Red-Rx7

OSA shouldn't be trusted in my opinion.

When hunting for my new FD, I found an autotrader add for a 1995 Silver R2
with 29,000 miles on it for sale there. The price was TOO good for this,
but needless to say I called. They were asking 15,500 for the car. I
immediatly took interest in it, and asked the usual questions:

-Ever been wrecked?
-Clear title?
-Dents/Damages?
-Origional engine/parts?
-Any modifications?
-Known problems?

Etc. The answers were also 'TOO good to be true'. Everything this guy said
made this car immaculate. So, I wired a small deposit (fear of loosing the
car). I then had him take it to the local Mazda dealership for a 'final
inspection'. Since I am located out in Kansas City, I didn't have the
pleasure of viewing the car in person.

This is where the problems started. He agreed to take it to the dealer, and
I set up an appointment with them. I then notified OSA, and everything was
scheduled. By this time, I am bouncing off the walls with joy. So the
appointment date comes, and goes. OSA never showed up at the dealer,
costing me money. I call OSA, and they made some excuse for the dealership
not calling them back to 'CONFIRM' the date. I then turned my anger over to
the dealership, and to their surprise, they had called 10 times and spoke to
3 different people.

So now, I am playing ping pong with my dream car. My ignorance blinded me
from any forwarnings, for this car was 'perfect'. I dismissed this to a
simple 'misunderstanding'. I then made another appointment, and it comes
and goes. Same deal. This time I have the dealership do a 3-way conference
with OSA. Again, maybe it could have been another 'misunderstanding?'

After the car gets there, the mechanic looks all over the car for the day.
His report:

-The car had been wrecked from the right side, bending frame. The car had
been put on a frame machine, and did a poor job. There were welds all over,
and was a very shotty job.
-The right front wheel was bent, and made it actually 'wobble' when it
moved.
-The A-Arms were bent
-The rebar was cracked in 1/2, under the bumper.
-The car had noticable overspray in the engine compartment
-The car pulled to the right under acceleration

So, on confronting OSA he said that they had no idea it had been wrecked and
he was going to 'GO TALK TO HIS MECHANIC RIGHT NOW!'. When I asked about
the car pulling to the right, he replied "All RX-7's pull to the right under
acceleration"

So, a $336.00 bill later, I didn't buy the car.

Mike

vmb

the only way ill buy them is if i see a pic !!!!!!

i dont care if they are honest or dishonest !

vaughnc

Red-Rx7 just pointed me to an FD owner buying seat covers.

I've e-mailed him to join this discussion as well.

So far I've heard "they sell chopped / unbent 3rd gens" claiming they're new.

BTW - so long as you had the OEM seat patterns & a sewing machine, couldn't anyone do this??

Samps

Not just anyone can wrap a seat in leather. You may be able to get the fabric and trace your stock seat cover and cut it out. But then you would most likely need to take it to a professional to wrap it onto the seat. You could try and do it yourself; but it will most likely end up loose and not conforming to the seat curves. Those lil lumps on the seat bottom would be the most difficult part IMO. If you just made the seat bottom flat somehow; it would make it alot easier.

vaughnc

Hmm...

I think the lumps are individual sections.

Keeping the lines straight would be the hardest part. I suppose you'd need to break everything into individual sections and make copies of the individual panels.

Then mark the exact seam lines and sew the new seat panels into larger sections and verify they're fitting together like the OEM ones.

Wonder how much the material would cost and can you get an exact color match?

turbotwista

leather seats good. me drunk hahahahahaha oh well I would like leather seats but I am a very poor poor man

goblues24

hey all i am the person who originally posted the seats and parts thread, didnt know this would be such a hot topic noone replied when i posted. anyways there is a place to go to see the pics but it is the website, i am waiting for mine that i ordered and when i do i can post pics or have someone here in fla in the forum even take a look. they are supposed to be great. i have touched and compared to oem leather (for black fd seat) saw no probs so i ordered mine.

heres the info that i have:

you can get them in any color scheme you like, or just one solid color. you can have the logo stitched it looks good on them i just didnt want to spend the extra cash (i think it was 50 extra per seat) the guy told me that the seats i ordered will be exact as the part number ordered from. so if theres a pocket on your seat it will come with a pocket etc. ( i too am wondering if it will be perforated, i asked him a bunch of questions and his response to sum it all up was it will be just like the seats you have. he said it takes about an hour a seat to do. you remove old covers, check your cushions etc.

heres the way its done. i saw a oem cover next to the covers in question. looked the same (all the flaps to fasten it to frame were the same lengths etc) you will need to buy these little rings called hog rings and a tool that squeezes them. basically they are little open circles that go through the leather and wherever you fasten it to and then are crimped to make a closed circle. the tool and rings are like 3 bucks at the hardware store for the vert owners like me it will replace headrest covers as well.go to www.onestopauto.tv go to parts for sale then seats these are th covers in question. i am the guinea pig so in a week or so i should have these available to check out if you want. if you have any questions email me at goblues24@hotmail.com hope these are good so i can be everyones hero anyways any questions ill be happy to answer what i know.

bauer

Samps

The quality of the seat is not so much the issue. Wheather or not you get them is what scares me.

vmb

WHERE IN FLA ARE YOU GOBLUES?
have you seen the material they use?
do they have them in stock ?or are they ordered?

