Real Leather Seat Covers

FC Zach

Active member
EvilStig":3hvms8az said:
Thanks for the info. Are those seats you ordered Grey? they look almost more brown to me...
Yeah, they are gray but you are correct, they do appear brownish in the pics. They're close but slightly lighter in color than the OE pieces.

EvilStig":3hvms8az said:
I just ordered the fronts and they should get here this week, will let you know if I find anything different on mine.
You think it would be beneficial if I copy/paste this link for the seller to see a more detailed write-up and read through concerns/reviews? I just hope that if I do, it isn't taken the wrong way and more-so constructive than anything.
 

EvilStig

New member
EvilStig":7mlf8sxw said:
I just ordered the fronts and they should get here this week, will let you know if I find anything different on mine.
You think it would be beneficial if I copy/paste this link for the seller to see a more detailed write-up and read through concerns/reviews? I just hope that if I do, it isn't taken the wrong way and more-so constructive than anything.[/quote]

I'd see what he says first about your request for help on the headrest and rear seat fitment, and then ask if he wants more feedback. I'd also probably just send him a write up instead of linking him to the thread.
 

Spectra1

Member
The rear seats are shallower because they were likely modeled after a GTS. When I did this a few years ago I ended up with the same problem. When I compared the alltrac and GTS rear seats side by side the alltrac were significantly deeper.
 

EvilStig

New member
Spectra1":339lr09r said:
The rear seats are shallower because they were likely modeled after a GTS. When I did this a few years ago I ended up with the same problem. When I compared the alltrac and GTS rear seats side by side the alltrac were significantly deeper.


GTS have a different headrest too? Could be why the difference there... I certainly don't remember seeing the bellows style risers on any other cars.
 

FC Zach

Active member
Good news, guy is redoing the headrests and rear covers. . He asked that I send him my covers to use as a template. Shipping label was prepaid and sent too, great service so far. . Aside from this setback, I have no complaints. Hope you others have just as good of an experience.
 

FC Zach

Active member
Also, the seller didn't want the headrest and rear covers returned that I received. . So, since I have no use for these and it would be a shame to scrap them, if anybody here has that style rear seat bottom and also want the matching rear backs (and you're ok with the issues pointed out above) send me a message. I'll include the headrest covers but keep in mind they will not match your gray perfectly. All I ask for is payment for shipping and a nominal fee for time/material.

With that said I will be keeping them till the replacements arrive since I'm using them as a map of where each hog ring rod goes.
 

Tecker185

Member
The quality looks great, im glad the seller is taking the time to make it right. This will encourage more people to buy his/her product. Hopefully he/she continues to make these for us we need them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

EvilStig

New member
I received mine last week and started working on them thursday night. I got the bottom of the driver seat fitted with a little 1/2" foam added to plump it out. I noticed that using the heat gun trick to shrink away the wrinkles doesn't really work, as once the material cools it becomes baggy again. I molded some additional foam around the top portion of the seat, and tried to put on the top cover, but that's where things went pear shaped. One of the wire pockets started to tear from the tension, and I found the holes I cut for the headrest posts (it didn't come pre-cut) during the test fitting no longer lined up correctly once enough tension was on the cover. Then just when I thought I might be able to pull it off anyway, one of the rubber tethers snapped.

So now the question is, where can I get another of those tethers? I'd be shocked if toyota still sold something like that, assuming they ever did in the first place... I may need to buy a whole GT seat from pick n pull and hope it uses the same mounting straps. Or take it to an upholstery specialist and sell them a kidney to finish the job for me.

By the way, I, too, found the same issue with the headrest and contacted the seller, sending pictures and offering to send anything else he needed back. I haven't heard back yet but will keep folks posted. Had I been more patient, I may have had mine finished after he made the adjustments for yours.
 

FC Zach

Active member
To remove the wrinkles try steam, that worked for me. As for the holes, that's something you should have done afterwards. I sent the seller the correct templates (headrests) and he received them this week. If you don't have access to a steam cleaner/machine, ask local upholstery shops.
 

FC Zach

Active member
I borrowed a handheld steam cleaner like this. .
40863667251_2a2210791d_z.jpg


After about thirty minutes of work (could probably try another go) I smoothed it out a little, it's not perfect but it made a difference and looks great to me.
40155076964_550d0e42c4_z.jpg
 

yyonline

Member
Slightly related question - how does one get the headrests and the plastic piece off on the rear of the seat? If you're able to post some photos or tips, it would be greatly appreciated.
 

