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Anyone make seat foam for our cars

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Old Apr 14, 2006 | 08:54 AM
  #1  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Anyone make seat foam for our cars

I'm going to be redoing my interior in the near future and would like to replace the foam for my seats. Does anyone make the correct shape foam for them at this point in time?
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Old Apr 14, 2006 | 12:20 PM
  #2  
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Not that I know of.

Go to a junkyard. They're fun to play in, too. You'll find a lot of seats that, when you remove the old seat covers, have foundations that are still in very good condition. And whole seats go for like $20-$30... a lot less than new ones would cost.

Just don't use them for awhile after you get them. Let them sit in your garage for a few months to air-out that wonderful aroma that ANYTHING from a junkyard seems to come with, lol.
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Old May 5, 2006 | 09:59 AM
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Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Bringing this back from the dead as I will be recovering my seats next week. Does anyone carry seat foam for our cars?
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Old May 5, 2006 | 10:22 AM
  #4  
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From: Readsboro, VT
Car: 85 IROC-Z / 88 GTA
Engine: 403 LSx (Pending) / 355 Tuned Port
Transmission: T56 Magnum (Pending) / T5
Axle/Gears: 3.42 / ?
still the same answer.
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Old May 5, 2006 | 12:06 PM
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xpndbl3's Avatar
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From: Orland Park, IL
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: SLOW carbed ls
Transmission: TH400 with brake, 8" PTC converter
Axle/Gears: moser 9" 4.11
you could always cut out the bad and add new, i would imagine a craft store would sell blocks of foam, around us there's a chain called "michael's craft stores" and "jo-ann fabric" to name two of them.
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Old May 5, 2006 | 12:21 PM
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Red90IROC's Avatar
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From: Commerce MI
Car: 1991 Trans Am
Engine: 5L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Go to a junkyard. They're fun to play in, too. You'll find a lot of seats that, when you remove the old seat covers, have foundations that are still in very good condition. And whole seats go for like $20-$30... a lot less than new ones would cost.
I got some from Hawks 3rd gen, when I had my 90 IROC and re-did the interior. A couple weren't too bad, and were a definite upgrade over the ratted out original ones in my car. You just have to ignore the covers when peeling them off

Just don't use them for awhile after you get them. Let them sit in your garage for a few months to air-out that wonderful aroma that ANYTHING from a junkyard seems to come with,
After skinning my junk yard dog foam buns, I shot them with Simple Green, massaged it into the foam, then rinsed repeatedly. After a few days in hot summer sun, all the foul smells were gone.

you could always cut out the bad and add new, i would imagine a craft store would sell blocks of foam, around us there's a chain called "michael's craft stores" and "jo-ann fabric" to name two of them.
This is another approach that could be taken. If you have an electric meat knife, it's a great tool for cutting soft foam into a compound-curved shape BTW.
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Old May 5, 2006 | 12:33 PM
  #7  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Well my seats aren't that worn out so my old foam is probably my best bet then
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Old May 5, 2006 | 01:29 PM
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I found a place that sells upholstery supplies, including blocks of foam. I would guess you would need to figure out a clean way to cut it, but......and plus they sell lots of other really cool stuff.

looks very promising:

Upholstery Foam & Padding
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Old May 5, 2006 | 09:37 PM
  #9  
Al Hasse's Avatar
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From: Bremerton, WA
Car: 1992 RS / 1989 RS
Engine: 3.1L MFI / Vortec 383 TBI
Transmission: T5 / LS-T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42 open / 3.73 Eaton posi
When I had mine re-upholstered, the place that did the job also did the foam on the seats, he also used 4" strapping between the springs and foam to keep the springs from cutting into the foam. Anyplace that does upholstery should also have the foam padding.
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Old May 6, 2006 | 03:45 PM
  #10  
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From: Miami
Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: L03
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Stock
You're either going to have to hit the junkyard or have some custom made.
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Old May 9, 2006 | 04:43 PM
  #11  
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From: League City, TX
Car: 90 Formula -- tot resto in progress
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700R4 w/ 2500 stall, by Owen @ ARD
Axle/Gears: 3.23 posi disc
I'm in the middle of re-upholstering some seats for my 90 Formula.
Quit an interesting tale, most of which you would probably find very tedious.

As for a supplier, try Classic Industries. They carry a decent line of seat-bun
foams, and replacement covers. Take my word on this -- seat-bun foams are
MUCH denser than sheets of material that you start cutting with an electic
knife, and usually have the built in wire support frame. Cutting "patches" for
these is the low-budget response, that will last like most low-budget fixes.

The products I got from CI required some minor alteration to fit the base
properly, but will be good, long-lasting seats.

Good luck,
kk
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Old May 9, 2006 | 06:11 PM
  #12  
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From: North Carolina
Car: 1984 TRANS AM AERO (PAINT SO DEEP
Engine: 305 CARBED
Transmission: 700 R-4/Vette Servo mod
Cutting "patches" for
these is the low-budget response, that will last like most low-budget fixes.
Actually, you're wrong.
I will be doing a tech article on this in the near future. Most of the replies on this have been on the mark. My upholsterer rebuilds foam for classic cars, motor home, and home use. He showed me the secret, I did it on mine @ two years ago. Just as strong and probably more sturdy than factory.
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Old May 9, 2006 | 10:13 PM
  #13  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Originally Posted by KEVIN G.
Actually, you're wrong.
I will be doing a tech article on this in the near future. Most of the replies on this have been on the mark. My upholsterer rebuilds foam for classic cars, motor home, and home use. He showed me the secret, I did it on mine @ two years ago. Just as strong and probably more sturdy than factory.

You want to share that secret with those of use who will be doing their seats in the next week or two?
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Old May 10, 2006 | 08:57 PM
  #14  
KEVIN G.'s Avatar
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From: North Carolina
Car: 1984 TRANS AM AERO (PAINT SO DEEP
Engine: 305 CARBED
Transmission: 700 R-4/Vette Servo mod
I actually had a quick outline https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...our-seats.html But I intend to do a step by step with photos when i get the time.
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Old May 10, 2006 | 11:08 PM
  #15  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Very good idea with the grinder. Thanks.
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Old May 11, 2006 | 09:12 AM
  #16  
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Car: 92 Firebird
Engine: 4.8 LR4
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
If you have GTA seats the seat foam is still available through GM VIA 4th gen TA seat foam, I looked into it, can get the top and bottom foam for about $120 a side.
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Old May 19, 2006 | 05:22 PM
  #17  
gta88 flamered's Avatar
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From: Germany
Car: GTA 89
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: TH700
scooter,

do you have the part no's for the foam at hand?

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Old May 26, 2006 | 10:59 AM
  #18  
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Car: 92 Firebird
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Axle/Gears: 3.45 9 Bolt
There are several different RPO codes for the foam and I am not sure of any but the AQ9 which is basically what the GTA seats were. These are the front seats as follows:

16739035 Pad D/Seat Back Cushion AQ9
16739034 Pad P/Seat Back Cushion AQ9

Looks like all the bottom cushions have the same part number

16794382
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