fhmarch

Has any one bought and installed these? My 1988 RX-7 convertible only has 28,000 miles and body, newer top, engine, driveline are in great shape, but the seats have typical weather fatigue, and could use a freshening. Do these covers fit over the headrests with built in speakers? Are they easy to install, or is it essentially and re-upholstery job? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I had the original brand on my car years and years ago, the Wet Okole brand, they fit over the headrests and fit well and are easy to install.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Rob, did your car have cloth or leather seats when you used these covers? I'm considering them to cover my faded cloth seats, but still need to be sure the headrests will work. The cloth seat's headrests seem to have more of a rectangular shape than the leather seats I've seen. How well does the neoprene stretch? Getting them reupholstered would likely be up around the $1k mark, so if I can avoid it, that'd be fine with me.

jake1191

iTrader: (1)

the PO of my car had the seats done a few years back for $550ish on my vert seats and he had them redone in leather

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I had leather.
I still have these seat covers on the original seats from my car down in my basement.
If your bolsters are a little deformed- like my old ones were, they will follow the shape of them as well.

I dont know what the covers cost these days, but with skins availible from leatherseats.com for under $500 I might say to save a little more money and get the seats re-done.
When I got the covers no one sold the skins, the only place that did got $800 for vinyl skins and like $1200 for leather.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

I'm trying to stay away from leather or vinyl. Driving with the top down, in summer heat, with your *** & back stuck to the seat isn't cool. If I had them reupholstered, it would be with some sort of breathable material.

The foam in my seats is still in good shape, so I wouldn't worry too much about a cover following the shape. It's just the black cloth has faded to a greenish color. 22 years in the sun will do that.

Thanks for the info. I may chance it, since I found some for only $140. Hopefully that means for the pair and not just one. If they fit funny, I'll get some hog-rings and pull them to shape.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

your still going to get moist in the seat covers, they are not like these miracle covers for warm weather driving- you will sweat.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Oh, I know. I sweat plenty with cloth even. But it can't be as bad as leather.

nitronatefc

iTrader: (2)

Pardon me for being naive, but did some verts come with cloth seats? I always assumed that all vert seats had headrest speakers and were leather. Does anyone make a suede or cloth replacement skin for the "hammerhead" seats, or are leather and vinyl the only non-custom options? I think leatherseats.com has suede inserts as an option, but they don't list a full suede skin.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

some verts did come with cloth seats, and I have heard those might even had manual windows.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I have these old, small pictures of the car, I never liked the way the seat part was on the drivers seat, but that might have been from the way I had the straps adjusted, I never bothered with them at the time.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Yes, all verts had the headrest speakers, and cloth was either an option or standard. But it is less common. I always see other verts with factory leather seats.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

Im pretty sure the cloth seat cars did not have headrest speakers

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for the pictures, Rob. They look like they fit well, and it's definitely better than the way mine look now. It also looks like I was mixing up the S5 vert seats with the S4 leather ones. Your headrests are the same shape as mine, unlike the rounded off S5 ones.

Mine does have headrest speakers. And they weren't added in later by some owner; they're factory. I don't think any verts didn't have them, since you can barely hear on the freeway w/out them.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I have s5 seats in the car now, I honestly never noticed the headrests!

btw- I paid a little extra and had RX-7 in the backrest, it was the original logo

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

I guess it's just about impossible to tell you car ever was S4. Is the interior fully swapped over now too?

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

The rest of my interior is ALL S4- including the center console plastics.

the seats just happened, I went to a local junkyard and they actually had this REALLY nice red S5 vert there they were taking apart. I got the black seats, carpet, door panels with switches, center console rubbers, and rear cargo cover for $200, then on the way out I spotted some wheels and brand new tires for my jeep that I got for $140.

Only thing I ever used was the seats, the rest is in my basement.

Next time I went to that yard they had this ******* computer system and wanted $400 for a used bumper!

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

I'd love to find a junkyard vert to pick apart, but I don't think any of the yards in my area even have an RX-7 period.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

this car was a shame, the car was so nice I asked them why it was being parted, they said the motor was toast- I bet the motor was fine and they just did not know how to get it started.

By the time I got to it the doors, bumpers, convertible top, and lights were gone.
It was even in a covered area.


This was also like 6 years ago or more

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

someone else posted about the RX7 they purchased and was driving it home, in the ebay ad its a cloth seated vert, many pics:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/88-MA...65%3A13|39%3A1

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, I double checked the '88 brochure elsewhere on the net (since the stickies are down), and it listed headrest speakers as "pkg opt." Those seats on that vert are basically coupe seats, while my cloth ones (w/ speakers) are shaped just like yours. Also, cloth seats are listed as standard, while leather was an option.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I have a original sales brochure from 1988, it actually lists all the good stuff as a package option, I did not know you could have cloth seats and headrests speakers though.

I have not had those speakers hooked up in over 10 years, going to lose them completly when I swap the seats out.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

I found this on a old hard drive

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Thanks. I should have the covers within a couple weeks, so I'll post up some pictures once they're on.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

So, I got the covers today, and immediately noticed that the headrest sections are oval shaped. They don't fit at all, and are probably for an S5 vert. Strike 1.

Then the backrest and lower sections have a million seams along the edges, and don't fit tightly. The backrest cover sticks out a good 3-4 inches and compresses when you sit back in the seat. And the lower section just sort of sits there with little holding it in place. There are 2 elastic bands that are supposed to wrap underneath, but there is really no room to get them under there. And the adjustable straps that run from front to back do nothing to pull the cover to shape. Strikes 2 and 3.

On the upside, I didn't have to pay any shipping for these, and I'll be returning them to a local Costco this weekend. Rob, your covers look like they actually were made with the RIGHT pattern, while the ones I received are more like universal one-size-fits-all garbage. If not for the wrong headrest covers and the excessive seams, I'd consider having them altered for a tighter fit, but it's just not worth it. So, this answers the OP's question: no, coverking seat covers do not fit well, and are not worth it.