1967 Fairlane Ranchero Interior Restoration

Here's the new upholstery for our bench seat. Although manufactured to match your original covers exactly, the new upholstery will outlast the OE material because of greatly improved resistance to cracking during very cold conditions. The Fairlane bench seat cover is made by special order and costs $399.95. It's PN UP67B5-BK.

Here's a look at the Ranchero interior in the before condition. It's a nightmare of washed-out gray and worn-out fabric and components.

The job begins with the removal of the window cranks and door-release levers, which are held in place by a single Phillips-head screw. The armrests were removed by undoing the two fasteners on the underside.

With all the interior door fixtures removed, it's a simple matter to remove the trim panel, which is held in place by two horizontal tracks.

Preparation of the new trim panel begins with making the required openings. We begin by making the two round openings for the window crank and door-release lever.

The smaller openings are being made for the armrest fasteners. Be sure to double-check hole locations on the car before making any cuts in the surface vinyl. Sometimes the pre-marked locations on the back of the panel don't match where the holes are on the door.

Here the new panel is being put into place. Pressing down on the panel as it rests in the lower track creates a curve that allows the panel to be guided into place in the upper track. Be sure that the clips to receive the armrest fasteners are in place on the door before buttoning things up.

The next step is to remove the seat. Go underneath the vehicle and locate the four studs that locate the seat and remove the nuts. You'll definitely need a helper to remove the bench from the interior.

We've been looking forward to this step because the carpeting is filthy. Once out, it goes directly into the dumpster. The floorpan on our car is rust free and needs only a thorough cleaning with the Shop-Vac.

This shot shows our new carpeting kit. It's molded to follow the contours of the floorpan and has jute backing. It has a molded-in driver-side mat and the headlight switch grommet is included. The carpet is PN CA66R and the list price is $179.95.

Turning our attention to the workbench, we see our craftsman undo the seat hinge by removing a cotter key. He'll place the upper sections of the seat aside for later. The sliding seat tracks from either end of the bench are removed as well.

To remove the old upholstery, we'll go around the perimeter of the seat frame and remove all hog rings with a stout pair of cut-off pliers, allowing the old covering to be peeled away and tossed. Our seat frame and buns aren't in the greatest shape. However, our man might have a few tricks up his sleeve.

One seat spring is broken, so a replacement steel rod is being fitted to provide additional support. It looks like automobile seat technology may have advanced a little in the last 40 years.

With the spring repair made, the next step is to bolster the original seat buns. This foam rubber covering will make for a much smoother installation of the seat covers. Here the additional material is being carefully cut to size.

With the pieces cut to the correct dimensions, the next step is to seat them in place using an adhesive applied via spray gun. The completed bench is ready for the new upholstery.