Bartlett Corporation Leather on Ebay - $150!

Congrats. Don't know what you're talking about when you say that your installation doesn't look as good as usbseawolf's or a professional's ... it looks great to me.

 

NICE JOB!

Some "character lines" in the leather help show that it IS leather! I prefer that look to the German smooth and perfect look.

 

Thanks PriusLewis. That's a good point... if you look at pics of a Prius with factory leather they all have several wrinkles down the middle section of each seat.

 

This thread is getting me in trouble. LOL

 

I think its time to do the Honda. LOL

 

Man that looks good.

 

Do you own a Honda? Why is this thread causing you trouble?

 

My 2007 Honda Civic hybrid has cloth seats eh! I need it to look like my new Prius.

 

Any more of these kits available? We just purchased our 2009.

 

I found this ad on Craiglist (in Hawaii?). Give them a call and see how much you can get it for. They listed as starting price of $182.

Leather Seat Kits for Toyotas

 

Allright. I'm know I'm not a regular poster here, but i did use the forum when researching to buy my prius, and I have been using this topic to research my install for a leather interior I bought off ebay. Wish I could spend more time here but, I have to try and limit my late night surfing time. The seller confirmed that it is Bartlett. I have an 09 in grey. From what I read, i need these things

1. hog ring piers and 200-300 rings. Will get these at Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply (locally)
2. clips for the reattachment of the fabric to the back of the back set. They have these at my local NAPA. The kit claims that it has the semi-rigid materil for the back of the seats included. What is that?
3. spray glue for the door and back bolster pieces. Apparently the center console piece already comes applied to a center top assembly. (locally)
4. A various assortment of sockets, cutters to remove hog rings, scredrivers etc. Are there any other specialty tools that i need other than the hog ring pliers
I thought about getting a heat gun while at harbor frieght, theyhad them on sale a while back for $10. IS this worth it to heat them up a little to smooth them out while woriing them over the foam?

5. A whole bunch of time!

I have read all of the guides on the forum. Are there any other suggestions. I am relatively handy, so i feel pretty confident about being able to do this. Just looking for some experienced minds on the matter.

 

When the rear seats are folded down, the back of the seats become the floor carpet. These semi-rigid cardboard allows the floor to be harder and keeps it flat. OEM fabric is harder and stays pretty flat.

Since you are very handy, you probably have a working glove. I strongly suggest getting a good pair to prevent cuts. I had a worn out pair with holes in the finger. I got cut through that hole.

 

Thanks for the info. I plan on getting pair of those neopreme mechanics gloves if they feel like they have enough mobility in them to move my fingers. I read alot of your posts and stared at your pics intently before ordering mine. Thanks for all the previous input as well.

 

What color is your interior and what are you getting?

 

Mine current cloth is lt Gray. The item description said it is charcoal. It looked a little darker in one of the pics of the item, and a about the same as the bottom trip pieces in the ohter. I emailed the seller and he said it is the same as the bottom of the door. So. I am looking forward to getting it. Hopefeully it will get here next week and i can start on it next weekend.

 

Do you mind telling us how much you got it for? Just wondering because we thought we got a very good deal.

 

Yes y'all did. I paid 299 shipped for mine. I saw the 150 that you all paid and gasp! But 299 is still not a bad deal for something that I should be able to install myself and add a little value to my car. (and hopefully comfort)

 

Did you buy your kit from a company in Oklahoma City? I know the place and suspected they bought out Bartlett's stock just after I bought my kit, because I believe mine was the last one sold to an individual off Ebay. Yes, $299 is still a good price for this kit - it's very nice. Good luck!

One caution - heaver gloves for some tasks might be in order. Be VERY careful when working on the bare frames - there are numerous places that will slice you open very deep (I left plenty of DNA on the frame of the driver's seat, LOL). Had I to do it over, I would have replaced the foam on the driver's seat bottom. I plan to buy a new one and re-do that (I'm not light, and the foam is broken down). Your car is new enough it shouldn't be a problem.

 

Yes, that is the one. leatherseats.com. I will heed the warning about the gloves. Speaking of the foam, i am thinking about the lumbar support. I know there are other alternatives like the air bladder systems. I have seen those on here. But do you think it would be possible to add a more permanent lumbar support by way of adding foam to the front of the lower back section of the seat? That way it would always be there. and would proabbly be much cheaper than the air bladder system. I thought maybe it could be carved out of another piece of foam and glued into place before i put the leather on that part of the seat. Not too much, just a little more support, as i can feel that empty space between my back and the seat on my 68mi ride to work every morning. I can tell a much more supported seat might be more comfy.

 

Absolutely! When Recaro was *THE* seat to have, they offered a couple of different lumbar pads that slipped behind the back. Make sure you use a fairly dense foam - I would recommend getting a piece from an upholstery shop (foam from the local crafts store will just mash flat and have no support). Second, you might want to cut a piece and try it on one commute just setting between you and the back. That way you can work out the size before you commit to having it embedded in the seat (where it gets very difficult to change). Have enough foam for a few tries. Once you have the seat apart, you may want to glue the new pad to the existing pad using the 3M trim adhesive you bought to glue the trim pieces on with.

One note about the kit, speaking of those trim pieces. The new lid you received is covered in vinyl, not leather. So are the pieces for the door arm rests. I left the stock suede fabric on mine because I didn't want my arm resting on vinyl in the summer. Another approach is to buy the nice leather covers available from Prius Hood in black, and install them more permanently. There's a great thread recently about these with pictures but I can't seem to find it!