Sports seats - 1990 cabrio (anthracite check)

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

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Splod
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Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:46 pm

Hi, hope someone can help? I tried posting this in the Care and detailing forum but not sure that was the right place....

The seats in my 1990 cabrio are generally pretty good but I noticed that the drivers side outer bolsters are starting to wear slightly. No big problem yet but I wondered if it's possible to swap over the covers on the front seats before any obvious wear does appear? Has anyone done this and if it's not a go-er, what else would you recommend?

Cheers

Steve W
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Simon
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Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:10 pm

It is a DIY job, but very fiddly, lots of small clips. You may still be able to get your replacement material from BMW too.
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Chris-W
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Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:53 pm

Not too bad a job - you need to break the seat down to replace them properly. As Simon said, just lots of fiddly little wires to twist on to hold the new bolster in place.
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Splod
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:30 am

Thanks guys.

One other thing that I wanted to check - I am actually looking to swap over the seat materials from the drivers to passengers and vice versa - to try to even out the wear, fading etc. rather than buying any new material etc. So the drivers side outer bolsters become the passengers side inner bolsters etc, if you get me.

As I now know it's possible as a diy job to unclip and re fit the upholstery from the frames, are the two sides also identical so I can swap them over in this way? I am wondering whether the covers may be 'handed' because they are shaped to go round the seat belt anchorages, adjuster mechanisms etc so if you know of anyone who has done this, or have done it yourselves, it would be good to know for sure before I start taking things to pieces...

Thanks again

Steve W
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Simon
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:06 am

They will swop over just fine!
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whipsey
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:46 pm

why not just swap the subframes around?
Splod
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:07 pm

Ah, good idea. I didnt realise that was a possibility as I've never had the seats out - but it would definitely be easier of it's do-able that way.

Cheers everyone.

Steve W
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Chris-W
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:42 pm

whipsey wrote:why not just swap the subframes around?
Because they're sports seats and you'll have the adjustment controls on the wrong side of the seat - it's not like comfort seats where the bases are symmetrical.
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whipsey
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:02 pm

Chris-W wrote:
whipsey wrote:why not just swap the subframes around?
Because they're sports seats and you'll have the adjustment controls on the wrong side of the seat - it's not like comfort seats where the bases are symmetrical.
:o:
Splod
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Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:47 pm

Thanks everyone, for your help - wisdom much appreciated

:)

Steve W
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