Seat Upholstery Q&A

[Shaggyracer]

Hi everyone! Does anybody know how to install the buttons in the upholstery for a 1974 Dodge Charger?

 

[1967coronet]

Hi everyone! Does anybody know how to install the buttons in the upholstery for a 1974 Dodge Charger?

View attachment 1787788

Lifted this off a Chevelle sight. Sounds pretty legit.

#2 · Jun 24, 2004
First of all the buttons are must be installed before the seat covers are installed over the frames. The seat covers should be marked on the back for location of the buttons. If not, a few measurements taken from the old covers will work. Make at vertical incision where the buttons will be installed. This incision should be as small as possible and still allow the metal tangs on the back of the buttons to pass through. Pull the tangs through and slip the backing plate over the tangs. Squeeze the button and backing plate together to give the desired amount of "depression" into the padding of the seat cover, and spread the tangs apart so that they lay flat against the back of the covers. A few tips... You can apply a small piece of cloth tape over the folded out tangs, but really, they will not go anywhere once the seat cover is properly stretched and anchored. Also, when making the incision in the covers, try not to cut the stitching in the seat seams. Make your cut to one side or the other, just enough to miss the stitching, but not enough to move the button noticably off the centerline of the seam. If you're really concerned about the incision ripping later on, I suppose you could punch a very small hole using a leather punch. A round hole is much less likely to tear than a straight cut would be. However, given that the vinyl covers are fabric backed/reinforced, I'm not worried about the cuts growing over time.
Hope this helps.

 

[Shaggyracer]

Lifted this off a Chevelle sight. Sounds pretty legit.

#2 · Jun 24, 2004
First of all the buttons are must be installed before the seat covers are installed over the frames. The seat covers should be marked on the back for location of the buttons. If not, a few measurements taken from the old covers will work. Make at vertical incision where the buttons will be installed. This incision should be as small as possible and still allow the metal tangs on the back of the buttons to pass through. Pull the tangs through and slip the backing plate over the tangs. Squeeze the button and backing plate together to give the desired amount of "depression" into the padding of the seat cover, and spread the tangs apart so that they lay flat against the back of the covers. A few tips... You can apply a small piece of cloth tape over the folded out tangs, but really, they will not go anywhere once the seat cover is properly stretched and anchored. Also, when making the incision in the covers, try not to cut the stitching in the seat seams. Make your cut to one side or the other, just enough to miss the stitching, but not enough to move the button noticably off the centerline of the seam. If you're really concerned about the incision ripping later on, I suppose you could punch a very small hole using a leather punch. A round hole is much less likely to tear than a straight cut would be. However, given that the vinyl covers are fabric backed/reinforced, I'm not worried about the cuts growing over time.
Hope this helps.

Thank you so much! That does help!