Why are 308 seat covers so expensive?

Try a custom coach builder.

Got EVERYTHING for under $3K. Seats, head rests (w/silk thread Cavallinos), doors, center console).

And in the finest MB leather, twice as robust as the OEM paper thin crap. And I defy ANYONE to tell the difference on looks alone to include color.

Touch it and the difference is readily appearant. OEM and OEM clones just suck. You can punch a hole thru it with the flat side of rolling pin.

 

Why are they so expensive? Because people will pay it. Personally, I'd rather have new leather for $2000 than sheepskin seat covers. I don't even like the "Ferrari" seat covers I have on mine...but they do serve a purpose. My seats are in pretty good shape, but when it's time (funds permitting) I will spend the money to recover the seats.

 

That's interesting...I didn't know the MB leather was better. Good to know!!! Especially if the colors match.

 

GAHH, or World Upholstery???

How much there??

 

Find a competent upholsterer who works in leather; they're not hard to find. You'll still spend north of $2G but it'll be installed correctly, and the seat frame and innards will be looked after properly.

 

Just an FYI if you go the MB route.

Its thickness does pose other issues as far as fitment of parts that have to be worked to fit properly BUT for robust quality there is NO comparison. NONE.

Ferrari went for the most expensive, high quality junk, available.

Idealy, if I had to do it again, I would go for regular MB leather on the seats and head rests, thin MB leather on the doors and center piece.

 

GAHH seats and headrests are $2018. as per their web site. I have them in my car and they seem to be of very high quality.

 

DWPC: "Find a competent upholsterer who works in leather; they're not hard to find. You'll still spend north of $2G but it'll be installed correctly, and the seat frame and innards will be looked after properly."

This is the route I took. I ran into the same sticker shock that Nurburgringer ran into when I researched it. The seats were, by far, the #1 thing wrong with my car.

So I researched a very well known and respected auto upholstrey shop here in San Diego, and I got the seats & head rests done in leather (don't know the thickness or MB or GAHH), and it doesn't have the prancing horse on it, but high quality work...out the door for $900 for both seats.

I honestly think they misquoted on the phone (too low), so I went there, and had them write it down. Four months later, and several other quotes greater than $1,500, I brought in the written estimate, and they honored it.

I'm purposely not saying which shop it is, or their contact info, because I reallly think (and confirming by their facial expressions) that they lost money in this deal, and I don't want this shop to lose money. They are a great business, great people, but I think they messed up the quote, not the quality.

Brian
'87 328 GTS

 

The name Ferrari + (insert model number here) + the perception of having more money and larger ego’s than anyone else with an auto = Why it cost so much

 

I went the whole nine yards with all new leather, (except for the dash) fabric and carpet. The total was around 7k.

Sorry for the low quality of the pics.
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You did very well, looks great .... I heard I need 10k for a complete interior installed and taxes....sounds right to me, looks awesome!

 

My drivers seat had a ripped bottom cushion for many years. I couldn't justify the prices for new seat covers. I finally decided it needed to be addressed so I took it to a local upholstery shop. They removed the old cover, made a new one and installed it. They also fixed a burn hole in the seat back. Total charge, $280. The seat looks great! I regret not doing this years ago. Just because it's a Ferrari doesn't mean the cows have to live in Italy. Find out where the local Hot Rodders get their interiors done and save thousands.
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I guess I went 10 yards: All new everything including the dash, seats, carpets, doors, parcel shelf, console. The price was just south of $5K. Nothing was done from kits - It was all cut from hides. I got to choose from a number of dye lot samples so the color and grain of the leather would be consistant throughout.

Yes, it's expensive, times are tough and it's not easy to find people who can do this work at a high level. Although I love just looking at my car I think driving it with the near perfect interior surrounding me gives me even more pleasure.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268083&highlight=interior

 

Thanks. It's like being in a new car.

One of these days I'll learn how to take a decent picture.

 

Very nice job. There aren't many good trim shops in my area so the prices are bound to be higher here than in southern California.

 

A friend here had a shop in Louisiana do both his QV seats for ~$1,200. Looked like an exact match with the prancing horse and everything.

I called and got a quote for about the same amount to recover my carb seats and strip/redye the doors. Should have done that a few years back but other items were on the list before that one.

 

Could you post the name of the shop?

 

Kurt,
Try ACE on HWY 33 just alittle west just outside of West Bend. I had lots of car and Harley seats done by them. They do excellent work and were not over priced just by what car the seat was out of. Everytime I go past their shop there is an interesting project inside. They have big picture windows in the front and you can see right in. I haven't been there for a few years, but they were always my first choice.

 

And what is good Phaedrus? And what is not good. Need we have anyone tell us these things?

 

I live in Finland and here everything is VERY expensive. I send email to Estonia 50km south by sea from Helsinki. There was really upscale upholstery place with good references and price tag for both seats and headrests: 990€ (multiply with 1,35 to get US$). Does not sound too bad for me.

 

I have a thread on this too. I have an '83 Red/Tan GTB QV. The main issue was a worn-out driver seat with a major crack down the center. Seat covers were not an option for a Ferrari.
Ordered the dye from Leatherique - didn't match my interior enough to be inconspicuous. Its still sitting on my shelf.
Went to a couple big shops/dealers in the area - major money. $20Kish.
Went to a dozen small upholstery shops - all a couple thousand $$$ more than GAH.
Looked at a couple other suppliers who's names escape me but are in the thread.
Looked at GAH - prices were OK, a couple shops actually installed these.

What I learned : do not redye as it will crack & chip in a couple years.
The interior parts all aged & turned color differently in the cabin. It would be impossible to match anything.
Looked at dozens of leather & leather-like vinyl swatches- nothing really close.
Nobody would custom dye a hide for me.

Went to Bradan - His Auntie custom made each piece. Looks WONDERFUL! The stitching is amazing.
But I went from replacing one seat, to both seats, to center console to the door panels so the leather would match. But on my '83, there's carpet on the lower door panels that would have to be replaced. Then it wouldn't match. So I had the carpets replaced too. The roof stayed original. And I have those little staple marks on my black dash on the passenger side from age. I'll have to replace that soon too.

 

When I did mine I asked all the local car guys and kept coming up with the same shop. I went a saw him and he quoted me a great price. Of course I took all mine apart and took the pieces to him but he did the entire interior in great quality leather for less than what I would have paid for new seat covers.

If you are just looking for the seats I'd definitely go this route. In the end I ended up spending well over $8K but that included a bunch more work than just the interior. I could have probably done just the seats this way for less than $1k.

Oh and taking the seats out is only four bolts, even the least mechanically inclined person could do that!!

 

Redye vs new leather, it's the old question of "quality" really. And who does the work?