98 Bench Recovering Options

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Dave454ss

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What, if any are my options for recovering my 98 Bench (Straight bench, no split, no armrest)? Apparently I'm the only one who digs the nostalgia of having a bench :rotflmao:...
Now, I'm not talking a sear cover...talking a complete "Oem type" recovering. I'm only finding 88-94 Bench seat upholstery..

I could always take it to an upholstery shop, and that's ultimately plan B...but on this project truck I'd just rather do it myself.
 

sewlow

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The 3 scoop backrest style? Those can be a major PitA to remove their cover's as they are glued to the base foam.
It CAN be done, though. Steam & patience is the only way to remove them.
'An inch an hour, 2 feet a day!' Lol!
As far as finding new covers for that style? Good luck. I've found no after-market support.
The only real option is an upholstery shop stitching up a new cover.
 

Dave454ss

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The 3 scoop backrest style?

Not sure I'd call it a 3 scoop...more like a "Sheet of Plywood" style, LOL..totally flat, totally straight...2 headrests..

I'll always remember opening the door for my 7 year old when I brought it home for the first time...first thing out of his mouth (Serious as serious could be).... "How'd they get a couch in here?".....The bench was "cool" before...that just cemented the future of that bench.

The ONLY upholstery I found was this one:
https://www.stockinteriors.com/SeatUpholstery.asp?Itemid=22999&MakeId=31&ModelId=88

But I don't want the vinyl trim...I'd prefer all cloth like the 88-94 style. I was afraid I'd have to go custom..
 

sewlow

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Yes, that's what I meant by the scoop style. The backrest has 3 individual seating positions across, defined by they foam shape.
Those ones in the link go over top of the original covers. They say that they're not seat covers but, well...if they go over top of the original, to me, that's a seat cover. I'm so anti-'seat-cover'. A cover-up of underlying problems. And...any dirt that gets between the original & the seat cover not only helps to accelerate wear of the top side of the original, but also the backside of the new seat cover.
There's a reason that the original covers wear out & it's not always the fault of the fabric itself. The frame & the foam base are the foundation. Any issues there are unseen & won't become apparent until the seat is torn down to it's base elements. Throwing a new cover on without doing so is like fixing a crack in the wall of a house without checking the foundation to find out why it cracked in the first place.
They want $280.00 for those & you have to do the install yourself.
Don't know what the shops around you area would charge, but in mine, I'd do a 'real' seat cover for that one in the $450.00 range. That's a ballpark number. The bottom line is affected by the price of the materials chosen. I won't choose a customer's material. I'll offer guidance & help, but I will not make the that final decision. Materials can range in price from $35.00/yd. for a decently good automotive grade material (mold & mildew resistant, U.V. stable) to hundreds of $$$ per yard.
One prob is locating the exact same factory material. I have access to some that are dead-on in color, but the texture is not quite the same.
That price I quoted includes doing the re-&-re, along with going through the complete seat, making sure that the tracks, the foam, springs & anything else that is required, is right.
Nothing worse than a week down the road after having a new cover, & that unseen crack in the frame decides to throw in the towel. Or the tracks bind up & start spewing bearings & bolts. Or that driver's seat cushion sag is unchecked & keeps getting worse & worse under that new 'cover'.
Hell, I'd even do some redesigning of the cover too, if someone wanted that. Once those original covers are off, I see a clean slate. Nothing says that the covers have to have the same pattern or designs as the originals.
My shop...drop the seat off Monday morning, pick it up Tuesday night.
 

mountie

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Last year I had a good/local marine - auto upholstery shop re-do my bench seat .. replacing the pad & recreated the original design ( the look & stitching)... it came out great.

About $260.000
 

OlTrav

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I have a ‘96 bench no split and two head rests like you. Did you ever end up finding a solution?
 
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