Let the games begin....

Spree

Spree

Dedicated LVC Member
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Let's start with the rear seat repair...I know you guy's like pics...so please follow along. My budget is close to nothing to $0
If I get things out of order please forgive me.
Gonna try to fix this myself or at least make it better.
Rear seat stitching rotting from 18 years of sun damage.

Remove seat.
Remove skin (I don't think God or the dealer meant for this seat cover to be removed) :) Black strips are Velcro, open all circular clips holding skin to seat, then remove skin.

Attempted repair to come....

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Sewing kit from wal-mart, $3

Everything about these cars can come apart, because it didn't grow that way

Good luck with it ;)
 
Only problem with sewing that back together is that the sun damage has caused the leather to shrink... Might be difficult to get that leather to pull back. I would soak a rag in transmission(fresh) fluid then or it sit on the area where he leather is dry, it will soften it back up a little. I'd let it sit overnight at least.
 
mossbergman said:
Find anything interesting under the rear seat?
Click to expand...
So far I'm up +3 penny's :) Thread...FREE from wife's sewing kit (went with blue).
I'm also concerned about the leather shrinkage. I took all metal framing out of skin to make it easier to bend (things seem to be lining up a little better that way), started with the one that wasn't so bad (for practice) and it turned out pretty good. Getting ready to get on the screwed up one.
Not going for perfect...just trying to close up the gap a little.
 
Handy work isn't that good, I wasn't going for perfect. Leather did shrink a little, it was probably like that for a couple of years. I'll post close up's tomorrow as the son has the car right now.
Next I'm moving to the front passenger seat, no rips or tears just hasn't moved in a long time and the lumbar pumps, but doesn't inflate. If I can't fix it then I didn't lose anything, but at least it will give me a chance to clean it up while it's out. The track is real rusty too.
Hope I don't have to remove the skin, that was NOT a fun job.
 
Transmission fluid makes vinyl/rubber/leather swell up. I rub my seats down with it every few months.
 
DieselDan said:
Transmission fluid makes vinyl/rubber/leather swell up. I rub my seats down with it every few months.
Click to expand...

With trans fluid? And just let it soak it up? Does it leave any residue, or do you go over it again the next day with a dry cloth? Does your car smell like clean transmission? haha
 
Here's the close up's. I wasn't sure about the Tran's fluid thing either, figured it would smell or soak into the stitching. Just brought it into the AC for awhile. Had a heck of a time re-skinning as it seemed a little smaller on top:)

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Thanx all!
Next we move to the passenger seat. It hasn't moved any direction in maybe :confused: 6 years. I think the motor is good as it worked years ago, but slider is real rusty. The Lumbar is pumping but the bladder won't fill.
The fix...Removed seat oiled slider (with PB Blaster) and every moving part. Found a broke'n air line going to Lumbar bladder. Spliced another air line into original line (had line and tie's in my tool box), zip tied both ends to hold it together (because I didn't want to de-skin if possible). You like the red air line?...lol Cleaned under seat and side of console with carpet cleaner while I had it out (also had cleaner). Re-installed seat. Now bottom seat moves up and down in the front and back and also back of seat tilts back and forth but...slider still not sliding, the motor is working because I can see it's trying to move. I don't see a way to take apart slider so I guess it'll have to stay that way. But I was able to move it back about an inch so everyone has a little more leg room.
I guess you can't win them all :D

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Now i feel obligated to fix the back seat in my 95
i was just waiting for one to show up in the jy.
 
You should try Billcu's seat motor rebuild.
 
Transmission fluid has an ingredient that causes rubber to swell slightly to help keep seals soft. Try putting an old rubber bushing in a cup of transmission fluid for a few days, it will swell and get really soft. That's usually why power steering fluid and trans fluid leaks in a car that hit rubber suspension parts usually get soft/split then fall off. Brand new trans fluid doesn't really have a smell. Transmission fluid is also very high in detergents, it will clean the leather a bit too. I rub it in with my bare hands and let it soak in. After a couple days it disappears. I go lighter on the drivers seat but hit it more frequently so it doesn't rub off on my clothes.
 
DieselDan said:
Transmission fluid has an ingredient that causes rubber to swell slightly to help keep seals soft. Try putting an old rubber bushing in a cup of transmission fluid for a few days, it will swell and get really soft. That's usually why power steering fluid and trans fluid leaks in a car that hit rubber suspension parts usually get soft/split then fall off. Brand new trans fluid doesn't really have a smell. Transmission fluid is also very high in detergents, it will clean the leather a bit too. I rub it in with my bare hands and let it soak in. After a couple days it disappears. I go lighter on the drivers seat but hit it more frequently so it doesn't rub off on my clothes.
Click to expand...

Just don't ever ever ever ever get any in the master cylinder. Some of you guys still use service centers, I've seen WAAAAY too many cars that some idiot accidentally topped off the brake fluid with PS fluid. It will destroy a brake system
 
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