Bucket Seat Rebuild or Replace?

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r67northern

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Hi Everyone,

My '88 has a worn out bucket seat (drivers side) and I'm not sure the best approach to take on this.

I prefer the '89-91 style suburban buckets vs. the earlier ones:
http://r.ebay.com/jUBfke

But I could also try a rebuild of what I've already got, I've never tried to rebuild anything like this. How much skill is required? Where can parts like foam and springs and new covers be found? I've found a few sources for bench seats rebuilds but not the buckets.

any help is much appreciated.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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LMC Truck has it.
 

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1987 GMC Jimmy

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This seat foam looks really close. I couldn't find the exact one.
 

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r67northern

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This seat foam looks really close. I couldn't find the exact one.

That does look close, nice find. I inspected underneath the seat, the springs are in good shape so it is the foam that is collapsed. That plus covers could do it.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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I didn't even think about the armrests... Both seats are the same shape, but the Suburban has the armrests, and the Blazer doesn't. Also, the Blazer rear bench seat is the same as the Suburban third row seat, but I completely overlooked the middle seat. I'm sorry, man. I didn't think about the differences on your rig versus mine.
 

r67northern

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I didn't even think about the armrests... Both seats are the same shape, but the Suburban has the armrests, and the Blazer doesn't. Also, the Blazer rear bench seat is the same as the Suburban third row seat, but I completely overlooked the middle seat. I'm sorry, man. I didn't think about the differences on your rig versus mine.

No problem - I'll do some more digging - the cushion part would be a good fit at least. If I were brave I could order the blazer set and punch a couple of holes in it for armrest access.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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Yeah, I thought about that. I found this one for all three rows of seats, and it's in the velour pattern that you like. Plus, you have that front seat foam. How's the foam on the other two rows?
 

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r67northern

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Yeah, I thought about that. I found this one for all three rows of seats, and it's in the velour pattern that you like. Plus, you have that front seat foam. How's the foam on the other two rows?

Unfortunately ... everything except the captains chairs are doing great. I checked these out at Stock Interiors just now and they said the ship only as a set. I might go the route of covers for the seats after getting the padding taken care of and putting the old covers back on.

http://www.greatcovers.com/1989-chevrolet-suburban-automotive-velour-seat-cover.html

Dunno, still thinking this through. I'm also assuming you can reuse the old covers once the hog rings are cut out.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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I'm sure you can reuse them. At least your other seats are still good. I think you have plenty of options regardless of what you do. I know my seats had some small tears in them so I bought a sewing kit from Walgreens, and my girlfriend sewed them back together, and they look good. By the way, what part of Louisiana do you live in? I'm an undergraduate at Tulane so I'm in the same state.
 

r67northern

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I'm sure you can reuse them. At least your other seats are still good. I think you have plenty of options regardless of what you do. I know my seats had some small tears in them so I bought a sewing kit from Walgreens, and my girlfriend sewed them back together, and they look good. By the way, what part of Louisiana do you live in? I'm an undergraduate at Tulane so I'm in the same state.

I think I'll be better at sewing and hog ringing by the time this is done for sure. I'm actually up in Ruston, I teach mechanical engineering up here at LA Tech. Any posts with pics of your blazer? I'd like to see the other Louisiana square.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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This is mine, and it's in Mississippi about two and a half hours from you.
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14943
 

The88

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Rebuilding seats are pretty easy and def cost efficient.
 

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