Want: 1984 Rabbit Conv Black Leather Seat Covers

[Phil0]

Hi,

I've tried two different brands of leather seat covers and one creatively named "universal fit" covers for my '84 Rabbit Conv but they were either cut too short, cut too wide or were completely for the wrong car. Does anyone have or have any recommendations on black leather seat covers (and possibly new replacement seat foam and bolster foam). I've been on my project for a while now and having difficulty finding suitable replacements.

Any help, thoughts or possible leads on the topic would be great.

Thanks all,
Phil

[Phil0]

This is as close as I have found so far since people are looking at the post but not responding. Thought I'd chat with myself then... The black covers don't look proper though. The white ones look ok from the photos.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-1-...35624152842937

[happybunny]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=vw+rabbit+inter...upholstery&l=1

[pcm1978]

Are you looking for seat covers (that would slip over your existing upholstery), or are you looking for actual reupholstery kits?

The German ebay ones actually look quite good, especially for the price. Does anyone have any experience ordering these? Doesn't say anything about shipping to the US though, which I'm sure would be expensive. And the description is sort of minimal - not sure if they're real leather or not, but I'm always suspicious of stuff on eBay.

To the OP - have you looked at the TMI covers from jbugs/mtmfg/etc? Vinyl, not leather, but depending on your car's year, vinyl might be more authentic.

There's also bestleatherkits.com, popular on the Corrado forum; see this thread (http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3463926) for an example.

And Katzkin is out there as well, although they seem to have gotten more expensive, somehow.

I'm at the same point with my Rabbit convertible project so I've researched this a bit. I'm leaning towards a TMI set in oxen with basketweave or squareweave inserts, but I'd be tempted if I could get the German leather kit for around the same price shipped.

Regarding foam, let me know if you find a good source. I've seen recaro bolsters available in the aftermarket, but not the bolsters for the regular VW sport buckets. It might be available from the dealer for $$$, or you could see if an upholstery shop can cut one for you. Or you can scavenge the foam from the junkyard - should be the same on driver and passenger seats.

[Phil0]

Yes found the Oxen Vinyl suppliers:

Rhode Island: http://www.mtmfg.com/category/view/2183

Cali: http://www.jbugs.com/category/114011.html

But I'm doing my best to hold out for leather. Yes the German ebayer will ship them to the US for 45Euros. Not done the math on it yet, but they are leather as confirmed by several forums in the UK and EU. It appears the German ebayer has their own website:

http://www.k-maniac.yatego.com/ but ebay prices look cheaper by 20euros or so.

I emailed my local VW dealer for foam and this is the answer I got:

"VW no longer supplies seat bottom foam for the standard or recaro seats but still has stock of the sports version bottom foam. $235.62 each.
Seat back foam is no longer available from VW for any style seats. VW also no longer makes replacement upholstery for this car. We have no source for aftermarket seat parts. You could contact a local auto trim shop for help."

Looks like VW doesn't want to touch these cars anymore or at least my local VW store. I went and looked at some salvage foam at one of my local salvage yards. It was in slightly better shape than what's on my driver's seat now but the foam was brittle. I past on it. Still looking. I can't believe this has been this difficult but I'm not giving up until I find what I'm looking for.

[pcm1978]

€45 is not bad for shipping. Is there a VAT/Mehrwertsteuer rebate on top of that, since you're non EU? It's hard to tell with the low resolution, but the leather pictures at that site look a little lumpy at some of the seams. Have you seen installed pics from actual customers? If you end up going with it, I'd love to see how it turns out.

I'm probably still leaning toward vinyl, in the hopes that it will last longer with minimal maintenance, even if it does suck to sit on in the sun. The ancient vinyl in my now is actually still in good shape - it's the cloth portion that has disintegrated. Plus, patterned black vinyl on a sunny day will be the perfect way to introduce my little nephews to VW love.

I'm also going to try to reuse as much of my foam as i can. The seats are still the most comfortable of any car I've ever had (and weirdly far more comfortable than the supposedly identical seats in my A2 GTI), and I don't want to mess with that unless I have to. As far as I can tell, I just need to replace the cracked lower bolster on the driver's side.

Did you try with 1stvwparts? When I looked at this stuff before, I feel like they had a bunch of stuff that was supposedly NLA, if you searched by part # on their web site. I haven't actually done business with them, however. You could also try a google search with the part #. There used to be a way to view ETKA online via some Russian web site. Not sure if VAG has shut that down or not.

