applied and smoothed into place.
  • The bolsters, an integral part of the bottom cushions, were disassembled and the cushion rebuilt. The bolster assembly was installed into the bottom cushion.
    The bolsters, an integral part of the bottom cushions, were disassembled and the cushion rebuilt. The bolster assembly was installed into the bottom cushion.
  • Jaime pulls the seat-back cover into place on the driver’s bucket seat.
    Jaime pulls the seat-back cover into place on the driver’s bucket seat.
  • The completed front bucket seat, rebuilt, refoamed and re-covered, awaits installation.
    The completed front bucket seat, rebuilt, refoamed and re-covered, awaits installation.
  • While Jaime was rebuilding the front bucket seats, brother Javier removed the rear bench and removed the original factory cover. The pad was inspected and “massaged” to be rejuvenated.
    While Jaime was rebuilding the front bucket seats, brother Javier removed the rear bench and removed the original factory cover. The pad was inspected and “massaged” to be rejuvenated.
  • After installing the quarter inch strips as baffles, Javier prepares to wrap the rear bench foam form in half-inch foam. After Javier bonds the new foam over the original form, he prepares to cut a section of headliner material to wrap the bottom cushion.
    After installing the quarter inch strips as baffles, Javier prepares to wrap the rear bench foam form in half-inch foam. After Javier bonds the new foam over the original form, he prepares to cut a section of headliner material to wrap the bottom cushion.
  • When the bench seat cover wouldn’t fit, we realized we’d gotten a cover for the rear bench seat of a sedan rather than the considerably smaller version for this convertible (proving that even experienced professionals can make mistakes).
    When the bench seat cover wouldn’t fit, we realized we’d gotten a cover for the rear bench seat of a sedan rather than the considerably smaller version for this convertible (proving that even experienced professionals can make mistakes).
  • The error was immediately corrected, and the correct cover was applied to the rear bench.
    The error was immediately corrected, and the correct cover was applied to the rear bench.

Comments

Comments are the opinion of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Upholstery Journal or Industrial Fabrics Association International.

  • Al Cummings
    Al Cummings
    Apr 28, 2010
    12:52 pm CDT

    mustag seats

    Nicly done guys.  I like the closed cell in the crack trick.  I learned somthing today!

    Thanks,

    Al

Submit a Comment

Required. Will appear next to your comment.
Required. Will not be displayed on site or used to send unsolicited messages.
If applicable. A link to your site will appear with your comment.
Optional. Will appear in bold type above your comment.