Feb 20, 2015, 12:47 PM
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New Seat Covers
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 558
Likes: 22
From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
New Seat Covers
OK, so I have just recently finished installing new 100% leather seat covers c/w new foam. I'm very pleased with how they turned out. I know there is a process where a hair blow dryer or heat gun is used to remove minor wrinkles. I'm a little concerned about doing this. Anyone have any experience doing this and can share some tips?? Will natural heat, in the summer time, remove these wrinkles by themselves??
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,125
Likes: 9
From: Crescent City, CA
I think the heat needs to be done while installing the covers.
It lets the material stretch while installing, that way you can pull and stretch the wrinkles out as you install.
Unless you plan on reinstalling later.
It lets the material stretch while installing, that way you can pull and stretch the wrinkles out as you install.
Unless you plan on reinstalling later.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
heat is used with vinyl.....not sure whats used w/leather
let them sit in the sun.....and also go look at any new car with leather its filled with wrinkles....sometimes its best to leave good enough alone.....
let them sit in the sun.....and also go look at any new car with leather its filled with wrinkles....sometimes its best to leave good enough alone.....
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: Delray Beach, Florida
where did you get them? I'm going to re-do the interior in the spring. I was planning on having corvette central do the whole process, with new foam, their labor seems reasonable (approx $230 for labor). I would love to hear any recommendations from any members. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 11
From: Toronto Ontario
Originally Posted by pferrall
where did you get them? I'm going to re-do the interior in the spring. I was planning on having corvette central do the whole process, with new foam, their labor seems reasonable (approx $230 for labor). I would love to hear any recommendations from any members.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 558
Likes: 22
From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Originally Posted by pferrall
where did you get them? I'm going to re-do the interior in the spring. I was planning on having corvette central do the whole process, with new foam, their labor seems reasonable (approx $230 for labor). I would love to hear any recommendations from any members.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 3
From: Wildwood IL
Originally Posted by blackshark82
Can you give me more information? Wilcox full name and url? Thanks
Eddie
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 106
Likes: 1
From: Indiana
A little advice from Willcox:
Using a heat gun (blow drier) on seat covers will help remove wrinkles.
For goodness sakes use the blow drier and not a heat gun if you have never done this before!
Never, never, never attempt to steam leather seat covers. I know, no one mentioned steam but it's an old interior installation trick to help old foam swell and look good. Vinyl covers on old foam can be steamed and will work to temporarily swell the old foam and make the cover look good. Using steam on leather covers will rot the covers!
Foam, no matter how nice it looks will collapse. The pockets created in the old foam will be hidden by the old cover stretching with the foam. New covers will be tight and show the collapsed area. This will also cause premature seat cover failure. The main place the foam will collapse is in the area where your rear hits it, as well as the area where you side (waist) hits the cover. Both areas will squash down in the old foam! This will create what we term "floppy" area when the new cover is installed. We don't believe in padding foam either. Foam padding glued to the old foam will show when the cover is installed.
Our shop policy here is that we will not install new covers on old foam. We learned this lesson the hard way. Just as soon as you install covers on old foam and have floppy areas. Then the customer looks at the covers and wonders why this happened. When you explain it to them in detail.... We'll now they want new foam installed to make the covers look good.
The only problem with this is that we now have the labor in the installation one time, but now we have it two times. Customers don't want to pay twice for doing an installation and thus the company policy to not install old foam under new covers....
All I've got left tonight is my 2 cents, and I just spent it...
Regards,
W
Using a heat gun (blow drier) on seat covers will help remove wrinkles.
For goodness sakes use the blow drier and not a heat gun if you have never done this before!
Never, never, never attempt to steam leather seat covers. I know, no one mentioned steam but it's an old interior installation trick to help old foam swell and look good. Vinyl covers on old foam can be steamed and will work to temporarily swell the old foam and make the cover look good. Using steam on leather covers will rot the covers!
