Volvo Interior Colors offers a wide range of colors and materials for various vehicles, including the driver seat. Custom leather seat upholstery kits are available for many models of the Volvo range, with a lead time of approximately 10 days. MVS Volvo Forums member E Showell shares how to restore seats the right way, using a hairdryer and compression methods to compress the leather into the contours.
A leather repair kit is suitable for both plain and structured leather, as well as leather jackets and other clothing with light scratches or scuffs. Katzkin offers new seat leather at a lower cost than dealerships. After extensive research, it has been determined that the leather is a candidate for refinishing. The Volvo Complete Leather Repair DIY Kit is suitable for both plain and structured leather, as well as upholstery on cars or furniture.
Custom leather seat kits are built to order, specifically tailored to your vehicle’s exact year, make, and model for a factory-like fit once. Upholsterers can recloth seats in leather, keeping electric seats, but a rental may be required. Secondhand leather may be the best option, as replacing original leather requires a lot of work.
Volvo Car Leather Repair Products Soft Beige is available for £9.95, offering a complete range of products designed to recolour, repair, or fully restore interior leather.
📹 Top 5 Best Leather Seat Covers
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Can leather seats be reconditioned?
After cleaning your leather car seats, it’s essential to restore them to their original glory. Apply Leather Honey Leather Conditioner using a lint-free cloth, which won’t scratch the seats like other cloths. This will instantly restore the leather’s richer color and fresh gloss. Allow the leather to dry completely, which can take up to 24 hours. This conditioner is suitable for perforated, stitching, and heating elements seats.
If necessary, reapply the conditioner using a thin layer, allowing the seats to dry completely before using or reinstalling them. This process can help maintain the leather’s appearance and longevity.
How much does it cost to change interior to leather?
Manufacturer upgrades for vehicle seats can range from $1500 to $2000, especially for older or retired models. However, if your car is within a few years of purchase, dealership or licensed shops may be able to offer these upgrades at a lower cost. The type of leather used also plays a significant role in the cost, with domestically produced leather being the least expensive. Higher-end retailers, such as those that hand-stitches upholstery, may charge more for these upgrades. Therefore, it’s essential to consider the specific type of leather you want for your car’s upgrade.
How much is a full leather interior?
The financial outlay required to upgrade a vehicle with a professionally installed, premium Katzkin leather interior commences at $1, 895, with the exact sum dependent on the vehicle in question and the specific options selected. This represents a mere fraction of the cost of a luxury trim package on a new vehicle. The installation process is relatively expeditious and does not encompass the provision of seat heating or cooling.
Is leather car interior worth it?
Leather seats offer several advantages over cloth seats, including ease of cleaning and maintenance, resistance to stains and odors, high-quality fabric, and durability. They are easier to clean and maintain, especially if properly treated, and can be more durable if proper care is performed. However, leather seats require more maintenance, including regular cleaning and treatment with leather conditioners.
Regular maintenance costs more time and money than cloth seats, which usually require vacuuming and washing. Additionally, leather seats may transmit extreme temperatures, making them uncomfortable during winter and summer driving.
The decision between leather or cloth seats depends on factors such as budget, lifestyle, priorities, and desired features in a car. Most car brands offer cloth seats in their base trims, while some car trim levels offer leather seats as an upgrade. Luxury brands may offer partial leather or leatherette, a faux leather made of vinyl, while automakers offer real or full leather as an upgrade.
Is Volvo leather real leather?
Volvo has stopped using leather in its electric vehicles, stating that it is in the best interest of animal welfare and the environment. The Swedish company’s director of global sustainability, Stephen Sothmann, defended the decision, stating that hides and skins are by-products of meat and dairy production and should be recycled for leather. The Leather and Hide Council of America, which recycles about 30% of the world’s hides for leather, disagreed with Volvo’s suggestion that removing leather from electric vehicles would impact animal welfare. They argued that as long as people consume beef and milk, there will be enough leather to meet the motor industry’s needs sustainably.
Can you get leather car seats reupholstered?
Reupholstering leather, vinyl, or fabric seats can be more affordable than replacing them, but the cost depends on the vehicle model and year. We can repair car seats with broken rails, broken switches, or damaged frames, using special welding services. Welding seat frames requires removing upholstery, plastics, and foam. We can also repair padding and rebuild foam for car seats, often found on driver cushions and front passenger seats.
