Not your average interior swap
08-28-2011, 08:39 PM
#23
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
Believe it or not, close-out at wal-mart. I think they were 12 bucks a piece years ago. If you are really interested in them, I can go pull them off and tell you the company on the tag.
09-06-2011, 07:14 PM
#25
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
Okay, finally found some seats. Not what I was looking for (black 94-98 leather), but I'm getting close to finishing my interior swap and didn't want to be held up any longer. Plus, we had 30+ days of 110 degree weather here, so cloth may work out better for my hot a$$ black interior. I found a pair of charcoal cloth from a local junkyard that were in bad shape, or so it appeared. Price was right though, so I figured I'd get them a shot. I didn't take many pics of "before", because I was in such a hurry to clean them up. But, this gives you an idea:
Grease, cat hair, you name it. They weren't pretty to say the least. I figured since it was so hot I would just take the rails off and take them to the car wash. I sprayed them down, used the scrub brush and everything. Then I hauled them home in the back of a truck and sat them outside for 3 days. They dried out just fine, but still looked dingy. I was beginning to regret my "good" purchase...
I decided to take the "F-'em if they can't take a joke" approach, and tear the seats apart. Not that hard really, just time consuming. I yanked them all the way down to the bones and chunked the fabric in the tub with some simple green.
Whilst the covers were soaking, I figured I'd fiddle around with the frames. First up, I decided to do the ever popular "seat full recline" mod. Lots easier with everything apart and easier to clean up the metal shavings too!!!
Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you about the crazy time I had trying to get the headrests off!!!!!
I don't know WTFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!! ford was thinking when they made these headrests!! You cannot get them out. I spent an hour searching on the internet for an answer on how to get them out. Coat hanger trick didn't work, screwdriver wouldn't fit.... Grrrr!!!!! It's stupid hard, it really is. I finally had to use a slim jim and break part of my plastic to get them out (punched myself in the face with it on the way out too). Mmmmm, tasty blood goes well with frustration. So, be ready for the ******* of a lifetime whenever you have to remove your headrests. But, what I can do, is save you further problems. Once you see the inner guts, it's a bit easier to understand why they work the way they do. Also, you can answer the question of "why don't my headrests go up high enough to actually do anything???)
See that little indented tab? That's the guy responsible for the dual rape. In the pic I have already bent it out, but it lays flat and clicks into an indention on the post when you pull the headrest up. It keeps the headrest from moving up more than 1 1/2 inches and prevents the headrest from being removed. Ford actually has a special tool just to remove them, btw.
In the case of the shadetree mechanic, my best advice is coathanger. I couldn't get it to work for me. But, now that I know what it looks like inside, I think I could have worked it the second time. Basically you are trying to insert something down the backside of the post far enough that it keeps the indention from clicking into position when you pull up the headrest. Sounds easy, but it isn't. The tab is really strong and stiff, there is little to no room down the back of the post in between the plastic. Not impossible (obviously), just really difficult and not fun.
Okay, back to the story. So, I bent the tab out so as never to deal with it again. Much to my surprise, the headrest stays firmly in the track and slides up as far as I would like it to go and stays there.
I never wanted to deal with it again, plus I was a bit angry at that little piece of metal. So, in true payback form, I pulled out the reciprocating saw!!!!
I hacked that little guy into oblivion. While sawing away I looked over at the seatbelt loop "base???" and realized that annoyed me too. I've always taken my loops off on all the mustangs I've owned. Some folks use them, I don't. But, I never knew what actually held them in place. I figured I could lose a few ounces of metal and continue taking my frustration out in one swoop.
Much cleaner and less problematic IMO. Plus the headrest sits better, not all cocked to the side like my old one did. I think my foam was sunk in though.......
Okay, got that finished up and put back together. I painted the frames so they wouldn't rust out. I washed my covers thoroughly and dried them for days. I put it all back together and actually had 2 dark colored seats about to go into my car. I'm so excited!!! Last thing to ever remind me that I used to have tan interior..... Ugh!
Part of the reason I wanted leather is because they are lighter weight seats. I was upset to be sticking with the heavy cloth seats, but what was I gonna do?
Well, I tell you what I was gonna do. I decided I would leave the driver's power track off and cannibalize the passenger rails off my original seats.
I bolt it up and it fits just fine. Problem is, seatbelt is on the wrong side. None of my other "small problems" have stopped me so far, and this one isn't going to either. I took it back off and went to my local muffler shop.
Let me tell you a little bit about the guys at my local shop. For starters, me and most of them went to high school together. Next, we also had auto mechanics together. So, I don't get the usual "you want to do what to what??????" question that the average patron would. Plus, they are used to me and my "unorthodox" approach to car tuning. So, I tell Bubba (not kidding, real name), that I am going to move the belt mount to the other side and I want him to weld it. (side note, damnsit!!!! I wish I had taken welding when I had the chance........ Grrrr). Anyways, so I go over to the cut-off wheel and start hacking.
After I hack the mount off, my buddy welds it to the other side. We eyeball the positioning and it came out perfect.
Turned out pretty well if I say so. Truthfully, it is probably welded on better than the factory mount was. It was just tacked here and there to begin with.
Now it has a full bead. I bolt them to the seat and do a test fit.
They fit just fine. Sits fine, or so it seems. I pull the slider and do a little front to back max out. I hear a "thunk". I look down and I see that the bottom tab and dog-ear beneath the seatbelt connector has slammed into the tub. I pull the seat back out and put the grinder on it. Problem solved! Seat fits great, adjusts great, and slides fully forward and backward with no issues.
I weigh the seat before I put it back in, just to see how much the power mechanism weighs. I have lost 40 lbs from my drivers seat. Take that, leather seats!!!