Foam, no matter how nice it looks will collapse. The pockets created in the old foam will be hidden by the old cover stretching with the foam. New covers will be tight and show the collapsed area. This will also cause premature seat cover failure. The main place the foam will collapse is in the area where your rear hits it, as well as the area where you side (waist) hits the cover. Both areas will squash down in the old foam! This will create what we term "floppy" area when the new cover is installed. We don't believe in padding foam either. Foam padding glued to the old foam will show when the cover is installed.
Our shop policy here is that we will not install new covers on old foam. We learned this lesson the hard way. Just as soon as you install covers on old foam and have floppy areas. Then the customer looks at the covers and wonders why this happened. When you explain it to them in detail.... We'll now they want new foam installed to make the covers look good.
The only problem with this is that we now have the labor in the installation one time, but now we have it two times. Customers don't want to pay twice for doing an installation and thus the company policy to not install old foam under new covers....
All I've got left tonight is my 2 cents, and I just spent it...
Regards,
W
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,776
Likes: 142
From: North of Atlanta GA
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by REDRED62
A little advice from Willcox:
Using a heat gun (blow drier) on seat covers will help remove wrinkles.
For goodness sakes use the blow drier and not a heat gun if you have never done this before!
Never, never, never attempt to steam leather seat covers. I know, no one mentioned steam but it's an old interior installation trick to help old foam swell and look good. Vinyl covers on old foam can be steamed and will work to temporarily swell the old foam and make the cover look good. Using steam on leather covers will rot the covers!
Foam, no matter how nice it looks will collapse. The pockets created in the old foam will be hidden by the old cover stretching with the foam. New covers will be tight and show the collapsed area. This will also cause premature seat cover failure. The main place the foam will collapse is in the area where your rear hits it, as well as the area where you side (waist) hits the cover. Both areas will squash down in the old foam! This will create what we term "floppy" area when the new cover is installed. We don't believe in padding foam either. Foam padding glued to the old foam will show when the cover is installed.
Our shop policy here is that we will not install new covers on old foam. We learned this lesson the hard way. Just as soon as you install covers on old foam and have floppy areas. Then the customer looks at the covers and wonders why this happened. When you explain it to them in detail.... We'll now they want new foam installed to make the covers look good.
The only problem with this is that we now have the labor in the installation one time, but now we have it two times. Customers don't want to pay twice for doing an installation and thus the company policy to not install old foam under new covers....
All I've got left tonight is my 2 cents, and I just spent it...
Regards,
W
Using a heat gun (blow drier) on seat covers will help remove wrinkles.
For goodness sakes use the blow drier and not a heat gun if you have never done this before!
Never, never, never attempt to steam leather seat covers. I know, no one mentioned steam but it's an old interior installation trick to help old foam swell and look good. Vinyl covers on old foam can be steamed and will work to temporarily swell the old foam and make the cover look good. Using steam on leather covers will rot the covers!
Foam, no matter how nice it looks will collapse. The pockets created in the old foam will be hidden by the old cover stretching with the foam. New covers will be tight and show the collapsed area. This will also cause premature seat cover failure. The main place the foam will collapse is in the area where your rear hits it, as well as the area where you side (waist) hits the cover. Both areas will squash down in the old foam! This will create what we term "floppy" area when the new cover is installed. We don't believe in padding foam either. Foam padding glued to the old foam will show when the cover is installed.
Our shop policy here is that we will not install new covers on old foam. We learned this lesson the hard way. Just as soon as you install covers on old foam and have floppy areas. Then the customer looks at the covers and wonders why this happened. When you explain it to them in detail.... We'll now they want new foam installed to make the covers look good.
The only problem with this is that we now have the labor in the installation one time, but now we have it two times. Customers don't want to pay twice for doing an installation and thus the company policy to not install old foam under new covers....
All I've got left tonight is my 2 cents, and I just spent it...
Regards,
W
