The seat situation is better but not over.
I pulled the rear seat out of the Olds wagon at the junkyard since it seemed to fit together much better than mine. No gap between the bottom and the back at all. I figured worst case the shop would have to put my covers on that frame.
I get them into my garage and put the bottom in with my back and the gap was a lot tighter across most of the seat but it seemed to widen on the right side. This seat from the wagon had the back folded down and a ton of crap on it. It looked like the frame was pushed down so some "adjustments" had to be made.
After we got it to fit better we pulled the bottom out and compared it to mine. Shape was the same on the frame but mine looked much lower. Closer to the foam.
Long story short, we put my seat cloth side down on the floor and took a 3lb hammer to the frame. Worked it like a slide hammer and bent the frame back out away from the foam. Bent it out well over 1" and then bent the pieces that hook into the floor out towards the front of the seat. I was worried the cloth would be sloppy after doing that but it looked okay.
Put the seat back in and the fit is much closer. Now the issue is the pleats dont line up. The pleats on the seat back seem to curve at the bottom. I spoke to the owner of the shop. Told him the issues and Im going to bring the car to him so he can see how it goes together and make it right. He might have to redo the back. Maybe redo the back out of the other wagon instead since its original. The one in my car was already redone by someone down south at least 16 years and the foam seems pretty played out.
I did get the carpet in since my last post. Came out pretty nice. My buddy basically did the whole job and I watched. LOL. Hes done quite a few cars in the past (he also did my 81) and hes an upholsterer by trade. House stuff though, not cars. He has a steamer so all the creases came out and its nice and tight in the wells. Gotta get the dash in next, just have to get a different cluster or a new printed circuit.
I pulled the rear seat out of the Olds wagon at the junkyard since it seemed to fit together much better than mine. No gap between the bottom and the back at all. I figured worst case the shop would have to put my covers on that frame.
I get them into my garage and put the bottom in with my back and the gap was a lot tighter across most of the seat but it seemed to widen on the right side. This seat from the wagon had the back folded down and a ton of crap on it. It looked like the frame was pushed down so some "adjustments" had to be made.
After we got it to fit better we pulled the bottom out and compared it to mine. Shape was the same on the frame but mine looked much lower. Closer to the foam.
Long story short, we put my seat cloth side down on the floor and took a 3lb hammer to the frame. Worked it like a slide hammer and bent the frame back out away from the foam. Bent it out well over 1" and then bent the pieces that hook into the floor out towards the front of the seat. I was worried the cloth would be sloppy after doing that but it looked okay.
Put the seat back in and the fit is much closer. Now the issue is the pleats dont line up. The pleats on the seat back seem to curve at the bottom. I spoke to the owner of the shop. Told him the issues and Im going to bring the car to him so he can see how it goes together and make it right. He might have to redo the back. Maybe redo the back out of the other wagon instead since its original. The one in my car was already redone by someone down south at least 16 years and the foam seems pretty played out.
I did get the carpet in since my last post. Came out pretty nice. My buddy basically did the whole job and I watched. LOL. Hes done quite a few cars in the past (he also did my 81) and hes an upholsterer by trade. House stuff though, not cars. He has a steamer so all the creases came out and its nice and tight in the wells. Gotta get the dash in next, just have to get a different cluster or a new printed circuit.
