<p>Hi! We have two older cars that have original leather seat covers that are showing their age–a 535i BMW 1992 model and a S70 Volvo 1998 model. Anyone with suggestions on what to do? Hubby thinks the BMW could benefit from having the driver’s seat totally replaced as the springs have lost their “springiness.” In any case, both have badly cracked leather seat covers from too many years in the hot HI sun.</p>
<p>Would love recommendations on what to do at this point. The Volvo will remain in HI, subjected to a lot of heat & UV. The BMW will be going to the east coast.</p>
<p>Have looked at Auto Anything and Cover King. Am debating the pros & cons of using one of their covers & installing the covers ourselves vs. taking it to a local auto upholsterer who will install it for us overnight (which was what the Volvo dealer recommended).</p>
<p>Thanks for anyone’s thoughts. For both cars, the rear seats are fine and don’t need anything. It is mainly the bottom portion of both seats where you sit that needs replacement.</p>
<p>It’s either replace the seat coverings or cover them up. I’ve known people disappointed with some of the cover king type of seat covers. I’m sure they work okay for some but it’s clearly not going to match and will look like an afterthought - like a couch cover. </p>
<p>I’ve redone the seats in my old Mustang a couple of times (because I’ve owned it for a long long time) but it’s a 1966 and I can get the exact factory spec original type seat cover material and redo them myself by taking off the old cover and hog ringing on the new covers. When doing this I’ll replace or bolster the seat foam as needed - usually only the driver’s seat needs this since it gets far more use than the other seats. If there are broken frames/springs, etc. then now’s the time to fix that. I’ve not run into a problem with ‘tired springs’ even on my 45 y/o Mustang so maybe the only issue on your cars is the foam which is good because it’s easier and far cheaper to fix.</p>
<p>Another option is sheepskin seat covers that look better than the other types of ‘covers’ (as opposed to replacing the upholstery as I did with mine). I had some in a car in San Diego and in addition to being warm in the winter, which isn’t much of an issue here, they’re nice and cool in the summer - much cooler than leather or vinyl. They’re still somewhat ‘added-on’ though and not everyone likes them - they’re not as nice as the original look. I had a friend though who bought a new Mercedes SL500 ($92K car!) and right away put sheepskin covers over the leather since he likes the sheepskins. I though it was ridiculous though to do that to that car!</p>
<p>If you like the cars, plan to keep them for a while, and don’t like the look or fit of the add-on-top covers, I suggest finding a quality auto upholstery shop and finding out what your options are for replacing/matching the current leather upholstery with something that looks just like it. It might not be cheap though.</p>
<p>HiMom: I must admit that my first thought was “wait, you’re in Hawaii, don’t you just have Hawaiian-print seat covers?” We had them in our D’s car a long time ago, loved them, as when they got dirty I just pulled them off and washed them. When they got really ratty, I got another set at WalMart…</p>
<p>Yea, in a pinch, I could get those types of cloth, hawaiian print seat covers & see what hubby thinks of them. Good points, UCSD<em>UCLA</em>Dad. Don’t KNOW that it’s more than just foam that is worn on the old BMW, as no one was particularly heavy who drove or rode in the car. Only H has complained about the seat & the BMW is now S’s car & no longer in HI.</p>
<p>I replaced the seat covers on my Volvo. Used an upholsterer, and he matched color perfectly. He also restuffed. Originally, the seats were cloth, but the leather matched and never looked dirty. Several years ago, I think @ $300</p>