Re-Covering Seats

[jaiyenyen]

I have a Vigo, It's only 4yrs old but the cloth seats are really dirty. Well, to be more accurate the drivers seat (mine) is fine, the rest are covered in stains. I don't want loose covers, but I've had a quote from a guy near our home who said he will remove the seats, and recover them in imitation leather and recover the door cards for 5000bht. He showed me some that he was doing on another Vigo, and he had made a superb job. I have no worries about the guy doing the job, I'd just like opinions as to whether it's worth saving up another 10,000 bht and using real leather, or not.

What are your experiences out here with plastic or leather seats?

[transam]

You can buy a spray on cleaner in Tesco's, or other, specially made for automotive interiors and it is great. You will be surprised.

Stay away from plastic seats, very hot to sit on and if the plastic is thin it won't last long.

[Spoonman]

As per Trans, but I would pull the seats and scrub them with a mild dish-washing liquid, let it soak in but keep moist and take them to your nearest carwash and get them to give em a blast with the high pressure hose.

[Who, me ?]

When the guy says real leather, he means corrected grain leather on the front of the seats, and pvc on the sides and back of the seats...

Just to make sure you are aware of this

[transam]

Just looked at the can, it'a big and yellow. Stuff made by STP, the oil treatment people. It sprays a foam, leave a minute, agitate with a brush and wipe off with damp cloth. Seats do not water saturate so dries very quickly.

PLEASE try this first then buy me a beer.

[aussiebebe]

As the drivers seat is fine, and stain are the only problem, I wouldn't suggest re-covering at all, and I'd second the idea of others to use spray foam cleaners especially the one from the Turtle Wax company (yellow and green packaging) Better options for cleaning the existing seats are the wet vacuum cleaners and steam cleaners which are offered as services at detailing shops such as ones found in mall car parks like Central. If you do re-cover, I would suggest imitation leather above low-grade real leather as it's tougher, easier to clean and slightly more resistant to fading in the sun. Low-grade real leather (10,000baht job) may have not be color fast or worse could have toxins from sub-standard dyeing processes.Any recovering job will be second rate to the original factory upholstery,of course.

[Tywais]

If you do decide to take the advise to foam clean than I would Scotch Guard or similar it afterward. My previous car even after 15 years I had no problem keeping the cloth seats clean. Foam and Scotch Guarded them.

[jaiyenyen]

Thanks for the advice.

I think I'll try the foam cleaner, seeing as you guys have had good results with them.

Edit:

Actually, the wife and kids can clean them seeing as they're the ones who got them dirty in the first place

[SoloFlyer]

I got some leather ones made up just to protect the 'base' piece for the new car. No one has ever noticed, even the gf.

3k i think, and they'll clean them 4 times a yr, free.