Where to order re-upholstery kit from

[Mook613]

I'd like to restore my seats during the winter when my car is stored and I can take my time to do the job indoors.

Now I am looking for a upholstery kit but do not know who to order from. I have heard that the Ebay kit from ZoomZoomZooming isn't good and the current kits are from unknown suppliers.

Does anybody have experience with somebody that is still in business? I have found a few sites such as:
1) WorldUPH
2) LeatherSeats
3) KasselPerformance (they sell the M fabric, but wayyyy too expensive)
4) AutoLeathers UK

I can't PM forum member stitched (who used to offer a kit) as his inbox is full.

[theTBLACK]

The ZoomZoom Kit for the price honestly isn't that bad. I didn't like the padding he used for the center sections, but that's replaceable. Other than that, it was a solid 8/10.

[LJSE34]

I would like to hear some feedback on this too. I'm also considering the Ebay zoomzoom kit. Would like to know if you guys know any alternatives.

[MSGGrunt]

I was about to ask the same question.

Anyone have experience with Autoberry?

They seem reasonable in price. $800 for a complete, 2 front sport seats and complete rear seat covers seems pretty reasonable.

I have a 1990 325i Convertible with what appears to be the least popular interior color, 0293 Indigo Blue. My passenger's sport seat is fine and could be freshened up with a re-dye but, the driver's seat backrest bolster's (x2) are split right at the seams and the rear bench is split along the seams as well.

I have been leaning towards replacing the OEM leather with vinyl for ease of installation, cleaning, longevity, etc... but, I am learning that if I go with vinyl it will have to be German vinyl over a domestic vinyl for its much better quality. I have experience with both vinyl and leather, vinyl (MB TEX) in a 1992 Mercedes 190e and leather in my 1987 BMW M6 and I can say that the MB TEX wears like iron where the leather in my M6 needs constant cleaning and feeding and looking after. Thankfully the M sees limited use.

http://www.autoberry.com/bmw/3-series-87-93/seat-covers/87-93

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-325i-320i-318i-M3-87-93-3-Series-Leatherette-Seat-Covers-replacement/271661441500?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D39218%26meid%3Dc486a9ce7b844df9b76b647b0461c119%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D251501228914

[MSGGrunt]

My Vinyl and Leather Interior Research

Auto Berry in Chatsworth, California
$800 for "Leatherette" complete front and rear.
$1500 for Leather front and rear.

http://www.autoberry.com/details.php?products_id=69

Auto Custom Leather in Ludlow, Massachusetts.
$825.00 for a leather vinyl mix complete front and rear interior.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/autocustomleather?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

http://autocustomleathers.com/index.html

LeatherSeats.com in Oklahoma City
$669 for all vinyl front seats. I don't see where kits for the back seat is offered.
$749 for a "deluxe" leather kit. Leather seating surfaces and vinyl elsewhere.
$899 for "Premium" leather seating surfaces and vinyl elsewhere.
$1299 for 100% leather covers.

https://www.leatherseats.com/shop/leather-interior-kits.html

World Upholstery and Trim.
$2250 for a full vinyl kit.
$2950 for a full leather kit.

http://www.worlduph.com/bmw/3_series/e30/cabriolet/#Seat

GAHH Automotive.
$1750 for a full vinyl kit
$2670 for a full leather kit

http://www.gahh.com/interiors/seats.html?vehicle_make=223&material_type=3196&p=2&years_fit=331

Merino Leather
Usually in M models and BMW Individual orders. This iswafflesgenuine fine-grain natural leather, it is dyed with no artificial coating applied.

Nappa Leather
This is an optional upgrade for the higher-level BMW models (such as the 5, 6 and 7-Series, X5 etc). It is a full-grain, un-split semi-aniline leather with a light clear coating on top of the surface for protection. Its grain quality is not as high as the Merino leather, and it is considered to be the 2nd highest quality leather in BMW cars.

Dakota/Nevada Leather
Used on most model’s base trims. This is a lower grade leather, usually corrected-grain or even created from the split, and coated with a synthetic polymer paint. Its surface is embossed with an artificial grain.

SensaTec
Used on some lower-level models’ base trims. Previously known as the “Leatherette”, this is not a real leather material. In fact this is just a vinyl material tries to mimic the look and feel of the leather sheets. This fake leather material does not breath as good as leather, so you will feel hot after sitting on it for an extended time period. However, it wears better than Merino/Nappa leather, easier to clean and maintain, and it is not animal-based.

[MSGGrunt]

So it seems there is a wide range in kit prices and I am sure a wide range in quality, though just because something is high priced doesn't mean it is ALWAYS better than a lower priced kit.

What materials are used is a big factor. I found this out quickly when I learned that the E24 M6 interior is Napa leather. Finer grained, softer, higher quality and higher priced to replace. I am sure the same can be said when comparing a "standard" domestically produced vinyl against a German made vinyl.

How a product looks when installed can also be a result of a poor installation and not a poorly made kit. Though I do have to question the Auto Custom Leathers kit when their advertisement picture has what appears to be a lot of puckering of the back seat vs the picture of the red interior from Auto Berry.

