At LAST! A REAL Custom Seat Cover Maker, with GOOD Product!

[Gerald Morris]

Greetings Moparians, and Felicitations for All seeking New Seat Covers or Upoholstery,

I began my search for GOOD seat covers for Mathilda's aging velour upholstered seats as soon as we drove her home 5 years ago. I found a couple promising looking businesses who supposedly knew how to cover the split top 50% bench seat in our Newport and fairly common to slab sided C body Mopars.

We finally got enough extra funds to purchase some good covers this past winter, but WOE and ALAS!, the two supposed "top shops" in the trade pleaded their incompetence, forcing me to renew the search. I tried 2 more before finding Ruff Tuff, ( Ruff Tuff | America's Finest Custom Seat Covers )an excellent seat cover shop based in Salt Lake City, UT.

They sent me a decently detailed measurement form, which I scrupulously filled, and then took my order. After 8 weeks, a truly professional, well made saddle blanket seat cover for that front bench arrived, which I slipped over the old seat with care, giving a perfect result, according to my specs. They provided ample sturdy pockets, as ordered too. Good straps with Velcro and buckles secure the cover in place for what I hope will be a goodly number of years. I hope to take pictures tomorrow to share with you all, as I suspect I'm not the only fellow here who needed a good seat cover for his Blast from the Past. Given how Ruff Tuff pitches their business toward pickup trucks and SUV drivers, I suspect their work might be of good quality.

 

[440Chrysler]

Can you share some pictures of what they look like? Also, what year Newport did these covers go on?

 

[Gerald Morris]

As per request:

Here's the front seat, viewed by the driver. Note that NONE of the straps or cords have yet to be secured.

Nice shot of the driver's pockets! These cost extra, but were WELL WORTH IT!

Here are some straps, with the upper sleeve cover secured by the Velcro straps, and the lower seat section secured by buckles, unseen from back here.

NOW for the BACK pockets, thoughtfully made deep, with 3 pockets sewn into this arrangement all the way to the BOTTOM! I suspect there are fertile Mormons working at Ruff Tuff, well acquainted with family needs. I ordered and got pockets for both sides, knowing my spawn as I do.

This job ran me just over $230, so I pray it will last through the childhoods of both of my current Little Beasties. I promised the eldest that IFF they behave well, I will have the back seat covered the same next year or 2. For now, they have the old saddle blankets I had up front until yestereve these past 3 years. The "Sally Blanket" currently covering the velour has just about disintegrated, as evident in these pics. No matter, freeby FEMA cloth has served us VERY well here indeed.

I'll show y'all how it looks after I snug it all down and strap it, when I get the chance.

 

[LeBaron1973]

Great result Gerald, and for only 230.00, a bargain indeed.

Happy motoring wishes for the Morris clan.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Great result Gerald, and for only 230.00, a bargain indeed.

Happy motoring wishes for the Morris clan.

Multas gratias! I thought it a wise investment. Slowly working toward sealing up that passenger compartment properly, THEN and ONLY THEN installing a modern under dash AC. Am thinking of an all electric setup for that. 'Twill be a couple more years, unless we get a big was of $$ somehow.

 

[Henrius]

I am also looking for a seat cover fabricator. But I spent $2000 reupholstering my front seat and want people to be able to see it at a meet? Are those covers easy to remove?

One shop fabricate old-fashioned plastic covers. But man, I remember as a child how hot they were to my legs in the Georgia summers!

 

[Gerald Morris]

I got a saddle blanket cover, and will stick with them for so long as I live. There are said to be other fabrics, more durable, but for comfort and durability, saddle blanket weave works well. At present, I kluged in the bench seat from my 1966 wreck into the '68 convertible. (Had to turn the mounting brackets inside out to make that work.) I plan to eventually buy the proper cover for the '68 seat, which rides a little lower, but those are vinyl, so, after buying the new vinyl, I WILL get a new saddle blanket cover to put over that, immediately. Liberal Scotchguard use helps keep those fabrics in good shape too.

Good luck with your project. One can remove a good cover easily enough. They take about 1/2 to 1 hr to install or remove properly.

 

[SuperDave]

I just "perved" their website, impressive indeed. While I'm not a fan of the saddle blanket covers, (they look too much like Wally World seat covers for my tastes) to each their own. The exotics & camo aren't my style either. But they do offer vinyl, what they call "soft touch", and perforated "soft touch" vinyl inserts too! Reminds me of the interiors of the 60s & early 70s, fitting for our vehicles. That's more my style.

