UKSaabs

Over 16 years and 190,000 miles the Ruby seat has stood up well. But the time has come to repair the seat pad. The back has survived fairly well but the pad needs doing. About a year ago I got a rear seat pad from Dan. Stripped it and put the Zegna cloth aside 'til I got round to it. It's only taken a year!! So here is a project thread of taking a seat apart and putting it back together again.
As you can see it needs repair....
The canvas backing needs doing too.

I've taken the seat apart.... (So far so good.) I'll post pix and method as I go

I thought you'd have finished this by now

Remove the four large torx bolts that holt the seat to the floor. Then cut the cable tie and unplug the electrical connection. The plug is under the carpet.
Remove the back adjuster knob and plastic trim. Large piece from outer side and small piece from centre side.

Remove the small wire clips that hold the cover down: Two at the back: Two at the rear underneath: Three round the front: Two along the centre.

The two clips in the centre at the front are similar but shorter to the clips above.

Next remove the wire round the edge of the cover from its clips. Two at the front and one each side at the back.

The seat cover will now come off.

As it is originally from a rear seat, the replacement material I have is slightly short so I'll have to lengthen it by sewing a couple of inches of the old material from the unworn part at the back. The seam will not show as it is under the upright part of the seat.
The centre seam and the piping that holds the wire will also have to be moved.


To be continued.........

Gaznod wrote:I thought you'd have finished this by now

Am working at it.....

The new material is slightly wider at the back so will need trimming.




The stitching on the centre seam is removed and the seam pressed out using a damp cloth so that the material is not "glazed".

Tack the old seat to the new one to lengthen it....




Cut some heavy duty calico on the bias to replace the old piping.





Sew the piping to the material. Remember the centre piping on the front seat is approx. one inch further back than the back seat.





The cloth seat pad was then sewn into the leather seat by hand using the original holes in the leather to avoid perforating it too much.

You remember the old canvas under the seat.....



I was wondering what to use to repair it when I discovered this........



Only 99p!!

Cut and sew to fit.



Cut and overlock the holes where the hooks go through the pad.



Stick the canvas to the seat pad around the edge. (I used evo-stick.)


Time for a break!!

Push the wires back through the calico piping...



Starting with the two small centre hooks.



Pull the hooks through the foam padding, with a bent piece of wire. (I used a piece I'd removed from the cannibalised back seat.)



Then attach the other hooks. I started at the back and did the centre front one last. If I was doing it again I'd go round one after the other starting and ending at the back, as I found the last (centre front) one was a !!

Pull the leather seat over the foam pad.



And clip the wire in at the rear left and right.




Pull the seat cover down and clip into place.



And replace the trim.





And underneath....



Good job it doesn't show!!

All done.




Lots of thanks to Jan who did all the sewing.

Ursa Minor wrote:Tack the old seat to the new one to lengthen it....

Crikey! thought I. Not only can this chap sew, but he has taken the trouble to have his nails done for the photo

....and then I read further .....

Ursa Minor wrote:Lots of thanks to Jan who did all the sewing.

A good effort there, and well written. Internal trim is something that we all tend to shy away from as being too difficult. Maybe we should be more ambitious.

Well done that man! (With help ) Factory fresh anyone?

Excellent job.

move to the knowedge base section?

Dan.

ParadiseClub wrote:Excellent job.

move to the knowedge base section?

Dan.

Thanks Dan.... Told you I'd get round to it eventually.

Like your seat repair how to and use of Tesco bag. BTW the seat base material is hessian not canvass. You can get it from Woolies.

http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/c-145-material.aspx

RickyS wrote:L........... BTW the seat base material is hessian not canvass. You can get it from Woolies............

True but as the bag has a fused plastic lining I'm hoping that it'll be more resilient than the original hessian.Only time will tell..... (The woolies hessian is £4.50/metre + P&P ---- The bag was £0.99..... Not that I'm tight..... )