I need to upgrade my battered tweed interior to leather, and wondering how easy is it to DIY with purchasing the kits, there are several companies in the US / Canada supplying kits, not neccassary any cheaper than getting it done by upholsterer here, but quality is not necessarily assured. If I do go done a DIY route, how easy / difficult is it to remove the door panels, dash board bits etc. Also removing the tweed from the seats, panels and gluing leather bits etc. Any tips and experiences good or bad will be appreciated.

Mondo's the man for this one! :thumbup1:

The Z32 interior is full of peculiar angles and edges, which makes trimming as per the factory finish quite difficult in places. Nissan used a large amount of heat and a bloody big press to ensure that all the edges and whatnot were wrinkle-free... DIYers and pro upholsterers have no such luxury, sadly.

 

A lot of panels, such as the glovebox face and the centre console sides, are pretty straightforward but most other parts would benefit from being sewn together from multiple pieces to get a really nice finish. Or a professional. :)

 

In all honesty, for what a kit from the US would cost you, then either forking out for hi-temp glue or paying someone to fit it all for you, you'd probably better off getting a UK trimmer to just make it all and fit it from scratch. :thumbup1:

Hi Tazino.

 

I was in the same dilemma as you a few months back and decided the price of a badly fitting diy kit form the USA etc was not worth the risk!

 

I decided to invest in a sewing machine and try and learn some of the skills myself, and so far it is going well. I plan to do all the seats and interior panels and probably dash as well, but be under no illusion it is a huge job! I have been going at it for over a month and so far have one and a half seats made :) Very rewarding though. I have a thread in the general discussion forum that you may want to check out. It has proved to me that I wouldn't want to risk it on a DIY kit from the states though as the foam of the seats is in variable condition, and I am always tweaking bits to make sure they fit as well as they can.

 

In my opinion go for a trimmer like Mondo if you want a great finish... or get the skills to make your own and accept that some bits may be worse than others :D

 

 

Best regards, William

For reference what would it cost for a uk re-trimmer to leather the whole interior?

For reference what would it cost for a uk re-trimmer to leather the whole interior?

 

Define "the whole interior" please! :lol:

Say the orange leather in Batmans z: door cards, glove box, centre aroudn the transmission. ignore the dash cluster surround

So just panels, not seats as well?

 

I'd charge around £350 - £400 for that lot.

Yeah no, not the seats. that sound like a really good deal! ill hit you up in a couple months if you're still around xD

Yeah no, not the seats. that sound like a really good deal! ill hit you up in a couple months if you're still around xD

 

I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry...! :thumbup1:

@mondo how much would the full interior cost? seats, panels, carpet the lot.

Having just re done all of mine myself, using a pre cut kit imported from the USA and some alcantara for the vinyl replacements, I can honestly say that if you want it to look as good as possible get it done by someone who knows what they are doing! It will be done quicker, last longer and look better.

 

It took me several months to do mine, including seats, working in the evenings and I still have some bits to finish and some bits to re do. I have learned a lot and made a lot of mistakes and it can be as equally frustrating as it is rewarding. I enjoy this type of creative stuff but be under no illusion it is not an easy job and had my cursing often! A patient DIY job will be better than the worn leather and tweed but never as good as a professional Job in my opinion. Also, having now worked with leather I would also recommend a good quality vinyl for the tweed replacements. Far easer to work with for a DIY job and far more cost effective than leather which will need to be cut and stitched to fit the odd shapes of the Z interior panels and even then is hard to work with.

 

Bottom line, if you can afford a professional do so. I know my steering wheel is going to Mondo next year, no way I am even trying that myself!

@mondo how much would the full interior cost? seats, panels, carpet the lot.

 

2 seater or 4 seater? Carpets as well...? Carpets are a pain to make and fit!!

 

Drop me an email to enquiries@hidenseat.co.uk with your ideas and material thoughts and I'll be able to give you a proper price :thumbup1: