Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers? - NCRS Discussion Boards

Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

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  • David C.
    Very Frequent User
    • June 30, 2006
    • 126

    Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

    I have a 1973 convertible with what I believe are the original vinyl seat covers in 413 Dark Blue. They are in great shape, almost no wear, except I am getting a yellow dust / powder coming through. I believe this is caused by seat foam disintegrating from age.

    I called Al Knoch to inquire about this and purchase a pair of foam cushions, which I thought must be the reason for the dust, and because the seats are sagging a bit. I was advised that the dust is actually coming from the seat covers themselves, from foam that was applied to the underside of the mesh, and that it is not easily repairable. And that the dust cannot be coming from the seat cushions.

    It seems a shame to replace original seat covers that are in otherwise good shape and have the factory color. I would rather find a reasonable way to salvage the original seat covers somehow, and only replace the seat cushion foam to address the sagging. If possible.

    Would really appreciate some experienced advice on what to do. Thanks.
  • Michael W.
    Expired
    • April 1, 1997
    • 4290

    #2
    Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

    I had the same issue on my '73. The thin layer of foam that's disintegrating as described by Al Knoch is trapped between the seat cover and an inner layer of cloth. The only way out, as you've noted, is the yellowy powder each time you sit or get out.

    You could remove the covers, slit the cloth and scrape away the thin layer of foam and rebuild/resew, but is it worth it?

    Comment

    • Dan A.
      Very Frequent User
      • February 1, 2004
      • 212

      #3
      Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

      I had the same dilemma with my 69 several years ago. I had new Al Knoch covers & foam installed at a big Corvette show and never looked back. I thought the old covers looked good until I saw the new ones.

      Comment

      • Leonard M.
        Very Frequent User
        • September 7, 2009
        • 236

        #4
        Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

        The foam in the wide pleats turns hard and then into dust. I removed the covers, slit the cloth on the inside of the pleat, vacuumed out the dried up foam, cut new foam the correct width and length (correct thickness sheet purchased from an upholstery supply) slid it into the channel and used weatherstrip cement to seal the slit. I am very satisfied with the results; no more dust and original seat covers.

        Comment

        • Michael G.
          Extremely Frequent Poster
          • January 1, 1997
          • 1251

          #5
          Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

          I would add that trying to salvage a part for the sake of originality isn't necessarily the best plan. It's your car you'll have to weigh the options. Hard to beat new. Believe the cover may look good but will always look old.

          Comment

          • Patrick H.
            Beyond Control Poster
            • December 1, 1989
            • 11643

            #6
            Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

            I just use a Dustbuster to remove the yellow dust on occasion. That's a lot cheaper and easier.
            Vice-Chairman (West), Michigan Chapter NCRS
            71 "deer modified" coupe
            72 5-Star Bowtie / Duntov coupe. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124695...57649252735124
            2008 coupe
            Available stickers: Engine suffix code, exhaust tips & mufflers, shocks, AIR diverter valve broadcast code.

            Comment

            • Bill L.
              Expired
              • February 1, 2004
              • 1403

              #7
              Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

              Short answer Yes.

              Wish I had on my 70 black comfort weave seats. It is one of my pet peeves that the repro seat foam and covers are not nearly as comfortable IMHO. The repro comfort weave is not even close to the original. The original was an actual weave and the repro is heat pressed into vinyl. Al Knock once used the original material. It is my understanding that the mill making the comfort weave had a fire some years ago so no more original comfort weave is being made.

              I found a very detailed process with pictures in ms word format that shows how to put new foam in the pleats.

              Feel free to email me at bogp9@aol.com and I will be happy to email the document to you. I have not done it myself.

              Bill
              Last edited by Bill L.; January 17, 2015, 12:03 AM. Reason: Cannot type!

