My 1970 XR-7 convertible has been in the shop for four years but will be hopefully out soon.
I’d get new seat covers if they were available in XR-7 leather, but apparently not.
What’s the remedy for worn/torn XR-7 seats?
If you are willing and able to spend the money a good upholstery shop can make you new covers.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
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If you want to stay with leather, Randy’s suggestion is the way to go. It’s helpful that you have intact originals for the shop to use as patterns! I am on the fence deciding whether to go with vinyl replacements from SMS or custom leather from the upholstery shop. My original seats are in a little better shape than yours, but the foam cushions are shedding foam all over the place. With the top down, foam fragments blow everywhere and get in my eyes. Its time to do something…
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Thanks. I asked Chat GPT about this.
My 1970 Cougar XR-7 convertible has worn leather seats. Reproduction skins for my seat in leather are not commercially available. Can custom upholstery shops reproduce this seat surface?
Yes, custom upholstery shops can reproduce the leather seat surface of your 1970 Cougar XR-7 convertible, even if reproduction seat skins aren’t commercially available. Skilled upholsterers routinely handle vintage and classic car interiors by:
- Matching leather texture, grain, and color to your original seats.
- Duplicating the original stitching patterns, pleats, piping, and other design details.
- Using high-quality automotive leather and materials that closely mimic the original specifications.
To achieve the best outcome:
- Find a reputable shop: Seek referrals from classic car clubs, forums, or enthusiast communities specializing in vintage and classic cars.
- Discuss authenticity: Provide clear photos (such as the one you uploaded), and ideally bring the vehicle or seats to the shop for precise measurements and matching.
- Materials selection: Upholsterers can usually source period-correct leather or custom-dye hides to match original colors and textures closely.
This custom approach typically yields excellent results, restoring your seats to near-original appearance and preserving the value of your classic vehicle.
So, what’s the “reputable shop” I should seek out? Any ideas in Northern California?
I have no idea what shops may be in your area as I am on the east coast. However all you need to do is to follow the advice that chat already gave you. Check out the local clubs. There had been a northern California Cougar club at one time, they may still be around. You can check on the CCOA website as they have a listing of all known regional clubs. You could also check to see if the MCA has a chapter near you. Then attend some local car shows or cars and coffee events. Talk to the people there as at least some of them will have had the same type of work done. Word gets around pretty quickly in the classic/collector car community as to what shops do good work and which to avoid. You have already taken the one step of asking here. Hopefully someone near you will offer a suggestion. It might be helpful if you were to narrow down your location as northern California is still a pretty large area. Good luck.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
I contacted a shop in Northern California I found on the web. Looks like they know what they are doing.
How’s this estimate sound?
We are typically looking at 9hrs per seat on that style bucket. Our shop rate is $140hr. We also handle foam rebuild on the broken down areas under the cover in that time. Leather cost is all over the place but I would say that should be in the $500 range for both seats shipped. Total should be around $1500 per seat labor and materials.
Give roman at romans auto upholstery in auburn ca.
He made my hounda prelude seats look just like 67 cougar seats…fit the car and much more comfortable
I had a pair of front seats and the rear seat from a 68 XR7 redone in leather and the total cost was about $1500. I guess that the price on this has gone up just like everything else. Of course I had this work done a few years ago.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
I visited another interior shop today, that’s been in business like 50 years.
The estimate was $1000 per seat, but I don’t think that included the seat cushion foam.
The foam looks to be another $225 per seat.
'70 Mustang foam should be the same…
https://www.cjponyparts.com/seat-foam-standard-deluxe-1970/p/SF6/
The cushion sold by WCCC is apparently this one from American Cushion Company.
It’s sold for Mustangs at National Parts Depot for the same price as WCCC (and listed as fitting 1970 Cougars).
So there’s no Cougar premium here, apparently. One could find a cheaper cushion for the 1969-70 Mach 1/Cougar but that’s because it’s from a cheaper company.