What to do for 1970 XR-7 seats?

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Maintenance Restoration and Repair
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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?

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If you are willing and able to spend the money a good upholstery shop can make you new covers.

Randy Goodling
CCOA #95

2 Likes
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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…

1 Like
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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:

  1. Find a reputable shop: Seek referrals from classic car clubs, forums, or enthusiast communities specializing in vintage and classic cars.
  2. 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.
  3. 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?

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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