Custom Seats & Upholstery to Elevate Interior Style
The folks at Bowen Foam & Fabrics have a line of custom seat frames and foam kits called Street Rod Seating. Bowen Foam & Frame seats come in a variety of options from bucket to bench seats and even bucket-backed and split bench seats. There are a few standard seat widths offered, but Bowen can produce a custom seat of any width because fabrication is done in-house. The seat frame here is made of 1-inch square 16-gauge steel tubing and features a reclining mechanism, slide tracks and a chrome recline handle as well. A pre-shaped foam kit comes with every seat, providing a great contoured base for bolsters or other designs. The foam is made of polyurethane with 45 pounds compression and 1 ½ pounds density to ensure a long- lasting seat that won’t lose its shape over time.
For the rear seat things needed to be a bit more custom because the large wheel tubs and rear notch area in this particular Blazer project take up a lot of room. We wanted a double bench seat that was still functional and looked like it belonged. Kris Birtciel had built a reclined section into the floor in front of the notch cover specifically for the seat. Jake Moore then built a rear seat base out of MDF that would custom form around the tubs and console, providing as much seating area as possible. The seat will also hide the wiring going into the center console.
The seats were then taken over to Interiors by Design just outside of Houston for Julio Tornero and his brother Miguel to work their magic. Using the foam kits from Bowen on the front, Julio added a custom bolster from higher density foam to provide support and a custom shape that mimics the windshield posts. The rear custom seat needed more attention to match the front. The base was built up with foam and bolstered to match. We wanted the seats to be covered in a single color that would match the paint for a clean look. With the different finishes, inserts and two-tone paint, going with a single material and color for the upholstery kept things from looking too cluttered. The folks at Ultrafabrics LLC offer several lines of polyurethane fabric that mimic the look and feel of high-end imported leather but with more durability.
We opted for the Ultraleather line and selected the company’s hide swatch to match our paint scheme. Because our project is a roadster, the added durability and strength combined with the soft feel of the Ultraleather was very important to us. The material is also tear resistant and can be cleaned with water. Interiors by Design stitched together the seat covers, incorporating designs that match the rest of the vehicle and bring everything together.
1(a). Here is one of the 20-inch wide Bowen foam frame bucket seats. Attached is a set of adjustable 2-inch risers. A handful of washers was added to fine-tune the seat height.1(b). Here is one of the 20-inch wide Bowen foam frame bucket seats. Attached is a set of adjustable 2-inch risers. A handful of washers was added to fine-tune the seat height.2. The foam kit from Bowen comes preformed to fit perfectly onto the frame and provide a nice contour and base.3.Julio Tornero of Interiors by Design begins but cutting out some high-density foam to begin adding side bolsters to the seat.4(a). The foam is cut and shaped to an angled curve to provide a bolster and mimic the styling on the rest of the truck. Once the shape is finalized it’s glued to the seat.4(b).The foam is cut and shaped to an angled curve to provide a bolster and mimic the styling on the rest of the truck. Once the shape is finalized it’s glued to the seat.4(c).The foam is cut and shaped to an angled curve to provide a bolster and mimic the styling on the rest of the truck. Once the shape is finalized it’s glued to the seat.5.With all of the foam in place, the next step is to begin the design of the custom-made seat cover. The shapes and locations that they will intersect can be used to create the overall look of the seat. The cover is made up of the center insert sections, the bolster areas, bottom and top pieces as well as the backs.6. Once the design has been planned, it’s time to start making the patterns that will make up the covers. This can be done using paper templates. Once the pattern is made it’s traced onto the Ultraleather using a wax pen.7(a).The material is glued onto foam to create a backing and trimmed.7(b).The material is glued onto foam to create a backing and trimmed.8.Miguel Tornero sews each panel of Ultraleather using copper thread to tie into the accent color on our Blazer.9. The sewn panels are test fit piece by piece.10. The center inserts will feature a series of double stitched lines that tie into the custom steering wheel.11.The top piece will overlap the top of the seat for a custom look and feature matching double stitching and an art deco-inspired design.12(a). The center insert and top piece are placed onto the seat so that the insert can be cut around the top piece.12(b). The center insert and top piece are placed onto the seat so that the insert can be cut around the top piece.12(c).The center insert and top piece are placed onto the seat so that the insert can be cut around the top piece.13(a).The center insert and bolster sides are sewn together leaving a stitchless seam and test fit on the seat.13(b).The center insert and bolster sides are sewn together leaving a stitchless seam and test fit on the seat.14(a).With all of the sections of the seat cover produced, it’s time to sew it together. You’ll note the use of padded foam on the center section to maintain its shape on the inside of the cover.14(b).With all of the sections of the seat cover produced, it’s time to sew it together. You’ll note the use of padded foam on the center section to maintain its shape on the inside of the cover.15(a).Adhesive glue is sprayed onto the seat foam and cover. This along with steam, if necessary, ensures a tight, wrinkle-free fit when pulled over.15(b). Adhesive glue is sprayed onto the seat foam and cover. This along with steam, if necessary, ensures a tight, wrinkle-free fit when pulled over.16. The bottom of the seat cover will be attached to the bottom of the seat frame for a tight fit.17. The leather is stretched and hit to make sure that the cover sticks into all of the corners and edges.18.The sections of the seat cover were sewn together using a hidden seam, except for around the edge of the seat where a double-stitched French seam is used for extra strength on the corners and style. You can see how a few thoughtful shape and location choices at different areas define the look of the seats.19(a). The rear bench seat is custom made to fit tightly into the rear tub area of the Blazer. The seat is made using thick MDF board. The center section is raised to allow wire to be run into the center console. The seat is held together and secured using metal plates, welded and gusseted. Carriage bolts were welded to the plates to help secure the seat to the body.19(b).The rear bench seat is custom made to fit tightly into the rear tub area of the Blazer. The seat is made using thick MDF board. The center section is raised to allow wire to be run into the center console. The seat is held together and secured using metal plates, welded and gusseted. Carriage bolts were welded to the plates to help secure the seat to the body.20. The seat base flows around the custom wheel tubs. A gap is left to account for the foam, Ultraleather material, filler and paint on the tubs for a tight fit.21(a).First the seat is hit with foam that fits the shape of the base in order to provide a flat surface where the foam shaping can begin.21(b). First the seat is hit with foam that fits the shape of the base in order to provide a flat surface where the foam shaping can begin.22(a).Julio sets a sheet of 3-inch foam from Bowen Foam & Fabric onto the seat and traces it out before it’s cut and glued down. Then the denser foam can be slightly contoured to match the front buckets.22(b).Julio sets a sheet of 3-inch foam from Bowen Foam & Fabric onto the seat and traces it out before it’s cut and glued down. Then the denser foam can be slightly contoured to match the front buckets.23. The foam has been shaped and matching bolsters added with a proportionally wider bolster in the middle to separate the two bucket-like sections on the bench seat.24.The seat covers are produced and installed in the same manner as the front bucket seats.25(a).Here are the finished seats, ready to see the inside of our Blazer thanks to Bowen Foam & Fabrics, Ultrafabric and Interiors by Design.25(b).Here are the finished seats, ready to see the inside of our Blazer thanks to Bowen Foam & Fabrics, Ultrafabric and Interiors by Design.
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