Seat Back Refurbishment

Note: This is a long procedure with many notes. You should read through it completely before you begin so you will have a feel for where you are going. This procedure was originally written for later-model Volkswagens, as that's what we have the most experience with. Information is now included for earlier-model Bugs as well.

If you are re-upholstering late-model seats, make sure you know the model year of your seats. Our '73 SB has '74 seats, and they are different! Trying to adapt '73 seat covers to fit '74 frames can be a costly mistake!

Things you will need:

• Ordinary tools (wrenches, screwdriver, hammer, etc.).
• Hog ring tool and hog rings.
• Burlap.
• 1" foam.
• Spray glue.
• Large pair of sharp scissors.
• A good-sized table (protect the top with cardboard).

Note: Throughout this procedure, keep your work area and hands clean! Be sure to save all hardware.

What to do:

Later-Model Cars -

1. Remove the front seats -- pull the pin out of the center channel connection point and push the seat out backwards.
2. Carefully remove the two backrest return springs on either side and the smaller spring in the outside mechanism (if there is one).
3. Disconnect the back rest from the seat bottom by removing the two silver bolts at the bottom of the seat back frame on either side.

Note: Be sure to save these two bolts, as they are a special design.

All Cars -

1. If you plan to reuse the upholstery, remove it carefully. Be careful not to rip the upholstery or split the seams.
2. Remove all of the old upholstery and padding, etc., right down to the frame and springs.
3. If you are working with a later model seat that has a headrest, carefully remove the molded headrest from the frame (just pull it straight up) and set it aside for reinstallation later.
4. Remove the two rods from the flaps on the bottom of the seat back and set them aside for use later.

   Note: It is not necessary to remove these rods if you're going to reuse the upholstery.

5. Straighten all of the spikes on the frame that hold the upholstery in place. Be very careful not to break these spikes off.

Note: See the note at the end of the procedure regarding the spikes.

6. After the springs are stripped bare and cleaned, inspect them to make sure nothing is broken. If things are found to be broken, have them repaired (usually welding will be required).

   Note: An excellent source of used springs is Russ's Recycling. They deal exclusively in used VW parts and are very responsive. We purchased a good-quality set of driver's seat springs from Russ.

7. Paint the springs (even though no one will see them, YOU will know, and smile! :-)

Later-Model Cars -

1. On later-model cars there is a mechanism on the side of the seat that controls the back rest (i.e,, lean it forward for rear seat access). To remove this, put a screwdriver underneath the knob and collar and pop them off. Set aside for reinstallation later.
2. If your seats have buttons at the base of the headrest, press in the foam around them and pop them out. Save the buttons if you want to reinstall them later.
3. Remove the molded headrest and set it aside for reinstallation later.

1965 - 1967 Seats -

1. Install a double layer of burlap over the springs, wrapping it all the way around. This is to protect the foam from the springs. Attach burlap to the springs with hog rings along the sides, all the way around.

Note: Do not attach any of the hog rings to an area of the springs that will be exposed to the front of the seat back. Keep all of your hog rings on the side to protect the foam.

Note: If you have a side release mechanism that's running up and down the side of your seat back, don't attach any of the hog rings to it.

2. Work all the way around the seat, firmly attaching the burlap along the sides and bottom of the seat back.
3. With the burlapping complete, you are ready to cut your foam and lay it in. Cut a piece of 1" foam exactly the size of the seat frame.
4. Apply spray adhesive onto the burlap on the front side of the seat frame. Center the piece of foam you just cut over the burlap so that it covers the area bounded by the seat frame. Massage it firmly into place over the entire surface.
5. Measure out a larger piece of 1" foam -- to provide an overlap of about 2-3" all around the sides and bottom of the seat frame, then long enough to go over the top of the seat back and down the backside to the base of the back rest.
6. Spray another layer of adhesive on the foam already glued to the burlap. Center the large piece of foam with an even overlap of 2-3" along the sides and bottom, enough to tuck into the seat frame. Massage this piece onto the first piece of foam.
7. Turn the seat frame over. Tuck the overlapping edges of the foam into the spring area along the bottom and sides, keeping it nice and tight. Secure the foam in place with hog rings along the sides and across the bottom.

Note: Again, do not attach hog rings in the central spring area, as they may eventually cut through the burlap and through the foam. Keep all of your hog rings on the back of the springs if possible.

8. Cut a piece of ordinary cardboard to the size of the back side of the backrest. Tape it into place with clear strapping tape -- about three times across and around the metal frame, and a piece of tape up both sides. This gives you something to glue the foam to when you wrap it around the back of the seat. It also gives a nice smooth line to the back of the seat once it's done.

Note: If you have a seat adjusting rod along the side of the seat back, don't tape to the rod.

9. Spray adhesive onto the cardboard, covering it completely. Wrap the long piece of foam from the front over the top of the seat and down the back of the seat frame. Stretch it tightly and glue it firmly onto the cardboard.
10. With scissors, trim the foam at the bottom just inside the bottom frame support. Smooth the foam into place.
11. With scissors, cut the foam along the back sides of the seat frame up to within about 4" of the top. Then cut perpendicular out to the edge. Leave the resulting "ears" sticking out for now.
12. Spray some adhesive into the top side of the frame, right under the "ear" of foam, on both sides. Tuck the foam "ears" into the seat frame to give nice square corners to the top of the seat.
13. Take an ordinary dry-cleaner plastic bag (or any other plastic bag you may have) and cut a section out of the bag large enough to overlap the top of the seat about 6-8" down from the top of the seat back on both sides. Apply spray adhesive to the foam, both front and back, so the plastic will stay in place when you are installing the seat upholstery. Tuck the plastic in a bit on the sides.

