How to Protect Cloth Seats?

Henrius

Active Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
239
Reaction score
83
Location
Atlanta
I ruined the OEM seat fabric on my 1965 Fury III by sitting in it when my pants were dirty from working in the garage.

After nearly $2000 to the upholsterer for covering it with completely new fabric, I want to prevent the previous mistake. Upholstery always wears first and worst in the driver's seat. How do I protect the new fabric on the driver's side?

I saw a guy with a 1959 Ford Retractable that had gorgeous OEM seats encapsulated in that uncomfortable plastic you used to see. Upholsterers around here say they don't do that anymore.

None of the aftermarket vendors I have seen do slip-on seatcovers for our old-style bench seats.

In my childhood my father put some sort of woven mesh seat to sit on over the OEM seat fabric. Guess I could drape the driver's side with a beach towel or something, but it sure would not be very elegant.

I plan to restore this car to show quality. It will not be a daily driver, but I do want to take it on trips.
 
honestly, I would use a towel. But how about a different thought: you spend 2000$ to restore the interior and then want to cover it up? I would say if you dont drive it much, maintain it with the right products and enjoy your new interior!
 
The other old school method is to throw an old blanket over the front seat. You can fold it up when you want to "show off" your nice interior.

Dave
 
The old "Fingerhut" plastic covers kept the fabrics looking nice, but were HOT in the summer (even with the raised pattern rather than the normal smooth items). Didn't keep the fabrics from dry rotting, though, with age.

The "ventilated cushions" usually weren't for fabric seats, but vinyl seat covers. Not that you couldn't use them on a cloth seat, but if ONE spring in them broke, then you've poked a hole in the fabric.

I've used the towel trick with good results. Find one that's color-coordinated to your interior. Might need one for the lean back, one for the lower cushion.

KEY thing is to watch how you enter and exit the car! Squirming and sliding should be minimized for less stress on the fabric and its seams. Stepping into and placing yourself onto the seat, where you will sit, can help in this respect. Then step out of the car in one motion. It might take a little trial and error to find the best maneuvers, but once you learn, it'll be second nature.

You might also consider periodic application of a ScotchGard product. Several options possibly at the auto supply?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67
 
I'm all ears for advice here as well, since my '67 has a combination of really well-kept original, and OEM style replacement fabric, which I also spent some sizable $$ on. The tan color will show spots, and I need to preserve that.........
FrontSeatsLEFT.png
 
Don't sit in it at all.
Scotch Gard the snot out of it and still don't sit in it .
Only get in with clean, dry clothes on.
Put some type of cover on it before your dirty butt does. Good Luck
 
I ruined the OEM seat fabric on my 1965 Fury III by sitting in it when my pants were dirty from working in the garage.

After nearly $2000 to the upholsterer for covering it with completely new fabric, I want to prevent the previous mistake. Upholstery always wears first and worst in the driver's seat. How do I protect the new fabric on the driver's side?

I saw a guy with a 1959 Ford Retractable that had gorgeous OEM seats encapsulated in that uncomfortable plastic you used to see. Upholsterers around here say they don't do that anymore.

None of the aftermarket vendors I have seen do slip-on seatcovers for our old-style bench seats.

In my childhood my father put some sort of woven mesh seat to sit on over the OEM seat fabric. Guess I could drape the driver's side with a beach towel or something, but it sure would not be very elegant.

I plan to restore this car to show quality. It will not be a daily driver, but I do want to take it on trips.
Scotchguard, and good old fashioned plastic slipcovers.
 
DON'T wear blue denim pants unless the blue is pretty much gone. Especially in the warmer months where body dampness can hasten the "fade" onto the seats. Wear something else!

When my '77 Camaro was newer and I was younger, I spent several hours in our 2nd floor working parts, one summer. I got "damp". When I got off work, I was cooled down, but my jeans were probably still a bit damp. Later, I noticed a blue tint to the light Buckskin cloth seats. Fabric cleaner would not take it out, so I went to Levis Cords instead.

In TX, dark blue Wranglers are popular. One year at the Fort Worth new car show, I noticed that the light/white vinyl or leather in a new Lincoln Navigator had a blue tint to it. From those Wranglers sliding over the driver's seat as show attendees got in and out of it. That was about one day into the show!

Seems like the ScotchGard has to be re-applied every so often?

CBODY67
 
Back
Top