We can help with foam reshaping for any car type, including removing old upholstery, adding new foam, installing back upholstery, and cleaning up. The cost of these services depends on the vehicle model and year.
Can you redo the interior of a car?
Car interiors can be significantly improved with the right investment and expertise. One major change is to upgrade the carpets, which can become worn and boring over time. Car customization services often offer carpet replacement, allowing you to inject color or pattern into the upholstery. However, replacing carpets can be challenging, and it’s essential to consult a professional before undertaking such a task. Despite the potential for a new lease of life, it’s essential to consider the potential drawbacks and ensure the right decision is made.
How much does leather seat recovering cost?
Reupholstering a vehicle’s seat can significantly enhance its style but can be costly, with an average cost of $250-$750 per seat. The choice of material depends on the type of upholstery, with leather, fabric, and vinyl being the main options. Fabric is generally the most affordable option, while leather upholstery has the highest price point. While most people call an upholstery shop for seat repairs, it is possible to reupholster car seats yourself. It takes 2-4 hours for someone with solid DIY knowledge to reupholster one seat, so it’s essential to have enough time and focus on one seat at a time.
Why is Volvo getting rid of leather?
Volvo’s head of design, Robin Page, acknowledges that people are becoming more aware of climate change and the environmental impact of their products. However, he argues that eschewing leather is not enough to prevent the rise in global greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, particularly cattle farming. Leather is a by-product of the meat industry, and if not used, it will end up in landfills or incinerated, leading to the use of plastics instead.
Page also emphasizes the company’s goal to use recycled natural materials, but leather is the ultimate “recycled natural material” coming from nature and capable of biodegrading back into nature at the end of its useful life. Leather commentator Michael Redwood, in his article “Creatures of Emotion”, argues that long-lasting leather made entirely from renewable hides from northern European grass-fed livestock is more ethically and logically compatible with Volvo’s ethics than other materials. The company’s ultimate goal is to achieve sustainability while preserving the environment.
Is it worth it to reupholster a car seat?
Reupholstering is essential for a car’s appearance and longevity, as it helps the owner sell the vehicle to potential buyers. Cars tend to lose their appearance over time, and maintenance and timely repairs can help slow down this process. However, issues like overheating engines, squeaky brakes, or damaged upholstery can still occur. If the worst comes to worst, the car seats may need to be redone, with varying costs. To alleviate the financial burden, consider subscribing to the J. D. Power Cars Newsletter.
Is leather restoration worth it?
To restore high-quality leather furniture, assess its original quality, determine if it’s a valuable designer or vintage piece, and consider its sentimental significance. If the furniture holds sentimental value, such as being an heirloom or cherished piece, it may be more worthwhile to invest in its restoration. Contact professional leather furniture restoration specialists for quotes on necessary repairs, considering factors like damage extent, leather type, and location. Request a detailed breakdown of the restoration process and expenses to make an informed decision.
📹 Most common auto seat repair upholstery
Rudolphsupholstery.com Hello! This is a video about the most common repair for car and truck seats. Also Technique #85, #148, …
Rudolphsupholstery.com Please hit the “$uper Thank$ Button” I don’t think it’s working… And the LIKE button while you’re at it! Thanks a bunch! 😀 5 Upholstery Spray Glue Questions Answered youtu.be/6HGaRXUPuN0 Learn CUSTOM Boat Bench Seat Upholstery Like a PRO youtu.be/hfVcTCCloQU Professional garage lighting in one hour with Hykoont 14 Hexagon garage lights honest review youtu.be/l41uw-__Ekk World’s easiest kitchen dining chair cushions for beginners youtu.be/VU7n5MsaehY World’s most difficult car headliner youtu.be/_WC-Zh6KsX4 See the easiest jet ski seat upholstery in the world! youtu.be/VzHjK6u5q_0 Never ever give ballpark pricing for upholstery youtu.be/SB7v-zQeH1E My sewing table setup for upholstery youtu.be/esFs9VRfQ5g DIY How to replace rotted boat cushion wood youtu.be/EeFb3m-B3SE New upholstery shop building tour youtu.be/Qo-nJz8OESc Honda s2000 convertible soft top install youtu.be/urksGjZA26I How To repair a separated convertible hard glass youtu.be/kpAWuYPi0Tc Hacksaw blade hack on upholstery foam youtu.be/NvcjcemrYLI Making aircraft seat cushions for Rutan Cozy airplane youtu.be/i2DaNgZVkPI Never ever give up on upholstery youtu.be/-OD6rPFtc74 Watch A article To Learn Sewing Upholstery Best Advice For Beginners youtu.be/h2bju1t1f88 Rewarded! Really bad aftermarket Old School truck seat cover makeover youtu.be/-25DRMg_VX0 Learn How To Make A Custom Harley Davidson Seat youtu.
