Reupholster Your Seats

There are five basic steps to reupholstering your pony's seats: removing, stripping, preparing, recovering and installing. Here is a list of tools and supplies you will need.

1. Phillips screwdriver
2. Straight screwdriver (long or heavy-duty)
3. 3/8" drive socket set
4. 1/2" deep well socket
5. Pair of diagonal side cutters
6. Pair of hog-ring pliers
7. Pair of shears
8. 1/2 pound of hog rings (more than enough)

Before you begin on your Mustang please remember to disconnect your battery, so you will not run your battery down with the interior lights on. Also, always use jack stands while working under the car.

Step 1: Removing
Front Seat
All coupe, convertible and fastback models are identical for front seat removal. Jack up the car on one side and install jack stands. Directly under the front bucket seat are four rubber plugs: remove these using your straight screwdriver. Next, use a 1/2" deep well socket with a 4" or 5" extension to remove the four nuts holding the buckets seat in place. **Repeat this procedure for the opposite side.
Lift out both front seats. Take out the slotted plates that sit on top of the carpet to keep the track from catching the carpet while the seats move forward and backwards. These should be cleaned and painted.
Lower the car and remove the back seat;
Coupe and Convertible Rear Cushion:
Push back on the front of the rear cushion, lifting at the same time until you clear the safety catch holding the rear seat in place. Next, pull the rear seat out towards the front of the car.
Coupe and Convertible Rear Backrest:
Use a 3/8" socket with a medium-to-long extension to remove the two bolts at the bottom of the rear backrest. Gently lift the backrest about 2" until it clears and catches at the top. Then pull the backrest forward. **Be careful so that you do not damage your headlining while raising the backrest.**
Fastback Rear Backrest:
Reach under the metal frame holding the backrest in place and locate the two Phillips screws in the bottom edge of the frame. Remove the two screws and pull the bottom of the backrest out until the two metal tabs are clear. Lift the backrest until the two clamps on the frame are free of the spring unit. Remove the backrest from the car.

Step 2: Stripping Buckets
Place the two front bucket seats on a table or work bench. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the three screws holding the chrome moldings to the side of the side of the front rest. Next, remove the one screw holding the plastic trim piece on the opposite side. Remove the two retaining clips holding the backrest to the cushion. Using a large or heavy duty screwdriver, pry the outside arm off the pin and slide the inside arm off the opposite pin. While doing this note the difference between the driver's cushion and the backrest and the passengers cushion and the backrest.
Lay both cushions face down and remove the spring that pulls the seat forward on the track. Slide both tracks forward and remove the rear Phillips screw holding the seat to the bottom of the seat base. Slide the tracks to the rear and remove the two front Phillips screws. Next, remove the seat adjusting mechanism and the tracks from the bottom of the seat. **Tracks are interchangeable on driver's to passenger side except on the 1964 1/2 passenger seat which does not move forward or backward.
Now is a good time to clean, repaint and re-grease the tracks; also paint the adjustment mechanism and spring semi-gloss black.
Front Bucket Cushions:
Turn the two front seat cushions face up and remove the two Phillips screws holding a plastic stop at the two rear outside corners of each cushion. After you remove each plastic stop, replace both screws so you can locate them after the new cover is installed. Turn the cushion face down and use your diagonal side cutters to cut the hog-rings loose that holds the seat cover to the frame. Pull out the wire and be sure to save it. Roll the rear corner up over the frame, then roll the sides and front over the foam and frame.
Turn the seat cushion over. If your car is a 1965, 1966, 1968 or 1969 w/ standard upholstery, it will have the horseshoe insert on the cushion. If your car has a pony interior or is a 1967 model it will have two vertical listings and one horizontal listing. The 1969 deluxe and the 1970 standard models have two vertical listings. All the 1968 and 1969 standard seats are identical. All the inserts are held down with hog-rings.
Repeat for the opposite seat.
Front Bucket Backrests:
Lay the two front backrests face down on a work table. Using a straight screwdriver, locate the clips holding the backboard in place and remove the backboards from the backrests. Alongside the longer arm you will see a chrome-plated, 1/2" bolt with a chrome-plated washer and nut. This bolt adjusts the height of the front backrest and sits on the plastic stop that was held to the front cushion with the Phillips screw. Loosen the nut and remove the bolt. Cut the hog-rings loose around the back edge of the front backrest. Roll the cover back over the foam and you'll see the insert held in place with the listing and the hog-rings. Cut the hog-rings loose and remove the cover from the front backrests. If your car is a 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 or 1969 with standard interior, it will have the horseshoe insert on the front backrests. The 1969 standard and deluxe front backrests had removable headrests; the MACH 1 was the first model to offer highback seats. All the 1970 models came with the highbacks.
Front Bench Seats:
If you are re-covering a bench seat you will notice an extra interior listing on the side section under the center armrest. This must also be cut loose.
Other than the inside listing under the center armrest, the front bench cushion is identical to all other front cushions. And the only difference between the front rests is that the bucket front rest has two metal arms to attach it to the seat and the bench front rest has one metal arm on the outside and one metal pin on the inside that fits into the armrest mechanism.
Rear Backrest:
Lay the rear backrest face down, cut all the hog-rings loose, remove the wire and pull the material over the two top corners. Turn the backrest over and remove the cover from the pad. Again save the wires.
This procedure is the same on all 1964 1/2 through 1970 models.

