1991Formula350

I am putting on new seat covers for my 3rd gen firebird and can't take off the head rest, it only goes up and down, how do you get it off? I tried twisting and can't figure out how to remove, I cant't put on new covers like that! Please help!!! Andy

okfoz

YOu take a thin piece of sheetmetal that is stout enough not to easily bend and thats about the width of your headrest post. There is a clip, on the front or the back side that you have to release, then pull straight up.

you will need about a 1 x 12 inches of sheetmetal.

Basically I did this, I would raise the headrest all the way up, slide the sheetmetal strip in, then lower the headrest with the sheetmetal. making sure the metal slid WITH the headrest post. Once the headrest was all the way down, you pull up on Just the headrest, try to keep the sheetmetal from sliding up with the headrest post.

Works like a charm, just can't remember if its the front or back you do this to...

Thats how I did mine...

John

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Its the front of the head rest Also, you can use a stronger, felxible piece of plastic too, 1 x 12. I forget where I cut the plastic from, but it worked like a charm, if you have no sheet metal layin around!

okfoz

thanks 88, I forget the details sometimes..

John

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I use a slim jim... works great.

1991Formula350

Thankd a lot!!! I will try again today to take them off. By the way, does anyone have a picture of the bucket seats and rear seat so I can see where the bolts/brackets go back in...t's been about a month since I took them all apart and now need to see a map or something to get them back together, any help please? :lala:

okfoz

Its pretty straight forward, and can only go one way.

There is one bolt or nut I forget, on each side of the rear fold down back seat in the lower rear corners, cant miss them

Then in the front of each of the back seat cushons there is a bolt

The Front seeats there are 4 studs, line up your seats, upt them in. I usually put my chair all the way back then start the front nuts, then move to the back nuts.

the little short trim covers go on the passenger seat, the taller ones go on the driver seat. In the back there are 4 larger brackets I think there the same from the driver to the passenger seat If I remember right

John

1991Formula350

Thanks for your help! This has been a tough job to do! I will be picky as hell whenever anybody gets in the car after all this work. I only layed the raer saets in, not bolted or anything, but it looks great, brand new as if from the G.M> plant. All my plastic moldings are mint, they have been taken great care of since I first got car, so the interior is super new!
I plan on getting everything put in by this weekend and then take a few photos to have some pride in and the work and money I invested in this project. andy:lala:

1991Formula350

uops! I forget to mention, I took the tracks apart too, they are in pieces because you have to take all that stuff off to take off and put on new covers. These are the exact design, trim and thickness from GM, they are not slip on covers like from Kmart, these were ordered from 3rd gen resource, color coded and year and these are the material/fbric that is what is on the seat. People confuse me when I say I'm putting on new seat covers.You know what I am saying, right? Thnaks... Andy:lala:

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

How are the quality of the new seat re-covers anyway? Im probably gonna get a couple sets myself too...

okfoz

If the pattern and such is IDENTICAL to the original, I too will be interested...

I want to do a 100% accurate resto on my 2nd Formula.

thanks

John

1991Formula350

Hello, the seat covers are exactly the same! I couldnt believe it when I first saw them online and when I recieved them I was really surprised. I will take photo's of mine when I get them all on hopefully tomorrow. The material, thickness, padding, it is the same, not a cheap copy. Look for my pics of them tomorrow evening. Andy:lala:

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Well, I guess its time to warm up the good old credit card!

okfoz

Its third Gen resource, i have heard some things about them, Personally I have had an ok relationship, nothing gone wrong...

1A also had those parts, I heard a grand for everything in the interior, carpets, seat covers, Door panels, a new headliner, Floormats, the works for ONLY a grand.

1991Formula350 I have one more question,

Did your car have the seat pockets on the back 7 did your new ones come with it too?

John

1991Formula350

My car is a 1991 Firebird Formula and it has the same bucket style seats as I see in all the others. I don't have a pocket area on the rear of the seat and no, these didn't have that either. I never knew about the pocket on the rear of the bucket.
Yes it was from 3rd gen resource, I bought a few things time to time and haven't had a problem yet! But I must say, guess this is a complaint, the order form said 2-3 weeks for the covers because they are made for each order (ie color, year ) but it took me 6 weeks to get them and have had my car sitting for a month with everything ripped out waiting. I bought my carpet from somebody else, and I still had to cut out the whole console area and the holes foor the bolts to bolt down seats, but it was molded and very good condition. As for the door panels and all, all the rest of the interior is great in mine, but 1000.00 for all ain't bad! I paid 325.00 for my seat cover set including shipping.
Andy

okfoz

My 2nd 87 Formula has the pockets, thats how I knew about them. I did not know they existed till I found out that Formula #2 had the "Deluxe" interior, which came with the seat back pockets, and the Molded plastic door panels.

