Reupholstering Boxster seats with the lseat kit.
 

Finally starting the seat recovering project, starting with the driver’s seat. Here is why I decided to take this on… the seat was like this when I bought the car. I installed Walmart seat covers first thing so that I didn’t have to look at them.

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Given the amount of discussion on the lseat kits I am surprised that I have not been able to find a comprehensive DIY video. That being said I did find the following links that cover almost the entire project.

For seat removal from the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nspj4kh3Ix0

For seat disassembly… you only need to remove the bottom cushion from the frame, so you can stop at about at about 7 minutes.
I would suggest not yanking the bottom out as he does in the video... at that point it will come out, lift the front and spread the bottom of the sides to give some clearance and it should come out without breaking any of the plastic frame as I did.
When I did the passenger seat I did not remove the seat belt buckle, I just disconnected the wiring connector from the cushion's base. That way the buckle wasn't flopping around while manipulating the seat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpX4D693D1I
Another disassembly thread, pictures not video.
http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/50255-boxster-seat-disassembly-procedure-part-1-2-a.html

This series goes through the seat disassembly, removing old skins and the installation of the new skin on the seat back insert, the hardest part of the assembly as far as I can see.
Part 1 (at the end of this installment he separates the frame bottom and back, this is not necessary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynGjh2jOU0A&t=5s
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kJgwUh5PpE
Part 3 (skip to about 2 minutes if you are not installing a heating element.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR_6HQTlZ1g
I like the idea put forward here to use wire instead of hog rings… I can’t see how you can install the hog rings.

This thread is also useful
http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/65968-changing-leather-seats.html

Today after removing the seat I got all the leather removed except for the insert for the seat back… those hog rings are a pain to disengage.

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Nice, please keep posting. I'm following as my seats may come to this some day too.

Many years ago I redid a pair of 944 seats . I used heavy duty zip ties in place of hog rings . I cut the tails of the ties a little long so I could grab with pliers if needed to retention after the material stretched . Worked great .

I just did mine with Lseat last july. Used zip tie instead of hog rings.

Great thread! Please keep posting. I'm facing a similar tast on my car.

Fantastic! Very good thread, subscribed.
I started same kind of project two days ago - yesterday was time to take the seat leathers apart from the center sections. Plan is to reupholster those center parts with alcantara.
I guess next I need to learn how ot sew...:eek:
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I got the seat back insert apart this morning. Once you have removed the material from the hooks around the top and sides (cut it off the hooks if the old piece is not to be reused) you can bend the insert to get access to the hog rings from the bottom and cut them with wire cutters… a lot easier than bending them as is suggested elsewhere.

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Be careful because the plastic retainer that the hog rings hook into is not very thick. I broke it in one place and had to fix it using duct tape.

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One of the videos suggests tightening the screws under the seat back foam… a couple of mine were loose and one fell out when I touched it.

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The comments above have won me over to using zip ties to replace the hog rings. I came up with an alternative to passing the zip ties through the plastic like in the photo posted by ndfrigi… it looks like tightening the ties would be a challenge with that arrangement. What I did is to make a rod that goes across the plastic retainer and the zip ties wrap around it. I used a heavy duty coat hanger and bent hooks on both ends to prevent the ends digging into the plastic. A strip of duct tape below the rod hopefully adds a bit of resistance to the plastic and at least one layer on the top to insulate the rod from the metal springs in the seat back once it is installed.

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In the package with my seat covers there was a piece of fabric backed foam 5/16 in thick and about 2 feet wide by 50 inches long. Is this just packing material or is it to recover the center of the bottom cushions? It looks like the same black foam in the middle of the cushion.

more pics of how mine

The back of your insert looks great compared to mine, but I don't have the patience or skill or both to do it like that.

I hope the insert will look ok once it is installed in the seat back. I might have pulled the material a bit too tight when installing it on the hooks.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641223315.jpg

With the insert finished I moved on to the seat cushion cover which is held on to the foam with 3 lines of hooks across the cushion and 2 running the length of the cushion.
I was able to attach one row of the 3 rows of transversal hooks, but it took me over an hour, so I gave up on that for the other 2 rows and used zip ties with a plastic backing and a piece of coat hanger, adapted from how I did the insert. It took me less than 30 minutes to do the other 2 rows.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641223363.jpg


On the sides I was able to use the stock hooks except for one on the front (where the foam is thickest) and I ended up using a zip tie there also.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641223397.jpg


For the other seat I will probably replace all the hooks with zip ties. The original hooks have a tendency to pull through the foam that has lost a bit of its solidity over the years. The plastic backing strip (cut from an ice cream bucket) spreads the load over a larger area of foam.

Help
 

The cover for the cushion is now ready for the final step... pulling the bottom of the cover over the plastic base. I have tried and am not able to get enough slack to install the "u" shaped molding over the bottom of the base. What is the trick to this? Are tools needed, or just strong hands?

I paid a pro to do this for me. He rebuilt the seat bases and put in new foam where needed. I replaced the Savana beige with black with silver thread. He did a fantastic job. The seats are tight and have much more support. He charged me 200 bucks looks like I got my moneys worth.

Who did you use?

I used a guy on the north side of Holland. Kind of by the old roller rink. He did my convertible top a couple years ago. I gave him the car. He took the seats out and put them back in as well. I thought it was a lot of work for the money. I gave him a little tip to buy the shop lunch or something on top of the quoted number. PM me if you need more info.

it's best to do this with at least a hair dryer but a heat gun is better to warm up the leather and stretch it. You want the leather warm,not hot.

A lot of what is explained here may seem incomprehensible until you have taken a seat apart… then it all becomes… a bit clearer.

I was getting nowhere with the cushion so turned my attention to the seat back. My first attempt at inserting the seat covers into the groove in the back of the seat was frustrating as I needed about a half inch more of slack. I regrouped and decided to attach the clips on the bottom that hold the front and back of the cover on each side.
I made up a tool to help pull one clip towards the other than I was able to get them attached using 90 degree needle nose pliers.

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Next I set up a small heater to warm up the head rest section, front and back. After leaving the heater do its thing for a half an hour I was able to pull the top part of the back of the cover down and insert it in the grove enough to hold it, then working with a screw driver then my fingers I was able to work it properly in place all the way around. A bit like installing a bicycle tire.

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I then installed the heater on the headrest to warm up the interior of the seat.

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While test fitting the cover on the bolsters I found that foam moved around so I taped it in place.

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I had trouble inserting the tongue into the 2 clips at the top, so I removed clips from the frame and attached them to the seat and then reinstalled them on the frame. Much easier.
Note: the clips were deformed during removal of the old seat cover, so make sure to bend them back together.

For the sides I started by removing the clips to attach them to the cover like at the top… but when I tried to reinstall the clips to the back there was no way I was going to be able to pull enough slack.

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Even forcing the black band on what I call the tongue was not going to reach the clip...


So I looked for a way to use zip ties again… their big advantage is that they can be attached with lots of slack then pulled tight and it allows for slight differences in the size of the cover.

This is what I came up with…

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... a piece of wire threaded through the channel that the seat back of the cover is pushed into, then zip ties up to the tongues that normally are pushed into the clips. The 2 zips nearest the bottom cushion can be attached to a metal bracket on the frame.

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The zip ties can be tightened progressively and then the seat can be assembled. At a later date, when the leather has stretched it can be re-tensioned by just removing the middle insert and tightening up the zips.

I did all this with the cover partially installed… for the passenger seat I will install the wire for the zip ties before inserting the seat back into the groove.

The seat back is done, although I plan to go back at some point and work out some of the wrinkles. It turned out fairly well.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641497079.jpg

The zip ties worked really well, I heated up the leather then worked my way up and down each side rolling the leather toward the interior of the seat and tightening up the zip ties. There is a bit of bunching at the widest part of the bolsters, but I got most of it out.

I am now back to the cushion... still haven't been able to get the bead on the bottom. I am waiting for someone to explain how it can be done easily... :confused:

Well, I swallowed my pride and asked my girlfriend to help with the seat bottom and we got it together in about an hour with much grunting and groaning. Not perfect but not too bad.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641506409.jpg

It looks a bit better in reality than in the picture.

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We started at the back on one side and worked our way around to the other side. The toughest part was the front and the secret was for one of us to push in the front of the foam to give some slack while the other rolled the the bead into place.

Thanks for posting these. I'm getting ready to do the same Lseat thing to my 01. BTW - what is your car color called? Is it Rain Forest Green Metallic? That's what mine is and yours is the first one I've seen with the same color.

I am happy to post my experiences, hopefully they will help others... almost everything I do is after looking at what has already been posted on the internet. I try to tie together the dribs and drabs that I find here and there and combine them with my experience.

Good luck with your project.

The colour is referred to as Jungle Green (2A1 J4) but it may be the same as yours, I seem to remember seeing it referred to as Rain Forest Green... likely different translations of the original German.

The seat is back together and it looks pretty good.

After all the effort that went into installing the cushion I was worried that it might pop off in the front so I screwed in a retainer to make sure it doesn’t move.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1641678504.jpg


The cut-out and installation of the seat back release levers turned out really well.

