Leather Seats

[944 LIL]

Spent a fascinating morning with a guy called Sid Mudge ( http://www.coachtrimmer.com/ ). He was wonderfully honest and frank -
suggesting I should not bother changing my seats, cos they are in good order - re-trimmed pinstripe reasonably recently. If I did want him to do the work he reckoned it'd cost between £1k-£1.5k so suggested getting a kit from the US. I haven't investigated that angle yet. (Sid had a fantastic 1947 Bentley in and I got the whole nine yards on history. He also has a Daimler Dart of his own - in bits - a great "project".)

Saw this on e-bay - Has anybody used this company before

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEAUTIFUL-HANDMADE-PORSCHE-924-944-LEATHER-SEATS_W0QQitemZ190281086838QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item190281086838&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Seems like a good price - that said not sure if its front, back and door cards - have asked question.

I remember looking at a complete set being offered on ebay 4 months ago or so and not bidding - Fen commented at the time I'd missed a trick - I think he might have been right cos I've not seen another set come up []

Any other suggestions would be welcomed - or if you've got some pristine linen leather seats taking up valuable space in your garage let me know and I'll happily free up the space for you. []

 

[John Sims]

On the face of it that looks a very fair price. They don't say if it is for either standard or sports seats so that might be an issue. Going that route it would be criminal not to replace the seat foam at the same time. Had I not just bought a race seat I might well have been tempted.

 

[Sid_Makinson]

I am led to believe that the seat foam is not available any longer. I have made fairly extensive enquiries at Bolton and Exeter OPC and Southbound, but to no avail! The original part number supercedes to the foam for the 3 switch electric seat and lists a load blanks and bits to cover the 3rd hole not needed on the 2 switch seat, which I have. Anyway to cut a long story short, neither 2 nor 3 switch foam is available. Unless anyone knows any different.......

 

[Fen]

Sorry; I got the last driver's sport seat base foam in Christendom for my S2 cab a few years ago...

 

[zcacogp]

Those seats looks slightly 'wrong'. Can't put my finger on why, but the squab seems too narrow somehow. Are they a different design of seat to that in later 944's? I notice that they are pictured in a square-dash car. Oli.

 

[Fen]

I hadn't looked at them until now. They certainly are bright! I think the base cover is flattening the squab as it isn't quite the right shape and that is making it look odd. Either that or it's a trick of the colour combo that makes it look like an odd shape.

 

[Diver944]

I think this is why Southbound Trimmers have the Porsche market mostly sewn up (geddit []) and can charge accordingly [&o] Just about every other retrim that I have seen just does not look factory, and neither do these ones. They are loose around the shoulders and the depth of the ribbing doesn't look right. Obviously they are much better than ripped or frayed originals but to someone who knows these cars it just don't look right guv.

 

[random hero]

They dont look quite right to me either and the colours questionable,the trimmers in question are local to me but i havent used them yet.I need a job doing on my bucket seats so will be visiting them soon to get a quote and compare it with the other local trimmers.

 

[peanut]

well leaving aside the extraordinary colour choice [:'(] The seats are not sports seats so the squab and back will not have the same amount of wing support but saying that they just do not look right at all. i'm sure the quality is excellent given the price but you need to have an accurate template to start with. My drivers seat has just colapsed under my weight so I'm going to have to do something about mine soon.

 

[944 LIL]

For completeness sake - I got a response from the seller - the price includes front and back seats but not door cards which were £45 extra for leather per door.

 

[garyalanlane]

Try these http://www.trim-star.co.uk/. They don't really do porsche but the guy there quoted me about £1200 + vat to do the front and rear seats in leather including leather backs, not horrible vinyl like the oe ones and the door cards. I've seen some of their work and the quality is amazing.

 

[Fen]

I don't actually think the original vinyl is horrible - lots of people don't even notice it isn't leather even after buying the car. I also don't know that I would put over a grand into an unknown trimmer when you can get known quality OE-looking front covers from Southbound for less. I guess if you want a custom looking interior then fine, but personally I think it's fair to say I have yet to see a custom Porssche interior that I like and most look like pooch's first meal of the day, the one linked at the top of this thread most definitely included. Don't get me wrong; I think Dave Nunn knows how to charge with the best of them, but if I were willing to pay his prices then that's where I'd go; I certainly wouldn't be looking to give someone else even more for the job.

 

[zcacogp]

Agree that the vinyl is a very good substitute for leather. It's the best non-leather leather job I think I have ever come across. Also agree about southbound. Although they do do a deliciously good job! I guess that's why they charge the prices they can - because people will pay for quality. Looking at the photos of those crushed-raspberry pink seats again, I think they are non-standard, or some other model of seat. Look at the shape of the top of the (pink) insert on the upright back of the seat - it tapers differently at the top to the seats in my S2. And the backrest-tilt lever is much lower down the side. I think they are a different model of seat. And I wonder whether the trimmer gave out a free pair of sunglasses to the happy new owner of one of the least tasteful interiors I have ever seen ... ! Oli.

 

[Fen]

Actually I think you're right, Oli; they are not the same as later 944 seats. I know the 911 seats changed for 1985 (which means there was one year of the 3.2 Carrera with old seast like the SC). The older 911 ones are most easily identified by having a squarer headrest than the later ones. I wonder if the same is true of the square-dash 944s? I know someone who will know... Simon (944Man) can you tell us?

 

[random hero]

As far is i know the seat shape changed slight with the introduction of the oval dash cars.

 

[zcacogp]

OK, here's another (related) question ... were the sports seats ever supplied with vinyl bolsters? Or did they all have leather bolsters? Oli.

 

[MarkK]

These guys [link=http://www.classiccarservices.co.uk/]http://www.classiccarservices.co.uk/[/link] can give a facelift to an interior that i think looks great,they did my 90 turbo with Linen sports seats,basically refinishing the leather on the front seats with a colour finish made to sample and repaired the bolster replaceing leather,their fees are something like this....- re-dye to front seats £180 plus VAT and around £150 plus VAT to replace leather on a bolster,i reckon its a much more sensible route to a facelift,the interior on my 90 turbo looks better than it ever has.Small family company nice to deal with,they can get original leathers and alot of the original cloth materials too apparently.Great blokes,i will hopefully bring my car to frontrunners if anyone wants a look at the standard of work.

 

[944 man]

The American ready made covers are notoriously poor and Im surprised that a half decent trimmer would suggest fitting them. I know a trimmer in the Midlands who has turned out factory (better actually, with leather seat backs too, not vinyl) quality work for the last 15+ years. Im struggling to find his number unfortunately, but his name is Vaughn and from memory, a couple of other people here have come across him. Simon

 

[random hero]

I dont know vaughn's number but he was on sky tv on campervan crisis and did a very good job re-trimming the seats.

 

[944 man]

PH will have it.