Seat Cover Question

[TripleZeroFilms]

Hey all,

I'm about to recover my seats with the black seat cover set from DMCH and plan on doing it myself. I have the how-to from the 2004 issue of Gullwing magazine as my guide but I have two small questions not answered by the article:

1: The article mentions using leather cleaner/care on the covers to make them more pliable as the could be 20+ years old, but on the DMCH store it claims the set I ordered are a DMC IMPROVED PART. Does this mean they are going to be NEW leathers and if so does this negate the need for the leather care step?

2: The article just says "hog rings" but doesn't state a size requirement, yet when I look for them online their are various sizes to choose from. Is their a certain size I should be looking for?

Hope neither of my questions were too obvious! Better safe than sorry though.

[DrJeff]

My seat covers from DCMH came included with hog rings. I did get extras from Home Depot but they were much larger (maybe 2x) the ones provided. I'm not sure the size made any difference.

The hog ring tool that I got from Home Depot did work fine with both sizes. Do get a supply of small cable ties for securing the neck fold (use plenty), and for pulling through the folds in the back and seat.

[DMC3165]

This was a good day project for me. Not as catastrophic as I thought it would be. Just take your time and pull everything nice and tight. The hog rings I used were slightly bigger then what I should've used but they still worked fine. I went to a local auto body supply store and picked up the rings as well as a nice pair of hog ring pliers for under &30. It's worth it to have a decent pair of pliers to do this job. I found if you use wire ties on the bottom portion of the seat, they will help pull it tight and keep the leather from looking all bunched up. The factory plastic clips just won't pull it tight enough but I used them in addition to the wire ties to keep the rubber flap in place. Good Luck its a learning experience!

[outatym2001]

1: The article mentions using leather cleaner/care on the covers to make them more pliable as the could be 20+ years old, but on the DMCH store it claims the set I ordered are a DMC IMPROVED PART. Does this mean they are going to be NEW leathers and if so does this negate the need for the leather care step?

The Leather/Vinyl skins that you bought from delorean.com are brand new and if you want to condition them before you do the install it doesn't hurt but doesn't seem necessary.
I did the install my self and completed it about two months ago. I got poked from the Hog Rings (Staples) and bleed a lot so be careful. They are pointy and sharp.
Every time some one asks about my DeLorean I point to my new seat skins and I tell them I installed the seat skins myself. And then I tell them out of all the jobs I've done on the D putting on the new leather/vinyl skins is the only job I really hated doing. It's not at all easy trying your hardest to pull the vinyl tight with one hand while holding the Staple in position then with the other hand holding the Hog Ring Tool and attempting to squeeze the Staple.

Instead of using a metal spike I used a battery powered drill to make the holes in the plastic strip that is sewn along the edge of the vinyl. This plastic strip prevents the vinyl from tearing when you pull on it. For me making a small hole with a drill made it easier to install the Staples.

Here's a few helpful hints I got from John the mechanic at DMC Northwest.
Disassemble the Seat Back from the Seat Bottom. This way you can work on them separately on the carpeted floor or on a table. I installed the seat skins on the floor so I could also use my legs to pull the material tight.
He also told me to take the new Head Rest leather/vinyl and turn it inside out. Then place it on top of the Head Rest yellow foam and work your way from the very top of the Head Rest downwards on all sides.

I believe I used ten cable ties (zip ties) at the neck portion of each head rest. It is impossible to install Hog Rings in there. At least I thought so.

Instead of using the provided Staples I used many cable ties as I pulled the Leather/Vinyl tight around the large bar at the portion of the seat where the seat back meets the seat bottom.

[TripleZeroFilms]

I appreciate all the help guys!

I figured I wouldn't need to condition the covers if they were new, but not knowing anything about the subject I thought it better to ask. I'll also have a bit of help with the covers so hopefully that might help speed the process along - 4 hands and whatnot. I'm actually pretty excited about it though as the new covers should do wonders for my interior.


My seat covers from DCMH came included with hog rings.

Hmm...the description doesn't mention them being included. Has anyone else had this happen to them or was Jeff just really lucky. It would save a couple of dollars if they were included (though, as you said, I'd still pick up some extras).

[Jeffu]

Hmm...the description doesn't mention them being included. Has anyone else had this happen to them or was Jeff just really lucky. It would save a couple of dollars if they were included (though, as you said, I'd still pick up some extras).

Mark is right, they come with the hog rings. A lot have said that they opted to pick up some extras just to be sure and have enough.

[dmc6960]

My covers didn't come with any rings. Then again, mine was kind of a special order. I bought hog rings at a local auto parts store (NOT autozone or the type). Combined with the pliers they were very easy to apply. The open hog ring sits snugly inside the spring-loaded pliers just waiting for you to put it in place and squeeze it shut. I used zip-ties for the headrest piece, and the middle parts of the back and bottom that pull in the seams. All outside parts got rings. Some pictures mixed in on this thread....

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3473-Heated-AND-Cooled-Seats

[David T]

If you leave the seat covers out in the sun for a while they will be more pliable and stretch easier. Eastwood.com sells hog rings and the tool if you need it. The very best stuff to use on leather is at leatherique.com. Get the cleaner and the Rejuvinator to take care of your leather. Be aware only the seating surfaces are leather. While the seats are out clean up and lubricate the seat tracks.
David Teitelbaum