Seat retrimming

[Andy8421]

Can anyone recommend a seat retrimmer? The frames are intact, but have surface rust and will need blasting and repainting before recovering.
I have searched the forum, but the threads are old, and I was hoping that someone with recent experience of having this done could offer some advice.

There is this gentleman on eBay, but I am hesitant to risk it without a recommendation:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202671894196?hash=item2f302faeb4:g:80MAAOSwmi1coOSO

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Mazzini]

Try Frank at Option 1. Not cheap, but he will be able to repair your frames. He has done some trim work for me and I was pleased with it.

The Newton Commercial kits are really good, but their seat covers are over padded, which gives the seats an over inflated look.

[smo17003]

I had my S4 seats done by Option 1 last year. £350 each and that included powder coating the frames. They offer the service on Ebay. If you check the phone number it's the same as Option 1. I was able to deliver/collect mine, thereby saving the carriage cost.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202671894196 ... Swmi1coOSO

[alan.barker]

Imho powder coating is not the best
Alan

[tonyabacus]

Hello Andy
I have used a guy near Exeter who occasionally advertises on eBay, but will list his number for you. He did my seats and my steering wheel, which I negotiated a deal price for the whole job. Have to say that Paul was very good, the seats came back looking like new as did the wheel. I took the precaution of stripping the seats and getting them blasted and powder coated local to me so I knew the standards being worked to. Taking the seats apart was easy and Paul renewed any poor springs once the seats were with him.

He is normally employed working on the interiors of executive jets based out of Exeter airport and also on local luxury yacht projects, so he knows the standard people expect. There is little point in trying to post pictures of what he did for me as the seats just look brand new and as you would expect them to. Paul is pretty amenable and whilst he is some way from you in Surrey perhaps you can arrange a meet somewhere which is what I did. He also does door trim panels too, but I think mainly on S4's.

Paul West 07876 471754
email: [email protected]

Regards
Tony

[Andy8421]

Thanks guys.

Very helpful as ever. I will give Frank and Paul a call.

Andy.

[pharriso]

Paul West is great, but unfortunately he cannot do the welded lines on the covers

Aldridge trimming can do perfect seat covers & can fit them for you

[tonyabacus]

Phil is correct about Paul in that his covers do not have the welded seams. However, for comparison purposes, there are a couple of suppliers who can supply covers for diy with welded seams complete with internal foams and sacking at between £700 - £1000+, but that does not include fitting which in one case is an additional £800.

Here are a couple of close up photographs of the seats Paul did for me, if it helps to see the difference from the welded covers. My car has been seen by a number of Lotus fans but not one picked up the fact the new covers did not have welded seams, even though I said the seats had been recovered. So were they being too polite, certainly in one case I know he would have been vocal if he had realised. I think I paid something like £50 for the seat frames to be blasted and powder coated. So it depends on how far your budget will stretch and how bound by originality you are.
Tony

[smo17003]

Welded seams on my Option 1 seats.

[Andy8421]

Thanks all. Just to be clear, the seams that are being referred to are in the valleys between the horizontal 'stripes' in the teabag looking material along the back and bottom of the seat covering?

[Bitsilly]

Yep, It is also why he can't really do the centre console cover to perfect spec.

[pharriso]

' in the teabag looking material

'
Teabag looking material Not my PG Tips!!

Normally referred to as Basketweave

& yes the horizontal stripes...

[Andy8421]

Just as an update, I decided to go with Frank from Option 1. I dropped the seats off on Monday.

A number of re-trimmers got good recommendations (above), but as I needed to drive in the Birmingham direction anyway, and as Frank was very helpful on the phone, Option 1 seemed the best bet.

I will post pictures when they are finished.

I will try to start a 'restoration' thread and pull the helpful advice I have received together. Next, the chassis and the dashboard.

Andy.

[NTG999]

I am interested in this, I've bought the Newton kit which is supposed to be the most original looking at a cost of approx £1k, but I have to do all the work and I have some broken Zig Zag springs. The eBay option seems an absolute bargain.
Keep us posted

[Mazzini]

I removed about half the padding to get the Newton kit to sit right.