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NAL Leather Seat Skin Install Tips/Tricks/Problems thread

57K views 95 replies 24 participants last post by  AJ 
#1 ·
I know theres going to be a fair number of questions about installing the new Northwest Auto Leather seat and panel skins, so I figured we should have a dedicated thread for it to keep the forum clean. So instead of starting a new thread with your questions or tips please ask/post them here.

To start off, Mr Malloy has been gracious enough to host and put up the install guide I wrote. Here it is...

http://www.celicasupra.com/leather/LeatherInstallGuide.htm

That covers the front seat installation in detail. I'll add rear seat and interior panel install info after I've done them myself and if I figure you'll need to know something or a skill that you wouldn't have gained from doing the front seats (definatly the hardest part).

Please try and stay on topic in this thread and cut to the point. I imagine people will be reading through this thread for many years in the future as they get their new skins.
 
#2 ·
I have started the installation of my seats leather skin, and I have a question / issue with one part.
It is about the rear seat, bottom part that make both right & left sides as one large piece.
On the perimeter of the piece, there is a sleeve that goes around the left, front & right sides of the part.
I can slide a steel wire in it and attach it with hog rings, although the OE had steel wire in the front, and a plastic buldge (sp?) on the sides.
But the rear of that piece, the one closer to the trunk, does not have a sleeve, nor one of those NAL rubber strips to grab onto with the hog rings. The leather is folded back and sew to form a loop (as a sleeve) but both ends are sewed to close them.

EDIT: as from Daniel, a NAL installer, the proper way to preform an
opening to slide the steel wire is as the yellow line:
 
#4 ·
I worked for about 6 years as an upholsterer in the aircraft business doing interiors on general aviation planes in a private shop and the process is very similar to what is done with automotive interiors. The guide you wrote up is great.

I would like to add that if people ae experiencing problems with shrunken foam, you can use a steamer (the think you use of getting wrinkles out of suits) to get it to expand back to the proper shape. I suppose running a steaming iron over the foam would work. The heat and water make the foam expand.

Once foam has been crushed enough, it won't go back to the original shape. After a while it will wear back down. Luckily, so will your new cover. If the cover is loose, steaming the leather can help because it causes it to shrink. Don't get it too damp or you will get water marks.

Polyfill/dacron is a great way to build up loose areas. Most people don't realize that it can be seperated so it isn't always so thick. Once your piece is cut to the right size, you can peel off the top or bottom if it needs to be thinner. This is a good way to keep things from looking bulged if you are trying to build up just a small area.

Good luck everyone.
 
#5 ·
Please check your rear seat backs

1st- I have edited my post above, and showing where to do the cut on the leather for the rear seat, bottom part.

2nd: PLEASE CHECK YOURS BEFORE ATTEMP TO INSTALL!
After spending 5 hours on the rear seat back, I found that NAL
sewed one leather piece up-side-down, on BOTH of my rear seat back.
The first one I installed, naturally look like shit because of it....
I even had to cut a stich to be able to go around a corner.

EDIT: After close inspection, they installed a left part in the right assembly,
and the right into the left... :cry:

Check yours:
the parts are the parts in between the two back seats, the ones that touch together when the seats are up, in the middle of the car.
If you check that part, you will see that it is wider near the headrest end,
with a little curve to it.
On mine (both) the wider areas are at the base.
Guess I'll have to return theses parts to NAL.

Edit: I had the remove the pic links, as no longer valid.
Email me if you need them
 
#7 ·
was i supposed to recieve 3 sets of door panel vinyl pieces? i only have the large one for the door panel and a smaller one for the main backseat panel, but am missing the one that goes kinda beside the seatbelt
 
#8 ·
sounds like it. Send them an email and get it straightened out. The people doing the cutting didn't realize there was a third pair of panels till most had shipped, they said they would send out the missing panel right away. They may have forgotten about you, just email them.
 
#9 ·
ok cool
 
#10 ·
I had this reply from NAL said:
They took a look at the problem and it was sewn wrong.
They admitted the error, and taking the appropriate actions to correct it.
Will keep you updated.
 
