SWMBO's Beetle seats are looking rather frayed although the strength and support of the seat cushions are still there.
Can't afford to go down the full leather route but has anyone any experience of buying aftermarket seat covers to go over existing seats and for them to look and fit well?
I doubt that such a thing exists as one size doesn't fit all but from a financial point of view I would love to be proved wrong!! Not looking for leather, or wild colours with go faster logos on them, just something subtle to almost match the rest of interior.
And I realise I would need to get side airbag compatible ones!
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I bought a driver-seat only cover from Lidl for £5 a year back. So far, served me fine except one side a bit torn.
Full seat covers ~ £20+. Many of them are side airbag compatible.
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I have no idea if the modern ones are any good Bobby, sorry.
Your post though, has reminded me of some which were fitted to an 850cc Mini belonging to a friend in the late 1970's. The poor car having had its wheelarches flared and a tiny wee steering wheel fitted was treated to some seat covers which were supposed to convert the standard items into full blown sports seats. Equipped with strategically placed foam filled side bolsters and so on their main effect was to raise the driver so high in the cabin as to have to stoop to see out of the windows. No one with a normal backside could actually get it down between the side bolsters resulting in a very strange parting sort of effect on that area. Quite pleasant in so far as it allowed the free passage of cool air on warm days though.
What are the Beetle seats made of ? Could they reconditioned perhaps? Maybe one of those people who extoll the virtues of clay bars and so on could work wonders with them. Not that I'm suggesting you put clay on your seats you understand, but you know the sort of chap I mean.....
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Humph yeah I know the type you mean.
Seats are just normal material type seats. I reckon my best bet would be to try and get a set from someone who is having theirs removed to get trimmed in leather instead as this seems quite popular with the Beetle followers.
Loads of aftermarket type on ebay, many of which even the photo listing shows them saggy!!
But no genuine VW ones!!
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Bought a very high quality colour coded sheepskin fully fitted seat cover for the driver's seat of the MB after the first winter for SWMBO when she ran the car, saving the lovely rear from the cold shock..;)
Something like 90 quid or so if i remember, but it's been on 6 years now with no visible deterioration and is warm as toast and a pleasure to sit on.
The maker a firm called 'Easyrider' from Northampton cut them individually to patterns they hold for most cars.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but this is one area where cheap doesn't do.
Glad you started this thread i must look them up with a view to getting a pair for the pick up.
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Gulp...they're £215 each now.
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Another 1970s story.
Looking round a scrapyard in 1970s I was amazed to see how many cars (Austin Farinas and the like) Had pristeen seats in them covered with a thick kind of clear plastic.
The owners had been slithering and sweating on this stuff for 100k miles or so instead of the original vinyl seat (which was probably not much better either)
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We can't have a seatcover thread without mentioning those wooden bead things.
Supposed to keep you warm/cool, ease backache and goodness knows what else besides.
I'm prepared to admit I had one. Past tense.
Anyone prepared to own up to still having one?
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Looking round a scrapyard in 1970s I was amazed to see how many cars (Austin Farinas and the like) Had pristeen seats in them covered with a thick kind of clear plastic. The owners had been slithering and sweating on this stuff for 100k miles or so instead of the original vinyl seat (which was probably not much better either)
Still goes on in the Middle East believe it or not. It's a vanity thing that owners keep the shipping labels on, sill protectors and seat covers so the car looks like it's just been bought for about a year. The Lexus dealer in Doha looked at my brother in law gone out when he asked them to remove all the stuff from his RX330 when he collected it brand new!!
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Seat covers are either hogringed onto a wire (moulded into the foam) or bonded directly onto the foam. Im afraid that aftermarket "pull on" seat covers will never be as good as oem covers unless they are secured.
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can op not just go out and kill a large beast and throw this over the frayed seat?
im sure freddy flintstone would
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