I did upholstery with my dad. He however did all the sewing and I did take down and replace. We did few automobiles and used hog rings in those days. I loved doing hand work. Probably why I ended up being a metal specialist journeyman welder. I still miss the upholstery. You sir are an expert to the highest level.
This is my newest favorite website! Your personable demeanor makes this a pleasure to watch- on top of the golden knowledge you share. At about 14 mins, when you’re sewing the pieces together I was like “That’s going so smoothly- it doesn’t look very hard.” ten seconds later I was like “Uh, after 40 yrs everything looks easy. This does NOT look so easy for me to do..”
I really appreciate the way that you share your experience in a straight forward manner. It’s obvious that you have honed your skills and I hope that you are able to pass them on to a new generation at your shop. Experience, knowledge, and customer empathy equal a thriving business and repeat/referral customers. Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed this article. Your style is great, honest and educational. I didn’t have ANY idea about the art of upholstery and now I do. I really like your honest advice to others in your industry or the any industry for that matter. The parts about giving away free foam repair and thinking about not inconveniencing your customers by taking the seat out is a great examples of awesome customer service. Keep the great work.
Awesome perusal that come together! In the beginning, my first thoughts of the reference marks were somewhat cloudy. Awesome how they made the piece take shape. Not so much in the automotive world, but in Construction, I have always been very fascinated perusal the insulators make removable insulation covers for piping applications. I cheated on my upholstery job. I ended up buying the whole seat panel and have yet to replace it. Thanks for the takedown information as well. That’s what I was looking for just to get an idea of where to start! Love the content! Best of luck to you!
Part of my secondary duties in the Canadian Air Force, between aircraft inspection’s, was safety systems, where as I repaired aircraft covers, seats and used templates to make garment bags etc. I really like how smooth your Juki with the walking foot preformed. I really enjoyed the sewing, as my grandfather was a tailor and I came by it naturally. It’s not for everybody trying to match inner and outer patterns, and the day’s went by so fast. I dreaded when an aircraft came into maintenance, and I had to go back to my regular job.
I have seen many upholstery articles of furniture but this was totally different for me. I was looking at buying new seat covers for my truck front seats, but if I could manage this technique it would probably a lot cheaper and match my other seats as well. I just need to repair the side piece along the same side and area but I will need to gather more information to even attempt this. Thanks for showing me a better way to make a real repair.
Finally someone who still understands the concept of customer loyalty. Throwing in something additional for no additional charge is going to pay multiple times more that what you would make by tacking on a nominal charge for something like foam repair because people will come back and make multiple referrals because they feel you treated them beyond fairly and that you didn’t get their job and then start nickle-and-diming them simply to line your pockets. This is the kind of shop that would earn my business for life. Places that hit me with the “add-ons” never get another dollar out of me or anyone I know because it’s a “shifty” way to run a business and makes me question your integrity when you initially quoted a price and suddenly start adding to the cost. If you’re a pro you should be able to anticipate any potential extras and either build that into your initial price and warn me that it may come up on the front end. At the end of the day, throwing stuff in for free wins customer loyalty and referrals!
Superb seat repair. Quite involved and more to it than I thought. Your patterns were simple looking but great as you factored in excess material. Stitching was impressive as well. Foam backing and repair another plus. Your tutorial and explanation were perfect. Your talent and experience is amazing. Learning these types of repairs initially takes a lot of practice. I don’t think I’d try this repair myself these days. Many considerations to be able to complete and deliver an OEM look back to the seat. Kudos for this interesting repair. Was just browsing and decided to watch it. Glad I did and was totally absorbed with this repair. I’ll be back!!!!
