Bucket Seat Restoration - Hog Rings

Bucket Seat Restoration Before And After

Upholstery, much like paint, is one of those tasks in restoring a muscle car that is usually sourced out to a shop. While both tasks take special skills and tools, upholstery can be done at home. Now, we're not talking about sewing up a custom interior; we are talking about restoration. Thanks to companies like Original Parts Group you can get pre-sewn covers that you can install at home. Until we can order a painted body from a company, we'll leave that to the professionals.

There have been many tech articles written about how to cover a seat. Most of the time they graze over the things you really need to know. We are going to break that cycle right now and show you step- by-step how to properly restore a bucket seat. We are going to touch on how to tear them down, tune up the springs, install new foam, and finish off with stretching on the covers. To top it off, all this work will be done with typical handtools and a heat gun. Hopefully at the end of this story you will have enough confidence to tackle the job yourself and save a few bucks by doing so.

Here are the main components we picked up from Original Parts Group (OPG) to bring our seats back from the dead. The covers not only have all the stitches in the right places, they also have the proper Madrid grain vinyl. The foam is nice and soft—unlike others we have run across. If the foam is too firm, you end up sitting on the seat instead of sinking down in it. Placing the covers in the sun while you tear down the seats will help in installation later by softening the vinyl and making it stretch much easier.
Here are the main components we picked up from Original Parts Group (OPG) to bring our sea
Here are the other parts and sundries from OPG that will aid in the job and add all the small details. The first thing is the installation kit, which consists of hog rings and hog ring pliers. The three hog rings in foreground are set up in a sequence (un-bent, midway, and fully closed) so you can see how they function in holding the covers down.
Here are the other parts and sundries from OPG that will aid in the job and add all the sm
The bumpers are used to...

...set the backrest at the proper angle, the emblems go in the backrest for an OE appearance...
...set the backrest at the proper angle, the emblems go in the backrest for an OE appearan
...and the chrome trim and caps will finish off the metal panels.
Before any new parts can be installed, all the old stuff needs to come off. The best way to remove hog rings is to use a set of diagonal pliers. Grab the hog ring with the pliers and twist, which will un-bend the ring and remove it.
Before any new parts can be installed, all the old stuff needs to come off. The best way t

The hardware holding the backrest to the cushion is hidden beneath the back of the cushion cover. Remove the bolts with a 1/2-inch socket and keep track of the plate/tab because there is a left and a right for each seat, and they won't work if they get swapped side to side. The plates serve two functions, to hold the metal trim and provide a place to hog ring the cover.
The hardware holding the backrest to the cushion is hidden beneath the back of the cushion
With the seat assembly separated, turn your attention to the cushion. After all the perimeter hog rings are out you can turn the seat cover inside out to access the hog rings that are along the middle.
With the seat assembly separated, turn your attention to the cushion. After all the perime
Once those are out, find and remove any hog rings that are holding the foam and burlap to the spring assembly.
Once those are out, find and remove any hog rings that are holding the foam and burlap to

With the springs exposed, you can find and replace any that are broken. Look closely at the spring that is on the outboard side; this spring is subject to the most abuse and is the one that is typically broken. Don't worry—OPG has a full selection of replacement springs for just about every year Chevelle. Also, inspect all the metal fasteners holding the spring assembly together. As seen in this picture, they work loose over the years and let the springs shift around, which can affect cover fitment and also makes a bunch of noise when you sit down.
With the springs exposed, you can find and replace any that are broken. Look closely at th
Use a small pair of pliers to open the fasteners so you can reposition the springs back in their proper place. You should be able to find all the proper locations by looking for the small bent sections in the edge wire. After you have the spring properly positioned, bend the fasteners around both parts locking them in place.
Use a small pair of pliers to open the fasteners so you can reposition the springs back in
Once you have the spring assembly tuned up, its time to put on the new foam. The foam from OPG already has a woven backing impregnated to the bottom, protecting the foam from the springs. As an added layer of protection and to provide a better surface to glue the foam down, we recommend covering the spring assembly with a cheap piece of material like velour. Hold the material in place with hog rings along the perimeter and along the center hold-down wires.
Once you have the spring assembly tuned up, its time to put on the new foam. The foam from