Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang | Fresh new look! At last the foam has arrived from Ohio Mustang Supply and I got busy upholstering. This was my very first front seat upholstery project and I must say, it turned out pretty good given my learning curve. The lower bun area of the seat went along very easy. I added extra foam and batting on the sidewalls of the seat to give the OEM over-stuffed look. I also added batting where necessary to eliminate bunching and wrinkles from packaging.
The upper seat back was much more challenging. Be prepared to have sore fingers from jamming your fingers into the foam and hog-ringing the foam to the seat frame. I had to make all of my own retaining rods because mine were missing. All in all, the install went smoothly, I had to add a BUNCH of extra batting inside of the seat cover prior to slipping it over the seat frame to fill up the very top. Make sure you do this before you slip it on. The back os the seat cover has a bunch of foam added to it to give it an over-stuffed look as well. Check out the photos and let me know what you think.
Ohio Mustang Supply Seat Foam MADE IN THE U.S.A.
Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang
Seat foam from Ohio Mustang Supply Shown
Seat foam from Ohio Mustang Shown
Lower seat bun shown
Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang
Lower seat foam
Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang
New listing and retaining wire cutter shown
Listing wire with cutter shown
Adding the new wire into the listing
Seat upholstery shown by Distinctive Industries
Hog-Ringing the seat foam to the seat frame USE RETAINING WIRE!
Hog-ringing the upholstery centers
Upholstery ringed to the frame by the center listings only. Ready for corner wrap.
Seat upholstery added prior to extra over-stuffing batting
Extra foam added to seat face
Only oem foam installed. You can see that this needs to have extra foam added to prevent foam lines.
Closeup of the batting used for over-stuffing
Front of lower seat shown with added foam and batting. Notice no foam lines are visible anymore.
Ringing the upholstery to the frame lower
Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang
Lower seat bun shown completed and over-stuffed
Lower seat bun shown completed and over-stuffed
Lower seat bun shown completed and over-stuffed
Lower seat bun shown completed and over-stuffed
Lower seat bun shown completed and over-stuffed
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back Foam Shown
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back before foam anchoring
Installing the double retaining wire to hold down the seat foam
Upper seat upholstery shown
Installing the listing wire into the listings
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back
Upholstering the passenger seat Upper Seat Back
Old Vs. New. Notice the fullness of the new vs. old
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!Need Help. Well, the title says it all on this one. After upholstering the passenger seat, I decided to move onto the drivers side seat. I dismantled the seat, removed the existing upholstery and foam and lo and behold the discovery of the cracked lower seat frame. This was extremely disappointing because this will now halt my upholstery project and photos. I had always wondered in the back of my mind why this seat looked a little more “reclined” back than the passenger side… now I know why.
I am attaching a few photos of my newly found discovery and am in need of your help. If anyone has one of these lower seat frames that is in decent condition (no cracks, excessive rust, etc.) please email me: brian@archifx.com I would be more than happy to pay for shipping etc. Take a look at the sadness below.
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!
Upholstery Project HALTED! Drivers Side Seat Frame CRACKED!
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. The new standard door panels arrived from CJ Pony Parts about a month ago and today I decided to install them. The process couldn’t be easier with only 2 screws at the top and 2 at the handle, the door panel comes right off. In the photos, I am re-installing fresh door panels (standard) along with some new shiny door handles and some trick chrome window cranks to give it a little personal touch (and because I didn’t want to drop $40) for new cranks right now. Check out the photos.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. This is the old dirty moldy panel prior to removal.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. Old upper front door seal shown. This will be replaced.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. Notice the broken door handle. This will be fixed on new install.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. The door panel was previously carpet over to hide the speaker cutout and is pulling back from the door.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. Start by removing the upper front door seal.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. Door shown with upper trim removed.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware. Removing the door handle retaining screws. These were Philips head screws on my 72.
Door handle was removed
Removing the door pull handle. This is easily done with 1 screw.
Door shown with hardware removed. Panel is ready for removal.
Closeup of the handle area prior to panel removal.
Door shown with panel and hardware removed.
Closeup of handle area on bare door skin
Speaker area where new speakers can be installed.
Fat mat rolled out and ready for install.
Fat Mat lightly pressed onto door skin. Before heat gun is used.
Using the heat gun to lock down the fat mat.
Yeah baby... Thats HOT!
Fat Mat after the heat gun torture.
Closeup of door skin with newly installed sound deaden-er.
Time for the new upper front door seals. Here is the comparison of old vs. new
New door panel fresh from CJ Pony Parts on the bench
New hardware to be installed with the new door panel. Door handle and window crank.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware
Backside of the new door panel. Needs to be cut to allow for penetrations.