Looking at the seats in my van, knowing they need some attention. Walk in the house, open the computer and BOOM… there you are. Like Roger said below “I could probably do that.” Then I also realized perusal a master can make any craft look easy. I will be going to a qualified upholstery shop. Keep the local businesses alive and thriving. Fascinating to watch how the different stitches are done.
It was fun perusal you do this professional repair. It turned out really nice! I had a chance to learn auto upholstery in high school about 40 years ago. I wish I had pursued it, because it would have been a great field to be in, especially if you want to own and operate your own business! LISTEN UP, KIDS!
Fantastic work. Consider working in the airbag deployment zone while the system is energized though. Would be safer (for you) to learn how to disable the airbag system. Also, all modern airbag systems are continually monitored – meaning if you unplug the seat and plug it back it the system will know that. As long as it’s reconnected correctly, no SRS light
I visited your website, you seen like a kind person who really cares about people, I’m so glad to see there’s still good people in the world. I wish I lived in TX so I could get some work done by you, my car seat has a rip in it, I was looking to see if I could do it myself but there’s no way. You care about your customers and that’s a wonderful characteristic. Wish there were more people like you in the world.
Richard, just found your site here and it’s great… got a 92 Geo Tracker tow car that needs the exact same repair. Small back-story that you and viewers might enjoy: I retired as a Fleet Manager for Pepsi Cola and before Pepsi Corporate bought our franchise in Ventura in the 90’s. We kept our vehicles a long time (now they are replaced every 5 years approx.) Anyway, we had some older cabovers that got heavy use delivering soda and the seats needed to be reupholstered frequently. Paul at Mac’s Upholstery in Ventura did all our work and one morning I was sharing some stories with Paul about my time in Vietnam (1970’s) and amazingly Paul had served on the USS Forestal (mid 1960’s). His job ? Repairing the ejection seats on the U2’s that were launched off aircraft carriers back then. I was stunned to find out that this wide winged plane was carrier launched, but indeed they were. Apparently the seats took a beating and Paul maintained them so the pilots had a “comfortable” ride during such a grueling mission and tight quarters. Thank you for your great DIY articles !
So amazing to watch a master craftsman illustrating step by step tutorials like this. We need more people to apprentice themselves with skilled mentors like Richard especially now with our supply chain problems. There is nothing like being your own boss in a business that you enjoy and really without much competition. I hope there are many young people that watch this article and realize there are great opportunities if you become a skilled professional in many trades, especially in the automotive industry.
Wow! Thank you. I learned a lot. I’ve wondering about swapping the left and right seat cushions in my car. The drivers side has minimal wear, but to swap it would give me another 10 years on the seats. It looks pretty easy to remove/ replace the cushions. I’ll have a look when it gets warmer outside.
You made this look easy (which it is not). I pride myself on being a jack of all trades but I tried fixing/making boat cushions one time and found out that this isn’t something someone with no experience should attempt to tackle and expect to end up with something that even remotely looks good. It was really interesting to watch your technique. Wish I could do this myself but after my one bad experience it’s something I won’t try again.
The “hook tool” is actually a cotter pin puller. I’ve had one in my tool box for 40+ years, since I was a kid installing auto glass. It’s one of the handiest tools I have, great for odd jobs, reaching in tight places, all kinds of things besides pulling cotter pins (I don’t know if I’ve ever used it for that). Thanks for the great article,
Hi there. I have a side by side which my Blue Healer likes to ride along when I’m working outside. Unfortunately, in winter months, the vinyl gets cold & the dogs toenails penetrate the vinyl. I tried using Flex Paste which led to an ugly repair by placing it with a putty knife…it held up ok for 2 seasons before shrinking & cracking. I found your article & thought “what a great ide”!!! Thank you SO MUCH for posting it & sharing your common man’s approach to repairing a seat. I appreciate your knowledge immensely! Thank you from PA!
