the backside edges of the panel and the overhanging vinyl material.
After the glue gets tacky the edges of the vinyl should be pulled taut as it is wrapped around the panel.
A little heat from a heat gun helps the vinyl conform to the panel when pulled around the corners. Press the vinyl into the glue to secure it to the panel. Trim off the excess vinyl that has bunched up on the backside of the panel.
Although seat skirts are mostly decorative, they do have a function: The seat skirt conceals the seat track and pivot point of the seatback. Some skirt panels have decorative chrome or stainless trim attached. This must be removed before the panel can be re-covered. First remove the inner liner of the skirt by lifting the staples holding it in place. The stainless trim is fastened to the skirt panel by small screws or tabs that are bent over to hold the trim in place. Remove any screws that may be holding the trim to the panel and from the backside of the panel carefully lift the tabs or pins that hold the trim in place. Try not to break off any of the fasteners or damage the trim when removing it from the panel.
Wrapping the trim panels in vinyl gives the piece a nice, soft appearance. Applying a small amount of heat to the vinyl helps it to conform to the shape of the trim panel as it is pulled over the edge and glued into position.
A prominent feature of this era of car seat is the lower side skirt. This front skirt has a decorative band of stainless trim that helps the cover material contour to the profile of the skirt. The stainless trim is held in place by small pins and a trim screw.
The decorative stainless trim should be marked on the backside or with a piece of masking tape as to its orientation on the panel. Clean the stainless with #0000 steel wool to bring back its luster. Repair any broken mounting pins if necessary.
Cover Removal
The wrapped cover material of the panel is glued and/or stapled to the backside of the panels. These fasteners are lifted from the panel and then the cover material can be peeled off. Retain the old cover material so that it can be used as a pattern for the new panel cover.
Panel Cleaning and Prep
Under the upholstery material is usually thin cotton padding or coach wadding. Remove this by scraping it off with a putty knife and de-scaling the panel with a wire brush. Clean the surface of the panel with lacquer thinner to remove any residual glue and dust. The surface of the metal may be rusty and it should be sanded, primed, and painted to prevent it from further corrosion. If the panel is damaged or rusted out, proper repairs must be made before the panel can be re-covered. Replace the cotton coach wadding by gluing a felt underliner or foam-backed headliner material to the metal skirt. Wrap the padding around the edges of the skirt and trim the padding to fit.
Cut a new piece of vinyl about 2 inches oversize and set the skirt panel on the vinyl. Spray glue onto the backside edges of the skirt and around the vinyl cover material. Now stretch the vinyl over and around to the back of the skirt on the top and bottom edges. Add a couple of staples to hold it in place. Pull forward on the vinyl to remove any wrinkles and staple the vinyl to the front edge. Apply heat to the vinyl if necessary to help it stretch and lay smooth, and finish working the vinyl until it covers the skirt.
Welt Edging
Sew on a 5/32-inch welt to trim the upper edge of the skirt. Cut a vinyl strip 2½ inches wide for the welt cover. The extra selvedge material is stapled to the inside of the skirt. This decorative welt gives the skirt a finished appearance and it looks nice once the skirt is fit to the bottom of the seat, giving the skirt some extra definition.
Trim Installation
Before the stainless trim can be re-fit on the skirt the mounting holes need to be opened. From the backside of the skirt locate the trim mounting holes and with help from a regulator, poke through the surface of the vinyl to open the hole. Set the stainless trim in place by guiding the mounting pins through the holes in the vinyl.
Secure the stainless trim to the skirt by bending the mounting pins over with a tack hammer. Take care when bending the pins so that you do not break them off.
Cover over the staples and trim pins with a new inner liner made from a piece of panel board. Staple the liner in place.
Apply any other badges or trim pieces to the skirt. The skirts are finished and should be set aside until they are needed for the final assembly of the seat.
Restoring Seat Skirts
1 Before the skirt can be re-covered it is stripped of all the old upholstery materials. The inner liner of the skirt is removed along with all the staples holding the cover material in place. The old cover material is removed and used as a reference for the new cover.
2 Special care must be taken when removing the stainless trim from the trim panel. Lifting the mounting pins is a delicate job if you do not want to break them off. The pins are raised from the backside of the trim panel with a staple lifter.
3 The stainless trim piece is lifted carefully from the panel without bending it. Clean the stainless by wiping it down with a damp rag and polishing the surface with #0000 steel wool. The mounting pins are also straightened so that the piece can be reinstalled.
4 After the removal of the old cover material and coach wadding, the metal surface reveals some signs of corrosion. A light wire brushing and some sanding yields a clean surface for a new felt underliner to be glued in place.
5 With the padding applied and trimmed, the outside of the skirt can now be wrapped in vinyl. An oversize piece of vinyl is cut and fit to the skirt. Glue is applied to the backside of the vinyl and inside edges of the skirt.
6 The vinyl is heated and stretched over the skirt and stapled along the backside to hold it in place. To get the vinyl to conform to the contours of the skirt’s profile, additional heat is applied while the vinyl is pulled forward and worked around the corners.
7 A finishing touch is added to the skirt. The upper edge of the skirt is adorned with a decorative bead of welt. The welt on the outside edge of the skirt helps the skirt stand away from the seat cover boxing.
8 Replacing the decorative stainless trim
