73 Charger SE Front Bucket Foam Replacement - HELP!

[garyinmich]

I am replacing the Front Bucket Seat Foam on my 73 Charger SE and need help regarding the Buttons (on the Back and Seat). How do they attach to the listing wires? The original owner had replaced the covers (Legendary) and hog ringed a piece of material to the listing wire and attached the buttons to this material with the long metal strips on the button back. I have searched quite a few videos with no luck regarding buttons. Any help is appreciated!

 

[T2R9]

Does the new foam have the wires molded in like the originals? If not you will need to add wire to the back of the foam to attach them to.

 

[T2R9]

To clarify what needs to be done. The first pic is the rods that go onto the backside of the new covers in the cloth loops under the buttons. They then slip into the channels of the foam and hog rings attach them to the wire molded into the foam. Always do the horizontal one first on the upper then the two verticals.

 

[garyinmich]

Does the new foam have the wires molded in like the originals? If not you will need to add wire to the back of the foam to attach them to.

The listing wires are molded in the new foam.

 

[T2R9]

The listing wires are molded in the new foam.

So you have to push the rod down into the slot and wrap a hog ring around the listing wire and grab the rod with it and crimp. Always do these first before any other hog rings. Yeah it’s tough on the fingers!

 

[T2R9]

Another note it helps to do these before installing the foam on the frames.

 

[garyinmich]

The listing wires are molded in the new foam.

So you have to push the rod down into the slot and wrap a hog ring around the listing wire and grab the rod with it and crimp. Always do these first before any other hog rings. Yeah it’s tough on the fingers!

Here is a couple of pics. There are no rod pockets!

 

[T2R9]

Here is a couple of pics. There are no rod pockets!View attachment 1453518View attachment 1453519

PUI? There is no way to attach them without the pockets. Might be able to make something. I will get a pic of them on the set I have for my 74 later today. Mine are Ledgendary covers that have the pockets.

 

[YY1]

The Legendary covers I installed that were the same pattern/style had different mounting for the buttons.

The OEM buttons had pins were simply pushed through the covers into a metal shallow pyramid retainer.

The Legendary covers had the buttons already attached via what appeared to be leather or nylon string type things.

EDIT- yes they looked like post 7.

I just spread them out and installed without doing anything else.

They've be in for about 8 years with no issues.

Again, the OEM buttons were not attached to the listing wires either.

 

[T2R9]

The buttons themselves are not attached to the listing wire but the strip behind the buttons is via a pocket with rods that pulls the buttons down into the slot which shapes the seat. Both the last two I took apart have been like this. I have not taken my 74's off yet, maybe they discontinued that in 73??? Now I need to pull a seat apart this afternoon.

 

[T2R9]

Now that I think about it, the above covers are 73 and they had the pockets.

 

[YY1]

The ones I recovered were '74.

Maybe they changed them because it sounds like a royal PITA to do.

 

[T2R9]

I am taking my 74 seats apart this afternoon cause now I am curious. Yes it is a royal PITA!

 

[YY1]

You know...I may need to disqualify myself as I paid someone to do the backs.

...because they were a PITA.

The only "tip" I got was- start with the covers "inside out".

 

[garyinmich]

PUI? There is no way to attach them without the pockets. Might be able to make something. I will get a pic of them on the set I have for my 74 later today. Mine are Ledgendary covers that have the pockets.

These are Legendary but no pockets. Thanks for the help.

 

[T2R9]

Here is my 74 Legendary covers. The one under the head rest is sewn into the seam and the ones for the buttons are heavy vinyl with a half moon cut out and held in by the button retainers.

 

[T2R9]

Here on my Drivers seat you can see the pocket for the buttons still in place in the slot connected to the listing wire.

Did you get those direct from Legendary? I would be asking questions. Even the retainers for the buttons are missing. Almost like the pocket was removed. Is the one under the head rest there?

 

[garyinmich]

Now that I think about it, the above covers are 73 and they had the pockets.

Here is what was there when disassembled. The cloth strips have wires in them attached to the molded listing wires with hog rings. The buttons metal tabs were stuck through the material then folded flat. Maybe I should just reuse these strips.

 

[T2R9]

Yes you need those rods in there for the new covers. You can try and attach that material to the new covers, you will need some sort of retainer though as there is quite a bit of stretch down in towards the listing wire. Any cover I have purchased from Legendary already had them preinstalled.

Good luck.

 

[garyinmich]

Thanks for all the help. I'll let you know how it turns out. The covers do have Legendary tags, but they are probably 10 years old. I bought the car about a year and a half ago from the original owner who "started to restore it" then got tired of paying and paying. Anyway Thanks Again!