Also see You have been doing this wrong! 3M spray can adhesive glue! (I’m not wearing any pants) youtube.com/watch?v=2KzEb2ZvWzo Making RV, Boat Armrests for Captains Chairs Cheap Chinese vinyl youtu.be/42MDQSHBT9M The Most Common Boat Wood Rot Repair youtu.be/UELB4s06H04 See Way More articles On MY YouTube website: youtube.com/channel/UCP2BPA2b3yE5WAHMnt4n0-g
You would think these automotive and especially these truck manufacturers would bolster these left-hand seat sides, they are always taking a beating and getting ruined, Ford trucks seem to have a nice firm side bolster but even they were out, you sir, are a detail artist and I love that! I couldn’t see anywhere, where are you located?
You are a master my friend. You make it look easy, experience and skill will do that. Great website, and superb content. I am a subscriber now, mostly because I love perusal someone who is a master at his trade. And you sir are all of that. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am curious to know what kind of adhesive you are spraying from your paint gun. And what is a good beginner sewing machine for upholstery.
Super interesting, and much easier than i though it would be. (Quite possibly you just make it look that way). an you tell me what glue you are using, and do you just leave it in your spray gun and keep adding to it? I assume is contact cement, but I imagine it is something more specialized than the contact cement that come in the small cans. Thanks for all the info.
Wow! What skills! You don’t see that anymore nowadays. I need to do the entire seat of the drivers’ side in my car and thought of going to the junk yard and getting a whole seat but now this is more practical, less work, and less expensive. I’m subscribing to your website. Where are you located. Maybe I could bring my seat over to you.😊
Most VW’s and Audi’s just had one bolt that you needed to remove and then you could slide the whole seat back and out of the seat rails. That’s a lot of rust under that seat. Don’t know if that’s normal of a Ford but never seen that in any vehicle I have ever owned or maintained for the companies I’ve worked for over the last 30+ years.
I’ve always been amazed by you automotive upholstery craftsmen. I have no idea how you learned what you know but I do know this every vehicle I’ve ever owned I’ve wanted or needed the seats upgraded with better fabric, or I’ve wanted in the case of my 1970 Chevy C10 the whole cab upholstered. Seat A custom headliner and overhead storage box and cb mount. They have always been very high quality work. And worth every dollar I’ve paid. You guys truly are the apitomy of old world craftsman. Great vid ❤
It’s very thoughtful of you to not charge for repairing the foam. However, unless you have a lot of other upholstery shops in the area, my opinion is that you should >definitely charge for it because you are providing a highly specialized service that not just any Joe in the neighborhood can do. And anyway, what is MOST important to your customers is the QUALITY of your work. If you are known for high quality work, you can pretty much charge whatever you want. You are providing a very important service. I salute you!
As an ASE Master Tech since 1978, SIR yellow connectors are SAE certified with a shorting bar in the plastic connector that is spring loaded to “Short” across the two inflator module metal terminals. Electrical current can NOT jump into the air bag and deploy it. If you think you really have to turn the key on, engine off, remove the negative terminal. From 1998 and newer (GM) the radio has electronic memory that is erased only with a scan tool. Volume, country, station and saved pre-sets are stored inside it. The SIR control module has capacitors that loose energy if battery is unhooked and cannot deploy inflator module after 5-8 minutes. Written material will tell you 30 minutes but they play it safe. The hook tool is sold in two lengths as a hose removal tool. Slid between a hose and inlet on a radiator, wiggle it left and right w/WD-40 and twist. The hose will free and slide off. If the air bag was on a bench, you have to work on the connector with an insulator installed under the shorting bar and takes some effort. This is a myth. Great article on a common problem, like why do the drivers door hinge pin bushings wear out first? Thanks!
Very good craftsman you are, with great imagination and skill. I think you make it look a little easier than it is tho, as it would take a few years to develop that touch that you have. Very good job, and great artist you are, and I enjoyed the article. You happened to have the “exact match” for the vinyl replacement, so you must have known where to get that.
I searched Amazon for replacement center console cover for my ’05 Grand Prix because of all the cracks, and no one sells any! Just lots and lots of ‘cover-covers’ that go over, but not actually replace. Any idea who sells replacements, or at least how to fix? I don’t have leather seats so i’d assume the console cover is some sort of sythnetic too but it could be a leather i don’t know. The seats are fine.
Hello Gt, i am sorry to say that I do not quote prices here because it will definitely be different from the quote you will get from someone in your area. It’s not fair or accurate to you or any one who reads this. The best thing you can do is call someone in your area that does upholstery. Please keep liking and perusal!
Excellent! I wasn’t looking for upholstery but just saw a “thumb” and remembered my first time fixing a motorcycle seat with no tutorial articles to guide me. I didn’t do too awful bad for my own bike but would be a little embarrassed to sell a job like that. I just don’t have any experience with a sewing machine, couldn’t stay on the line. I cut pieces of carpet foam and used 3M spray glue to layer damaged cushion and wrapped it and stapled outdoor vinyl to repair the seat on my excavator. Looking forward to learning more tricks of the trade from you and maybe drag out the old sewing machine and see if I can figure out how to thread it again.
You may be able to help me… We have 2016 RV Tow Trailer Gulfstream Gulfbreeze that has FAUX Leather Rocker Swivel Recliners and a hide-a-bed Couch… The FAUZ Leather used in the RV industry in 2016 and 2017 PEELS OFF !!! We have scrapped them down to the Cloth… How can these be repaired ??? I guess reupholster ??? Thank You,,, Jack in Little Rock, AR
I used to work in the office of an auto applostery shop back in the 90″s always watched thinking this is a great craftsmanship to learn. Kinda like a cobbler. They made so many custom seats for hot rods and such, the custom work and leather color combinations really popped. I’d see a few VW.s come in and remembering those buses had that old wire frame with the horse hair like padding that held up so well only the fabric would wear down to where that stiff frame would show through. Loved the turquoise and white combo custom work they would install. 🎉 perusal this repair, I thought that original piece of foam used wasn’t really strong for the use on a “Truck” especially all the wear and tear of getting in and out. Should have been much better stiffer quality foam. But WTH gives you the work to repair many I’m sure.
Great article & I “Subbed” your website!! My wife has an upholstery business, she’s been at it for 12 yrs…Albeit a far cry from your 43 yrs of experience!! She hasn’t really gotten into automotive upholstery, but did just finish a ‘64 Chevy C-10 truck seat, since she’s done mostly furniture, boats & golf carts etc. I’ll have to say, automotive upholstery is much harder to do than those mentioned above! Customer wanted Diamond tufting (“old school”) so she had to pattern out & sew the 2″ diamond patterns! I have a Silverado w/ power seats (needs repair much like the Ford you’re doing here)…She won’t even touch those seats, due to all the powered stuff go’in on inside & especially the airbags!! 🤦♂️
I’m a commercial truck washer/detailer. I was just mentioning to my bro-in-law that I’m thinking of including seat/upholstery repair to my services for my clients, just yesterday! Now I come across your article doing one on the same type of trucks we detail every week! If this ain’t God telling me- IDK what is! Thank you sir for the inspiration! My Dad told to do this years ago.
I want to thank you for sharing these article tutorials. My life is in shambles, I lost my job in an industry I’ve spent 14 years in (cell tower installs and mods) and couldn’t find anything to fall back on,. Luckily, I’ve always been pretty handy around a tool box and learning new trades. My dad got me into upholstery when I was a kid doing random projects with him, which I always enjoyed. I’m going to finally order my new Sailrite LSZ machine (rip off version for now) so I can get started my own upholstery company. I thank you for how in depth you go into the proper techniques, etc that will allow me to comfortably, finally work for myself instead of a corporation!
I do upholstery myself! I love perusal how there’s just so many different ways people can do it. Such as sewing, pattern, fitting, foam repair, installing. Interesting really! There’s no right it wrong way. I do what works best and efficient to myself such as the way i was taught. But I’ve been around other trimmers who just blow my mind with their own talents. It is a dieing talent. My business is suffering due to the shipping and underpriced premade covers. We can’t compete with it! A shipping company can make all the seat covers in a car (cheaply made of course/ never 100percent leather they like to claim it is) cheaper than what we can buy the materials for! Its insane
Good article. Taking seats out with an airbag is no big deal. Just follow these steps: Wait 5 minutes after shutting off car, disconnect the negative terminal to battery, remove seat and unplug the airbag. There is ZERO issue if you followed the steps of waiting 5 min and then disconnecting the negative battery cable.