FC Zach

Active member
Use a finesse-stick (or carefully with a flathead screwdriver) to push the lower front of the headrest boots off the seatback cover. . Once you have that separated, you can remove the headrest. Notice there's two tabs on the front of each side, that's what you'll push in as you lift upwards on the boots.
40173982334_31e072d184_z.jpg


Then you'll see two screws on the top corners of the seatback cover. .
40174054484_ba11857104_z.jpg


Once those are removed all I can say from there is good luck. . It's a horrible design because you need to remove the plastic headrest adjuster in order to slide the seatback cover up and off but unfortunately to access the bottom of the adjuster, you ideally need the the cover off. . What I did was carefully bend the metal tab up.
26009735197_6ea1909a1f_z.jpg
 

EvilStig

New member
Well I have officially botched this job quite badly at this point...

Did you have any trouble getting the seat cover to stretch down all the way over the wings, and up around the back to secure it? Mine has some foam still showing, and is missing the little tab used to tension that corner of the cover. I also managed to rip the sleeve out of the bottom while trying to attach it to the seat back. https://imgur.com/a/Ou8uJ

I'm not sure yet if I should approach the seller about this or just bite the bullet and take it to an upholstery shop to see if they can fix it for me.
 

FC Zach

Active member
EvilStig":lz0zlthd said:
Well I have officially botched this job quite badly at this point...

Did you have any trouble getting the seat cover to stretch down all the way over the wings, and up around the back to secure it?

I had no trouble with the fronts at all, my only complaint was the difference in the flap that folds around and underneath the backside of the seat bottom.

EvilStig":lz0zlthd said:
Mine has some foam still showing, and is missing the little tab used to tension that corner of the cover. I also managed to rip the sleeve out of the bottom while trying to attach it to the seat back.

You did say you added foam to your seat back/s, I'm sure you're fighting that. As for the tabs used to tension the lower seat back corners. . . I noticed that too but once I got to moving along I found it somewhat redundant (the plastic seat back cover hides this area anyways).

EvilStig":lz0zlthd said:
I'm not sure yet if I should approach the seller about this or just bite the bullet and take it to an upholstery shop to see if they can fix it for me.

To avoid any further damage I'd let a pro finish what you've started.
 

8BitBrody

New member
I'm interested to see how this turns out once you get the new versions. I might have to save up to get some of these for my car!
 

EvilStig

New member
FC Zach":1xe8yuvg said:
You did say you added foam to your seat back/s, I'm sure you're fighting that. As for the tabs used to tension the lower seat back corners. . . I noticed that too but once I got to moving along I found it somewhat redundant (the plastic seat back cover hides this area anyways).


To avoid any further damage I'd let a pro finish what you've started.

Nah this was without the extra foam.

I'll call around and see.
 

EvilStig

New member
Update!

New headrest covers arrived based off the template ostensibly provided by FC Zach, and they fit beautifully. Took some work to get them properly fit around the foam since it's a tight fit, used some steam to get it stretched into place.

Took the time to restore the boots and backing, and you can really tell the color difference now, although I still think it looks nice: https://imgur.com/a/UTYpDfy

I actually reached out to the guy to order a second set of back rest covers, figuring the cost would be cheaper than going to an upholstery shop, and with sufficient extra parts and materials I could then modify them myself if necessary and not worry about ruining my only set. That somewhat backfired when he made a change to the template, and the new covers he sent were constructed differently and would no longer attach to the seatback frame. I sent him feedback on that ( https://i.imgur.com/bgNy79p.jpg ) and we're now discussing shipping these new covers back to have them modified or remade. He's seemed open to re-doing them with stronger material at the outer wire sleeves, and I've been offering to send him my OEM covers to use as a reference or template if he wants, but so far her hasn't bitten on that.

I'll keep you updated as things change.
 

FC Zach

Active member
Nice! I got the rest of mine in the other day and so far I've only got the headrest on, they fit nicely :) I hope to finish the rear seats tomorrow.

As far as the color difference. . I think it's a nice contrast. I'd rather have that than a color that's close but not close enough.
 

EvilStig

New member
FC Zach":3ch84l9t said:
Nice! I got the rest of mine in the other day and so far I've only got the headrest on, they fit nicely :) I hope to finish the rear seats tomorrow.

As far as the color difference. . I think it's a nice contrast. I'd rather have that than a color that's close but not close enough.

I can agree on that, although it does make me wish for more coordinated matching of other parts like the armrest and steering wheel cover.
 
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