Re-upholstering

[Titon12]

I am at the point where the seats are to warn out to save/restore. Has anyone in the Northern California area had the interior redone? Where and how much did it cost? I want to make sure I take it to the right person/shop. I think I am switching from Mocha to Black. I want it to feel and look better than the day I bought the car.

 

[rubydist]

there is a company called Katzkin that makes leather kits for virtually any vehicle. you can either buy just the kits or have them installed. search for a local company that sells/installs those.

 

[intimdatr]

Mine are pretty wore out as well, but:
The leather in my book is "easy" its the foam that i think would need more thought. Any ideas on what to do, those of you who have done this before?

 

[Titon12]

Yea the foam is pretty bad on mine too.

 

[sperold]

Check old posts from Jelloslug. I think he was recovering his interior and had all the information on who makes what for the SHOs. I think you can buy the outer covers for the Gen 2 interior, but he was doing the work on Gen 1 upholstery, and was cutting the patterns and sewing his own units.

 

[threSHOld]

There is a product called scrim foam that comes in different thicknesses, it can be sewn to new seat materials to 'rejuvenate' old seat foam. Also, you can buy chunks of foam from your local craft or hardware store and cut them with an electric carving knife like you use at Thanksgiving (don't tell your wife or mother I told you to use it). The foam can be cut to a shape relatively close to that of your existing seat and with the added layer of scrim it would look just like new. As rubydist mentioned, Katzkin is a great resource for exact fit, custom seat kits and would come highly recommended.

http://katzkin.com/

 

[mtrainTurbo]

IN doing my own research, here is what I have found:

1. If your seats are shot, Katzkin will be your best bet. The seats SHOULD (i repeat, SHOULD) be the same from Gen 1 to Gen 2...the only difference is the upholstery pattern itself. That said, I have never taken one apart.

2. This is for SHO owners who still have seats in cracked, but good condition: YOU NEED TO FIX THE SEATS NOW, before they get worn out. I have called around to various leather repair places, as my seats are cracked but otherwise intact. The cost to refinish and reinforce the seat from a local Ferrari and Maserati leather tech: $150 a seat.

Call me crazy, but that sounds like an insane deal to me. He will sand down, fill cracks, color match the finish, and then respray the seats.

Here is the man I intend to use, when the time comes:

http://www.technique-leather-repair.com/

Here's what I am working with....he says they are "very restorable, to near 100% condition":

 

[kevinspann]

89 Seats are definitely different, the bolsters are bigger. Unsure about 90-91.

 

[JRA2000TL]

Those seats are not bad at all as far as SHO seats are concerned. Lots are ripped and are missing the foam or the driver's seat as a huge ass-divot in it. I could see the skins being able to easily be restored with no rips in them. My 89's were beyond gone, so I bought sone in good condition with only a few cracks and no tears. At least the seat structure is in great shape and if I decide to go for perfect, I can have the skins touched up a bit.

 

[jelloslug]

89 Seats are definitely different, the bolsters are bigger. Unsure about 90-91.

All the 1st gen seats are different. The bolsters got progressively smaller each year. Also, the '89 headrest are different than the 90-91 headrests. All of the 2nd gen seats are the same. You can swap any years upholstery over to any other year if you switch the bolster parts with them though.

 

[jelloslug]

IN doing my own research, here is what I have found:

1. If your seats are shot, Katzkin will be your best bet. The seats SHOULD (i repeat, SHOULD) be the same from Gen 1 to Gen 2...the only difference is the upholstery pattern itself. That said, I have never taken one apart.

2. This is for SHO owners who still have seats in cracked, but good condition: YOU NEED TO FIX THE SEATS NOW, before they get worn out. I have called around to various leather repair places, as my seats are cracked but otherwise intact. The cost to refinish and reinforce the seat from a local Ferrari and Maserati leather tech: $150 a seat.

Call me crazy, but that sounds like an insane deal to me. He will sand down, fill cracks, color match the finish, and then respray the seats.

Here is the man I intend to use, when the time comes:

http://www.technique-leather-repair.com/

Here's what I am working with....he says they are "very restorable, to near 100% condition":

Get some Leatherique for those seats.

 

[platoribs]

http://www.supercoupeperformance.com/partBrowser.aspx?partId=389

 

[kevinspann]

A shame they won't do fronts only

 

[jelloslug]

A shame they won't do fronts only

Ask them, they may.

 

[kevinspann]

Per the page:

"Remember that this item is for the front and back seats. Our supplier has requested that we NOT take orders for the front or rear seats independently, so be aware that any such inquires will be refused."

 

[threSHOld]

Another tip for restoring foam while seat covers are off is to steam them, they will puff back up. I use your typical garment steamer.

Try not to patch missing chunks with cut-outs from other foam material, if you have chunks missing from your seat cut the whole section out of a fresh piece of foam. If you're making new covers yourself sew 1/2" scrim in to hide all the rough cuts, or you may be able to tuck scrim (or sew to existing leather ends at each joint of the cover) on your stock/old seat covers.

 

[rubydist]

The price on the supercoupe page is about what Katzkin would cost, maybe a little more. I can get the full set installed for $1200 (including adding heated front seats), and the labor is a pita, so the labor is a substantial part of that 1200.

 

[jon93]

To my knowledge:

'89 front seats are unique

'89-'90 front seats are unique

'89-'91 rear seats are unique

'92-'95 front seats are unique

'92-'95 rear seats are unique

*'89 and '90-'91 front seats are very similar but not exact

 

[jelloslug]

To my knowledge:

'89 front seats are unique

'89-'90 front seats are unique

'89-'91 rear seats are unique

'92-'95 front seats are unique

'92-'95 rear seats are unique

*'89 and '90-'91 front seats are very similar but not exact

90 and 91 Front bolsters are not the same.

 

[kevinspann]

To add - 92 has their own rear seat bottom that is different than 93-95.