Front Seat Cover Replacement (Using Rear Seat Leather??)

[oxwood]

So I've been a lurker here on the forums for years now but I've finally decided to make an account and become active because I haven't been able to find any information on my current issue; I just bought a '99 528i Touring for super cheap, and although it's a nice car, the front seats' leather covers are in awful shape. As in, the leather is rubbed thin and torn through to the padding in a couple places. I already have a set of comfort seats I'm planning on swapping in, but I'm wondering if I could fix the current seats on a budget to have them ready for another car or to sell... With this in mind I had a (probably not) brilliant idea: could I disassemble a spare rear bench seat cover and use the leather to reupholster a front seat? From what I can tell, the leather pattern for both front and rear seats is similar or possibly identical, my main worry is if there is enough material in the rear seat to cover the front seat since the leather wraps around the bottom. Has anybody attempted this before or could share some wisdom? I already have a cherry rear seat I got from Pick-N-Pull for $12 on half price day, so if nobody has ever attempted something like this then I'll begin dismantling my seats to investigate, and write up a DIY while I'm at it.

[Coupenut]

Yes, you can. I did exactly that for my 99 528iT. I purchased the front and rear seats from a sport package equipped 540 and the upholsterer recovered the drivers seat with leather from the rear seat. Worked out extremely well.

Unless you're able to do the work yourself you'll have to find a shop willing to do that type of work. Not all want to.

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[oxwood]

Great to hear that it's possible. What was the cost to have just the one seat redone? Since I've had my bimmers I've learned to do all the mechanical work myself to keep operating costs down but upholstery is more of an art form than a mechanical job, so unless it turns out to be a simple cut and replace I'll have to have a professional do the work.

[Coupenut]

You're right, upholstery, done right is very much an art. I'm sure it was a bit more than cut and replace.
The shop I used charged $300 for the one seat.

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[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

All you have to do is find an unworn passenger seat that matches your seats, swap the covers over. The foams are identical for both seats. Only thing you may have to do is cut some holes for the seat controls that the plastic cover goes over. Out here, the U pull it yards charge $50 a seat. In NJ, my brother just told me not 5 mins ago, seats go for $25 at the yard.

[ghostbutts]

I'm thinking about this as well. My issue is that the leather looks ok, but the drivers side seatpad is not as firm or tight feeling as the passenger side. I' trying to decide if I should just take my chances with a nice looking used seat pad from ebay and swap or have a shop re-upholster my existing pad. ECS has new seat foam for around $200 . Admittedly if the ebay piece is in good shape it would be a much cheaper job, but obviously I'm rolling the dice on the actual quality and condition.