              Comment

              • Dan D.
                Very Frequent User
                • September 5, 2013
                • 181

                #8
                Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                For what it's worth, you should, of course, do whatever you want with your car...there is no right or wrong. That being said...old vinyl is still old vinyl. I would hate to go through the effort of salvaging the original covers only to have them start cracking due to fatigue. Back in '09 I had the door pads, seat covers and top replaced on my '72. I got the parts from Ecklers for about $1,500. and spent $1,200. on installation. I guess God looks out for kids and idiots...the comfort weave vinyl fabric and color match were spot on. Good luck

                Comment

                • Alan S.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • July 31, 1989
                  • 3416

                  #9
                  Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                  Hi,
                  An issue that the degrading foam causes that's not been mentioned is that as the foam turns to dust and is vacuumed off the seats the pleats in the seat cover lose their 'plumpness' and have a definite 'saggy' look to them. I'm not speaking of the covers themselves which can get saggy as the foam bolsters compress, but the individual pleats .
                  Perhaps I'm overly sensitive to the 'saggy' appearance since it seems to have become an issue in parts of my anatomy too.
                  Regards,
                  Alan
                  71 Coupe, 350/270, 4 speed
                  Mason Dixon Chapter
                  Chapter Top Flight October 2011

                  Comment

                  • Leonard M.
                    Very Frequent User
                    • September 7, 2009
                    • 236

                    #10
                    Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                    I agree 100% that "salvage for the sake of originality" has it's limitations and sometimes I'll spend time on an item only to replace it, but in my case the covers looked good and had only minor wear. it was worth the effort. Mine are still not perfect, but they are padded correctly and no dust or hard foam. I do not have the before picture, but it is a nice cosmetic improvement as well.
                    int1 by toylman, on Flickr

                    Comment

                    • Patrick H.
                      Beyond Control Poster
                      • December 1, 1989
                      • 11643

                      #11
                      Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                      One thing no one has mentioned is that the reproduction seat covers do not, to the best of my knowledge, have perforations in the weave like the originals did. They are "sort of" made to look like a weave but in reality they are a single piece of pressed vinyl. When I had new covers installed on my 1971 I definitely noticed that they don't allow any air to move between you and the seat, which is different than the originals.
                      Vice-Chairman (West), Michigan Chapter NCRS
                      71 "deer modified" coupe
                      72 5-Star Bowtie / Duntov coupe. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124695...57649252735124
                      2008 coupe
                      Available stickers: Engine suffix code, exhaust tips & mufflers, shocks, AIR diverter valve broadcast code.

                      Comment

                      • Patrick B.
                        Extremely Frequent Poster
                        • August 31, 1985
                        • 1995

                        #12
                        Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                        GM apparently caught on to the foam problem and changed the filler material in about 1975. I bought a set of GM seat bottoms and backs in 1976 as spares for my 70 LT-1. I believe they were available only because 1975 seats were identical in appearance. About 20 years later my car seemed to have pollen on the seats requiring constant vacuuming - the foam degradation problem. Although it was annoying to have to replace seat coveres that had very little wear on them, I opened the box of new covers that had been sitting 20 years fearing that they had degraded in storage. However, the padding in the pleats of the new covers was not yellow foam rubber. It was a grey fibrous material similar to certain kinds of carpet padding, and it was not subject to degradatiion like foam. However, my problem was not totally solved. I had ordered 2 backs and 2 bottoms, but when I opened the box after 20 years it contained 3 bottoms and 1 back. I used an aftermarket back, and now the foam in it has hardened. Now it seems from this thread that the woven vinyl cloth is no longer available. If I have to fix one of the degraded backs, I will not use foam rubber but rather the fibrous material GM went to (I think) in 1975. As a test of my theory that the identical looking seats on 1975 cars use pading immune to the foam problem, I would like owners of 75s to chime in on whether they find yellow foam powder on their seats these days.

                        Comment

                        • Joe L.
                          Beyond Control Poster
                          • February 1, 1988
                          • 43221

                          #13
                          Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                          Originally posted by Patrick Hulst (16386)
                          One thing no one has mentioned is that the reproduction seat covers do not, to the best of my knowledge, have perforations in the weave like the originals did. They are "sort of" made to look like a weave but in reality they are a single piece of pressed vinyl. When I had new covers installed on my 1971 I definitely noticed that they don't allow any air to move between you and the seat, which is different than the originals.