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I had problems with the installation of the panel for the seat controls. I think the new cover distorted the foam so that I could not get one of the top clips to engage. I ground about an 1/8th of an inch off the panel’s lip in the top rear and then was able to install it. Then I had to take it off again because the seat back recline control wasn’t working correctly (see below).

And here it is back in its natural habitat!

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When I installed the seat bottom cushion I had a few problems related to the assembly order, I suggest the following. (if I have this wrong please correct me).
Note - when you remove the cushion and its plastic base from the seat frame the wiring for the seat back recliner switch may stay with the frame or the plastic base. It is easier if it remains with the plastic base, in which case the control panel can be removed and replaced with the cushion out of the frame. This means steps 3 and 4 become steps 2 and 3.
1 – install the hinge cover
2 - place the cushion on the frame and pass the seat belt buckle through the back of the frame and install it and clip the wire in place (if you removed the buckle).
3 – position the seat back recliner switch in the hole in the seat cover for the control panel. It goes between the cushion and the frame.
4 – install the recliner switch in the panel for the seat controls and install the panel.
NB – make sure the lever for the recliner switch is centered when installing the switch, if not it will only work in one direction.
5 – before installing the cushion make sure that wire for the recliner motor in the seat back is out of the way. The hardest part is to get the rear of the cushion in place between the seat back and the bottom frame. Working from the bottom, there are 2 conical stand-offs that have to be lifted up into the pads they sit in. With the cushion at an angle you can do them one at a time. Pull the bottom edge of the seat around the shaft for the height adjustment lever as you lower the cushion onto the frame.
6 - install the screw in the rear. Position the wires, some of them are inserted into clips on the sides of the base. Zip-tie the wires.
7 – install the white clips in the front.
8 – insert the seat height adjustment lever into the panel.

Nicely done!

A lot of work for sure. Do you think a lot of those wrinkles will work themselves out over time? Do you think the wrinkles come from the lock of experience at upholstery work or is it the product itself?

This is a relatively inexpensive kit so it would be surprising if it would be a perfect fit. From what I have seen there are always wrinkles, perhaps fewer if the installation is better. But it is possible to remove some of them using heat, there are lots of videos on Youtube. My (inexperienced) feeling is that it would be better to let the leather work a bit before doing anything. Perhaps some of the wrinkles will go away and others will appear. The vaste improvement already means that I can live with a few imperfections for awhile and try to make them go away in the summer.

From looking at others have have used Lseats kits (not just Porsche) their fit isn't always great. Dont know how they make their patterns but if it is how I think they do it, they take a used set of covers from a customer and make a template from that. That will get them close, but that original template could be worn, old, etc. If they dont shrink it some then there wont be a tight enough fit and for new leather seats, you want a very tight fit out of the box so it can stretch over time. I suspect they dont do this which is why the fit isn't that great.

Now that you mention it, I remember a couple of people mentioning that Lseat had asked them to send their old covers in so that they could add to their product line (BMW sport seats and Miata I think).

When I started work on the passenger seat today I noticed that on the original covers the sides of the cushion and the sides of the back are not leather... they are stretchy vinyl. This would make installation easier and perhaps help place the leather. The Lseat covers are all leather from what I see.

With the passenger seat out I was able to get the old covers off in less than 2 hours, likely half of what it took for the driver's seat.
The seat back was not too bad, but the cushion was a real mess.

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The insert was in perfect condition... if anyone wants it its theirs.

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Got the passenger side cushion done. I tried to find a way use zip ties in place of the hooks that hold the cover to the foam along the sides. My conclusion is… use the hooks. You might want to use something like this to prevent the hooks from pulling through the holes in the foam.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1642303471.jpg


The fit was tighter than the other seat and it took a lot of effort to finally get it on the plastic base.

The cover for the seat back was also a lot harder to install than on the driver’s side. To get it into the groove at the rear I ended up starting on the side and working towards the top (as opposed to getting the top in first).

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As I neared the top I pushed on the seam with a piece of wood, see the photo, that helped to get a bit of slack to force the bead into the groove. The seams are strong enough that this is not a problem.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1642303391.jpg


Once in it kept trying to creep out so I put a piece of safety wire through the seat at the top, fastened inside, to prevent the bead from popping out. I didn’t want to do this, but I prefer to not have it come apart sometime in the near future. It is almost invisible unless you are looking for it.

To disconnect the wire that goes to the seat back recliner switch you slide this little cover off, then slide the connector out.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1642443702.jpg

Here is the passenger seat finished...

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1642443755.jpg

... and the 2 seats installed.


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The difference in colour between the original "savana" and the "lark" inserts is noticeable but doesn't clash too much because they are not side by side.

