Installing the seat covers [1]

I had never done any upholstery before I started this project (yeah, I know what you're gonna say: "I bet the results look like it.") but I didn't want to pay an outrageous amount to have the Camaro's seats redone. So I ordered a set from Classic Industries and let 'em sit for a while as I worked up the nerve to get started on the job



I decided to start with one of the rear seat cushions. It seemed like one of the easier places to start.



Here's the bottom of the seat. You can see that the cover is fastened around the edges with "hog rings."



I used diagonal cutters to remove the old hog rings.

Note to self: take arthritis medication BEFORE you start this. It can get painful cuz there are probably 300 rings used to fasten the original covers. Not only are they around the edges, but at the seams and shape lines.



The old cover's off and you can see the foam cushion. You should probably have decided before hand if you needed new cushions. I was lucky, all of these cushions were good enough to be re-used.



This is your friend. It's a spray bottle with water and a little liquid dishwashing soap. It really helps the new covers to slide over the foam without sticking. Just a light mist is enough to do the job.



This is a new hog ring and the special pliers used to compress them. Just a quick note: I went to a couple of upholstery places and they told me that the pliers and rings were only available from their wholesale distributors...not to mention about $30 for the pliers.

I didn't like hearing that very much so I went to the horse shoeing section of a local hardware store and bought a box of 100 #1 pig rings for $1.99 and a pair of pliers for them for $5.99. Take that, filthy capitalists!



The new cover has been stretched into place and fastened with new hog rings. I started fastening in the front and worked backwards tightening as I went. You have to remember to fasten the seam along the backside of the seat to the wire that runs through the cushion. This is what gives the surface of the seat its shape.



The newly covered seat is on the left, and (duh!) the other old one is on the right. One thing I found important was to insure that the cushion was completely fitted into the corners of the new cover. This made tightening the cover evenly much easier.

We'll move on a little bit on the next page.