Step 3: Preparing
This would be a prime time to remove the old seat foam and replace it, you should also clean and paint the seat frames.

Step 4: Re-covering
Recovering your seats will be easiest if the weather is warm and the cushions are at minimum room temperature.
Rear Backrests:
Insert the wires and place the cover on top of the padding. One at a time, roll the upper corners over the seat frame. Next, roll the two lower corners over the frame and turn the brackets face down. Check to see if the French seams are lined up with the upper corners of the frame.
Starting at the center at the top, hog-ring the upholstery in place. Next, go to the bottom, start in the center and work your way out, in each direction. Hog-ring the bottom. Finish off both sides and this cover is complete.
Rear Cushion:
Insert wires, don't forget the two wires on either side of the hump. Lay the cover on the top of the padding and position the two front corners in place. Next, raise one side and hog-ring the listing on that side of the hump. Lay this side back in place and raise the other side and hog-ring it. Hog-ring the front edge of the cushion first, then the rear section of the cushion in place and finish both sides. Turn the rear cushion over and it is complete.
Front Cushion:
First, insert all wires and lay the cover on top of the padding and seat frame. Holding the horseshoe insert in place, raise the front edge of the cover and hog-ring the center of the listing to the listing hold-down. Work from side to side of the center and go around the horseshoe until the insert is fastened in place. On the 1967 or a pony interior, hog-ring the horizontal listing in place first, then hog-ring the vertical listing on each side. On models with vertical pleats only, hog-ring the center listings first and work toward the outside.
Roll the two front corners over the padding. Next, roll the rear two corners over the padding and turn the cushion face down. Pull the material over the frame and hog-ring the front in place. Hog-ring the rear portion of the cushion, then hog-ring the two sides last. Cut around the pins that hold the backrest in place.
Locate the four holes that hold the track in place and cut a hole just big enough so the material doesn't get caught in the threads. Place the track in position and be sure to put the release mechanism into place. Move both tracks forward and install the rear screw in place; slide the track back and install the front screws. Be sure all four screws are tightened. Check the seat adjusting mechanism so that both tracks move back and front, and still lock in place. Install the springs that slide the tracks back.
Front Backrests:
Place the old wire/wires into the new listing on the front backrest cover. Position the cover on the padding. Now attach using your hog-rings.
Roll the top corners into position and pull the cover completely over the frame; then pull the cover over and roll the lower corners over. Turn the front backrest over so it is face down. Hog-ring the flap only, at the bottom center, go to the top of the cover and start at the center top. As you work your way around pull the corners down to eliminate any wrinkles in the side facing.
After the corners are completely hog-ringed, locate the hole next to the outside arm that holds the 1/2" chrome washer and lock nut. Cut the material away from the hole, screw the nut halfway onto the bolt, place the chrome washer onto the bolt and install the bolt. Don't tighten completely adjustments will need to be made once the seat is installed.
Remove the clips from the old panel and transfer the clips over to the new panel, in the same position. Locate the holes on the back of the seat frame, cut the material away from the holes and snap the cover in place.

Step 5 Installing:
Place the protective washer on the pin, then slide the shorter arm over the pin. Do the same for the opposite pin. Pry the outside arm over the pin. Insert the two hairpin clips into the pins so that neither arm can come off.
Place the plastic cover over the inside arm and screw in place. Then put the chrome outside arm cover in place and make sure to use the plastic spacers so as not to bend the chrome trim, screw into place. Double check to make sure, you have used the blunt end Phillips screw at the lower end of the arm.
To install the seats into the car just reverse the way you took them out. Start with the rear backrests and move on.