Thats OK though, I thought I would ask..

thanks man

John

Drew

iTrader: (58)

According to thirdgen resource's website the fabric isn't identical to stock, its a look alike. Several suppliers offer reproduction pallex which is the original material. Personally I'm picky about this kind of thing so I'm dropping the $200-300 on the correct fabric and paying a shop to fab up the seats the way I want them.

1991Formula350

Drew you are correct, BUT trust me, they like and feel the same! I will post the photos once I get them all on and put back in car. I too am picky as hell, my wife doesnt even want to borrow car anymore because I am such an *** to her about being careful, not eating and clean the mats after you drive. They come all done and ready to be put on, I just havent had the time the past few days as this takes time. Andy

okfoz

Eventually someone will make the proper seat covers for our cars. Personally the originals wore out so fast that I would hope the new stuff that is look alike palex might hold up better. Some of the later cars like 90 & so on seemed to get better material than my 87, it looked the same, but did not wear as bad...

Last time I checked, about a year ago, I could not even get the perfect material to match.

John

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I spent about 30 seconds at yahoo.com about 3 months ago and had a list of five suppliers for pallex.

1991Formula350

I think we are making too much a storm over this, if anybody lives near Miami florida you are welcome to come over see my new interior and gasp, or I can send a digital photo when I finish this weekend. andy

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying its not nice, I'm just saying its not 100% correct.

okfoz

I definately want to see some pix, and really do not care if it is NOT exactly the same material. As long as it is indisinguishable from the original.

heck, I am not one to get to over excited about things not being perfectly original.

<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><img border="0" src="http://www.usol.com/~okfoz/images/customInterior1.jpg" width="358" height="240"></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><img border="0" src="http://www.usol.com/~okfoz/images/customInterior2.jpg" width="358" height="240"></p>

I like my not so original seats...

1991Formula350

Send me your email if you want to see the photos of my new interior. I am still having problems taking off head rests', took them off okay but when I put them back on with new material ( put on backwards) I couldn't get them off, so I dont have seat belts connected to headrest in photo so far! Andy

88 WS6 TransAm GTA

iTrader: (1)

Holy crap! okfoz, your interior rocks! How much did it cost ya for all the custom interior aphulstery?

okfoz

$2300, it was suposed to be $2500 but he stole my leather steering wheel from a bonneville, and my leather shifter ***.


oh well...

88 350 tpi formula

iTrader: (9)

okfoz, can you show me a closer pic of the seat belt guide? did those "seats" come with your car I don't mean the leather but, the seat itself? I got a set for my car out of a grandam(yes a grand am) but, I think I need the gta seat belt guides. yours look like the guides from my original seats though. I will only need to switch the tracks and figure how to do the seat belts and thats it. pretty cool and because they came from a grand am the yard sold them dirt cheep.

okfoz

The seat belt guides would probably not work because the way there mounted. if you look at the driver side you should see the little headrest ****, that is where the guide is mounted. The guide is not mounted on the side of the headrest like most of them are...

The seats are actually out of an 87 T/A or GTA, the little pump on the bottom have the date of 1987, thats how I know. The common term is "GTA" seats, but in actuality they were offered in the T/A's for sure. I happen to have a factory pic of a 87 Formula that has the same headrests, but according to most of the literature they were not offered in the Firebird & the Formula.

Go fig...

hope that helps, if your insistant, I can get some pix for you...

John

1991Formula350

Here are my new interior seat covers, what do you think? Pretty good looking my friends say! Andy [U]

okfoz

no pic, does not show...

I got your e-mail though, and they look niiiiice

John

1991Formula350

Thanks! I don't know how to attach the photo on here, any help please! I tried to drag the photo from my wife's computer to the site here and attach, but it wouldn't grab on. I tried a few times, but failed. I would love to attach photos on my messages. Andy

okfoz

You can't drag & drop, If you scroll down when your posting a new reply, just below the "Your reply" and the "Options" sections there is another section called "Attach file", just brouse and attach one that way...

John

1991Formula350

I will try at night when I get my wife's computer, dont have the files on this one at work. Thanks for the help, damn I tried for about 10 minutes to attach those photos, got me angry.
As for the headrest, when I put them back on, they were on the wrong side ( drivers/passenger) and I haven't taken them off again to switch, it's harder now as new cover is on and I don't want to damage. Plus the damn saw I was using, I sanded the side with teeth so it wouldnt cut, but still from forcing that sucker in sliced my fingers, I have to wait for hands to heal some to start again on that! andy

okfoz

If you use the Attach files below, you can only do one per post. If you have some web space and link the pictures, you can do multiple in one post.

John

Jim

I am also interested in these seat covers for my 85 Camaro. I would like to see some before and after photo's if you have them.

Duck

Thanks for posting the reminder about how to remove head rests from the seats, I'd forgotten how to do it while scavanging some decent seat material for a ripped seat.