If the frame, the spring and adjustment systems are in good condition then you can start upholstering your car seat. They key to upholstering is attention to detail. Pay attention to the small details while disassembling your car seat and take time to remember where everything came from so you won’t have a hard time putting back all the pieces after. If you can’t remember everything then you can use an extra car seat for reference or you could take a picture before disassembling. Be sure to organize all the components in one place so you don’t lose them.
The Seat Frame
Once on the process of disassembling, you may see some broken parts on the seat frame that needs welding. You can weld them yourselves if you have the right tool and knowledge or you can bring the car frame to a local welding shop for repair which will cause you not that much. After welding repairs are done, make sure to remove all the rust on the seat frame. To remove the rust, you will need different wire brushes – manual and electric powered ones. After all the rust is removed, you may coat the seat frame with paint stripper. This will make sure that rust is off the frame and all that’s left is bare metal. If you have no leftover stripper then you could sandblast the frame until it is bare. After applying a paint stripper, spray the seat frame with rust-preventive primer and cover the whole frame with a coating of black paint. If you are in a hurry, you could powder coat rather than painting. Choose whatever method suits you.
Now that the seat frame is done, check the seat tracks for any rust and grease. Disassemble and clean it. Apply some lubricant until it works smoothly.
Test the resilience of the spring – it should bounce back to shape after compression. If it is still resilient then you could use them again. If not then you need to contact a local upholstery supplier and purchase new ones to replace them.
The Foam Padding
Like most overused car seats, the inner foam padding collapses and deteriorates into powder with time. Upon disassembling, you will see that it will be almost impossible to reuse it. You have various option for foam padding replacements. You can purchase a ready to use, automotive upholstery foam which is shaped perfectly to fill car seats. Or, you can also buy foam of your choice locally and cut them according to your car seat’s shape. If you don’t have time and the proper knowledge to cut a foam properly then buying an automotive upholstery foam is the ideal choice.