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Thread: Overhauling front sport seats, finding parts.

  1. #1
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    Overhauling front sport seats, finding parts.

    I want to overhaul the front drivers front (sport) seat on my daily driven 540i. I can find the lower foam cushion on FCPEuro and it looks like Turner motorsports has the upper cushion. What I can't find is the seat covers. The lower cover lists for around $1,000. I kinda freaked out after that.
    I think I need to find a used passenger front seat that's in really good shape and take the lower and upper leather covers off. Basically cannibalize a healthy passenger seat to refurbish my drivers side.
    That being said, I can't find any healthy front seats for sale. Not in any local salvage yards, not in the classified section of the forum, or even on "the bay".
    Can anyone point me to someplace I can get replacement seat covers (even used) or get mine refurbished?
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  2. #2
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    Find a good upholstery guy in your 'hood. He may be able to source parts.

    Search for part numbers obtained here: realoem.com.


    Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.

  3. #3
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    I was looking in realoem to get my P/N's. The hard part is finding parts and the other hard part is "at a reasonable to me cost".
    If I can rebuild my driver side front seat for under $1,000 and make it look and feel new, I'll do it.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  4. #4
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    No way you can replace the foam and get the covers from BMW for $1000.00 it will be way more than that

  5. #5
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    I can get the bottom foam from FCPEuro: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...29#description
    and the seat back foam from Turner motorsports: https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1...uine-bmw-part/
    The total for the foam will be around $500.
    However, The actual leather seat covers I priced was around $1,000 for the lower cover.
    I didn't even try to find the seat back cover after realizing how much this was going to cost.
    At that rate, it was gonna be around $2,500 to refresh my existing seat if I do all the work myself (which I plan to do).
    Since the leather is the same for left and right seats, I just need to find a gently used passenger front seat to cannibalize.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by edjack View Post
    Find a good upholstery guy in your 'hood. He may be able to source parts.
    Good idea, I hadn't really thought about that.
    Anyone know a good shop in the Portland Oregon, Vancouver Washington area? Preferably on the Washington side (the air is cleaner and we have less traffic).
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  7. #7
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    What color are you after? I'll keep my eyes open at local yards.

  8. #8
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    They are Sandbeige. Seat option N6SN (sport seat).
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  9. #9
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    If you have contacts at a reputable body shop ask them where they buy their used parts.

  10. #10
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    Good condition used rear seats are usually easy to find. An upholsterer could perhaps fabricate a cover from materials salvaged from a rear seat or two. Used right side seat foams are likely to be in better condition. The molded foam, if not same left and right is close enough to be utilized perhaps with slight modifications.
    Last edited by ross1; 01-27-2020 at 02:33 PM.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  11. #11
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    According to REALoem, the seat covers and foam padding are the same from left to right.
    Unless I can find a near perfect passenger front seat, I will just get new foam upper and lower. I'm mostly interested in the leather seat cover. That's the hardest and mostest expensive part.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  12. #12
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    Here's what my 2 second google search brought up, $299 seems to get you both uppers and both lower leather in any color, combo, piping color choice, and thread. It's such a good deal, I think I will order a set for myself. They also have covers in M5 fashion.