Note: The reason for the piece of a plastic bag is this: The seat upholstery has a layer of foam inside of it, and foam-on-foam tends to grab. The plastic provides a slick surface for the upholstery to slide on to.

14. Take the seat rest off of the table - it's easier to work with at this point if it's on the floor.
15. Slip the seat upholstery onto the top of the seat rest, just like putting on a pillow case. Line it up carefully from side-to-side. Make sure the sides are equal, then slide it straight on down, a little on each side at a time.

Note: Don't pull on the flap at the bottom. This flap is sewn on, and if you pull it hard enough you'll break the seam.

A valuable note from a reader: When it's time to pull the upholstery over the padding and frame, turn it inside out and then put it in your clothes dryer for about three or four minutes with some towels. The heat will cause the plastic cover to become MUCH more pliable and if you work quickly after it comes out, will make the whole rest of the cover installation much easier. (Those in sunny climates can just lay the cover out in the yard for 30 minutes for the same effect.)

16. Gather the upholstery on the sides and pull it down. Work it and massage it until you feel that the upholstery is all the way onto the backrest.
17. Install the rods saved from the old upholstery into the slots in the bottom two flaps, front and rear.
18. Return the back rest to the table and place it bottom side up. You will attach the front flap first. Massage the foam down and bring the rod in the flap back over the three hooks in the frame.

Note: You may need to straighten the hooks a bit -- but be careful you don't break them off while doing so!

19. Turn the seat around and pull the rod in the back flap up and over the hooks. Hammer the hooks down flat.

Note: It's very important to hammer the spikes out of the way. You don't went them tearing the bottom cushion of the seat.

20. The back rest upholstery is now complete, and the back rest can be installed on the bottom cushion.

Later Model Seats -

1. On '68 through '72 cars, the upholstery of the seat backs is the same as on the '65 through '67 cars.

1. Burlap over the springs as was done on the '65 through '67 seats.
2. Glue on a layer of 1" foam, extending to the edges of the frame all the way around.
3. Glue on another 1" layer of foam extending 2-3 inches out from the frame, all the way around.
4. Tuck the extended pieces into the springs and secure in place with hog rings.

Note: Again, do not hog ring into the seat area, as doing so may cause damage to the burlap and foam over time.

2. With the backrest padding all in place, reinstall the molded headrest that you removed earlier.
3. Glue a piece of a plastic bag onto the molded headrest to facilitate installation of the upholstery, just as with the earlier model seats.
4. Install the seat upholstery, as explained before -
5. Slip the seat upholstery onto the top of the seat rest, just like putting on a pillow case. Line it up carefully from side-to-side. Make sure the sides are equal, then slide it straight on down, a little at a time on each side.

Note: Don't pull on the flap at the bottom. This flap is sewn on, and if you pull it hard enough you'll break the seam.

6. Gather the upholstery on the sides and pull it down. Work it and massage it until you feel that the upholstery is all the way onto the backrest and is pulled tightly down over the headrest.
7. Install the rods saved from the old upholstery into the slots in the bottom two flaps, front and rear.
8. Turn the back rest over, bottom side up. Attach the front flap first. Massage the foam down and bring the rod in the flap back over the three hooks in the frame.

Note: You may need to straighten the hooks a bit -- but be careful you don't break them off while doing so!

9. Turn the seat around and pull the rod in the back flap up and over the hooks. Hammer the hooks down flat.

Note: It's very important to hammer the spikes out of the way. You don't went them tearing the bottom cushion of the seat.

1974 - 1976 Seats -

Cleaning and repair of the frames, and installation of burlap and foam is the same as for the earlier model seats with headrests:

1. When removing the old upholstery, be sure to save the rod from the flap in the upholstery that tucks through and attaches to the hooks in the seat frame behind the head rest.
2. Burlap, 1" foam, second layer of foam, tuck into the sides (just as above).
3. Reinstall the head rest and glue a plastic bag onto it as above.
4. With the large scissors, make an incision right under the head rest from side to side. Cut through both layers of foam and through the burlap, under the head rest ONLY. This transverse "slot" is to accomodate a flap inside the upholstery that will pull through from front to back.
5. Install the seat back upholstery just as above, pulling the flap through the slot you made to the back side.
6. Install the short rod into the pocket in the flap, then pull the flap tightly through the seat back frame and install the rod over the four hooks in the back of the seat frame, behind the base of the head rest frame. This keeps the seat upholstery tucked in tightly below the head rest and give a nice definition to the upholstery.
7. Pull the upholstery on down the seat back and install the flaps at the bottom as above.
8. Reinstall the seat back onto the bottom cushion.

A valuable note from a reader regarding the spikes that the upholstery attaches to: Those spikes are vicious! They will bite, as my father-in-law discovered when he punctured his thumb on one about five years ago. If yours are broken off, you have three choices: One is to replace the frame. The second is to have someone with a welder remove the old stub and tack weld on a new spike.

The third is my personal favorite, as I came up with it myself. :^)