Seat tear - Repair (DIY / Shop) or Purchase used seats

[ravenclaw]

Hi Good afternoon,
I have my zhp and my driver seats are not in the best shape. Have been thinking about replacing them or repairing them soon. I have the pictures attached. Please have a look and provide me some guidance which would be the best option. I stay close to Indianapolis and if someone can suggest me a shop or a product that i can use myself that would be great. Thank you.

3048930490


Regards
Raj

[fredo]

That doesn't look too bad IMHO. Check with an upholstery place. I heard you can save some money if you remove the seat yourself.

On a side note, I would avoid a mobile service. I saw the results after a seat similar to yours was repaired using a mobile service and I could tell the quality was not great.

[Oli77]

Could you tan it black? Is there a tear? Car or boat upholstery may be the way to go.

[ZHPizza]

That just looks like wear, not a tear. Dye and maybe some filler would probably do wonders.

[Rookiez]

That just looks like wear, not a tear. Dye and maybe some filler would probably do wonders.

Agree with these. I'd suggest to look for DIYs from autogeek or autopia folks :)


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[ravenclaw]

There is a very minor tear as you can see in the picture there are some white cotton threads coming out. Its small but would like to fix it when its small. Thanks again for your inputs.

[ravenclaw]

I am going to tan the seat this weekend with either 3M or LeatherNu. Lets see how the results come out. Thanks again for all the input guys.

Regards
Raj

[johnrando]

I had a local place repair mine and they dyed it all to match/clean up the look. Will post a pic later.

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[ELCID86]

I had a local place repair mine and they dyed it all to match/clean up the look. Will post a pic later.

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^That was going to be my recommendation.

[johnrando]

As promised.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170716/9d5831b04046209b3d898d4be06f4f3e.jpg

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[Dave1027]

When I first bought my car I had to relearn how to enter a driver seat. The side bolsters stick out too far and I knew it would only be a matter of time till it was damaged. I had been putting my ass in first then feet but that just didn't work with these seats. I learned to put my right foot in first, then ass, then left foot. It's a little odd of a move but I can do it without bumping the bolster. You have to basically do the splits and get the right foot way over by the gas pedal.

[fredo]

+1. My technique may be different, but I don't touch the bolster at all going in or out.

JR ... That seat looks awesome ! Way better than the repair done by a mobile guy (luckily, it was not my car).

[johnrando]

Thanks!

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[ZHPizza]

When I first bought my car I had to relearn how to enter a driver seat. The side bolsters stick out too far and I knew it would only be a matter of time till it was damaged. I had been putting my ass in first then feet but that just didn't work with these seats. I learned to put my right foot in first, then ass, then left foot. It's a little odd of a move but I can do it without bumping the bolster. You have to basically do the splits and get the right foot way over by the gas pedal.

I'll have to try this. My current method is "ehhh fuckit the bolster already has a tear in it."


+1. My technique may be different, but I don't touch the bolster at all going in or out.

Dude getting into a coupe is a whole different ball game. I never touched the bolsters on my sedan and can slip right in/out of my touring with ease. The coupe though...my ass is just chewing through the bolster...

[slater]

Dude getting into a coupe is a whole different ball game. I never touched the bolsters on my sedan and can slip right in/out of my touring with ease. The coupe though...my ass is just chewing through the bolster...

time for the ol' dukes of hazzard method!

[BMWCurves]

Dude getting into a coupe is a whole different ball game. I never touched the bolsters on my sedan and can slip right in/out of my touring with ease. The coupe though...my ass is just chewing through the bolster...

+1

Then park it in a garage, by a car, or by some sort of obstacle that means you can't open the door all the way and you are guaranteed to rub that bolster.

http://i.imgur.com/VroUd41.gif

[ZHPizza]

time for the ol' dukes of hazzard method!
I've been in situations where I had to resort to holding the unlock button on the fob to roll the window down so that I can shimmy in kind of over the door. I'll start practicing it with the door closed...

+1

Then park it in a garage, by a car, or by some sort of obstacle that means you can't open the door all the way and you are guaranteed to rub that bolster.

http://i.imgur.com/VroUd41.gif
The trouble we go through to look pretty and have adaptive headlights.

[az3579]

I'll have to try this. My current method is "ehhh fuckit the bolster already has a tear in it."



Dude getting into a coupe is a whole different ball game. I never touched the bolsters on my sedan and can slip right in/out of my touring with ease. The coupe though...my ass is just chewing through the bolster...
Oh how handy the B-pillar is on a sedan. ☺️

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[nextelbuddy]

i have my right hand on the steering wheel and my left hand i press onto the door sill area and lift and pull my self out so that I dont put pressure on the lower left seat cushion area and i avoid the bolster. i dread getting into and out of the seats in these cars as its like a ticking time bomb with the bolster and seat cushion lol.

took a girl I was dating the other day out and she slid into her seat right into the bolster like normal and when she sat i looked at her like....

http://i.imgur.com/VsiZBXC.gif

[holyc0w]

took a girl I was dating the other day out and she slid into her seat right into the bolster like normal and when she sat i looked at her like....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1bNVkS181U

[nextelbuddy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1bNVkS181U

:rofl

[BMWCurves]

http://i.imgur.com/VsiZBXC.gif



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1bNVkS181U

My internal monologue

[Wisco]

I've got about a 1cm tear in the outer driver's seat bolster and asked a repair place if they could fix it. The remarked it would cost $250 and could not be guaranteed to be a permanent fix. They suggested I speak with a local car re-upholstery guy who could replace the bolster panel.

So I drove to the scary part of town, through the chainlink fence gate, down the gravel driveway to this craphole shack with several 1960-1970 cars outside in various states of repair. The grizzled old guy stepped out to meet me and grunted "nice, what year us she?" I said 2006 and he responded with "these modern european cars are a pain with all the specialized plastic clips and fittings. I could do some research and probably pull the cover, replace the torn section and put her back on. At least $350.".

So what would you do?

[John in VA]

So what would you do?
Find someone more familiar/that has recently worked on one of these modern European cars!

[Wisco]

Limited choices in this small midwest college town, but you're probably right. Might have to look to Milwaukee or Chicago.

[holyc0w]

Yeah, sounds like one of those experiences you regret later.

[johnrando]

in SoCal, I had both seats done for $350 and $50 to dye them (at a shop the does all types od cars and is familiar with BMWs. $300 for one is high, but I get if you don't have a lot of options.

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