[bottle]

A brief update, slightly more than a year ago I got PU seat covers fitted at Stanley Chennai for my Palio. It looked nice and plush but I was not happy with the fitting, the edges of the seats where there was stitching seemed to be wrinkled and loose fitting. Also the ergonomics of the seat seemed to have changed slightly. I was told this was due to the extra mm of foam under the seat covers.

After a while since I was generally unahppy about how the seats felt compared to the OE seats I decided to check if the covers could be refit properly and minus any extra padding.

I went to Stanley Bangalore, and was told that I can't expect much with PU and I would need to go for leather for a proper fit and finish.

After getting price quotes, I thought I'd take this chance to upgrade to a better material and decided to get it done at another place where I got a more competitive price quote.

When they removed the Stanley seat covers in order to get new leather covers fitted we found that the Stanley Chennai installers had modified the seats quite a bit in order to fit their cover which was not a perfect fit. The upper corners of the seat foam was cut and they added their own foam and also there was a 1 feet long cut in the middle of the seat where usually only needle and twine are enough to pass through the foam.See attached pic.

I wanted to ask if this is normal procedure but I am sure many of us , me included would rather not have such drastic measures be taken just to install a seat cover.

This is the message I received from my installer

Hi Ravin
I am enclosing pics of your Palio seats just after we removed the stanley covers.
They have modified your original seat cushions and damaged them in the process.
Notice the black foam they have stuck to the sides after cutting the original moulded foam by hand.
The horizontal crevices on the seat have also been cut and damaged by the stanley fitter in Chennai.
Stanley dealer in Chennai has cut your Original Equipment foam ( which is injection moulded at Fiat suppliers factory) to match the covers he fit.
This is because the covers he had were not from the same Palio model.
This kind of modification is totally unacceptable as it destroys the density of the original injection moulded seat.
The idea of fitting OE fit seat covers is to custom make the cover as per the original equipment seat not the other way around.
Regards,

[bottle]

After installing new seat covers, now I know what a tight fit means where earlier it was like sitting on a bench seat , now the lumbar support with the bucket seat effect is back and under thigh support is much better and I dont feel a cushion pressing hard under my thighs

[narchennai]

It should be paining for you to know that your seats had been cut to fit the PU cover, I was planning to get my 4 year old Bolero for a leather seat cover job at Stanley Chennai, but now It seems that I had to stand by their side to supervise the job myself. What happened to you is unbearable totally..

[bottle]

I'm guessing this would not have happened at Stanley Bangalore, the Stanley botique here gets covers from Bangalore and probably got a set that was not a right fit and instead of sending it back and getting it fixed chose to make the seat fit the cover and push this one off. Check out the attached pics comparing oe-fit vs what stanley put. The seats look bloated with all the extra foam used.Also posted a pic of the origial cloth seats from Fiat website for reference

[McLaren Rulez]

This weekend, my dad installed a set of seat covers for our Polo. Here's what they look like.

It seems to me, that the covers aren't completely taut over the seat. Is this poor workmanship and should I get the installer to redo the installation? If so, is it a difficult job? Thanks!

[MDED]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

This weekend, my dad installed a set of seat covers for our Polo.

Attachment 1495440

Yes, some gaping holes have been left by the guy who did seat cover work. Whether it is stitched one or the ready made stuff. If its customized, I am assuming he would have definitely punctured the original seat while working on to put the cover.
Take the car to the same place and point out the gaps. I feel it can be done, but it will require a seasoned hand! Don't know whether Mysore have any shop to do it. I feel our Mysoreans bhpians should tell!

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by MDED

Yes, some gaping holes have been left by the guy who did seat cover work. Whether it is stitched one or the ready made stuff. If its customized, I am assuming he would have definitely punctured the original seat while working on to put the cover.
Take the car to the same place and point out the gaps. I feel it can be done, but it will require a seasoned hand!

Hi MDED, thanks for replying!

I don't understand what you mean by gaps though. If you're talking about the FS, BS markings, that's not the issue. That's chalk or something and can be wiped off. The issue is the seemingly loose fit.

[MDED]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Hi MDED, thanks for replying!

I don't understand what you mean by gaps though. If you're talking about the FS, BS markings, that's not the issue. That's chalk or something and can be wiped off. The issue is the seemingly loose fit.

I meant about the loosely fit seats.

[adi_sun]

I would second this, also factor the factor that with use all covers tend to expand and loose some shape. If they are not so cling fit right now they will only get worse with age. Please ask him to rectify.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

It seems to me, that the covers aren't completely taut over the seat. Is this poor workmanship

The seat covers are held together by a single-time usable 'C' shaped clips.

Take the car to any experienced installer, he'll open them and pull the seat cover and then clip it right.

By the looks of it, the cover isn't hugging the seat properly. Feels like it is just did over the seat.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

The seat covers are held together by a single-time usable 'C' shaped clips.

Take the car to any experienced installer, he'll open them and pull the seat cover and then clip it right.

By the looks of it, the cover isn't hugging the seat properly. Feels like it is just did over the seat.

Thanks Anurag.

Should I give it to the same fellow or pick out a more experienced hand? If I choose a new fellow, I assume the cost should be within a few hundred rupees?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Thanks Anurag.

Should I give it to the same fellow or pick out a more experienced hand? If I choose a new fellow, I assume the cost should be within a few hundred rupees?

Depends on how good installer's you have in Mysore.

If there then go to the new guy and explain the issue and see if he can do. ONLY then hand the car to them else they'll spoil it totally.

If the installer who did this can redo and get it sorted, it is better. He may not charge you out of goodwill.

EDIT: Else go to Bangalore and sort it out.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

ONLY then hand the car to them else they'll spoil it totally

More worried about this than the cost actually, because I'm abroad and my dad is dealing with the installer. Thank you for the advice though.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

More worried about this than the cost actually, because I'm abroad and my dad is dealing with the installer. Thank you for the advice though.

If you are not very sure of how to go ahead and get this sorted, IMO it is best left at what it is.

It is better to be in this condition rather than spoilt state.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

If you are not very sure of how to go ahead and get this sorted, IMO it is best left at what it is

Sorry to bug you on this, but what exactly should I look out for if I choose to fix it? Specifically, what are the risks to the original seat if I go for a reinstall?

I'll probably take it to an experienced fellow in Bangalore but wanted to know what to keep an eye out for in any case. Thanks!