C5 Corvette Seat Re-Covering - Just Seat Yourself

This is our original '97-'04... 

   

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This is our original '97-'04 (C5) seat from Project C5X. Looks a little ratty, doesn't it?

Most of us C5 owners have considered updating the interior of our cars in some way at some point, and many of us have done just that. Updating the interior is one of the easiest and most dramatic changes you can make to immediately change the entire look and feel of the car.

There are so many options when it comes to color and design that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Since Mid America Motorworks produces many of its own interior products on-site at its Effingham, Illinois, campus under the Performance Choice brand, the company has made ordering your next interior as painless as possible with its excellent print and online catalogs. With these tools, it's easy to choose exactly what interior components will go well with your particular color combination.

When most C5 owners contemplate re-covering their C5's seats, they usually develop big lumps in their throats almost immediately. Most of us just can't imagine re-covering our own seats, yours truly included. But while it's no easy task, it's not the massive job most would imagine. When it came time to re-cover the seats for Project C5X, we happened to be at the Mid America Funfest and elected to document the procedure step-by-step. Matt Daniels performed the seat re-cover for us, so let's check out how involved this job really was. Jerry Heasley was there, so we got great photography as well. I want to thank Matt Daniels and Nancy Bushur for their help with this article. Let's get to it!

Matt begins by using a small...        read full caption Matt begins by using a small pocket screwdriver to remove the C-type clip from the back of the seatback release handle.	Next, he uses a Phillips screwdriver...        read full caption Next, he uses a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws from the seat-control bezel.	The harness is disconnected...        read full caption The harness is disconnected from the back side of the seat control.
Three hog rings are removed...        read full caption Three hog rings are removed from the seat-bottom tail.	Matt unattaches the Velcro...        read full caption Matt unattaches the Velcro from the seat cover and the seat foam. Make sure you don't tear the Velcro off the seat foam.	Next, he unclips the J-channel...        read full caption Next, he unclips the J-channel located on the bottom of the seatback.
The seatback release bezel...        read full caption The seatback release bezel is removed (note inward facing clips).	Matt removes the six fasteners...        read full caption Matt removes the six fasteners from in between the seat insert and seat bolsters with a specially made tool.	He then unzips the seat insert...        read full caption He then unzips the seat insert from the headrest area.
New fasteners are inserted;...        read full caption New fasteners are inserted; they'll hold the new foam in place.	New foam bolsters are inserted...        read full caption New foam bolsters are inserted over seat-frame bolsters.	It's time to center the new...        read full caption It's time to center the new seatback cover over the new foam.