**Disclaimer**
This isn't really a guide, but rather, notes I had made for myself. Also, all of this happened over a year ago and I'm rather deficient in the memory department. So, I could be mistaken about some of the details. Please don't shoot me!
First of all, I purchased a pair of new seat covers from http://interior-innovations.com
Base price - $200
Perforation - $75
Embroidery - $25
Shipping - $25
TOTAL = $325
Not a bad deal for custom ordered, PLEATHER seat covers. Much better than the $1200 quoted me by a local shop. Although, in retrospect, I understand the huge markup for labor.
I think real leather was a few hundred more. But I've been told that synthetic materials will last just as long or even longer than the real stuff. And since this was my first attempt at something like this, a smaller investment is desirable in case of disastrous outcomes.
Ok, I'll skip showing you how to remove the seats from the car and all the plastic trim covering all the mechanical bits. If you can't figure out a few screws and nuts, then I would advise you against attempting to proceed further with this type of project. Although, I will say that one of the adjustment knobs had a cap covering a screw, whereas the other had a clip holding if from underneath...tricky.
Now as I stop rambling and start to actually get to the meat and potatoes of this post, I realize that somewhere between moving and getting a new phone, I've misplaced photos. So, I'll try to explain the process as clearly as I can, and if I am able, update this when I get back stateside.
First of all, with the seats in my secret lair (spare bedroom), I took the seats off the rails, just to make them easier to heft around. With the passenger seat this was no problem. With the driver's side seat, however, as with getting to the nuts to remove the seat from the car, power is required to move the seat back and forth to gain access to the necessary bolts. Back out to the car we go. On a side note, I had a difficult time getting the framework to go back into alignment for the bolts to match up with the rails. So, maybe it's not a good idea to remove them in the first place. But, I wanted to paint mine anyway, because they were quite rusty. And also because of this...discovery...
Then I removed all the plastic coverings. I think there were only 3-4 screws involved in this process.
Then I segregated the back from the bottom of the seat. Pull up on the lever that actuates the seat tilting function. This releases the latch. Now all that's left is to pull the seat back off the hinges. There are clips securing these, which will need to be removed first. Now work the seat back and forth until the two sections separate from each other.
Starting with the seat back, the first thing to do is remove the headrest. This is one of the more difficult tasks of this project. There is a retaining latch on both posts of the headrest. They are located on the outer edges of where the posts set into the seat top. You might need to cut the fabric to gain adequate access to release them. I used a flat screw driver, but I don't remember if I had to press them inward or outward. Also, I have read where people only mentioned having one to deal with. I had two. One on each side. Idk.
With the headrest out of the way, undo the zipper that attaches the top of the back padding to the rest of the seat. The ends will be tucked in and require a little effort to work free. The padding will now bend forward giving you access to the hog rings that secure it around the midsection. Cut through these with some snips.
There are a few more rings securing the bottom as well.
You can get to these easier, as well as, a few others, if you flip the seat back rest over.
You now have a detached foam section. In its midsection again, but on the opposite face, there are some rings holding the fabric and foam together.
Moving on to the main seat back, there are many hog rings to remove. I haven't even labelled them all, but just keep cutting until they are all gone.
Removing the rings holding the black canvas in place, lets you access the actual hog rings that secure the material over the side bolsters.
Now just peel everything off.
Next is the seat bottom. Three of the four bottom edges are secured by hog rings: the front, back, and inside edge. The outer edge is secured by plastic, to give the outside face a clean appearance.
Side
Back
Front
Also, the drivers side will have the power seat controls in the way. The inner two screws were what held the plastic trim on. The outer two screws are what secure this assembly to the seat frame. Once everything is out of the way, the seat cover can be peeled off of the bolsters.
Underneath, remove the rings holding the black "crumb trays" and push them aside.
The material here is simply stapled to the foam cushion. The staples literally disintegrated from being so rusty.
Now on the other side of the black canvas are some more hog rings. Remove on both sides. The material should now be able to pull through the slits to the top side of the seat.
Up top there are two hog rings securing each side. Remove.
With those out of the way, you can maneuver the material to get to the last set of rings in the center. Clip these and the seat cover pulls free!
Now you may think that was all so simple...and you'd be right to think so. The genius of making these notes is in being prepared when the time comes to undertake the far more difficult task of attaching new covers on the old seats.
Also, make sure you have the authorization from the proper authorities before you go cutting into things...
Getting the new cover over the head rest was a three hand job. It was seriously the hardest part of getting these seats back together. I would have swore that they made it too small. But after some serious tugging and stretching, over multiple tries, I finally was able to get them back together.