I'm hoping others weigh in on this topic as well

[N2MYE30]

I have used leatherseats.com and I was pleased with the quality. I would have liked full leather but for the price and what I needed it for, it fit the bill I would use them again. My results...




Now, if you are looking for a custom color, that's a different story. For my current cabrio, I search for years for the perfect color and texture hides. Once I did, I sent 9stitch my hides and he stitched up a kit for me in full leather for my fronts.

[MSGGrunt]

Those looks nice.

I can say that I sent Auto Berry an Email requesting a sample of there German Leatherette (vinyl) in 0293 Indigo Blue and they got back to me within an hour.

Auto Custom Leather is only a few miles away from me so, I will visit them and see what they offer and report back.

I would like to find a shop, maybe Auto Custom Leather, who would be willing to just repair my driver's seat side bolsters and rear seat center section. I visited one shop that just seemed put off to do anything other than install a full kit. I guess I can understand the time, and time is money, it would take to "repair" the rear seat center section versus just recovering it.

[MSGGrunt]

My other concern with a whole new seat kit is matching the rest of the interior, which thought has to be given to in my opinion.

I don't want my seats being all new and fresh and an unfaded blue when my door panels, carpets and other interior pieces are faded and don't match.

When I restored the interior on my E24 M6 this wasn't so much of a concern as the whole damn interior on the M car is covered in Napa leather and I just stripped and redyed everything.

With my E30 this isn't the case. I have had good luck with custom color matched/blended paints that are specifically made for plastic and vinyl and would work for the door panels, door pulls, etc that may need "freshening up" to match newly covered or dyed seats. The same can be said for my carpets. When I pulled my rear seats for a treatment of Leatherique you could really notice how much the carpets have faded where they were under the seat bottom and not exposed to the sun.

[MSGGrunt]

I went to a one man shop in Belmont, MA today for a quote to have my two driver's side bolsters and just the upright portion of my back seat recovered and the guy, off the top of his head, said it would probably be around $2200.00. And to add insult to injury he made a comment about the car not being around in twenty years so why use leather. Needless to say he will not be getting my business.

I had a much better experience visiting Auto Custom Leather out of Ludlow, MA. The owner was exceptionally nice and even gave me a tour around their facility and showed me some of their work. Same two bolsters and rear seat upright covered in BMW leather will be $400.00 and that includes installing the bolsters on my seats. Needless to say I thought that was a decent price and left their shop with no back seat.

[N2MYE30]

I went to a one man shop in Belmont, MA today for a quote to have my two driver's side bolsters and just the upright portion of my back seat recovered and the guy, off the top of his head, said it would probably be around $2200.00. And to add insult to injury he made a comment about the car not being around in twenty years so why use leather. Needless to say he will not be getting my business.

I had a much better experience visiting Auto Custom Leather out of Ludlow, MA. The owner was exceptionally nice and even gave me a tour around their facility and showed me some of their work. Same two bolsters and rear seat upright covered in BMW leather will be $400.00 and that includes installing the bolsters on my seats. Needless to say I thought that was a decent price and left their shop with no back seat.

The guy at the 1st place is an a$$. But the 2nd place sounds like a winner. post pix when you get them back. :up:

[jeffnhiscars]

I was referred to a local shop who specialized in "classic" cars. He had an old tbird in the shop so seemed like the right place. He gave me a quote to just do the back portion of my Cabrio rear seat for $1000....and that was for vinyl.

Needless to say we didn't do business

[MSGGrunt]

I got a call from Auto Custom Leather today asking me if I could come over and look at the leather. They told me that the leather they ordered didn't have the same "grain" as the rest of the original leather and they didn't feel comfortable just going ahead and recovering my back seat without my approval. When I got there the surface of the leather was glass smooth, not a bit of grain at all and clearly would not match the grain of the bottom of the seat or the driver's seat side bolsters to the rest of the seat.

I asked about the grain of the leather used in the rest of their E30 kits and the guy said that they had the grain that would match the rest of my leather, it was just the Indigo blue leather is not as easy to find as say black or cardinal or Natur or a more common color. He is ordering another sample from another company and I'm hoping this matches much better.

I don't mind waiting for the right leather and my compliments to them for being just as particular. Great company.

[MSGGrunt]

The newly covered back seat upright. The new leather grain and color match perfectly.

[badwella]

Dunno if you saw this, but I did a DIY post here a while back using the zoomzoomzooming kit. I used the OEM german vinyl rather than aftermarket. Aftermarket vinyl is very thin and cheap feeling. Either go leather or OEM vinyl.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=391756&highlight=sport+seat+reupholstery

The only complaint I have is the foam used in the center. It's way too thick. Needs to be thinner like the original seat foam (if possible, reuse this or request they use original when they make yours). It sort of pushes you out of the bolsters. Maybe it will break down and collapse in time but for now I'm going to go ahead and get a Schroth quick harness to run to keep me in place during the twisties.