Leather seat cover replacement

[Steve McF]

The driver's seat of my 56 reg Aero has seen better days especially the base, which looks like it had a cigarette burn and poor repair.

So I was wondering that if I can get another seat cover from the same type of car, ideally from a passenger seat, can the leather cover be taken off the base and be swapped onto my driver's seat?

[Steve McF]

I was going to ask this question, but then realised I'd asked it quite a while ago.

My driver's seat leather, and especially the cream inserts, are knackered. The lumbar support also does not work, so I suspect the cable has broken or become dislodged. The simple solution was to find another seat in better condition, but all driver's seats I see seem to be a bit rough.

The alternative might be to get the existing seat refurbed - I think it will certainly need a new leather cover for the base. But I could do with getting the seat to someone who knows what they are doing. Has anyone taken their seats to be re-covered/refurbished, and if so, where, and what were the results like.

My seats are also non heated, manual, and I may want to upgrade them at some point, but will always have this problem of wrecked driver's seats from other cars of similar age. Was there ever a heated but manual version of the seats?

[Steve McF]

Has anyone ever used Velteck in Holland? Saabplanet was suggesting they sold replacement leather for seats.

Is there anywhere in the UK that does the same?

[sgould]

There must be a lot of places in the UK.  I had a seat repaired by the local garage "who knew a little man who did upholstery".  It was a perfect repair with a new panel let in, in place of a torn one.

[Steve McF]

Had a mobile leather repair guy take a look at some photos of my seat leather and he said he wouldn't touch it as some of it was pvc. He did give me the number of an old boy in Coventry who could sort it by putting a new panel in.

Might give him a call.

[sgould]

Unless you have the premium leather, even the “leather” is reconstituted from fibres.

[Steve McF]

I'm just on the Facebook chat with Velteck in Holland.

They do do covers and foams etc.

A new sports seat base foam is 150 Euros. Leather cover for the seat base is around 350 Euros. Both plus shipping, but including EK VAT, which if he can send it to someone who is VAT registered, would make it a bit cheaper.

Still a lot of wonga - I can get a complete interior of Ebay for less that £200, but the driver's seat will always be a bit knackered.

Can one source the foam and leather covers here in the UK from anywhere?

[sgould]

I would only know of Orio for a set of Saab covers.  I've not seen any on the aftermarket.

If you are changing covers an spending money like that, I would try and seek a used set of premium leather covers.

Have you tried Anthony Jordan in Ireland?
https://www.facebook.com/Saabsparesireland/

[sgould]

If you were to look at brand new seat covers for Orio, you would be looking at around £600 for each front seat...

The back seat also has a hatch cover and side bolsters.  A complete set of covers is about 14 pieces including headrests.

[Steve McF]

Ouch!!

Just on the Facebook chat with Anthony Jordan, and he is suggesting that the passenger seat and driver's seat bases are interchangeable? Which would suggest that if I can find a good second hand passenger seat from a similar age 9-3, I might be able to swap the bases.

Does that sound correct?

[sgould]

Saab list different part numbers for left and right covers, but the difference may just be where the holes for the switches are.  But you have one of each in your car, you need to take a close look!

[Steve McF]

Will,

you're right, I do

Saabits have just quoted £298.84 inc Vat for the cover, and £133.43 inc VAT for the foam cushion!!!

Don't think I'll be going down that route. PartsforSaabs said the parts were no longer available, and recommended I went to an upholsterer.

[Steve McF]

PFS suggested that the part numbers for the seat bases are the same between LHS and RHS front seats, but the seat backs are different numbers because they are obviously handed.

So that would back up the theory of the Irish Saab breaker guy, and ought to mean if I can find a decent passenger seat, I could dismantle it and swap the base.........

[sgould]

The foam bits are the same for the seat bases, but the covers have different numbers, so I think that it's just the holes in the covers where the knobs and switches go.

[David]

Steve, might be worth finding someone breaking a LHD car?