                          Patrick-------


                          Correct. The Comfortweave inert material in the original seat covers was an actual woven vinyl material. It "breathed" like any woven material. The insert material used in the reproduction seat covers has the weave pattern simply impressed into the vinyl. Of course, this eliminates the dust problem no matter what padding is attached under the insert. However, it's not technically "correct" and "as-original". It's very hard to detect, though.
                          In Appreciation of John Hinckley

                          Comment

                          • Joe L.
                            Beyond Control Poster
                            • February 1, 1988
                            • 43221

                            #14
                            Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                            Originally posted by Patrick Boyd (9110)
                            GM apparently caught on to the foam problem and changed the filler material in about 1975. I bought a set of GM seat bottoms and backs in 1976 as spares for my 70 LT-1. I believe they were available only because 1975 seats were identical in appearance. About 20 years later my car seemed to have pollen on the seats requiring constant vacuuming - the foam degradation problem. Although it was annoying to have to replace seat coveres that had very little wear on them, I opened the box of new covers that had been sitting 20 years fearing that they had degraded in storage. However, the padding in the pleats of the new covers was not yellow foam rubber. It was a grey fibrous material similar to certain kinds of carpet padding, and it was not subject to degradatiion like foam. However, my problem was not totally solved. I had ordered 2 backs and 2 bottoms, but when I opened the box after 20 years it contained 3 bottoms and 1 back. I used an aftermarket back, and now the foam in it has hardened. Now it seems from this thread that the woven vinyl cloth is no longer available. If I have to fix one of the degraded backs, I will not use foam rubber but rather the fibrous material GM went to (I think) in 1975. As a test of my theory that the identical looking seats on 1975 cars use pading immune to the foam problem, I would like owners of 75s to chime in on whether they find yellow foam powder on their seats these days.

                            Patrick------

                            I don't think the 1970 seat back and cushion covers were the same as 1973-75. I believe the primary difference was the style of seam around the periphery of both the backs and cushions although there may have been other differences as well. I believe the 1970 still used a "french seam" whereas the 1973-75 used a "overlapped" style seam. In my opinion, the "french seam" is much nicer and richer looking.

                            Depending upon the color of your interior, in 1976 some of the original 1970 seat covers were still available from GM. For example, if the interior color was black, then the 1970 seat cushion covers were still available. However, by that time the black seat back covers had been replaced for SERVICE by the 1973-75 style covers. As time went on, all of the 1970-72 seat covers were replaced by 73-75.

                            As far as the original Comfortweave insert material is concerned, several years ago I did a rather extensive search for a source. I finally found a source but I've lost my notes on it and I never actually purchased any. I vaguely recall that the source might have been in Washington state. However, if one were to purchase such bulk material, one would then have to have the seat covers entirely custom made. I just don't think that's too practical.
                            In Appreciation of John Hinckley

                            Comment

                            • Patrick B.
                              Extremely Frequent Poster
                              • August 31, 1985
                              • 1995

                              #15
                              Re: Can I salvage original 1973 seat covers?

                              Originally posted by Joe Lucia (12484)
                              Patrick------

                              I don't think the 1970 seat back and cushion covers were the same as 1973-75. I believe the primary difference was the style of seam around the periphery of both the backs and cushions although there may have been other differences as well. I believe the 1970 still used a "french seam" whereas the 1973-75 used a "overlapped" style seam. In my opinion, the "french seam" is much nicer and richer looking.

                              Depending upon the color of your interior, in 1976 some of the original 1970 seat covers were still available from GM. For example, if the interior color was black, then the 1970 seat cushion covers were still available. However, by that time the black seat back covers had been replaced for SERVICE by the 1973-75 style covers. As time went on, all of the 1970-72 seat covers were replaced by 73-75.

                              As far as the original Comfortweave insert material is concerned, several years ago I did a rather extensive search for a source. I finally found a source but I've lost my notes on it and I never actually purchased any. I vaguely recall that the source might have been in Washington state. However, if one were to purchase such bulk material, one would then have to have the seat covers entirely custom made. I just don't think that's too practical.
                              Joe--It is a black interior. I didn't notice any difference between the new and old covers except except for the change in construction eliminating the foam rubber. So they must have been made later than 1970. I will get out the old covers and compare them when I get home in a couple of weeks.

                              Comment

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