26 JULY 2026 PASSENGER JUMPSEAT BACK UPHOLSTERY DONE
I bought all the supplies to begin the upholstery from Jim Carter's ($1200) to include seat kits, upholstery, paint for the frames, and hardware. See pics of the initial back of the passenger seat (original and the first one I've gotten done thus far.
NJC, looking good, I spent this afternoon catching up on your project. I am just at the beginning stages on my Suburban 3116 with the clamshell doors. I am taking a different route compared to my 53 truck. Getting pretty close to being done on the major sheetmetal work. Keep up the good work on yours!!πΈπΈ
31 JULY 2026 PASSENGER FRONT JUMPSEAT BOTTOM UPHOLSTERY DONE
I completed the passenger front jumpseat bottom. I will now move on to the larger driver's seat. I do have the frames for the passenger and driver seats already primered and need to final paint them on a day with low humidity. Meanwhile will continue the upholstery work. See pics.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: β59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
2 AUGUST 2026 DRIVER'S SEAT BOTTOM COIL SPRING REPLACED, CLEANED UP, PAINTED AND JUST ABOUT READY FOR UPHOLSTERY
I had to replace 1 broken coil seat spring directly under where the driver sits. I used 1 from the old passenger seat. I spent a couple hours using the wire brush dremel & 1/2 inch mini sander to remove rust & grime before applying initial coat of black paint. See pics of how the seat came, and the spring bottom afterward. Thanks for the comments Wicruiser, Phil, and Dan
7 AUGUST 2026 DRIVER'S BOTTOM SEAT UPHOLSTERY DONE
I finished the upholstery on the driver's bottom seat today. I had bought 2 seat kits from Carter's that has the burlap, the heavier fabric, the cotton, and the c clips. So 1 kit did 3 cushions and I still have 5 cushions to go. The 2nd kit won't finish it all. Plan on 3 kits if you are doing all the suburban seats as originally sold.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: β59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
8 AUGUST 2026 DRIVER'S SEAT BACK SPRING CLEAN-UP, PAINTED, AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION ABOUT WEYMOUTH INSIGNIA
I cleaned up another seat spring using dremel wire brush, 1/2 inch by 18 inch belt sander, tedious hand sanding and then painted it black.
Some history on the original vinyl manufacturer. The stamp on the backside of the Suburban's seat material refers to Weymouth Art Leather Company (East Weymouth, MA) founded in 1911 and ceased operations in 1989. GM contracted Weymouth to supply the massive rolls of heavy-duty commercial grade vinyl where it was stretched over the seat springs. My suburban was built at Tarrytown, NY. Thanks for comments Wicruiser and Phil. See pics.
Nick - As always, such meticulous work! Always impressed.
The information abut the "Weymouth" material supplier is a great tidbit of info. Thanks for sharing.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
9 AUGUST 2026 DRIVER'S SEAT BACK CUSHION UPHOLSTERY COMPLETE, UPHOLSTERY TIPS, FRONT SEAT FRAMES PAINTED
I have completed the upholstery on all the front seats now and have begun painting the frames using Carter's dark red brown acrylic for suburban seats and interior trim.
2 tips I use when doing upholstery: 1) set the upholstery out in the sun to warm up; and 2) use pieces of masking tape on the upholstery underneath the c clips and when using plyers to tighten the c clips in place.
Today I installed the driver's seat frame and then the bottom cushion followed by the back cushion. Previously I had built a top out of OSB board for the tool compartment under the seat and had to trim it on the end widths to fit. Someday I may find an original cover as this project didn't come with one. See pics.
Nice job. Those were pre-sewn seat covers, right? They fit pretty well.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: β59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
I have been removing dirt, rust, and original paint from the middle seat frame. It's a chore for sure using electric hand tools. This frame and the rear frames and springs were bought years ago from a stovebolter out of MI and I had used greyhound bus to ship them to its terminal in Baltimore. They must of sat in a barn for years. IDK.
7 SEPTEMBER 2026 PAINTED MIDDLE SEAT FRAME AND STARTED MIDDLE SEAT BOTTOM SEAT SPRINGS REFURBISHMENT
I checked my receipts from 2012 and I had bought the middle and last full width seat frames and the seat spring sets with delivery from MI to Greyhound Baltimore for $2217.00. A lot of suburban's are missing those original seats. See pics of work completed thus far.