I have about a 1 inch tear in my driver seat back bolster. I need to repair or replace it before it gets too bad. I'm going to pull the seat out and try to repair it from the back. I was pissed when I found out that the bolster is vinyl and not leather. I went to the local dealer and got a price to replace. $370. Almost $200 for the seat skin and $170 to install on the seat. Anyone know where I can get a ZO6 seat skin cheaper or at wholesale?

Also, I noticed the seat back has a zipper (?) running through the middle of it. Is it really a zipper? If that is the case it should be fairly easy to get to the tear to repair.

Any comments or suggestions?

Ed

 

Check with Gene at GMPartsHouse.com.
I think the upper seat cover is around $165 and you should be able to swap them out yourself...

 

It is a zipper and a good upholstery shop can do a repair on the bolster. Or you can change over to Sport Seat skins and foam. I did that on my Z so I could run racing shoulder harnesses through the seat back. I bought the covers and foam from Al Knoch Interiors in El Paso

You shouldn't be so upset with the vinyl. when the C5s came out in 97 the side of the bolster was leather. That was a terrible material for a high wear area. Within 3 days the seat in my 97 was showing a lot of wear. A friend had the bolsters on both seats tear within 3 months of delivery. When the dealer sent me to a well known custom upholstery shop in the area the shop replaced the torn section of leather in my seat with a vinyl piece. The shop owner explained to me that vinyl is a much better material in a high wear area (it is tougher and has the same color all the way through). I believe it was the 2000 model year when GM changed the OEM seat to vinyl on the side of the bolster. This probably dropped their upholstery warranty claims quite a bit. Just think your seat has lasted 4 years Vs 3 months.

You can reduce the frequency of repair by making sure the seat is all the way to the rear when entering the car and by sitting in the seat before twisting your body and swinging your legs into the car (similar to entering a C4 with its high sill).

Bill

 

Bill.....thanks for the info.

Yeah, I hear you about the vinyl vs. leather bolster but I have a 94 T-Bird SC with ALL leather seats and the leather bolster shows the 14 years of wear but the seat has no tears in it. I guess that is why I'm pissed at the ZO6 seat.

I'll probably pull the seat back off myself and repair from the inside. I have secured a good vinyl repair kit and will give it a shot. I figure I have nothing to loose. If it looks like crap, I'll take yours and DERJ suggestion and buy and install a new seat back skin.

My seat goes all the way back with key off. Now that I have the tear I'm sensative to entering and exiting the Z. And when I leave the Z running, seat position 2 puts the seat all the way back and up. I try to sit in the seat and turn into the Z to prevent bolster wear but once the tear started, it is slowly getting worse. At 60 years young, 6'2" and 240 lbs., it is hard not to have bolster wear in the Z.

Ed