ggoat!!!

Hello everyone...

I have a 30th T/A and my dealer replaced my driver's leather with factory GM replacement since they damaged my original. The new GM leather replacement quality is not 1/20th of the original leather. The passenger's seat (original) is thick and feels substantial. You can't "grab" the leather. The new driver's leather is thin and very wrinkly. You can "pinch" the leather between your fingers. When you rub your fingers along the perforations, you "feel" the holes. Also, when you push down on the seat, it wrinkles like an old lady's nipple (no offense, that's the best way to describe it). The current supplier's leather is just in NO WAY the quality of the original. It's also slightly yellow.

The new leather doesn't fit tight like on the passenger's seat; there are noticable wrinkles and indentations along the bolsters around your thighs at the forward-most part of the seat. The lumbar area seems "loose"; i.e., you can push this area of the cover "in" toward the seatback about 1/2". Is there possibly some padding the dealer forgot to install? I don't see how you could "tighten" the area between the lumbar area's leather surface and the seat structure behind it.

Now, getting to my point. I'm wanting to replace this seat cover. But, I want to know how to do it RIGHT and also if it is possible for me to do this myself. I am pretty good at things like this, but have never upholstered a seat before.

Has anyone else tackled this? How hard is it? What is involved?

When you purchase a NEW seat cover, is there some sort of pad or cushion that goes BETWEEN the seat cover and the foam seat that possibly I don't have on my seat? The excessive wrinkling and loose fit bother me.

When you "take apart" a seat, what all is there?

This car spends most of it's life in storage and has very limited miles. I don't think the seat structure itself is deformed or has any damage. The other seats look new.


Does anyone have any first-hand knowledge regarding what's involved to change the leather? Does anyone have any pictures? Does anyone have anything I can check or look for to see if something may be missing from my driver's seat (i.e., some sort of padding or substrate), and if so, where would I get what might be missing?


Thanks everyone!



Jeff

WFW_maro

dont know but like to

GregAbell60143

The material is held onto the seat frame with "Hog Rings". You will need a set of Hog Ring Pliers to install the new material (check someplace like Eastwood maybe). It's not that difficult if you are patient with it. You have to pull and stretch the material to get the wrinkles out while you attach the hog rings. Strip the old material off of one seat, and it should help make sense of what I've written.

swandogg25

iTrader: (2)

There is no hog rings on the front seats. Once you take apart your seats you will see that the backs of the seats will have zippers on them and the bottom section will have a plastic piece on each side that just holds on to the metal frame. Only part of our cars that has hog rings is the rear seat bottoms. You will also find some velcro underneath the seat covers.
Really easy to do. Need any help at any time just pm me.

ggoat!!!

So is there any additional material between the leather cover and the seat foam? What could be causing my driver's seat leather to be so "loose"? Is there any way to "tighten" the leather on the seat?

Thanks!
Jeff

swandogg25

iTrader: (2)

What could very well be happening also is the foam is getting worn out and starting to split on the bottom. Mine was doing this. If you unbolt the seat and look under you would be able to see if that is happening before going further.

GregAbell60143

Thanks for the info swandogg - I didn't realize the newer cars had changed over to a plastic frame piece. I think the newest vehicle I pulled a seat apart on was a '94. Years ago, my now deceased uncle decided he wanted to learn how to do interiors, so he picked up one of the heavy duty sewing machines, and took some classes, then recruited me to help him. We did like four cars, they turned out pretty good, then he kind of lost interest and decided to sell the equipment.

ggoat!!!

I doubt it, since the car has 1900 miles on it. The center of the bottom isn't loose; it's the edges closest to your knees. Kinda like the leather sits up higher in little wrinkles than the foam. The "saggy" part is the lumbar back area...you can push in that leather about 1/2" before you hit the seat foam backing. I don't know how you would "tighten" this. Also, this entire area is full of little wrinkles whereas the passenger's seat is smooth and uniform.

BANDITCAR

What is the procedure to get the plastic seatback off?

I bought an extra set of CETA seats from ebay and I planned on recovering them in custom leather, but I wasn't sure how to get the covers off in the first place.

emj2006

iTrader: (5)

haha, looks like you're very experienced with old ladies

ggoat!!!

I'm a nurse...and that was the best way to describe how the new GM replacement leather looks when you push your finger down on it. It wrinkles up like a cold old nipple. Ick. Lol...

Thumpin305

iTrader: (5)

I can't help you with your question, BUT....

How do you know what happens when you push an old lady's nipple down? Perk of the job? No pun intended...

Havok2

iTrader: (118)

LOL weirdos

Wolfgang427

iTrader: (48)

1meantransam

iTrader: (8)

YOU'RE SICK!!!!

1998Z28LOADED

sounds like someone is into old ladies....lol

ggoat!!!

My god, how OLD is everyone here? Wow. I was just trying to describe something. Does anyone have any other info germaine to the questions I asked in the original post?

Thanks,
Jeff

swandogg25

iTrader: (2)

Sorry if I confused you but the seat frame is metal. What I meant was the bottom seat cover itself is held onto the frame by four plastic tabs.

plopp

iTrader: (5)

I just installed new leather seat covers, it's not too difficult. As described above, only the two rear cushions use hog rings, I re-used mine and used normal pliers to bend them.... no big deal....

Buy quality leather covers, either Katzkin (spelling) if you're willing to pay $1200 or Ebay covers from leatherseats.com (that's what i got, $650 shipped). They fit, feel and look great, way better than the junk the GM installed....

ggoat!!!

I've gotten some pictures of my poor quality GM replacement leather which shows the "looseness" and wrinkly nature of the leather. Sorry for the poor pics; all I had was a camera phone. I've included pics of the passenger's seat to show the difference in the apparent thickness of the leather (the passenger's seat is smooth and tight and doesn't wrinkle like an old nipple when you push your finger into it).

This is factory GM replacement leather. Is everybody SURE that there is NO WAY to adjust this leather cover to make it fit better/tighter?



New driver's replacement wrinkly loose lumbar area:



Passenger's original tight lumbar area:



New driver's replacement thin leather "nipple effect" when pushed with a finger:



Passenger's original leather when pushed with a finger:



New driver's replacement lumbar area loose wrinkles when pushed "in" (it can be pushed in almost 3/4"):



Passenger's original tight wrinkle-free lumbar area when pushed "in":



Poor, loose fit around base of seat back; bunches up around corners...also note the yellowing of the leather central seating area compared to white vinyl sides:



Loose, bumpy areas closest to right knee at the front of the seat: