Our project Z/28's interior was a mess. When we purchased the car, the interior looked like a remnant from one of those movie cars that has had its insides blown out by a terrorist bomb. In reality, our 1969 Camaro interior was a terror: the seat covers were ripped and torn, the carpet was faded and shredded, and the door panels were all of the above. But from the bright side, we were lucky - all the correct parts were in their correct places. At least no one had replaced the original 1969 seats with high backs from a 1973 Camaro.
Above: New window felt is recommended for the doors and the rear quarter trim panels.
In our opinion, reupholstering an interior is one of the most satisfying aspects of restoring an older automobile, mainly because you see the fruits of your labor in a relatively short amount of time. Take an old, nasty seat, rip off the grubby upholstery, clamp on the new upholstery and - whammo! -you've got a brand new seat. When you see that much progress that quick, it's easy to get fired up about a restoration. Where's that other seat?
When we gutted the interior back during the disassembly phase, we surveyed the damage and ordered new parts when possible. Fortunately, the Camaro's surging popularity has created an abundance of reproduction activity, which includes seat upholstery and door panels.
Above: The front bucket seats in our project Z/28 Camaro had seen some rough treatment in the past. Upholstery replacement was a matter of removing the old, tattered covers and reinstalling the new.
To reupholster a Camaro interior, you'll need the basic assortment of hand tools, plus hog rings, good hog ring pliers (don't even bother with the pot metal kind, they break too easily), a drill, pop rivets and pop rivet gun, a grinder, and spray glue. You'll probably need a strip of 1/8-inch foam for the door panels, too, if you're redoing the standard interior.
While seat reupholstering is basically straightforward, refurbishing the standard door panels falls into the tricky category. The new cardboard section comes already covered, but the top metal section must be retrieved from the old door panel, riveted to the new panel, and covered with overlapping vinyl material. It's not an overly difficult procedure as you'll see in the photos, but it does require additional time and effort.
Above: Our old driver's side door panel looked like a junk yard reject. The lower cardboard section can be discarded, but the metal piece along the top must be used on the new panel.
Above: 1) To reupholster the front bucket seats, first you must separate the seat cushion from the seat back. A small clip secures the plastic hinge covers, which must be removed before you can separate the seat halves. Use a windshield molding tool to pop the clips out. Be careful; the clips break easily. 2) Unfasten the seat back retaining cord on the driver's seat cushion. The screw will probably be tight, so be prepared to use some muscle.
Above: 3) With needle-nose pliers, remove the C-clips from the hinge studs, one on each side of the seat cushion. 4) Separate the seat back from the seat cushion. Set the seat back aside for upholstering later.
Above: 5) Remove the rubber bumpers from the rear of the seat cushion. 6) Flip the seat cushion over and remove the seat tracks. For later reference, you may want to draw a diagram of how the springs attach.
Above: 7) Using pliers or snips, pull out or cut the hog rings that secure the seat cover edges to the seat springs. 8) At the sides, the seat covers are secured to the seat frame by a plastic strip. Pry the strip away from the seat frame.
Above: 9) Grab the seat cover by the edges and peel the vinyl over the seat frame. A second set of hog rings must be pulled out of the seat center. 10) Spread the seat foam to gain access to the hog rings that secure the covers to the center of the seat. With snips, pull out the hog rings, then discard the old seat upholstery.
Above: 11) If the seat foam is damaged, it can be removed from the springs and discarded. New seat foam is available from Camaro parts vendors. 12) To install the new seat upholstery, first install welt in the new cover.
Above: 13) Position the cover onto the center of the seat and secure with new hog rings. 14) Pull the cover over the seat frame.
Above: 15) Fasten the plastic strips to the seat frame sides. 16) When the seat is positioned properly, pull the vinyl edges tight and secure to the front of the frame with hog rings.
Above: 17) Pull the remaining vinyl over and attach to the springs, per original. 18) Moving to the seat back, remove the plastic seat back cover and pull out the seat cover hog rings.
Above: 19) New back welt covers must also be installed into the new seat covers. 20) Position the seat back covers onto the seat back frame and secure at the center, then pull the cover edges over the seat back frame and clamp with hog rings. Reinstall the plastic seat back cover.
Above: 21) To mount the various bumpers, screws, and headrest brackets, locate the frame holes with your finger and slit the vinyl with a sharp razor. 22) Then mount the seat items and reattach the seat back to the seat cushion.
Above: 23) Freshly covered Camaro bucket seats ready for installation. The headrests were refurbished with black vinyl paint. Repeat the seat upholstery installation on the rear seat, if needed. 24) Moving to the standard door panels, first use a flathead screwdriver to remove the Camaro emblem.
Above: 25) After straightening the metal retaining tabs on the back of the door panel, pull up the chrome door panel trim. 26) Pry up the tabs that secure the lock knob bezel to the panel, and remove the bezel.
Above: 27) Cut the vinyl door panel covering along the chrome trim line, peel it back over the top metal section, and straighten the metal tabs that attach the metal section to the lower cardboard panel. Then pull off the metal section and discard the old cardboard and vinyl. 28) To remove the remaining vinyl from the metal, use a small flat-headed screwdriver to pry open the small staples.
Above: 29) Then peel the vinyl away from the metal. 30) Before installing the original metal section to the new door panel cardboard, use a grinder to remove the retaining tabs. They won't be needed for the installation.
Above: 31) To position the metal section on the new panel, align the trio of holes with the slots in the cardboard. 32) Secure the two sections in place with vise grips attached at each end.
Above: 33) The new panel does not include the holes needed to rivet the two panels together, so fabricate a drill bit that can punch through the cardboard and vinyl without tearing the material. The "bit" is actually a two-inch section of 3/16-inch o.d. brake line with a sharpened tip. 34) Using the holes in the metal section as a template, punch holes in the new cardboard panel.
Above: 35) Then rivet the old metal section to the new cardboard panel. 36) The new door panels come with enough vinyl material to cover the top section of the panel.
Above: 37) If you can't reuse the old foam padding, locate a piece of 1/8-inch foam, trim to size, and install with spray glue (available from interior trim shops).
Above: 38) Apply spray glue to the vinyl and stretch it over the metal section of the door panel. 39) A generous amount of glue on the backside will help keep the vinyl in place.
Above: 40) The new panels lack the chrome trim mounting holes, so mark the trim tab locations using the original trim as a guide. The original trim can be cleaned with fine steel wool prior to installation. 41) Using the previously fabricated "brake line" drill bit, drill the chrome trim mounting holes.
Above: 42) Install the chrome trim... 43) ...and secure by bending the metal retaining tabs.
Above: 44) Install the door lock knob bezels. 45) Install new, or reconditioned original, Camaro door panel emblems.
Above: 46) Our new panels ready for installation. Notice that we cut the door and window handle holes. 47) Repeat the door panel recovering procedure with the rear panels. Be sure to come back very soon to the Classic Industries news and media site, as we'll be immersed in Chapter 8 - Restoring The Interior of the 1969 Camaro Z/28!
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Learn More About Camaro History
Would you like to read more about GM's Camaro? Check out our previous articles below:
- Camaro History - More than 50 Years of Iconic Design
- 1967-2002 Camaro Production Numbers: First-Gen to Fourth-Gen
- DIY: How to Replace Camaro / Firebird Window Felts
- 1970-1981 2nd Gen Camaro - A European/American Styling Tour de Force
- Videos: Restoration v Restomod: Battling for the 1967-1981 Camaro’s Soul
- Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Restoring a 1967–1969 Camaro
