Restoring/ recovering a bench seat???????

[javamanxxx]

Hi to all. I have a 71 F-100. Had this truck for about 35 years and drive it often. Getting around to some needed work this fall. My question is: I'm bought a pretty good bench seat from salvage yard,a bench seat like my current seat. Mine has weak and broken springs etc. Gonna take this better seat to shop for a good going over with new cover and the like. Have any of you guys ever used Memory Foam in a bench seat rebuild? I'm not seat restore savvy but I was thinking about getting a 1.5 or 2 inch thick mattress topper from Walmart and talk to my upholstery man who will be doing this seat. I'm thinking he could use this memory foam in place of some the old or rotting padding that are usually in a seat with age and wear. What do you guys think??????? Thanks in advance to all have some advice. Walter in Augusta,Ga.

[javamanxxx]

Thanks Mak, I will talk to the guy this week and ask if he has some memory foam on hand. If not I found a Memory Foam topper in the store and online. I think 1.5 thickness would do. Thanks for your reply......

[dssco]

I'm doing this right now.I bought the cover from NPD but when I took apart my old seat everything there needed help. On the base a couple of springs popped out of place and the perimeter wire was broken. On the back a couple of springs were broken. The foam was squished down quite a bit and pretty much all the burlap has disintegrated. So far I've fixed the springs and the main wire on the base and replaced the springs in the back with some I cut out of a junkyard seat. I'm taking pics as I go and hope to post them soon. Next step is to replace the burlap with the little wires going through it. I could have just replaced the seat with some late model thing, but it would ruin tha appeal of the truck for me. Me and these trucks are growing old together.

[kaptnkaos]

Hey MAK

That looks great... What kind of seat cover is that?
I keep tossing it back and forth between a 40/20/40 seat and keeping my bench and recovering like you did...
I still have some rust management and painting in the cab to take care before I get to that point, so I just doing research.

KaptnKA S

[hotrod ford]

Mak, thanks for all th pics. With the ones of you replacing the floor board without removing the cab for sure. I did not think it could be done, but now I know it can thanks. HRF

[MAK]

Thanks. I got the covers from Blue Oval Truck parts if I remember right. I think most of the F100 vendors probably all source from the same one or two places...

Hey MAK

That looks great... What kind of seat cover is that?
I keep tossing it back and forth between a 40/20/40 seat and keeping my bench and recovering like you did...
I still have some rust management and painting in the cab to take care before I get to that point, so I just doing research.

KaptnKA S

[MAK]

Hopefully your welding skills are better than mine...

Mak, thanks for all th pics. With the ones of you replacing the floor board without removing the cab for sure. I did not think it could be done, but now I know it can thanks. HRF

[pdr1966]

I received my seat upholstery kit today, and am looking for a FAST swap, don't want to have the seat out long in case
it snows and I have ot plow!

Did you guys need/use Hog rings to re-attach the seat cover?

I have rings and pliers, but i have found modern strong ty-wraps to be effective and much easier to pull tight than hog rings.

Does anybody suggest NOT using the ty-wraps?

Pete

[JMcTurnan]

I think I'm just going to pay someone.

[badair]

are there any newer model vehicles that have bench seats that can be installed in a 71 F100 with little or no welding or modification?

[derrabls]

[quote]are there any newer model vehicles that have bench seats that can be installed in a 71 F100 with little or no welding or modification[/quote]

A list of seats that will work

http://www.fordification.com/tech/seats.htm