How Hard Is It To Install Seat Covers?

[burton160w]

I found a set of OEM leather seat covers that I wanna buy. Problem is I'm cash strapped and don't mind a good project to tackle. Realistically, how difficult would it be to install leather seat covers.

And if I need it professionally done, about how much am I looking at to have it done?

[MontereyDave]

I'm also very curious to hear from the experts. I was lucky enough to find a set of leftover from the factory, never-used gray leather seat covers. It is a complete set except missing one headrest (but it shouldn't be too noticeable for me to use one of both of my original headrests).

The guy I bought them from told me up front I'll have to remove the front seats from the car. How difficult it that? Any special advice for disconnecting the electric driver's seat? Any special tools I should buy for the project? Are there some kind of hog rings (if that is what they're called)? Please provide any advice you might have.

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[kustomcougar]

just hope you have the seats where the skin pulls off, if its glued to the seat your pretty much screwed. if its not glued to the seat all you have to do is take the seat out and pull all the old seat cover off and replace it with the new leather, sometimes you have to steam it to get the wrinkles out but those look like you wont have to

[kustomcougar]

..and for the power seat wire it should just unclip

[LEVIATHANN]

Well...I'm no expert but I did do it twice. If you're replacing your factory leather it's not that difficult to remove your old one. You just need a little paitience. If you're doing cloth get ready!!!!!! The cloth is sooooooo glued to the foam it's not a pleasant experience. But if you have the patience...

Also the driver power seat is a PAIN. In order to do the bottom part of the seat you have to remove the track and cables. Lots of remembering what goes where.
So good Luck and BE PATIENT!!!!!!

[kustomcougar]

and if those leather covers don't work for ya, i'll take um off your hands ;)

[burton160w]

man, I'm taking cloth seats off :( so the glue factor will suck! i'll call to see and get an estimate cause I would like it done professionally, but I'm always up to challenge.

[deliveryguy]

Has anyone tried throwing seat covers over the cloth? I have cloth seats, and I'd rather cut some "leeway" slits in the covers than eff up my foam. I'm not sure if it would work though :confused:

[burton160w]

Has anyone tried throwing seat covers over the cloth? I have cloth seats, and I'd rather cut some "leeway" slits in the covers than eff up my foam. I'm not sure if it would work though :confused:

This I know you can't do. The OEM covers aren specified to be tight when they go on. IF you hate teh cloth on, it's stretched too much to actually pull the leather over.

With the glue, just take your time when pulling it off.

[Drewmanfu0]

My cloth came off just fine, problem is getting the covers to fit right. Hogrings are damn near impossible to find locally but I did end up finding them at one of those hole-in-the-wall local hardware stores.

[TrackCat]

I hope this helps
Shows A - Z : Tricked Out : Mitsubishi 3000 GT: Custom Leather Interior : DIY Network (http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dtrk/episode/0,2046,DIY_17836_33677,00.html)

[gamiller]

I'm late to the party, and just about everything here jives with what I know.

Seatman, who re-covered Cougar seats professionally, told me that you can't put the leather covers over the cloth because the leather will be over-stretched. He also said you can't really peel the cloth off of the foam due to the glue.

But it sounds like with enough patience, you can peel off the cloth as others have done. I wonder if you would have better results if you bought OEM leather seats from a junkyard and re-covered them.