Ever since the initial preparation of the '79 C10 Big 10 known to CCT readers as the Americruise truck I've had an issue with the stock bench seat. It's a shame really because the condition of the '79's upholstery was in near mint condition, but there was two things about the seat I really disliked. I couldn't reach behind it because base model C10 seats don't fold forward to allow access, and the optional extra foam padding the factory installed was ergonomically incorrect to say the least. I've been living with this situation for a few years now because I was reluctant to alter the stock appearance of the upholstery. After suffering long enough I came up with a good way to stop the pain. I decided to pull the optional folding bench seat out of my '75 Big 10 and recover it with a factory style upholstery kit. A quick glance at Brothers 1973-87 Chevy & GMC catalog and I found exactly what I was searching for right down to matching the original factory blue color.
From here I thought it would be just a simple matter of slipping them on, but true to form I made a few mistakes that could have been fatal if I didn't have some good friends to help me out of a jam. This is where Calin and Sam Head came to the rescue. It was at the last second and I needed to finish this story ASAP. The first problem was I had managed to order the wrong style seat cover. As it turns out there are a few different configurations to '73-87 seat frames, so one really needs to confirm they have the right covers before they punch them full of hog rings, or they won't be able to exchange them. The next big problem was the seat I robbed out of my '75 had been custom reupholstered and the seat cushions were blown way out of shape with extra foam known as a topper pad. That said, it's very important to know you are starting out with original shaped foam seat cushions. Those are the two biggies; right seat cover and the right foam. From here along with the following professional installation tips from Calin and Sam you'll stand a real good chance of doing a perfect job.
Presoaking with a good penetrating...
Presoaking with a good penetrating spray such a Royal Purple Maxfilm ensures seat hardware will easily come apart without damage.
To separate the folding seat,...
To separate the folding seat, the end covers were removed gaining access to the two 13/16-inch headed hex-bolts that secure the folding seat back to the seat bottom.
Starting with a good Phillips...
Starting with a good Phillips screwdriver the only handtools needed to remove and disassemble the bench seat will be a 3/8-inch ratchet with 9/16-, and 13/16-inch, and T-45 Torx sockets.
The seat is bolted-down with...
The seat is bolted-down with four bolts, two on each side, at the front and rear corners.
Once removed from the Brothers...
Once removed from the Brothers box, the next step was to spread the seat covers out in the sun, and allow the wrinkles and folding marks to disappear.
While the seat covers were...
While the seat covers were regaining their shape in the sun, Calin continued to disassemble the seat by removing the seat tracks. Note the front bolts are concealed beneath a small round access hole.