Recommendations to install leather seats (London)?

SouthLondonUser

I'll probably be interested in replacing the fabric seats of a car with leather, if it doesn't cost squillions. Do you know any shop in London (ideally central or South) that would do it?

I have found these 3:
http://www.autoleathers.co.uk/index.asp?IDTSec=ContactUs (Tooting)
http://www.dclass.co.uk/html/contact-us.php (Cobham)
https://www.smintc.com/

Thanks!

marlot

You don't say what car it is. But the cheapest way is usually to find a secondhand interior. Have you tried ebay?

SouthLondonUser

I haven't bought the car yet - still undecided among a handful of models.
On ebay I found these guys that sell "leatherette covers": https://www.carseatcoversdirect.com/
but I am always a bit sceptical about covers - they look good in the pictures, but not always in real life!

AndyMc.....

Make sure you get the full interior, leather door cards etc.

AdrianC

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

I haven't bought the car yet - still undecided among a handful of models.

Then it would make far more sense to buy a car that includes leather, if you really want leather.

Apart from the cost of the retrim - even if you just fit a used interior from a scrap car - don't forget to tell your insurer about the modification.

On ebay I found these guys that sell "leatherette covers": https://www.carseatcoversdirect.com/
but I am always a bit sceptical about covers - they look good in the pictures, but not always in real life!

Overcovers will never be as good as proper trim. Leatherette is not leather, unless you think plastic cows are the same thing as real cows.

SouthLondonUser

AdrianC wrote: »

don't forget to tell your insurer about the modification.
.

Really? It's not like changing the material of the seat makes the car more dangerous. Or do the insurers think that preferring a material that is more resistant to the spills and stains caused by a toddler (that's my only reason, which is why I don't care so much about real vs fake leather as long as it is easier to clean than fabric) makes me a riskier driver???

I have gone back to my confused.com quote. I can only think of new seats as an "interior change", but that has added £49, i.e. circa 10% to the cost of the previous quote. It's ridiculous!!

Is installing a seat cover a modification that needs to be declared to those bloodthir, ehm, to those respected professionals in the insurance business? What if I forget to declare the Peppa Pig stickers the little one leaves in the car??

Car_54

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

Really? It's not like changing the material of the seat makes the car more dangerous. Or do the insurers think that preferring a material that is more resistant to the spills and stains caused by a toddler (that's my only reason, which is why I don't care so much about real vs fake leather as long as it is easier to clean than fabric) makes me a riskier driver???

I have gone back to my confused.com quote. I can only think of new seats as an "interior change", but that has added £49, i.e. circa 10% to the cost of the previous quote. It's ridiculous!!

Is installing a seat cover a modification that needs to be declared to those bloodthir, ehm, to those respected professionals in the insurance business? What if I forget to declare the Peppa Pig stickers the little one leaves in the car??

I guess adding leather might make a car more desirable to thieves. On the other hand, it might do the opposite, and reduce your premiums.

As a very broad generalisation, some cars are expected to have leather. At the other end of the market, it's un-heard of. Adding it to the latter is akin to polishing a t**d.;)

SouthLondonUser

Have you ever tried to remove a child's vomit or spilled milk from a fabric seat?

Mercdriver

The point of telling the insurer about the modification isn't just about risk factor of the driver. What if you needed to claim because the interior had been damaged, and as far as your insurance company was concerned, the car had a fabric interior? You won't get a replacement leather trim as the car was insured as having a fabric trim. In effect you'd likely be in breach of your contract with your insurer and could find your claim unpaid and your cover cancelled. Painful lesson to learn that would be.

philnicandevan

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

Have you ever tried to remove a child's vomit or spilled milk from a fabric seat?

Hmm can be difficult with leather as well.....:rotfl:

(although last time he hit the door/speaker grill!!)

Herzlos

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

Have you ever tried to remove a child's vomit or spilled milk from a fabric seat?

I just went for seat covers all round, with blankets on top in the back, under the car seats. It's such a mess back there I doubt anyone would notice what the seats were made of, and it seems overkill to get them re-trimmed.

As said, if you want leather seats, buy one with leather seats. It'll be done better and be far cheaper.