I have a pretty clean '87 GTA. Spent all its life in CA, so no rust and good paint, mechanical stock and very good, but after 130k miles, the factory "Ultima" sport seats were far beyond rescue. Due to no seat foam being available, restoring them would be extreme expensive here I live as the upholstery shops are big, big $$$ like paint shops. I got some close-to-new leather sports seats in the correct color from a '02 Trans Am and those were a big upgrade.

My question is - I don't have too much space for storing stuff - would it make sense to store the worn out factory installed seats to be able to make the car stock again, or can I take them to the junkyard/give them away to get rid of them?

I know that all-stock-original matters a lot on certain older cars, but what do you think in this case? Just to make it clear - the seats are very rough with holes, wear and disintegrating seat foam.

 

Some day, some where,someone will need those seats for a restoration.If it were me ,I would save them.

 

But, if the foam is deteriorated and falling apart, there is no benefit to saving them, as they will never be used. At some point, we do need to dispose of parts that "can't" be reused. I would hold onto the seat covers so you have a template for new covers if replacement seat foam becomes available. Many aftermarket seat covers don't match the originals very well, so having the old ones as a template may be beneficial. They also shouldn't take up much space.

 

I'd definitely hold on to them. IMO, they're one of the things that makes a GTA a GTA, and the 1993-02 Ultima seats got cheaper and had less features than their 1987-92 counterparts. Hopefully someday someone will make foam and correct covers for them; I also need foam for both my '91 and '02.

Right now, I am not aware of a single part on the entire seat that is available new. This includes the tracks, motors, switches, handles, trim, etc. You literally cannot find ANYTHING for these seats other than incorrect reproduction covers, and all other parts will have to be sourced from used seats until someone starts reproducing stuff. I'd hold on to them for now for that reason alone. If nothing else, you can use them for parts for the ones you just picked up.

 

Lethal interiors can make a new set of covers for those seats.
http://www.lethalinteriors.com/seats.html

I would hold on to them.

 

Keep them, for yourself or someone else.

None of the parts on those seats - or at least VERY FEW, if any - are available as reproduction parts. Anything left in existence at this point in time that is in good/useable condition carries value/worth. You might not want to pay the huge expense of fully restoring them, but someone will, and that someone will need decent "small parts" to accomplish their restoration.

For example...... I need a good vacuum pump and would be interested in that part from your seats if you were willing to sell it. Seat tracks, seat plastics, seat hinges, & all kinds of 'small parts' from these seats are useful to others trying to retain the condition and functionality of their original Ultima seats.

Obviously; you HAVE to think of #1 ( you ) first. But if you have the space to hold them for awhile, at least make the seats or decent parts from it parts available to others before simply dumping them for trash.

 

You just need some foam & an electric carving knife. Possibly a drywall scrapper & you can build your own foam

 

http://www.usafoam.com/

 

Are these the seats we are discussing, Johnson/Hoover AQ9?

 

I used usafoam for my seats. Not in a 3rd gen, but in my 96 Bronco. Then ordered the perfed covers and assembled them. Carving knife, spray adheisive, and a lot of patience!!!

 

Very Nice

 

Nice Bob...love a Bronco.

 

Okay, I'll keep them!

I don't have the patience to do a rebuild myself without it looking like crap. The nitty-gritty detail work just isn't my strong side when I totally lack patience - that's why I don't do any bodywork myself either. I'll stick to mechanical parts, that's more for me.

 

Seats foam vs bodywork is like a facial vs neurosurgery.. You can do the seat foam easy enough. Bodywork can take years & years to.perfect. The new seat material will hide a lot but just have to make sure it's built up enough, but not too much (more is better though than not enough)

 

Just saying, I would LOVE to find a pair of red AQ9s for my truck.