The lack of parts support - both OEM and aftermarket - for these cars is a huge disappointment. Wear parts like the top/window seals should not be NLA. And even if you do find some foam at a dealer, it will still be 20 years old. I'm not sure why more parts aren't readily available, like they are for the aircooled VWs.

In comparison, I was just able to get an aftermarket window/hardtop seal for my R107 SL for <$20, and Mercedes has its own "classic center" where they sell OEM parts for a ton of older models. I guess VW's are more likely to be considered disposable. And I know VW tried to start something up recently with www.volkswagen-classic.de, but the selection of parts is very limited at this point. Even worse, my mechanic was complaining that, a little bit further back, VW used IP litigation to shut down a bunch of aftermarket suppliers, which can't have helped the situation.

My hope is that, as more people start to collect/restore these things, the aftermarket will respond. There is already some interest in Germany with the whole "youngtimer" scene, and it seems to be picking up in the US as well.

[pcm1978]

Also - just realized this. The K-Maniac kits are not real leather.


From the ebay listing:

Wir stellen individuell massangefertigte Lederausstattungen aus Automobilkunstleder zur Eigenmontage her.


"Kunstleder" = artificial leather

This is confirmed by my reading of the various German forum posts, where people generally seem quite happy with them for the price. They do look like good kits though, as long as the installer had a clue about what they were doing.

Now I'm tempted to order one for my Jetta instead, so that I can decrease the amount of time I spend vacuuming dog fur from the car. Non-shedding breed - yeah right.

[Phil0]

RE: Seat foam - someone along the way during my research on all of this gave me this VW part catalogue number:

191 881 375 D / 191-881-375-D / 191881375D

They said it was the seat foam from my WVW VIN code Rabbit Deluxe Convertible, but I've not had a reply from an online company I emailed requesting more information or a photo yet (that was a week ago but with the American holiday I might not get a reply for a while still).

This is a close-up of the K-maniac seat, the white version (mate says the top is leather but the back is vinyl which should be ok me thinks...):



Same with me PCM, the vinyl still good on my seats but the cloth portions are falling apart. I'm going to research this to death before I buy because I putting in new carpet too.

[pcm1978]

Wow - that pic of the white seat looks great, and does look like it is real leather. I may have to dust off my German and send K-maniac in inquiry.

Where are you located? There is a dealer in Atlanta that has your seat foam for $190ish:

http://www.jimellisvwparts.com/produ...91881375D.html

But are your bottom side bolsters really integral with the center part of the cushion? In my 80 they are definitely 3 separate pieces, 841881375C, 841881377A, and 841881378A for center, left, and right, respectively. Makes it a bit simpler, as I might be able to get by replacing just the one side piece if the others aren't rotten.

[Phil0]

I'm up in the north woods of Wisconsin. Atlanta only 3 or 4 days shipping to me. That seat padding appears to be the same sport version the VW dealer has only a lot cheaper. Nice find. I've not taken my seats apart yet so I'm not sure if I'm one solid piece or three difference piece yet.

I guess at this point I'm just waiting on about 6 replies from various companies. I'll post their replies here when I get them.

Of course I'll do the cheesy before and after pictures. Probably the during photos too. Never done this before except on an old karmann ghia with my older brother years and years ago. The leather in that still looks great after XX years... long time.

[pcm1978]

Just found that Atlanta dealer site by googling the part #. Not sure if they actually have in stock, but the site seems to indicate that they do.

Not sure if you've seen it, but the other thing you can use for these part searches is the online ETKA at www.vagcat.com. You can browse the part diagrams by model/year to figure out the part #'s, and then click on the part # to see what the official VW price is (or was, whenever that version of ETKA was current). Not sure if the models are Euro only (as opposed to North America) but for a German-built car it shouldn't matter? Be sure to follow the production year rather than the model year, of course.

[Phil0]

The Atlanta dealer (http://www.jimellisvwparts.com/) seems to stock quite a bit or has access to multiple warehouse stock. The Atlanta dealer also has the same part spec sheets that vagcat has. Albeit vagcat does a better job organizing the available information.

So just an update on all my emails I sent out over the weekend requesting more information for leather and oxen vinyl seat covers. EVERYONE replied back requesting photos of my seats so they could be sure which seat types I had. In the interest of open and balanced information here are the photos I sent to them showing the sorry @$$ condition of my seats. The debris in the seat are from the oak trees letting the spanish moss and I was stupid enough to leave my top down directly under one. Yes, I'm still on the hunt for replacement foam. I have a few leads but awaiting photos. I don't suppose MK2 or MK3 would fit... I read good stories and bad, so not sure I want to go down that path with the internets and shipping involved. Anyone know what the seat foam material is? Polyurethane? SoyFoam? Latex Foam? Extruded polystyrene? I found this while search for an answer; would be cool to have chesterfield seat covers in my VW!!!

http://www.moldedfoam-ip.com/linkedp...the%20Ages.pdf

Anyway, photos here:

[pcm1978]

Oh cool - looks like you've got Mars Red as well.