    https://www.lseat.com/products/1996-...SABEgLGN_D_BwE
    Last edited by BimmrMeUpSnotty; 01-27-2020 at 06:24 PM.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  13. #13
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    For some reason, it had never occured to me to look at the aftermarket. I had just used the P/N's from Realoem and searched that way. Mostly confined to FCPEuro and other BMW parts vendors.
    I wonder if their Beige is the same color as BMW's Sandbeige. It's probably too late to call them now but maybe tomorrow.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I also wonder if they will match the rest of the interior...
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  14. #14
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    Cool link - worth asking them for a sample. I have black, so I don’t think it will be hard to match. The Yukon has Shale ( tan ish ), and I’ll ask for a match.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Santaclaus4 View Post
    For some reason, it had never occured to me to look at the aftermarket. I had just used the P/N's from Realoem and searched that way. Mostly confined to FCPEuro and other BMW parts vendors.
    I wonder if their Beige is the same color as BMW's Sandbeige. It's probably too late to call them now but maybe tomorrow.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I also wonder if they will match the rest of the interior...
    I looked, they didn't have a link for the back seats, but for the M5, aside from the front seats, they have the rear seats listed for $299. I'm sure they have the regular rear seats, just gotta contact them. But if you have M5 front seats, a wagon, I'm sure they could stitch up some rear regular wagon seats done up in M5 pattern too.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  16. #16
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    For clairification, I just have a regular 540i6 and it's just the drivers front seat I want to fix up.
    What's driving this whole thing is the seat back foam is broken on one side (the side bolster) and it pushes me slightly to one side of the seat. It gets really uncomfortable after an hour of driving.
    I had put up with it for years until I got the second 540i6 and realized how much more comfortable it is. It still needs timing chain guides and shocks or I'd be driving it.
    I haven't finished the project car yet because I'd have to either leave my motorcycles out in the rain, or my daily driver (540i6) in the rain to make room in the garage.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  17. #17
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    Well, in that case, like you had mentioned a few times, find a good passenger side sport seat and swap it all over. Another thing you can do if you can't find a good passenger side seat, find a junk yard seat for the foam. You can shave it with a sawzall, clean off the bad seat foams surface, glue the piece on and build it back up. Use a sander with about 180 grit, shape it as best you can to match its old shape. This is how upholsterers do it, nothing hard, but time. Then get these new seat covers, $299, its peanuts for what you are getting, fit them on, enjoy the car.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  18. #18
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    So far I haven't had any luck finding a healthy passenger front seat. When I'm not looking, they are everywhere...
    I might have to give Lseat a try.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Maybe

    - - - Updated - - -

    But, for a little while longer I'm gonna keep looking for a healthy seat to cannibalize.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  19. #19
    Join Date
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    I had good luck with L-SEAT. They didn't have a non M5 sport seat for the e39 so I had to send them my seat covers to make templates. I took a few months because I had to send in my OEM seat covers and they had to cut fresh templates. But now they have the patterns it should be faster for you to order. LEt me know if you need help on the project. The seat project was one of the more challenging projects I've had to tackle. It took a week to do one seat and then about 10 hours for the second seat. Anyone who says they can do it faster is either an upulsterer and does it all day long or is fibbing.

    Douglas
    drobbins@tongrobbins.com

  20. #20
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    Had to do an airbag deployment seat foam and leather replacement, including installing the new airbag, job paid 5 hours to do it, finished it in 2 hours. This was for a 340 GT. I work at a body shop, not an upholsterer, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn that day.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  21. #21
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    Hahaha ^^^
    I ordered new seat foam from Turner motorsports. About $400 for the upper and lower foam. They also had the leather covers in the correct color. Ooof they were expensive. I declined the leather. I'll keep my eyes out for a healthy passenger seat or still might go with the Lseat option. I have a couple weeks untill the foam gets here. I all ready have the hog rings and tool.
    In my head I'm thinking it'll take an afternoon. I'm glad to hear from two experienced opinions. I'll put it in my head that this could go very wrong. Lol
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  22. #22
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    My new upper and lower seat foam showed up on my doorstep last night. I plan to remove my drivers seat and replace the seat foam this weekend.
    I have hog ring pliers and hog rings.
    Any advice or suggestions from anyone who's done this before?
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

  23. #23
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    Have beer.... lots of beer handy.

  24. #24
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    I would be concerned with proper match with using aftermarket seat covers. I would just keep your eyes out for a decent used passenger seat...but the color makes it a more difficult search. Good luck!
    2001 540 M-Sport (cdn), ST X (KW) coilovers, H&R 15mm spacers, Eibach anti roll bars (28mm/18mm), Beastpower rear antiroll bar brackets, M5 rear chassis reinforcements (traction rods), Strong Strut front upper strut bar, Dinan Stage 1 software, factory M-Audio subs, Bavsound speaker upgrade, Bluebus bluetooth integration, Stop Tech SS brake lines, ATE coated brake rotors, ATE ceramic brake pads.

  25. #25
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    I decided to reuse the original seat cover. The leather isn't worn too bad, just getting noticeable. I'll still keep my eyes out for a healthy passenger front seat and if I find one that's in really good shape, I'll just rebuild my seat a second time. Of course, that's dependent on how much fun I have tomorrow taking mine apart.
    I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch

    The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.

    If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.

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