Topic: 1968 coupe rear seat - how to??

[don.piotrek]

Hi,

I have my 1968 Dearborn built 289 vinyl top coupe in full restoration in and out.
At some point it was totally redone with interior on what originally came Nugget Gold from the factory. But that's not the point...

So the back seat was completely eaten by rats, the foam is gone, the black vinyl covers will be replaced with nugget gold ones. But where do I find the foam for a coupe? Browsing the internet stores I came across the fastback foam only, but I assume it will not fit? There is also seat frame available, but fastback only too... Which shall I use? The frame + the foam? Or just one of these? Or what?

Shall the seat be fold-down? Or is it fixed?

Does anyone have a drawing or a list with needed parts for complete assembly?

Thanks.

[67gtasanjose]

Rear seats on Coupes & Convertibles differ completely from the fastbacks.
Originally, they used an upholstery batting over top a burlap and some foam at the center hump.

The assembly Manuals cover the details in my '67 Manual, most likely the 68 Manual does too. Perhaps investing in the manual (or looking into it if you have one) will answer 10-millinon questions on details you should want to know about.

[don.piotrek]

Thanks Richard for the reply. I will look for an assembly manual.

Still would appreciate some hints on the parts sourcing...

Thanks

[ruppstang]

There are a lot of good used coupe seats out there for less than you will pay to repair the rat damage. Find a better seat and recover it.

[J_Speegle]

There are a lot of good used coupe seats out there for less than you will pay to repair the rat damage. Find a better seat and recover it.

+1

[jwc66k]

-  the back seat was completely eaten by rats, the foam is gone, the black vinyl covers will be replaced with nugget gold ones.

Try NPD http://www.npdlink.com/ They at least have the seat pad, burlap and edge padding. You can also get a 1968 Mustang Interior Assembly Manual that details what to do. THAT LAST IS MANDATORY.
Then let your fingers do the walking in the yellow pages. Find a local upholstery shop and buy some foam. You may need two different thicknesses.
Or -
Find another seat from almost any 64 thru 73 Mustang hardtop or convertible and strip off what you need.
For tools - Amazon. (I used a search engine to find "hog ring pliers" on Amazon and other sites.) One of the top quality pliers is made by C S Osborn. Don't skimp on a $11.95 pair of hog ring pliers. Half way thru your project, they will fail. A good pair of hog ring pliers are $30 and up. Harbor Freight used to have a decent set, but their quality has slipped.
For hog rings - Amazon, 3/4 inch. Yor will need about 70 for the base and 60 for the back.
To remove hog rings, I use an end cutter, a large end cutter.
When (and if) you get to the actual installation of the vinyl cover, leave them out in the sun for an hour to make them easy to stretch into position.
Jim

[don.piotrek]

Try NPD http://www.npdlink.com/ They at least have the seat pad, burlap and edge padding. You can also get a 1968 Mustang Interior Assembly Manual that details what to do. THAT LAST IS MANDATORY.
Then let your fingers do the walking in the yellow pages. Find a local upholstery shop and buy some foam. You may need two different thicknesses.
Or -
Find another seat from almost any 64 thru 73 Mustang hardtop or convertible and strip off what you need.

This is my point. Why there are no parts for hardtop or convertible back seats, only the fastbacks? I know these are the most desired versions, but that can’t be the only reason. No one does the renovation of coupes and convertibles? I don’t belive that. The NPD doesn’t have the parts either, just the burlap which is actually the easiest to get in this case.

[67gtasanjose]

This is my point. Why there are no parts for hardtop or convertible back seats, only the fastbacks? I know these are the most desired versions, but that can’t be the only reason. No one does the renovation of coupes and convertibles? I don’t belive that. The NPD doesn’t have the parts either, just the burlap which is actually the easiest to get in this case.

You might try upholstery shops for the batting and jute. Unlike the fastbacks, this padding is more of a 'Universal Design' (cut-to-fit) found through upholstery supply places.

[jwc66k]

I just finished a quick search on Amazon for "car seat upholstery foam" and got several hundred "hits". I would assume that e-may would have about the same. Sometimes you have to do a little bit of extra work to get the results you want.
Jim

[RoyceP]

They sell parts when there is a high enough demand for them. In the case of hardtop back seats, you can get a used good original one cheaper than NPD could have a reproduction made in China. So with good originals easy to find and cheap, it makes no sense to reproduce them. You have to go to places that sell used parts to find used parts. Swap meets, Craigslist, Hemmings Motor News, Old Cars Weekly, etc.

Or try this: the classified section right here on this web site.

This is my point. Why there are no parts for hardtop or convertible back seats, only the fastbacks? I know these are the most desired versions, but that can’t be the only reason. No one does the renovation of coupes and convertibles? I don’t belive that. The NPD doesn’t have the parts either, just the burlap which is actually the easiest to get in this case.