#12 ·
Same here, still waiting. Nancy gave me an insurance number instead of a trcking number without nowing. She told me she was looking into it but I have not heard back from her in a couple of days.

I don't like to keep on to her as I expect she is busy.
:?
 
#13 ·
I hope it will not be the case for everybody....

Found 3 more pieces that need to be returned to NAL...
One front seat bottom does not have the sleeves to pass the steel wire.
The other front seat bottom has the sleeves to pass the steel wire,
but install 3 in forward of it's place (using OE as reference)
One bolsters is missing the rubber strip on one side....

That is a total of 5 pieces that cannot be installed.
Hope this was only caused by pre-Chrismas excitement,
(or were they made the day after the xmas party?)
Anyhow, I don't find it too funny.
They seems to be willing to fix all problems, but I was not
expecting any trouble with the installation, as this GB was running
since a couple of weeks...
 
#14 ·
Uh oh. Guess I should be checking what they have sent me. Just got around to taking apart front seat today. We should not have to be their quality control personnel. It's hard to tell if pieces are correct or not since most of us have never done this before.

Yes, Nancy is busy - but she had stated to me she would e-mail me answer on question of ordering segments in all leather. Never recieved a reply from her. Wasn't the first time she has not followed up.

Also my mastercard showed charge of $880 and NAL receipt showed $830. The canadian dollar amount was the same on both MC and NAL with the same calandar date. What gives? Mc said they do not add service charge for currancy exchange. Anyone else had this surprise?

Anyhow, still thankful for this Group Buy and to Suprafiend's effort to get it in place and the superb install writeup guide. Many thanks!!!
Plan on buying another set when the buy is on again - in all leather!
 
#15 ·
Take up the issue with the price difference with NAL, probably just a simple misread number.

With my skins, both of my shoulder piece skins were missing one of the plastic clips used to hold them on. I just cut one off my old skins and stitched it on. Took me 20 minutes to do both, alot quicker then going back to them.

These guys are really good as you can tell from the quality of the product you have recieved, but most of the skins they make get installed in house. So a little something missing is usually no big deal for them as the sewing room is next to the installation room. Now obviously that doesn't work so well for us, and they have to be alot more careful with orders that are being shipped. However, in cases where a little clip or piece of plastic is missing, and thats all thats stopping you, its probably less hassel and more convienent for you to just fix it yourself then send it back and wait for a replacement. I will get on their case about the quality control with their mail orders, but if you have something you can't easily fix yourself, definatly contact them and have it sorted out. Its a pita for them to deal with this stuff, so they will be concentrating on reducing mistakes on the next gb even more so. Just make sure the thing you think is wrong is actually wrong and not designed differently, they do do things differently then toyota did in several places.
 
#16 ·
As in many places, the costs of re-do is the main cause of profit reduction.

In my case, a little swap in 2 pieces is costing them to redo both rearseat backs ($$$)
As for the other 3 parts, they should have never left there, since they were not completed !
Cost ME and THEM time and additionnal shipping cost.

SupraFiend, if you have the opportunity, suggest them to prepare a pre-shipping check list.
As you say, being very far from the sewing shop is not a good experience
when you really need it !

I know that bottom line I will like my seats, but right now, I can't even
complete any of my 4 seats !

EDIT:
All that fixed now: see picture post >-here-<
 
#17 ·
seat cover group buy

I ordered Black leather with grey inserts. When I recieved my covers, the grey was a pebble grain light( almost dove) grey. I called Nancy, she told me thats what was selected for the group buy, and there was no other choice. I just looked on the pic thread and saw REDP85's seats...they are awsome, and the color grey I wanted......Can anybody shed any light on this for me...CHEERS!.....LEE
 
#18 ·
Its really hard to tell via pics on the computer due to how some cameras treat colors, moniter settings etc, but you've probably seen mine, this is what you should have gotten....

http://www.pbase.com/suprafiend/image/36298457

The leather my front seats are in matchs the stock grey inserts really well. Sounds like you probably didn't have grey inserts to start with to compare against though.
 
