Jon Osborne with Osborn Auto & Trim has been a friend of ours for many years. You won’t find anyone better at restoring the seats in your GM Classic, he is our “Nova Seat Guru!” Jon is located in the small town of Logansport, Indiana and specializes in interiors, seat repairs, and complete restorations.
1962-64 Nova Buckets
These seats are 1962 to 1964 Nova Buckets that John has worked on. What you see here are sandblasted frames, painted springs, and frames, springs wrapped, new burlap, and edge wire padding. These seats are restored and ready for foam and covers!
Our Interview With Jon
gmclassics.com: What year did you start working on cars?
Jon: I started working on cars way back in 1973.
gmclassics.com: When did you know you were going to be a trimmer?
Jon: In June of 1975, I had a 1967 Pontiac GTO and it needed a new convertible top and there was no one around local that could do this. So I ordered a new top & installed it myself! This was the beginning!
gmclassics.com: When did you realize that your seats were a valuable asset?
Jon: In the spring of 1974, when I found the 1967 GTO, the guy was asking $1,500 for it. I only had $700 cash which I had saved from mowing yards and working at Wilson Foods (a meatpacking plant in Logansport). But, I did have a set of nice black 1970 Mustang bucket seats that I bought at a garage sale for $20.00. The guy wanted the seats more than the cash or that GTO! In my own mind, I figured this made the seats worth at least $800!
gmclassics.com: What is the rarest seat that you currently have in stock?
Jon: There are several sets, and some I don’t even know what they fit! But they are all cool looking! And some are very old, from the ’30s and ’40s. But I do have 1967 to 69 Camaro front bench seats and the rear fold-down seats. Also, I have a 1965-66 Mustang front bench. A set of 1968 Chevelle front buckets with original factory headrests. And several Mopar rear seats that fit A, B, and E body. All of these are rare and very hard to find in good shape.
gmclassics.com: How many years have you been in business?
Jon: It will be 45 years in June 2020
Gmclassics.com: How many seats do you think you’ve restored in that time?
Jon: Several hundred! And have shipped all over the US and Canada. From Maine to Key West and from New York to Washington state and everywhere in between. And, 128 of those cars have been in magazines and 7 on the front covers. I’ve done everything from a Rolls Royce to a toilet seat. LOL
gmclassics.com: How many bucket seats do you have in stock?
Jon: Over 350 bucket seat cores, mostly 1962 to 1977 GM, but some even I and other trimmers don’t really know what they are
gmclassics.com: How many bench seats do you have in stock?
Jon: Over 150 cores, some 4 doors, 2 doors, cars, trucks, and others
Jon: Junior and the staff at GM Classics, Thanks for all of your help and support for the past several years! You are truly “Old car people” that really care about folks and helping them achieve their goals.
gmclassics.com: Thank you for your time and your friendship, Jon! You are our “Nova Seat Guru!”
Do you have front bucket seats for a 72 nova and if so how much I’m in central California
574-722-3382 Call John he has lots of GM buckets. Our newsletter is going out tomorrow with a feature on him. We love Cali! Weather is great! We ship to allot of customers out there too! Thank you for your question.