I've been to several upholstery shops near me, they want $2500 JUST for the seats. Mine are the bucket style high back bench with the fold down armrest up front & a solid bench out back. When I get to asking about pockets the price goes up. My car is brown outside with varying shades of tan & beige inside, so I'm leaning towards tan with brown inserts for that two-tone look. If the diamond stitching isn't too expensive, I might go that route as well. Pockets for sure! In fact, I think it'd be groovy to have front pockets on the back seats as well.

Now I'm assuming the reasons yours were so cheap is A) the blanket materials & B) the fact it's just a spilt bench. But even with front & rear pockets, that's a hellava deal! I will definitely be sending them an email to enquire about my car.

Thank you for sharing the link Gerald Morris!

 

[Gerald Morris]

I just "perved" their website, impressive indeed. While I'm not a fan of the saddle blanket covers, )they look too much like Wally World seat covers for my tastes) to each their own. The exotics & camo aren't my style either. But they do offer vinyl, what they call "soft touch", and perforated "soft touch" vinyl inserts too! Reminds me of the interiors of the 60s & early 70s, fitting for our vehicles. That's more my style.

I've been to several upholstery shops near me, they want $2500 JUST for the seats. Mine are the bucket style high back bench with the fold down armrest up front & a solid bench out back. When I get to asking about pockets the price goes up. My car is brown outside with varying shades of tan & beige inside, so I'm leaning towards tan with brown inserts for that two-tone look. If the diamond stitching isn't too expensive, I might go that route as well. Pockets for sure! In fact, I think it'd be groovy to have front pockets on the back seats as well.

Now I'm assuming the reasons yours were so cheap is A) the blanket materials & B) the fact it's just a spilt bench. But even with front & rear pockets, that's a hellava deal! I will definitely be sending them an email to enquire about my car.

Thank you for sharing the link @Gerald Morris !

You're welcome! I've used saddle blankets in my rides for decades. Some suck, other's are good. So, finding somebody who can stitch together a decent cover was a good deal! I'm sti9ll uusing that old bench, even though it really isn;t meant to fit a '68 convertible. I managed it by turning the brackets inside out. Damned comfy and reasonably tough.

Best wishes on your endeavor. I need to reupholster my 68 seats. I see that the padded vinyl covers run ~$600, so IFF I can find decent frames, I'll be able to do something. Might look into generic buckets for the front, if I ever tire of that split bench from the '66....

 

[Mebsuta]

As per request:
View attachment 460752
Here's the front seat, viewed by the driver. Note that NONE of the straps or cords have yet to be secured.

Nice shot of the driver's pockets! These cost extra, but were WELL WORTH IT!
View attachment 460753

Here are some straps, with the upper sleeve cover secured by the Velcro straps, and the lower seat section secured by buckles, unseen from back here.
View attachment 460754

NOW for the BACK pockets, thoughtfully made deep, with 3 pockets sewn into this arrangement all the way to the BOTTOM! I suspect there are fertile Mormons working at Ruff Tuff, well acquainted with family needs. I ordered and got pockets for both sides, knowing my spawn as I do.
View attachment 460755

This job ran me just over $230, so I pray it will last through the childhoods of both of my current Little Beasties. I promised the eldest that IFF they behave well, I will have the back seat covered the same next year or 2. For now, they have the old saddle blankets I had up front until yestereve these past 3 years. The "Sally Blanket" currently covering the velour has just about disintegrated, as evident in these pics. No matter, freeby FEMA cloth has served us VERY well here indeed.

I'll show y'all how it looks after I snug it all down and strap it, when I get the chance.

I think it's beautiful. I might get one for my Road Runner.

 

[Gerald Morris]

I think it's beautiful. I might get one for my Road Runner.

They make a fine product! I need to LAUNDER mine now. Despite minor size incompatibility, when I got our '68 ragtop Fall 2021 to replace the pretty green rust-bubble we had been using, I fitted the '66 front bench seat into our '68 by turning the mounting brackets around. Thus we have continued to enjoy the use of both seat and excellent multi-pocketed saddle blanket cover. I see new made vinyl upholstery meant for the actual front bench that came w our '68, and, even if I invest in a new cover, or, preferably find another '67-68 front bench, I WILL IMMEDIATELY ORDER A NEW SADDLEBLANKET POCKETED COVER TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE ANY NEW SEAT I INSTALL.

 

[edbods]

Man. Those pockets look very useful. Been thinking of getting sheepskin covers for mine; the summer sun here is absolutely brutal and will mean every single surface will be like lava and sheepskin always seems to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
gonna have pockets on the front and back of the front seats for holding stuff too.