Kurgan

If they are a business, with a business license (which I'm sure they are), mail them the money in postal money orders. If you don't get your goods, its a federal offense baby! Mail fraud. Me, personally, I wouldn't worry about it. Selling cars and making seat covers are two different things.

Now, a real question... what if your seat pads are shot? does anyone sell those, or do you just buy some foam and try and make em yourself. Most of my foam is great, except the drivers side near the door, cuz my fat *** wore it down to the metal bar underneath

goblues24

hey im in sunrise near ft lauderdale ive seen fd seatcovers by him they were to me better than oem also something everyone should know he is distributing these osa doesnt make them they only sell them i dont know who exactly manufactures them osa is just a middle man. fd covers he said some are in stock but my vert covers were ordered. talked to him today and they should be in this week. there is a place that sells the pads its mazda recycler or something like that the butt part for my vert is 100.00 i dont have link but i got it on one of these posts.

bauer

junior-coyote

Having done some upholstery work myself, I would say that $350 for good quality leather (like oem) reupholstery kit (not covers) is too good to be true. Just the leather would be most of that price. I would let one person buy first.

I was thinking of making a kit. Leather would cost more, cloth would be about the same or less. The vert and turbo seats are more difficult because parts of the original foam have to be sewn into the cover. Email me if you are interested. It won't be done real soon. utna-pishtim@att.net

I have been going to some insurance salvage auctions recently and I am shocked by cars that are totally hammered being sold off to be repaired. I know they are going to be repaired by the high price they go for. The buyer could only make a profit by repairing the car. If you are buying a late model used car (for example, BMW I would say 7 or 8 years) be VERY careful.

Good luck

vaughnc

Hmm..

Wonder who actually makes them for FCs?

Icemark

I disagree. There were many manufactures of leather seat replacements for the new car dealers back in the early to mid '90s and they all were making better quality leather seat covers for around $250 (new car dealer cost) than most of the factory leather. These would be installed then sold by the new car dealer typically for $1000 to $1200 for two seats and the door panel inserts.

I can't imagine in 5 years the cost has run up much more than $100. So the price sounds right on line. Heck even group buy leather seat covers for the Miata still runs right at $400 for the pair.

I am looking forward to hear about the quality and fitment of these covers.

I also wonder if the company that sells the fixed FD's is the same one that makes these covers?

junior-coyote

Anyone who can get good leather at a big discount is not even going to want to hear "rx7". Lets see, $250 wholesale 10 years ago would probably be around $450 retail now, and that was for a large market item then, which we're not talking about here.

vmb

where are the pics?
did they rip u off like everyone said they would ?

vmb

?

vmb

i knew this was b.s

Tim Benton

iTrader: (1)

any feedback yet?

Tim

vaughnc

Here's the latest:


hey whats up. i ordered them and am waiting for the arrival so ill let you know when i get them. getting anxious.

goblues24


----- Original Message -----
From: "m b" <goblues24>
To: <vaughnc@earthlink.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 8:21 PM
Subject: Re: Bauer - OSA seat covers - any news on quality ??
>
>
>
> >From: "scat" <vaughnc@earthlink.net>
> >To: <goblues24@hotmail.com>
> >Subject: Bauer - OSA seat covers - any news on quality ??
> >Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 14:37:04 -0400
> >
> >goblues24,
> >
> >Did you every order the seat covers and how was the quality?
> >
>

rx7_ragtop

I've re-covered the seats in a 1968 Mustang before. Same principle. It's not HARD, but it IS tedious and time consuming. The more careful you are, the better it looks when done. The only special tool you need is a pair of "hog-ring" pliers.

I can't comment on the quality of their product though... haven't seen it.

Brad

etherhuffer

Hey, guys. I post in the first gen area, but saw this thread. I am checking out www.leatherseats.com Have any of you heard of them? Sounds like they have a pattern for first gens, and likely second gens. I anyone has used them let me know. I am about to order from them.

vaughnc

ouchy:

One Row Seating (includes: dual buckets, or 40/20/40, or 60/40, or straight bench seating) $579

etherhuffer

900 if I have a shop do it custom. Double ouchy!

vmb

what ever happened to this ?

smells fishy!!!