Here is a teaser shot of my drivers seat installed. Plus cat is now out of the bag on which panels I decided to go with........
Cobra 2 tone FTW!!!!!
Grease, cat hair, you name it. They weren't pretty to say the least. I figured since it was so hot I would just take the rails off and take them to the car wash. I sprayed them down, used the scrub brush and everything. Then I hauled them home in the back of a truck and sat them outside for 3 days. They dried out just fine, but still looked dingy. I was beginning to regret my "good" purchase...
I decided to take the "F-'em if they can't take a joke" approach, and tear the seats apart. Not that hard really, just time consuming. I yanked them all the way down to the bones and chunked the fabric in the tub with some simple green.
Whilst the covers were soaking, I figured I'd fiddle around with the frames. First up, I decided to do the ever popular "seat full recline" mod. Lots easier with everything apart and easier to clean up the metal shavings too!!!
Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you about the crazy time I had trying to get the headrests off!!!!!
I don't know WTFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!! ford was thinking when they made these headrests!! You cannot get them out. I spent an hour searching on the internet for an answer on how to get them out. Coat hanger trick didn't work, screwdriver wouldn't fit.... Grrrr!!!!! It's stupid hard, it really is. I finally had to use a slim jim and break part of my plastic to get them out (punched myself in the face with it on the way out too). Mmmmm, tasty blood goes well with frustration. So, be ready for the ******* of a lifetime whenever you have to remove your headrests. But, what I can do, is save you further problems. Once you see the inner guts, it's a bit easier to understand why they work the way they do. Also, you can answer the question of "why don't my headrests go up high enough to actually do anything???)
See that little indented tab? That's the guy responsible for the dual rape. In the pic I have already bent it out, but it lays flat and clicks into an indention on the post when you pull the headrest up. It keeps the headrest from moving up more than 1 1/2 inches and prevents the headrest from being removed. Ford actually has a special tool just to remove them, btw.
In the case of the shadetree mechanic, my best advice is coathanger. I couldn't get it to work for me. But, now that I know what it looks like inside, I think I could have worked it the second time. Basically you are trying to insert something down the backside of the post far enough that it keeps the indention from clicking into position when you pull up the headrest. Sounds easy, but it isn't. The tab is really strong and stiff, there is little to no room down the back of the post in between the plastic. Not impossible (obviously), just really difficult and not fun.
Okay, back to the story. So, I bent the tab out so as never to deal with it again. Much to my surprise, the headrest stays firmly in the track and slides up as far as I would like it to go and stays there.
I never wanted to deal with it again, plus I was a bit angry at that little piece of metal. So, in true payback form, I pulled out the reciprocating saw!!!!
I hacked that little guy into oblivion. While sawing away I looked over at the seatbelt loop "base???" and realized that annoyed me too. I've always taken my loops off on all the mustangs I've owned. Some folks use them, I don't. But, I never knew what actually held them in place. I figured I could lose a few ounces of metal and continue taking my frustration out in one swoop.
Much cleaner and less problematic IMO. Plus the headrest sits better, not all cocked to the side like my old one did. I think my foam was sunk in though.......
Okay, got that finished up and put back together. I painted the frames so they wouldn't rust out. I washed my covers thoroughly and dried them for days. I put it all back together and actually had 2 dark colored seats about to go into my car. I'm so excited!!! Last thing to ever remind me that I used to have tan interior..... Ugh!
Part of the reason I wanted leather is because they are lighter weight seats. I was upset to be sticking with the heavy cloth seats, but what was I gonna do?
Well, I tell you what I was gonna do. I decided I would leave the driver's power track off and cannibalize the passenger rails off my original seats.
I bolt it up and it fits just fine. Problem is, seatbelt is on the wrong side. None of my other "small problems" have stopped me so far, and this one isn't going to either. I took it back off and went to my local muffler shop.
Let me tell you a little bit about the guys at my local shop. For starters, me and most of them went to high school together. Next, we also had auto mechanics together. So, I don't get the usual "you want to do what to what??????" question that the average patron would. Plus, they are used to me and my "unorthodox" approach to car tuning. So, I tell Bubba (not kidding, real name), that I am going to move the belt mount to the other side and I want him to weld it. (side note, damnsit!!!! I wish I had taken welding when I had the chance........ Grrrr). Anyways, so I go over to the cut-off wheel and start hacking.
After I hack the mount off, my buddy welds it to the other side. We eyeball the positioning and it came out perfect.
Turned out pretty well if I say so. Truthfully, it is probably welded on better than the factory mount was. It was just tacked here and there to begin with.
Now it has a full bead. I bolt them to the seat and do a test fit.
They fit just fine. Sits fine, or so it seems. I pull the slider and do a little front to back max out. I hear a "thunk". I look down and I see that the bottom tab and dog-ear beneath the seatbelt connector has slammed into the tub. I pull the seat back out and put the grinder on it. Problem solved! Seat fits great, adjusts great, and slides fully forward and backward with no issues.
I weigh the seat before I put it back in, just to see how much the power mechanism weighs. I have lost 40 lbs from my drivers seat. Take that, leather seats!!!
Here is a teaser shot of my drivers seat installed. Plus cat is now out of the bag on which panels I decided to go with........
Cobra 2 tone FTW!!!!!
09-07-2011, 11:29 AM
#28
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
Sure enough, wal mart stuff. Type-S. The tag doesn't have a model name but it does say 2007. I've had them that long. Mine are super tore up or else I'd let you have them. Thanks.
09-07-2011, 11:33 AM
#29
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ar
Posts: 555
It's getting back to being fun. I have went through hating this car, then loving it, then not caring about it, and now I am starting to have fun with it again. All of this recent work is helping me find the joy in it again. I started this interior years ago. It's nice to finally see it coming together after life has stood in it's way for so long.
