Coming from a custom upholstery background, I have had an idea bouncing around in my head for awhile and no real chance to try it out until now. The idea is to take classic seat covers with the subtle die-electric pleats found in most muscle cars and make them fit in a later model truck. I have always been fond of the simple interior design these cars had, so when I got the '89 S-10 I knew it was going to be my guinea pig.
Initially, I was going to modify a set of deluxe covers from a '67 Camaro to fit a factory set of S-10 buckets. I figured this would look cool, but I really didn't want high-back buckets like the S-10 came with. I was getting ready to chop off the top of the seats when my dad said, "Hey, you want to use these?" "These" happened to be a set of ultra-compact buckets from an early '70s Chevy Step van. They were pretty beat-up and covered in an ugly green vinyl, but they were the perfect size. With the addition of the new seats I had all of the parts to make it happen, and here's how I did it. If you try this yourself, you better have some basic upholstery skills and a sewing machine. I'm not really trying to teach you how to sew in this article, but rather show that fitting classic parts in a modern truck can be cool.
Old Seats, New Skins
Check out the donor seats my dad got from a '70s step van. Even though they are ugly, the proportions are perfect for my S-10. What I like about using an early seat is that there are still springs under the foam instead of a large pan. Once I get them covered they'll be nice and cushy.
Here is the deluxe cover set for a '67 Camaro, which I ordered from Classic Industries. All I really need are the inserts, but until a company sells just those parts, you'll have to buy the whole cover. I could have recreated these with just material and some sewing, but the pleats would not look factory. I wanted the factory look, so I had to bite the bullet and shell out 180 bucks for these.
1.To start, I had to cut the...
1.To start, I had to cut the van and Camaro covers apart so I could transfer the van pattern to the Camaro insert. I used a marker on the van covers to give me some sewing and line-up guides. If you have never sewn before, these marks are a life-saver because vinyl stretches and these help you keep track of that.
2.Here are the two inserts...
2.Here are the two inserts after the side material, also known as a band, was removed.
3.I placed the van insert...
3.I placed the van insert on top of the Camaro insert and transferred the shape and line-up marks. This is the basic way to pattern out and recover a seat. I used the same procedure on the side pieces as well.
4.With everything cut out,...
4.With everything cut out, it was time to join the pieces together. As the sewing proceeds, the line-up marks will help keep everything where it's supposed to be. This completes the cushion or bottom cover. The backrest will need a little more work to finish.
5.I used the same patterning...
5.I used the same patterning technique for the backrest, but the backside of the seat is where things changed. Once I had the sides sewn to the insert, I used a marker to trace out the backside.
6.The van seat cover didn't...
6.The van seat cover didn't feature any center hold-downs, and the new cover does. I lined up the insert and traced the hold-down area onto the foam.
7.Using a razor knife, I cut...
7.Using a razor knife, I cut the groove for the hold-down. This is where the material will be tucked and secured with hog rings. Since there isn't anything for the hog rings to hook to other than foam, I bent a piece of stiff wire and put it on the backside of the backrest.
8.The seats were worn in some...
8.The seats were worn in some areas and needed a little foam repair. I used the razor knife to cut out the front (arrow) and back edge of the worn portion. Then I sprayed some glue on the seat and on the scrap foam.
9.The cut I made will let...
9.The cut I made will let me butt the new foam to the old foam and also give me a guide to the stock shape.
10.With an air grinder fitted...
10.With an air grinder fitted with an 80-grit disc, I started to shape the foam. The foam grinds away pretty easily, but it makes a huge mess. Once the repair is complete, the new foam matches the shape of the old seat perfectly, and once the cover is installed the repair won't be noticeable.
The Final Word
Here are the seats once they were finished. To the untrained eye, people may think this is a stock Camaro seat, and they would be wrong. This seat is smaller, missing the headrest, and is a little more square, which will better fit my interior space. Hopefully, this story has started your wheels a turning and opened up a new route to making your truck custom. If you are sewing-challenged, don't worry-most professional upholstery shops can do this for you. Just bring your idea and your wallet.