#19 ·
seat insert

when I talked to Nancy, I told her I wanted the grey leather for the Supra group buy, and ask what color leather there was to choose from, she said ther wasn't but one , that it was pre-chosen by the guy who set the g/b up..I assumed it was the factory grey...you know what they say...never assume...well I have a call in for the owner so we will se what happens....CHEERS!...LEE
 
#20 ·
Re: seat insert

csuprafreek said:
when I talked to Nancy, I told her I wanted the grey leather for the Supra group buy, and ask what color leather there was to choose from, she said ther wasn't but one , that it was pre-chosen by the guy who set the g/b up..I assumed it was the factory grey...you know what they say...never assume...well I have a call in for the owner so we will se what happens....CHEERS!...LEE
That would be me, and the grey I choose, and the one I have in my car, matchs the factory grey really well. Maybe you got a weird batch or maybe your mistaken. Did you have grey leather before? What are you comparing what you have too?
 
#21 ·
seat covers

Talked to Nancy today...she said that she matched the seats to the swatch she send me...well guess what...I never got any swatch, or got to choose any color..I was told that was the goup buy grey color...I've been working on cars all my life so I pretty much know what factory matches are...LOL not trying to be a smart ass, just a little frustrated! What I think happend, was that Nancy made a mistake, with all that she had goin on...I understand that, I just want them to make it right.......other than that, the workmanship is excellent, and the service fantastic...I would recommend them to any one with a Supra, as a matter of fact ,another guy in Nashville, bought a complete set after he saw mine, and he had no plans on doin so...so If you have any pull with those guys at the upolstery shop I really would appreciate some help from your end!....CHEERS!....LEE P.S. I have been very patient, she also was getting me some side panel material, which I ahve been waiting on a month now...she told me today itwas finally in....but I already have the doorpanels and side panels in, si I don't need that now, and it has been paid for since I ordered it, I'm even will to negate that...I just want them to make the grey right...so like I said...any help would surley be appreciated..... :)
 
#22 ·
Your problems regarding colors are strange.
I knew when I was ordering my gray skins that the color match
was faily good, since I saw SupraFiend samples on his web site.

Good service they do have, but they need a bit more control on
what they do & send. Possibly since we are ordering remotely, color
samples by mail chould be a must.
In your case, could you take pics and post them (or email) so we can
understand better your problem with color?
 
#23 ·
seat cover pics

I will try, my Compt. is not co-operating right now..I will get them on here as soon as I can...And yes I think a swatch of material and a writtin OK should be a must...I hope this gets sorted out soon, for myself, and all future buyers...CHEERS!...LEE And thanks for you're concern....
 
#24 ·
I made it clear in the order form that you should ask for samples of any custom colors you chose, but all of the oem colors NAL matched to OEM samples I provided for them. Seriously, what are you comparing your grey too? I too would like to see pictures. If they did screw up and used the wrong grey by mistake they will fix it. Does your grey look close to the one on my seats in the pic I posted? Keep in mind that 20 year old faded crusty leather grey seats will be a differnt color to brand new ones. We matched all colors to sections of leather that were not exposed to the sun.
 
#25 ·
seat covers

MY COLOR MATCHES NOTHING..IT IS CALLED DOVE GREY...WHAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO GET WAS GRAPHITE GREY..DOVE GREY IS ALSO KNOWN AS BATTLESHIP GREY....WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT NANCY MADE A MISTAKE. I BEEN WORKING ON CARS FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, I KNOW THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN DOVE GREY AND GRAPHITE GREY... OUR OEM COLOR SHE DIDN'T CALL ME TODAY. I HOPE SHE DOES TOMMOROW..I'M TYRING VERY HARD TO STAY PATIENT....ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S NOT MY FAULT...I TRUELY HOPE IT ALL CAN BE WORKED OUT...CHEERS....LEE
 
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