Cutting out the vinyl for penetrations. Use a sharp new blade for this.
New door panel is installed and ready for handle and hardware.
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware
Door Panel Installation With New Hardware
Upper front door seal shown with new hardware. Need to trim a bit of the fatmat.
Passenger Seat Disassembly & Preparation For Fresh Upholstery. While the new front seat foam is on order with Ohio Mustang Supply, I decided to get a jump on preparing the front seats for their fresh upholstery and seat foam. This involves a full dis-assembly, extensive cleaning, wire brush, sand, and paint. The photos shown below are pretty self explanatory as I go through the process. Luckily my seat tracks / sliders were in good shape and functional. The surface rust was wire-brushed, sanded then painted a flat black for aesthetics. Marine grade vinyl was added as a pre-foam insulator and will make for a clean fresh installation and reduce seat foam wear and dry-out.
Upholstering The Lower Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback. After upholstering the upper rear seat back, I decided to dive right into the upholstering and foaming of the lower back seat. This section was a bit more challenging mainly because I had to produce and sculpt the foam for this seat. The aftermarket does not remanufacture the seat foam for the 71-73 Mustang so you will be at the mercy of saving your old nasty foam (not recommended) or making your own like I did.
The seat upholstery is probably the best I have ever seen, it is provided by Distinctive Industries and is made in the good ol’ U.S.A. I laid down a fresh coat of burlap over the existing seat frame and then laid down a layer of 1″ foam across the entire seat. Next I cut some 3″ thick density foam for the seat areas (these were square cuts) I then added another layer of 1″ foam across the center hump of the seat. On the ramp of the rear seat I left the 1″thick foam and cut another piece of 1″ foam for the center upper hump. After laying the upholstery over the seat I installed the wire into the areas provided on the underside of the upholstery. I made some relief cuts to pull the seat lowers thru and hog-ringed them to the frame. Starting from the upper center and working my way around the seat, I hog-ringed the rest of the upholstery down. Batting had to be added to the upper and lower parts of the seat to remove rippling of the upholstery. Check out the photos!
Get the upholstery set at CJ Pony Parts: Click Here CJ Pony Parts Part Number: U8B7
Distinctive Industries Part Number: 068924BLACK
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback: BEFORE EXTRA BATTING WAS ADDED
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback. The package from Distinctive Industries has finally arrived containing the much awaited full upholstery set from the front and back seats. I was very surprised to find out that this upholstery is manufactured in the good ol’ U.S.A! That fact alone gave me a great feeling when installing this upholstery. This is my very first upholstery project and I think it came out exceptionally well with all things considered.
In my previous post, I illustrated the seat foaming process and talked about how the foam for these seats is no longer re-manufactured. I created my own foam and laid it down onto the newly repainted seat frame. After dry-fitting the upholstery I decided to add another layer of padding to give the seat a fuller look and feel. This was a good choice. Overall the install was fairly painless. I did have to pull and stretch and pinch my fingers quite a bit to get it to lay down perfectly and I even had to re-position the upholstery twice to get the lines just right (picture below of what not to do I started in the center and worked my way outward paying attention to the lines and looking to see where parts needed to be stretched etc… Check out the photos.
Get the upholstery set at CJ Pony Parts: Click Here CJ Pony Parts Part Number: U8B7
Distinctive Industries Part Number: 068924BLACK
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang FastbackUpholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
Upholstering The Upper Back Seat | 71 72 73 Mustang Fastback
The sail panels for the Mustang have arrived from CJ Pony Parts and are exceptional quality. Although I was able to purchase the upper sail panels, the lower sail panels or lower quarter covers are unavailable for purchase, so I had to fabricate them from scratch. All things considered, I’d say they came out pretty good. These custom panels are upholstered in the same marine-grade vinyl as the package tray and upper package tray. For added ambiance, I added a sleek led light kit behind the lower sail panel to add accent lighting if I want to show the car. Take a look at the photos.
Upholstering the Passenger Seat 71 72 73 Mustang | Fresh new look! At last the foam has arrived from Ohio Mustang Supply and I got busy upholstering. This was my very first front seat upholstery project and I must say, it turned out pretty good given my learning curve. The lower bun area of the seat went along very easy. I added extra foam and batting on the sidewalls of the seat to give the OEM over-stuffed look. I also added batting where necessary to eliminate bunching and wrinkles from packaging.
I started in the center and worked my way outward paying attention to the lines and looking to see where parts needed to be stretched etc… Check out the photos.