Great article, i have an Automotive shop and for many years ive wanted to learn Upholstery repair and customizing to possibly add to my business or even just repair cars i buy and sell. My one question for you is, can you recommend a vendor / company for someone wanting to start practicing, …. to buy Material ( vinyl, leather, foam, contact glue, Beginners Sewing machine, etc ) ? And exactly what types and brands would you recommend to start with ? Thanks in advance.
You are truly a rarity, at least up in Canada, over my 45 years in automotive repair industry, I have NEVER had the experience of dealing with or even knowing of such a unique highly skilled upholsterer. All the ones up here are like…”I will need to order that seat cushion and or cover panel in” I applaud you!🥇
I worked in a white collar job my whole working life. I have mad respect for skilled tradespeople and craftspeople. They make things I have no clue how to do look easy, which it may be for them with their mad skills. If I tried this project I would need a huge pile of extra material and tons of time for do-overs. Even then…
I do some car upholstery as well. Unfortunately, I never get vehicles where the seat bottom comes out so easily. 🙁 most of the time, the fabric is circling the bolt holing the seat back on. I have done a ton of 1st gen Expeditions and the 97-03 ford pickups and those have to have the seat removed and the seat plate unbolted to properly get the seat bottom out. I’m jealous. I’m curious though why you use a pick instead of a set of cutters to remove the hog rings? I find it so much easier to just cut all the rings since I’m putting in new ones anyway.
Brownie points ! Love that expression. Haven’t heard it in years. My late father used to say it, but in this modern world where people don’t care like they used to, maybe the phrase has gone out of fashion. Excellent repair by the way. I’ll send you my Toyota drivers seat when it wears out in a few years.
I have a 1990 mazda miata which has the original cloth material on the seats. My had the habit of sliding into the drivers seat and the side of the seat has worn away. I’ve looked for the original seat material, but have come up empty handed. Any help on where to look would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to keep the car original. Thanks
Yellow connector has a shorting bar so that when disconnected the bar shorts the circuits together so basically impossible for seat air bag to deploy. To be safe, yes, pull the negative cable and there are NO problems. I have pulled out more seats, steering wheels and occasional complete dash assemblies with air bags and NEVER had a problem. And there is NO reason for a trip to a dealer to reset anything. Guy might do a great repair, but he is not educated on airbags.
My ex wife completely destroyed my car after finding out I had an affair. She was 6 months pregnant with my best friends baby at the time of this incident. She slashed the tires, seats, and doors with a kitchen knife. She then threw a brick through the front windshield. I took the car to the shop to have it repaired. The freemasons had the mechanic do a horrible job and redesign my seats to a different color. This was just another level of satanic ritual abuse.
Nice looks great and that’s a good ad on fixing that foam without extra charge Since you know what to expect before you start you can value that already in and like you said the customer will be happy to get something without any extra charge 👍this is always nice, I hate going somewhere get a price up front then being told uhmm you know we had to do this that and it cost more, a specialist should see what’s going on before get started. I mean some things are unavoidable and there is a time and place for unforseen events
Just bought an industrial sowing machine in beautiful condition but stil scared to tackle the actual reupholstering of car seats as I have reconditioned cars for ages in terms of mechanical repairs and mostly modifications putting bigger engines and such but also panel beating and respraying . I took careful note but still have a lot to learn and sure the first time it won’t be perfect but it will come in time. Thanks for making it look easy I appreciate.
I thought everything made sense except for the foam piece. The edge of the drivers seat by the door gets either flattened or ripped as demonstrated in the article. Some women, who for whatever reason put their pocketbooks under their left thigh while driving. In time this will flatten the foam on the edge of the seat. My question is, for a few extra dollars would it have made sense to replace the entire foam piece? I think yes. What state is your shop located?
If the ignition is off and remains off, you can remove the airbag connectors and do what you need to do. Reconnect them before turning on the ignition and no codes should be triggered as far as I know. It is possible that cars vary though but generally speaking when the ignition is off the computers are off and not looking for modules.