The Upholstery Forum

Well, here we ago with more foam questions. I have bucket seats for an 83 Cutlass. The metal grid work embedded into the foam for the door side bolster of the drivers seat has broken in many spots. The foam now has fallen in and metal pines out from the foam. Is it acceptable to build new seat foam without the metal grid work? Will it hold up? The last picture is how is should be. Thank you, Jim

Its hard to tell from the picture. Is that rod used for attaching the cover with hog rings? If it is you need to repair or replace the rod.

@John No. it looks to be some sort of internal skeletal grid work of metal that once the foam is molded around it, keeps the bolster from falling in. But after so many years of sliding in and out, the metal has broken allowing the bolster to fall inward. The left bolster, first pic, is suppose to stand proud like the right bolster, last pic.

@John Nothing attaches to those rids. There is a rod in the groove just inside the bolster that the cover was hog ringed to. That rod is in usable condition.

Hmmm I personally have not encounter this issue before. I think that I would probably make an incision in the foam along that bar to get access to it. Then I would cut a section of new edge wire and use baker clips to attach the new edge wire to the old one reconnecting the broken sections and overlapping quite a lot. Then spray contact cement and glue the cut closed. Then glue a piece of muslin or canvas over top of the repair for added strength.

I hope than makes sense!

It does make sense. Thank you very much.