'67 Vinyl seat cover repair

[Chuck M.]

Hey guys,
i recently acquired a set of original vinyl seat covers. They are quite dirty however slowly but surely they are cleaning up nicely. Naturally the drivers seat covers took the brunt of the wear and have a few splits along the seams of the pleats. I wanted to know if anyone has had success repairing vinyl covers and if so how happy were you with the results. I realize this might be a lost cause but I figured it was worth asking. I didnt pay much for these so if nothing else they are a good reference point for what saddle vinyl should look like in a '67.
Thanks,
Chuck

[Mike E.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

So you are the one that finally bought those off eBay! Seemed like a decent buy to me.

[Chuck M.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

Yeah for $25 it wasn't much of a gamble. The passenger side covers are in really nice shape so I guess the worst case scenario is that I have one good seat if the driver side can't be repaired. I'll post pictures this weekend of the before and after.

[Phillip M.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

Chuck, if this were my project I would check with Hobby Lobby, Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics. Assuming the vinyl is not ripped through at the stich points, you may be able to carefully replace the stitching. You will want to buy the appropriate size upholstery needle (these have a curve to them), and the proper thread. Above suppliers may be helpful in the selection of the proper supplies. I know I have seen upholstery quality foam padding at JoAnne Fabrics.

[Russ S.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

I would get the opinion of an upholstery shop.

[Richard M.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

Repairing original seats is time consuming but doable. I repaired a split seam on a 1965 vinyl seat which my friend opened up when he put his knee down onto it by accident.

The following photo sequence shows the ripped seam repair process HERE and another seat repair HERE.

[Chuck M.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

I would get the opinion of an upholstery shop.

Yeah that was my initial thought. I am going to take them to a local shop early next week just to get their opinion on what it would take to ge these things back in shape. I dont know that I will actually have them complete the job as they are not focused on classic cars but if nothing else they might be able to give me an idea of what to expect.

[Chuck M.]

Re: '67 Vinyl seat cover repair

Repairing original seats is time consuming but doable. I repaired a split seam on a 1965 vinyl seat which my friend opened up when he put his knee down onto it by accident.

The following photo sequence shows the ripped seam repair process HERE and another seat repair HERE.

Thanks Rich! I figured it was going to be difficult but I wanted to give it a try. Ill post photos of what I am dealing with later this weekend after I have had a chance to finish cleaning them up. The driver seat is split along 2 seams on the bottom cover and one on the back cover.