Leather Seat Bolster Repair

[Nic]

Noticed today the start of a split in the drivers leather seat bolster; usual place on the edge of the seat back worn from getting in and out of the car. Wondering if anyone has had theirs repaired, what the cost was and who did the work?

[masterbateson]

If your feeling brave you could always take the cover off your self and repair it .
Did one on my MGTF, fiddly and time consuming but do able.

[benjo]

I had full retrim done by gabbat and brown
Inc seats door card centre cubby.choice of colour
And stitching £500 top job highly recommend

[craig]

Yep, sounds a perfect excuse for a retrim!

I take it they're the stock seats? So will be 20+ years old.

[benjo]

http://www.gabbatandbrown.co.uk/toyota_mr2_mk3_2.html

Yea will be but I had my interior trimmed looks like prices may have gone up a tad but still worth the price would highly recommend them

[benjo]

Just seen your in York so there not to far away from you,friend of
Mine lives in new earswick

[ChrisW]

I had my bolster repaired by Tony Baldassare in Bedford a few years ago. Think it was about £50.

https://www.yell.com/biz/a-baldassarre-bedford-1290665/

Unfortunately I've now got a big tear in the leather on the seat base cushion so I'm saving up for a full retrim. Gabbat & Brown sound good as mentioned above.

[Nic]

Cheers guys, yes they are the stock leather seats. It's only the 2 side panels on the drivers seat bolster that are effected, the rest of the seat and passenger seat are in very good condition. I'm going to have a search around to see if there is a company that can replace these panels, just thought I'd ask first to see if anyone else had had this work done.

One other question, are the stock seats actually real leather or are they a leatherette effect material?

[rev3gtturbo]

I have a seam on the driver side bolster of a cloth recaro that has worn through and made a hole.

Looking at it closely, that side panel has already been replaced before as it is definitely a different material and not just faded.
The original material is colour faded so it will be difficult to colour match a repair panel.

I thought about replacing the seat from cars being broken as a cheap option, but looking at them they have worn in different places, so maybe getting another 20 yr old seat with original material probably wont last that long before it starts to wear through somewhere as I do a lot of miles.

Might be better to get the whole seat re-trimmed rather than having the hassle and cost of getting it done multiple times as different bits wear out.

[Nails]

The problem with replacing panels is the other leather will have dried and shrunk and the stitching gone brittle.
I took mine to several places.who all said the same and pointed out the same problems. Got the seat retrimmed Instead. Only cost me £ 130 but got a deal. Guy now wants 150 to do them in the future per seat after having mine apart. Reckons he didnt realise the extra panels work etc.

[v1xz]

I'm in Manchester and I have a local guy BOB who re-trimmed my seats, both of them. Drivers bolster was gone also drivers actual cushion you sit on felt a little deflated. Passenger seat had no rips but plenty of cracks
Seats were already out of the car so it was easy for Bob to come and collect, 2 days later and £85 cash he came back with my seats looking rather clean and ready to use.

[craig]

I'm in Manchester and I have a local guy BOB who re-trimmed my seats, both of them. Drivers bolster was gone also drivers actual cushion you sit on felt a little deflated. Passenger seat had no rips but plenty of cracks
Seats were already out of the car so it was easy for Bob to come and collect, 2 days later and £85 cash he came back with my seats looking rather clean and ready to use.

What did he do for £85? Supply and fit Argos seat covers?

[v1xz]

Spit, Vaseline & duck tape.
Bob did a good job

[craig]

Ah right, thought you meant you were saying you got both seats fully re-trimmed for £85!:

I'm in Manchester and I have a local guy BOB who re-trimmed my seats, both of them.

Seats were already out of the car so it was easy for Bob to come and collect, 2 days later and £85 cash he came back with my seats looking rather clean and ready to use.

A full retrim in leather is in the region of £500+

[v1xz]

Drivers bolster was gone also drivers actual cushion you sit on felt a little deflated. Passenger seat had no rips but plenty of cracks.