Driver's seat leather needs replacement
 

Hello,

I don't post here very often but am in need of some advice. Our front drivers seat leather is quite worn out but the rest of the seats look great. I would to just like to address the driver seat and leave the others alone. What is the best solution to fix this issue? Has anyone done this before? I can think of a few options... aftermarket leather/vinyl replacement kit, seat cover, replace entire seat... any opinions on this?

Thanks
Peter

see https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...highlight=seat

entire seats are like $25 at u-pull-it salvage yards, and you can use the passenger side. Or one of the dismantlers.

Some vendor recently was offering just the leather pieces, but you have to tear down the seat and rebuild it basically. BUZZ's solution is the simplist and cheapest.

What is it, 4 bolts and it's out of there?

You could also go to an automotive upholsterer and have it done professionally or buy a retrim kit from Safari HP (Heritage Parts) | Defender Parts | Series Parts - Exmoor Trim Shop.

The retrim kits all say they do not fit the V8 Rover.

Brilliant ideal.....actually, I remember that post and forgot about it....:p

Important note from the parts vultures on the top branch - D2 seats don't fit D1 worth a darn, base is quite different.

It says they won't fit the V8 that doesn't have the grab handles. Some do. My 96 was the SE7, and didn't, but I've seen some D1 that did have the grab handles built into the headrest.

Usually it's the lower trim levels or the cloth seats that have them on the D1... I think. Maybe one of the parts guys that see more of these could give a more definitive answer.

Probably the SD. I was going by the note on the site.

Keep this thread going! I have yet to find any tan/brown canvas covers for our disco. I did find fur typs for 472 dollars. Sheesh.

There is a XD Disco in town that has some real nice covers on it. But its a big POS

The real sheepskins would be very good for cold winters. We need some Elk Hunters in the group and a tanner or two.

Check Rovers North, Atlantic British, and any UK sites you can find. I know there are some very substanial ones available but the prices may exceed the value of some of our fully depreciated rigs. Unless we can wait til the head gaskets blow, pour in a big bottle of the majic elixirs and quickly get a few thousand from some naive folks.

everyone's are falling apart. i think at this point i'm going to do a marine stitch on them and cover them with my costco pseudoprene covers. if i could get someone to just send me the used covers i'd be really happy.

That tan duct tape stuff works rather well. Until you start using them.....

Our SD doesn't have grab handles so that retrim kit doesn't look like it will work. But I am looking for a similar place that sells a retrim kit for my particular model.

Also replacing the entire seat from a salvage yard is a good idea but wouldn't make sense because the Discovery is located in the Caribbean. Shipping an entire seat there would be rather expensive.

Are there any other places that sell LR retrim kits that anyone knows of?

Rovers North sells lots of such parts, and RAVE tells you how to replace a seat squab. BUT Rovers North just mailed many of us their winter edition, and they also have canvas covers in there at a modest price (like a little over a $100 for the front pair). So if we are in the islands, perhaps consider having a local seamstress make covers for you. But don't pay the gringo price.

you're working on an invite aren't you savannah?

well there's structural and aesthetic. canvas won't solve the structural issue on its own.

i'm either going to sew it up myself with some heavy duty line or I'm going for the upholsterer.

as you know i have some other pressing issues....which may allow me to go for solution #3....source one from the yard here>>>>>

Eric....

Do you have your GBP/USD conversion calculator working properly?

Hey Peter -

You're in the Caribbean? Or I am? Or we both are?

Guessing your truck is as that water in yur pic tells tales.

I have been using www.roadwire.com for various other vehicles and I am currently working on 2 GMC trucks using their products to replace worn leather. I contacted them a few weeks ago about leather replacement covers for my D1 and they had the early and later D1 patterns available. The later pattern that they had available was for the seats without the grab handles. They offer the front seats and the rear as well as the jump sets and they can do any combination of them as needed. If I have them do new skins for my D1; it will be in non preforated leather. So; they do not show the Discovery on their site so you will have to contact them and I have not used their Rover kits but I have used their other offerings and was very satisfied with the fit and finish.

interesting. any idea on price?

actually, i'm not really looking for leather. i'm looking for function and only for the bottoms. those look super nice....too nice for this vehicle for sure. but a good resource nonetheless.

There's buttons on the top to select you currency of choice ;)

that's nice. but i lived there and have a general idea of how BLOODY expensive they are. was wondering if you did.

i think they're taking the piss.

Hey that's why I didn't post it the first time, but then you asked for "anywhere" else ;)

guess i was reaching for something that doesn't exist. who wouldn't take a pair of front seat bottom replacement covers in industrial canvas for $50?????

...and in another second, savannah's gonna be on both our buts about focusing on our real problems....

Yeah screw this engine rebuild, I'm just gonna put a lift on it ;)

that's how i started. good on ya!

then you can change your display pic to show it out of the garage!