Based on that PDF, I'm guessing we have high resiliency PU foam.

Those look like TMI repro seat covers. Is that possible? Either way, your fabric is in much better shape than mine, except for the one bolster.

Have you thought about trying to glue/repair the foam? I found instructions on this site: http://205gticovers.com/Philosophy.html He then ended up creating his own mold and sells replacement bolsters; too bad they're for the wrong kind of GTI.

It looks like the repair just involves removing the loose/powdery bits of foam from the damaged area, cutting a new piece of foam to fill the void, gluing it in, and then trimming it so it's smooth. If you swap your bolsters (so that the repaired bits are in the less-stressed inboard positions) it would probably hold up decently as well.

[Phil0]

RE: TDI Repro seats - no, everything is stock in the car. It was driven until 1993 and then parked in a barn. It was unearthed in 2006 and I finally have a good enough job to put some serious coin into it.

I thought about trying to repair the foam. Still considering it. I keep hoping I'll run across some good seat foam on the auction sites but nothing good enough yet. Not heard back from anyone about leather seat covers yet after sending them photos. Maybe tomorrow.

Just found this about seat foam. I'm not sure if he carved his own new seat foam or where the white seat foam came from. Not sure he said: http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules....wtopic&t=59405

[pcm1978]

I didn't realize VW ever made non-loud cloth seats for these cars.

In your link, that has to be brand new seat foam from the dealer. It's too white to be old, and too perfectly shaped to be DIY.

[Phil0]

K-maniac replied with some pretty sweet photos. He includes door panels (door cards) with every purchase of seat covers. And he makes my types of seat which he called the "dies ist der Komfort-Sitzbank". All the photos he sent were of my model from customers. So, I'm still researching options for seat foam and I'm doing a bit of domestic price shopping but even with shipping K-maniac's looking pretty good so far.

Anyone know a good place to get original or near original carpet?

Photos:



















Anyone have any thought or opinions on my research? Getting close to put some cash down. Just wish I could sort the seat foam issue faster! Wonder what it would take to get one of the molds VW used for these seat back in the day? Pipe dream? They have to be stored somewhere right? or who was the contractor that made the seats...? hum...

[pcm1978]

Those seats look good, especially for the $. Are you putting in seat heaters as well? I'm thinking about it, but only if I can figure out a discreet place to mount the switches.

Are your carpets completely thrashed? If they aren't torn/worn through, they might just a deep cleaning while out of the car.

For carpet, I have no firsthand experience. People on here hate the TMI carpet kits, because they aren't molded and supposedly don't fit that well.

The gold standard seems to be these guys: www.newtoncomm.co.uk, who sell a carpet kit that is two pieces, like the original carpets in the car. Downside is it's $200-ish plus shipping from the UK. They also sell various reupholstery supplies (including repro seat base bolster foam for $40ish!).

www.stockinteriors.com sells a molded carpet as well, for about $130. There are various reviews on here that will come up in a search - the few I looked at were favorable.

[Phil0]

Just purchased a set of seat covers and door cards from K-maniac. They will be here late next week. I found a passenger seat at a local salvage yard with seat foam in great shape so I'll use that for my driver's side rebuild. I'm still looking for carpet but at least it's coming together. Will update with photos once the seats and cards get here and I start the work. Cheers

[Phil0]

What seat heater kits are people using?

[Phil0]

stockinteriors.com are sending a couple of carpet samples next week. Turns out a guy on my street got some carpet from them last year and it worked out great for his 1969 karmann ghai convert.

They have a generic carpet install video on YouTube I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff5ic3x8g1A

[pcm1978]

Just purchased a set of seat covers and door cards from K-maniac. They will be here late next week. I found a passenger seat at a local salvage yard with seat foam in great shape so I'll use that for my driver's side rebuild. I'm still looking for carpet but at least it's coming together. Will update with photos once the seats and cards get here and I start the work. Cheers

Awesome - can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Phil0]

just got my seat covers yesterday! Photos to follow on the weekend! Is it wrong I've been rubbing them on my chest and saying you complete me?

[Phil0]

trying to get a plethora of other parts from Ben at mk1autohaus too!!! Update soon.

