Basic question is: Is there a cheap way to fix the drivers side seat?
The support bars are poking out on both sides of the seat, they appear to have rubbed through the upholstery and are now just under the fabric. One side just beginning to show a hole.
Cheap way to fix this? Or am I looking at a new seat?
If i have to go down the new seat track, it'll be something a little more comfortable through corners than the OEM jobbie!! no side support at all.
Located near Penrith, NSW, Australia.
-mark
Yes, call a few wreckers and find a replacement seat of the right color.
Seats can be reupolstered too. Look in the Yellow Pages for motor trimmers.A wrecker seat will probably be cheaper.
Stewart DIBBS
Sure. They must have junk yards (scrap yards, or recyclers, or whatever they are called in Australia). Go there and find a replacement.
Or have the seat re-upholstered (but the junk yard is the cheaper option).
Merritt
The problem in Australia is that very very few Starlets are damaged in accidents. People love 'em and actively avoid smashes and stupid situations, as they are one of the cheapest cars to run and own.
I've tried many a wrecker, have had no luck finding as much as a parcel tray so far.
Thanks all anyway.
-mark
Okay, if you can't find used seats you'll have to go get your old seats reupholstered - and they can fix the design issues you hate while they're at it. (Worry about the drivers seat first, the passenger side usually doesn't take nearly the wear because people drive alone a lot of the time.)
You should be able to order OEM outer upholstery as a complete seat pair (base and back) from the dealer that's a perfect match - the money you pay the dealer is labor saved by the shop sewing them up from scratch. The dealer parts counter can also order replacement springs and molded foam padding for many of the seats, so when you're all done it's literally as good as new.
But when you order any odd or unusual parts like that you need to get a good parts guy who really knows his way around the books - the new kids just say "Not Available" to brush you off - and save themselves the trouble of actual work researching the numbers...
(Been There, Done That, had to tell them to go back to the books and keep looking because I know it exists. Repeat till you see the little 'Eureka!' lightbulb go on above their head.) ;-)
If not, the local upholstery shop will need to improvise the foam and cotton batting padding on the inside, and make covers close enough to pass the "one-foot test" - unless you look real close, it looks like the original. Or you can get those custom fitted sheepskins you always wanted - I'm sure you can find the raw materials in Oz... ;-P
When they strip the outer cover, they can fix or replace any broken springs inside, and you can put a few strips of added bolster padding on the sides till it fits you just right. And put a bit of extra padding where that bar was about to rub through last time.
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Um, why not just buy an aftermarket seat? They can be had for $99 US.
Resale value... It's an extremely economical runaround, not a boy-racer. Everything is stock bar CD player, alarm, and fog lights, and I'd like to keep it that way.
-marl
Yeah, I can't say I blame you.
Then again, Recaro's are pretty comfortable...
And these cars ARE made into Rice Rockets in a lot of the markets where they're sold...
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