Unfortunately I'm only there part time. The truck is in the Caribbean full time. My family has a place there and we shipped this nearly new Discovery down there many years ago. It's perfect vehicle for the location. A couple years ago we had a near miss by a tropical storm and it rained for three days straight. The streets were flooded with many roads closed for almost a week. The Discovery was a life saver allowing us to go out for basic necessities while other cars were getting stuck in deep water. Drove through water up to the hood several times no problem. The truck is a beast!

Savannah Buzz is not the only one waiting/hoping for an invite.

Savannah, you got a boat that would be good for the trip?

Years ago, I had a 280ZX that had the velour seats in it. After about ten years in the Florida sun, they were shredded. The Z had about 250,000 miles on it but was still running even though the floorboard was rotting thru in the rear.

I took heavy Naugahyde and industrial strength glue and recovered the seat bottoms. Used a large piece and tucked the corners tightly. They did pretty good until I traded the 280Z for a newer Volvo24DL.

that's how i started....part time. one time i didn't go home.

but it wasn't a secret caribbean island.

that's a hell of a boat crossing....but tell you what.....you guys pull that off and i'll put you up.

of course we'll be doing some maf cleaning, seafoam inductions and various fluid changes.

Rovers North - The Source for Classic Land Rover Parts - Exmoor Trim

Here's the slip on ones for a DI from Exmoor for $119. And a video farther down the page showing the installation.

Haha... it's not a secret island... we have the truck in Aruba.

I'm fairly certain that there is a good automotive upholsterer down there and that seems to be the best option. I'm actually thinking that if they have a decent looking vinyl that matches... it would hold up much better than leather.

Should I be looking to replace seat cushion as well? It looks like part of the seat has become sort of mis-shaped. Specifically the left panel on the seat.

Aruba, nice.

I think the upholstery holds the foam together. The support wires fit in between the sections. So unless the foam is flattened or broken I would think the new upholstery would take care of it. On regular furniture they might add an additional layer of foam across.

Another problem: I know some trucks suffer from the support webbing underneath stretching, ripping or pulling free. I know my D2 does as it's sagging. PO was massive. There are some fixes on this site or another which usually involve strapping old seat belts or other to better support the seat component. I think Discoweb has it.

My D1 has the first problem and not the second.

Cheapest option would be doing just the bottoms. That's what I'll do if I go that route.

If money wasn't an object as in I didn't mind pouring tons of cash into an old truck...I'd get the Defender like seats. Black vinyl or wetsuit coverings are fine by me. And I like black.

I guess it all depends on how far you wanna go.

Lot of seat related threads this week on both sites. Everyone is dealing with this.

Solution for the seat diaphragm: Discovery 1 Seat Diaphragm

Solution for bottom foam: http://www.safarihp-trim.com/index.p...mart&Itemid=13

Then have upholstery shop cut new foam for top, and now you have like new seats. Problem solved.

A few of the sites have the replacement pieces available individually, like a foam bottom for thirty something bucks. Rovers North also had a section of the rhino skin or elephant skin vinyl available for thirty something if you or an upholstery place are sewing it yourself.

I once bought a Mizuno Golf bag from a Tour Pro who lost his PGA card and had a brand new bag from Mizuno still wrapped in the factory plastic. He showed it to me and asked if I were interested in buying it as I had brand new Mizunos I had just gotten out of layaway and stopped at the range on my way home that night. The clubs were still in the cardboard carton, I was the only soul on the range hitting balls on a snowy night Christmas week. He was broke and told me to make him an offer if I liked it.

I said, yeah, I like it all except for this damn name monogrammed on there. His mouth dropped open and he stammered, oh that's me. I gave him a crisp 100 dollar bill from the secret spot in the back section of my wallet, bought a yard of white marine grade vinyl and a girlfriend of mine had an embrodery shop. She did my name in pretty matching blue and stitch it over Scotty's name. Very nice bag, but too heavy to carry 18.

If we take a boat trip down, we may not want to leave anytime soon you realize don't you.

I did a little more digging and found the Exmoor UK website (Trim) ... and they have this at the bottom of their retrim page:

"We can also offer a bespoke trim service to your exacting standards and personal tastes. Please ask for details."

I'm going to inquire with them to see if they can do custom cover for just the driver or just front seats and ship to me. They seem to have some interesting trim options on that page. Or perhaps they have even more trim options if you use their "bespoke" service. However when I hear bespoke... I know that means $$$...

...stay as long as you like Danny....i have the space and work for you guys....there's a lot of Rovers in need here....you have a boat so food is there for the fishing...beer is very good and cheap...Just be sure to bring your camera and UltraGauge.

and Doc...I'm assuming those letters add up to some secret society MD...there's a bunch of options on the seats...Exmoor and Eric's safri site (very interesting i never saw them before)...i'm pretty sure I'm going for the upholster or homespoke unless I find just a bottom seat leather/canvas.