I am happy! I'm curious as to how they will look after being used a bit.

Those are just cloth covers you put over the seat frames? Thats not leather is it? Someone has to say it, but the fit of those are horrible. Kuddos for you for trying to take on this project, but there are times when you pay a professional for a great result.

They are leather & vinyl.

You do a good job getting them on. Using hog rings would have given you a somewhat better fit but in the end your seats look like the others I have seen from Lseats. Their templates just aren't that good in my opinion and the fit isnt as tight as it should be. It will get a little tighter in the summer, but not enough to look wonderful. A pro wouldn't have been able to get that kit in too much of better shape, it's the covers more then the install.

All in all, great job. Only so much you can do with a product that isn't that great to begin with.

I went down this route and in the end decided to just put in some 987 seats that were in perfect condition. Was around the same price but the install was so much simpler...just remove the old and install new, plus the 987 seats are all heated so now I also have heated seats for the same price.

Well you said it... and I disagree. If I had enough money to pay a professional a couple of thousand dollars to do the seats of a $6000 Boxster... I wouldn't have a $6000 986 which I do all the work on. Compare the original seats and the covered seats, which is horrible? For me it is a great result given my resources and what the car is worth. In the summer I plan to do some work on the wrinkles to improve the fit.

By the way, the covers are all leather, the originals had vinyl on the seat back and the cushion sides, but the Lseats are leather there... which makes fitting it bit more difficult becuase the original vinyl is stretchy. Perhaps the lack of stretch doesn't help eliminate the wrinkles.

Good work elgyqc. Most of the wrinkles should flatten out as you use the seat.
A good set of Hog Ring Pliers makes using the metal rings a lot easier - no harder than zip-ties and in my opinion a better choice. (Knipex Pliers) New rings are inexpensive and easy to work with. I got a box of 100 1/2" rings for a few dollars.

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Given you are not a professional upholsterer, great job, IMO.

There's alot of videos out there to show you how to tighten up the covers. Even leaving them in the hot sun helps shrink them down.

Here's a link below - they use a steamer and heat gun. Be VERY careful with a heat gun as it can damage the vinyl without a doubt.

Just watch how the wrinkles disappear. Not saying yours will be perfect, but I bet some extra work in the nicer weather will greatly improve your results even further.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzm4NeSAPyQ

:cheers:

Thanks for the encouragement. That's the plan, work on the wrinkles during the summer.

Chatsworth... I looked that up... I was born in Fordwich which isn't far away, My family moved to BC when I was very young so don't remember much of the area.

Interesting comment about the passenger side fitting tighter . Because the driver's side is generally used much more than the passenger side I wonder if the foam was less compressed on the passenger side ?

I was wondering if maybe a thin layer ( 1/2 " ) of additional foam on the driver's side may have helped with a tighter fit . Common sense says it would have helped .

I think with some seat time 😁 and some adjustments of the zip ties you will get them tighter. . I think you did a good job . Please try to update maybe in 6 months to see how they look and are holding up .

Last comment/question . What if anything did Lseat recommend for conditioning and treatment of the leather ?

Ahh Fordwich.

My sons played hockey in that area a few years ago during travel hockey times...good memories. That's just outside Wingham/Wroxeter if I recall correctly...about an hour or so away. It's a small world for sure.

And yes, patience and a little extra work will certainly help smooth the wrinkles.

That steam/heat gun method shown in that video really shows how the leather snugs up.

My Audi seats are showing a bit of stretch in the seat bottoms from my fat arse...will give that a try when spring has sprung to tighten them up.

Keep us posted!
:cheers:

As I mention somewhere there is a big piece of 1/2" foam in the package with the seat covers, It could be used as you suggest. I used a bit to patch the foam on the driver's cushion where it was worn away.

There are no instructions or recommendations with the covers, something that Lseat could improve.

Overall quite pleased with the quality and fit of the Lseat covers. While not as high-grade as OE it is still decent leather. There are a few areas where the fit could be better and these may improve with use and some sun exposure. I suspect this wouldn't be an issue if the seat foam was new instead of being 24 years old and a little shrunken. For the price I think it is a great option. I wouldn't go this route for a restoration but for a driver/track toy it is great value for money.
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Nice job ammonman, almost no wrinkles. Did you use a heat gun to remove the wrinkles?

No heat gun yet. Something I've learned over the years working on a few upholstery projects here and there is you have to "give it a lotta love" akin to a deep tissue massage when installing new covers. Massaging the cover and foam in the directions you want the material to lay helps get it smoothed and stretched into place.

That is one of the best looking installs of the Lseat covers I have seen. It almost makes me want to tackle replacing the seat covers in mine.