OEM Cloth Seat Covers...

[OldRed96]

Hey folks,

Looking to match the OEM cloth on a '96 C1500. Really only need to replace the bottom driver side. I have found a seat cover on eBay that seems to be pretty close. Before I pulled the trigger on it though I wanted to see if anyone has a better plan of attack for getting this back as close to original as possible. The floor carpet has been replaced as well as the console, so this is the last major thing I need to have done.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[someotherguy]

Haven't tried that particular cover from them but IIRC those guys are here in Houston; I got a bottom cushion leather cover for my '06 SS from them and it's a nice piece for a pre-made item. I can offer this advice: go ahead and get the foam and heater element (if equipped) too; you might think the foam is OK but once you get it apart you'll find it's crumbling and you don't want to do this job twice.

One gotcha I encountered and I'll bet it's the same on the one you're looking at; the hole for the switch bezel will likely need to be cut out as they make the cover the same for power and manual seats. The original cover on my '06 has a piece of plastic trim sewn in there that clips into the seat frame. The replacement did not, so when I cut the hole out I cut it the same size which was a mistake, as there's no excess material to tuck in, so it pops out at the switch bezel. I'll go back at some point and try to fix it by attaching the trim piece somehow (thinking Gorilla Glue) and also replace the foam and heating element.

Richard

 

[Supercharged111]

Cloth seats didn't get heating elements. But I had no idea folks were making new cloth covers, that's awesome.

 

[OldRed96]

Haven't tried that particular cover from them but IIRC those guys are here in Houston; I got a bottom cushion leather cover for my '06 SS from them and it's a nice piece for a pre-made item. I can offer this advice: go ahead and get the foam and heater element (if equipped) too; you might think the foam is OK but once you get it apart you'll find it's crumbling and you don't want to do this job twice.

One gotcha I encountered and I'll bet it's the same on the one you're looking at; the hole for the switch bezel will likely need to be cut out as they make the cover the same for power and manual seats. The original cover on my '06 has a piece of plastic trim sewn in there that clips into the seat frame. The replacement did not, so when I cut the hole out I cut it the same size which was a mistake, as there's no excess material to tuck in, so it pops out at the switch bezel. I'll go back at some point and try to fix it by attaching the trim piece somehow (thinking Gorilla Glue) and also replace the foam and heating element.

Richard

This is the kind of info I needed. I was likely going to get the replacement foam as well. The one video those guys have posted makes it look kind of troublesome to tuck in/secure the underside of the cover. Almost makes me want to reach out to an upholster and see what they could do with it.

 

[OldRed96]

Cloth seats didn't get heating elements. But I had no idea folks were making new cloth covers, that's awesome.

There have been a lot of cold mornings that I wish it did have a heating element

But yeah this is just about the only option I have found that is somewhat similar to the OEM. Lots of Vinyl, Leather, Velour, etc.

 

[someotherguy]

This is the kind of info I needed. I was likely going to get the replacement foam as well. The one video those guys have posted makes it look kind of troublesome to tuck in/secure the underside of the cover. Almost makes me want to reach out to an upholster and see what they could do with it.

The seat design looks very similar to the gmt800 stuff, it really wasn't a difficult job. About the only thing that was tricky was not slicing my hands open on the sharp edges of the seat frame, on the stamped out parts, ya know? Like freaking razor blades.

Richard

 

[df2x4]

But I had no idea folks were making new cloth covers, that's awesome.

X2.

I thought someone here had mentioned in the past that the fabric used for the OEM cloth interiors was pretty much unobtainable now, maybe @sewlow? Obviously you'd have to see it in person to really tell, but whatever they're using looks like a pretty good match to me in those pictures.

 

[Supercharged111]

X2.

I thought someone here had mentioned in the past that the fabric used for the OEM cloth interiors was pretty much unobtainable now, maybe @sewlow? Obviously you'd have to see it in person to really tell, but whatever they're using looks like a pretty good match to me in those pictures.

That's exactly what my understanding was.

 

[someotherguy]

X2.

I thought someone here had mentioned in the past that the fabric used for the OEM cloth interiors was pretty much unobtainable now, maybe @sewlow? Obviously you'd have to see it in person to really tell, but whatever they're using looks like a pretty good match to me in those pictures.

It's the "stripey" fabric for the 90-94 seats/door panels that is unobtainium, other than the few guys that have rolls of it squirreled away here and there.

Richard

 

[unruhjonny]

... I had no idea folks were making new cloth covers, that's awesome.

wow!
You guys are lucky!
I have scoured time and again for replacement or NOS covers/foam for my truck - you would think that there would be a market for this (I mean iirc 1988-1994 got the same material and patterns);
The best I have come across are the (ugly imho) covers offered by LMC - but no replacement (as far as I can recall) foams...