Seat Replacement Options
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#2
You can scout the junk yards but frankly anything of the same vintage is going to be WELL used and probably not worth the cost and hassle. You can probably find a nice setup out a newer vehicle but it's not likely to be the pattern and color that you want. If you're insistent on a particular color and pattern then getting your seats rebuilt and reupholstered is probably your only choice and you MAY be stuck with buying the material or outer cover from Ford. (KA-CHING!)
I just had seats in my BMW reupholstered in nice black leather $300 for the pair. If I had used the one-of-a-kind, only-used-for-that-model-BMW leather, then the cost would have been MUCH higher! These seats look and feel great and only a BMW FANATIC would notice the difference. FWIW I only NEEDED the bottom of one seat replaced but replacing the bottom only would have costs the same as doing the whole seat and the seats would have been miss matched and the other seat would still been worn even if the patterns had matched. All in all, it just made a lot more sense to reupholster all of it and get a complete interior that matched. And by doing all of it, I was able to use non-speciality leather and save a bundle.
Short version: find an available pattern and color that you like and do both seats, tops and bottoms.
PS You can save a nice bit of change by taking the seats out and taking just the seats to the upholstery shop and then re-installing them yourself. The shop that I used charges $100/pair to R&R seats.
I just had seats in my BMW reupholstered in nice black leather $300 for the pair. If I had used the one-of-a-kind, only-used-for-that-model-BMW leather, then the cost would have been MUCH higher! These seats look and feel great and only a BMW FANATIC would notice the difference. FWIW I only NEEDED the bottom of one seat replaced but replacing the bottom only would have costs the same as doing the whole seat and the seats would have been miss matched and the other seat would still been worn even if the patterns had matched. All in all, it just made a lot more sense to reupholster all of it and get a complete interior that matched. And by doing all of it, I was able to use non-speciality leather and save a bundle.
Short version: find an available pattern and color that you like and do both seats, tops and bottoms.
PS You can save a nice bit of change by taking the seats out and taking just the seats to the upholstery shop and then re-installing them yourself. The shop that I used charges $100/pair to R&R seats.
Last edited by joe51; 09-24-2015 at 05:17 AM.
#4
A respected upholstery shop, here, wanted approx $250 to recover the seat...but that got all new foam, springs (I think) and fabric. My issue was, I couldn't be without my truck as it is my daily driver. I dideventually find a reasonably priced used seat out of the salvage yard in pretty decent condition....But that search took more than a year, probably closer to 2. Yes there are some VERY nice used seats out there, for a price...but some salvage yards don't like splitting up sets as it is harder to sell the unwanted side (usually the passenger side)....so the price escalates even more. Then there is the matter of shipping costs which kills most thought of getting a "economical purchase".
Last edited by enriched; 10-05-2015 at 05:42 PM. Reason: spel'n
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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