Recovering and restoring seats

[edhd58]

My 42 Ford Fordor is about to get new seat covers. My question is -- I need to get the old "socks" off the seat springs. Is there a fast and best way to do this. Do I need to re-sock each spring? There is a "main" wire around the front of the front seat cushion frame that is very thick but the ends aren't connected to anything and I think they need to be attached somewhere. Ill see about getting pictures. 

 

[trimacar]

There is no fast way to re-sock a set of springs. The seat spring assembly is taken apart, taking care to note location of each spring (many cars had different strength springs at various places for proper support). You also need to note the height of the pocket when finished. The pockets are then sewn with an opening at top, spring inserted, and pocket sewn shut to the correct height. Pocket measurement, laid flat on a folded over piece of burlap, will be one-half circumference of spring plus 1/4 inch wide, and height of finished pocket plus two times diameter tall.

Like many upholstery tasks, simple to show and harder to explain in words. If you get to the point of doing this, I could post or send you a sketch.

Check the "loose" edgewire carefully to see if it just didn't become detached from the sides. There's often such a "floating" wire to assist in the shape of the front of the seat, but usually it is attached in some manner.

[DavidMc]

I also have to remake some pocketed spring bases and they have different springs however many of the springs are broken, is there a source for these springs?  The only ones I have found are for lounge chairs and  they are nothing like the ones in the car seat.

[ckowner]

I have sourced some coil springs from old seats as well as bed mattresses. Sometimes doubling up the spring or stuffing it with foam gives the support desired. Be creative!

[Friartuck]

David aka trimacar,

 

What is the purpose of the pockets around each spring?

[trimacar]

The purpose of the pockets was to make the spring set as quiet as possible.  Springs tend to squeak, rubbing against both each other and the bottom support and edgewire.  It was mainly done on higher end cars, and as mentioned, the spring arrangement was engineered (different spring rates at different locations in rows) to provide the best support.  Frankly, I usually don't work on Fords since so many kits are available, and didn't realize that any Ford cars had the pockets.

 

You can put it together without the pockets, but you may hear a little noise when you sit on them.  I have a cushion that I'm getting ready to cover now, bare springs, we had sat on the springs to see if height was correct (they were from another car that the owner modified to fit this car), and they let out a terrible racket when sat on.....I had to change the interconnecting springs across the top to new ones, and place some strategic pieces of jute, to make them quieter.  Still not perfect but acceptable.

 

It's very time consuming to make new pockets, and I've also found that it's difficult to find the dense burlap that's needed to hold the spring in check.  I've started using a double layer for the pockets,  burlap for show on the outer, and putting a fabric inner sleeve to actually hold the tension of the spring.

[Rusty_OToole]

All this stuff is typical of home upholstery, for example your living room sofa and chairs if they are real good ones and real old. There should be an upholstery supply shop, not an upholsterer but where the upholsterer buys his supplies, look in the yellow pages they are all over the country.

[edhd58]

Dang it.

I have now talked to several upholsterers locally. They all say basically the same thing. Can not get the seat springs like these any more and all they can do is add foam on top of the burlap but under the batting and hope for the best.

They all say $400 will get the new covers stretched with the foam.

 

My next dilemma, I am not going to re-sock all the springs and the front seat cushion frame upper outer frame rail is broken in three places, i know a welder so  I will see about having him weld the frame rails back together. I think I will hand tie all the springs, top and bottom, like in a couch or chair to keep them from walking, and use extra heavy burlap on top.

 

The plan is to get a kit from Cartouche (Mac's Auto Parts) so all I have to do then is have them stretch the seat upholstery over the frames. Cartouche supposedly specializes in Vintage Ford interiors so everything should fit perfectly. $2700 will do all the interior except headliner and floor.