[Phil0]

I've been talking with stockinteriors.com today. Turns out they won't guarantee the German built rabbits fitting their molded carpets... Were Rabbit Convertibles built somewhere other than Germany in 1984 ???

Doing a Google search now but I wanted to post the current hunt issue for your reading enjoyment/humour!

No reply from Moogie at MK1autohaus yet...

[Phil0]

Sorry took so long to post, but they're here. Still working on a carpet source, but at least I'm making headway.

[pcm1978]

The seat covers look great. Now that they're in hand, can you confirm whether they are real leather or artificial?

Also, how much did they end up being, shipped and all? I was leaning toward TMI squareweave, but now I'm starting to waver.

All convertible Rabbits/Cabriolets were built in Germany (VIN starts with 1). I don't know why the carpet would be different, but then I've never compared the cars. Maybe some different with the way the lower backseat cushion meets the carpet?

[Phil0]

Finally got a reply from stockinteriors about if they can match the MK1 Rabbit convertible floor carpet. This is their reply:

"Hello, We are told our product is manufactured from a 1990 Convertible floorpan. I can tell you that our AFTERMARKET carpet is manufactured as a one piece).

Hope this helps

If you can email us some photos of the floorpan of the Rabbit, we can see if it matches our mold ?



Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stock Interiors"

I bet the floors of the 1990 and 1984 are pretty different... I may have to go with newton for the carpet, but they have a month lead time and the shipping is really expensive. Just not sure yet.

[pcm1978]

I would think that the carpet would be the same shape/layout on the 90, as I don't think that they ever changed the unibody on these cars (other than shrinking the spare tire well and increasing the gas tank size) and I believe that the seat rails, etc., were also the same all the way through the model run.

I am no authority on this, however. My experience with the later versions of these cars is limited to riding in the back of one being piloted by some friend's older sister (a cheerleader, of course) in junior high.

[Phil0]

So I finally bought the stockinteriors carpet. It was supposed to be delivered last Friday, but instead I got this email on friday:

"Phil, thank you for your patience .

We are afraid our carpet will not fit your 1984 Rabbit Convertible correctly.

Our manufacturer (ACC) is not certain their carpet will fit accurately

We are sorry


Sincerely,

Stock Interiors
866-868-4577"

They cancelled my order. I contacted ACC directly. They were not happy with my questioning which was simply will their molded carpet fit the Rabbit Convertible models. After being pitched around on hold 8 times the phone hung up/disconnected. Ouch...

Bought the Newtoncomm.co.uk carpet tonight just with some other accessories. I'm now waiting on their shipping quote. Ready for the ouch of it, I hope!

[Phil0]

Lead time on the carpet from Newton is about 3 to 4 weeks. Looks like I can switch my focus to the engine vacuum issue I've been ignoring! Update when I get the carpet and other parts.

[Phil0]

I'd like to put in heating for the front seats. Anyone suggest a kit for this? Looks like the Cabrio have the switches built into the lower dash?

[pcm1978]

I'd like to put in heating for the front seats. Anyone suggest a kit for this? Looks like the Cabrio have the switches built into the lower dash?

Not sure about the heater kits. Rostra probably makes a set. Or check ebay maybe - that's the route that I'm going, since it's like $80 to do a couple of seats. Carbon fiber heating elements are supposed to be more durable than the wire kind.

The Mk3 Cabrio switches were in the panel to the left of the stereo, in the dash.

I believe the Mk1 Cabriolet heater switches were in one of the switch blanks in the dash. The OEM switch has both dials (one per seat) in a single unit. Not sure if it can be wired up to the aftermarket heating pads or not, as I think the OEM system may have used relays as well. If you have a Bentley, it might be in there. I've seen the switches on eBay from time to time. I was just going to use whatever switches came with the aftermarket kit, and was going to mount them in the glovebox where they'll be nonobtrusive.

The OEM Mk1 switches look like this: http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/551984.jpg

And they apparently occupy a slot near the hazard/rear defog switches: http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=671773

[Phil0]

Looks like we just missed one:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/ws/eBayISAPI....#ht_500wt_1203

Found another one out of a Jetta with the wiring but I'm looking at using a new carbon fiber kit and wiring it to the older switch:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/GOLF-1-CABRIO...2#ht_810wt_952

I asked the seller if they'd just sell the switch and they said no. That switch looks a bit worn anyway. Still looking...

The Newton carpet will be here September 15th I'm told. So still no updates.

[Phil0]

Anyone know about these?

http://www.heatedseatkits.com/heated...at2/index.html

[Phil0]

Guess what showed up today?!?! *Tease*



***Peek***