seat covers

[Jess87]

hi guys
didnt know where to stick this one - but i guess here will be appropriate :o

i got an astra cdx with leather interior - and whilst it looks super sexy it does get a little too hot in summer:boohoo:

does anyone know where i can get reasonably priced seat covers? (in in perth, WA)
i was thinking wool seat covers? anyone got any opinions on wool seat covers - ie prce, maintenance etc?

any suggestions/alternatives will be appriciated

ta :p

[pred8r]

hi guys
didnt know where to stick this one - but i guess here will be appropriate :o

i got an astra cdx with leather interior - and whilst it looks super sexy it does get a little too hot in summer:boohoo:

does anyone know where i can get reasonably priced seat covers? (in in perth, WA)
i was thinking wool seat covers? anyone got any opinions on wool seat covers - ie prce, maintenance etc?

any suggestions/alternatives will be appriciated

ta :p

Woollen seatcovers (good ones are expensive but worth it, sometimes with modern car seat design the thicker covers will make the seat feel wrongly shaped) will make you hotter, leather is the best as it breathes.
If anything as a minimum I would suggest tinting the windows

If its a dark coloured car, unfortunately this is a lot of the problem. If however its silver......

Apart from that one of those window covers that goes outside the screen (yes, where they are easily 'borrowed') will give better heat rejection that the inside ones which will still act as a greenhouse.

Re tints, metallised films are the best (although the worst for mobile reception, e-tag etc) and rarely fade. Dye films are crap and will fade (regardless of what the sales guy will say).
Unfortunately there are a few places around where you will pay for a metal film and they will install a dye (they make more money) and usually do this when they expect people to change their cars sooner, not keep them for life.

[Jess87]

[quote=pred8r;190475
If anything as a minimum I would suggest tinting the windows

If its a dark coloured car, unfortunately this is a lot of the problem. If however its silver......[/quote]

thanks
i already got it tinted a few months back, however not as dark as i expected - i asked for the darkest legal tinting u could get - but its hardly called tint - ive had darker on my lil' n13 pulsar!
i got a cheap sunvisor to put on the windscreen for when the car aint in use, but to drive in summer it gets too sweety - and i dnt wanna fade the leater and wear it out n all

the cars a shiny metalic blue btw

[Tfer]

thanks
i already got it tinted a few months back, however not as dark as i expected - i asked for the darkest legal tinting u could get - but its hardly called tint - ive had darker on my lil' n13 pulsar!
i got a cheap sunvisor to put on the windscreen for when the car aint in use, but to drive in summer it gets too sweety - and i dnt wanna fade the leater and wear it out n all

the cars a shiny metalic blue btw

Hmmm... my Veccy C is a 12/02 build with full leather interior and dark. The only thing I have done is tint the windows. I spend a lot of time in it, and what i have found is:

The leather does not fade providing you look after it (number of different leather conditioner products on the market, but meguiars works best for me)
Leather breathes, so actually not sure what wopuld happen over time by covering it up
Turn the car on for a couple of minutes prior to jumping in, if it has been sitting in the sun (and I mean full sun), and let the air con cool your ride down
Leather because it breathes, does cool down.
I would never cover the leather up :cool:My 2 cents ;)

[imay]

If you do get seat covers . . . don't get covers that cover the side air-bag module!

Better off with window tint, foil windscreen cover and keep that air-cond well gassed. If it's really that big a problem, try chucking a towel/rug over the seat when you get out, then when you get back in, turn on the air, chuck the towel in the boot and the car will be ready to drive away when you get back in.

[CJB]

I have felt the wrath of hot leather on my bum too :D


I wouldn't bother with seatcovers though, like Imay said, it could cover an airbag which Im not sure about in WA, but in QLD that's illegal.

Maybe just get a towel or something and use that under you when you first get back in the car.

It's only for a few months, then the Winter months will come and it will be icy cold seating :p

[kabel]

Jess87
I have a VXR Astra with leather and also live in Perth north of the river
and was thinking the same thing `bloody warm on your backside!`
The shape of the seats don`t lend themselves to off the shelf items
from what I have seen.
I had a Valiant Regal SE with sheepskins over the factory seats
and was not keen on them.
At this point I have only had the car two months and it is kept undercover at work and in a garage at home so it is not a huge priority at the moment
to find a solution,but let me know how you go
PS
If you see an Arden Blue VXR honk!
I will return the greeting
Take care

[Mainframe_Module]

from what ive heard you have to make sure they fit perfectly because if they move or rub, they can actually wear out the original fabric/leather more than if you didnt bother covering them to begin with.

[platypus]

i'd suggest a leather treatment... won't be able to find out the name of the stuff

BMW use it on most of their convertables...

[pred8r]

Tips to cooling a car with the a/c;

Apart from the obv. stuff (park in shade etc.....)
Close all the vents that are not blowing you or a passenger. (Why cool an empty seat?)


Ive found this method works best (in all the cars I've had) to flat stick with outside air setting on (high air volume means less cool but this wont take long)
wind the windows down 1/2 way (to pump the hot air out)
as soon as you feel the air begin to cool slightly wind the windows up leaving about 1" (to allow the last of the hotter inside air, out)
you will feel the air get even cooler (about 1 min)
wind up windows switch to recirculated air.
After a couple of mins I usually drop the fan speed down (the slower the air through the a/c system the colder it gets)

This works great for cooling the air but unless you are in the car for 15+mins it hardly gives the 'furniture' the chance to cool too.

Once the interior (as opposed to just the inside air) cools down it takes that little longer for it all to get heated up again.

OT: Mainframe, nice avatar

[Jess87]

thanx guys

might have to checkout some leather treatment stuff
i actually use a towel on the seats - but i just thort seat covers will be more practical (and leave a huge hole in the bank account too i guess)

hey kabel - where do u mostly drive during the day - im practley living on wanneroo road atm lol :p


with the airbag issue i heard u can get "custom" seat covers to suit the legal requirements of th new astras, coz most bmw etc etc have the side air bags too... but thats what iv heard

cheers

[kabel]

Jess87
I drive to work in the mornings on the Freeway to Ozzie Park
and usually drive home on Wanneroo Road and then Joondalup Dve,sometimes through Wanneroo townsite.
Try Autoglym Leathercare for your seats,Supercheap,Autopro etc sell it.

[Jess87]

It's only for a few months, then the Winter months will come and it will be icy cold seating :p


heehehe, solved that prob already - heated seats :p
if only they had cooled seats... ...hmmm maybe not

[Tfer]

heehehe, solved that prob already - heated seats :p
if only they had cooled seats... ...hmmm maybe not

And so we all have, and yes, you can get customised seat covers that allow for the side airbags, but as Mainframe correctly pointed out, if they don't fit perfectly, they will rub, and end up damaging your leather seats. :o

Pred's ideas with the air con..... cool (oops) :cool: