I've been on the lookout for a while to replace the fake leatherette seats that came standard in my T6.1 Transporter. I checked out quite a few seat cover options but found that most of them looked too baggy, and the ones that fit snugly were often leatherette too, which I wanted to avoid.
After speaking to a few upholsterers, I was getting quotes up to £1,500 for a fabric retrim—way out of my budget. So, being a bit of a cheapskate, I started looking for alternatives. I’ve got a setup with one captain seat (with armrests), one without, and a 2+1 rear seat in the Kombi.
Eventually, I contacted Leighton Vans to ask if they had any leftover fabrics from Kombi conversions. I spoke to a helpful woman, and after a few hours, she got back to me saying they had exactly what I was after—for just £65, including delivery! A few days later, the fabric arrived in perfect condition, well packaged. I also ordered some cheap hog nose pliers and hog rings to help with the fitting.
Since I was already planning to take the seats out, I decided to add electric heated seats. I bought all the necessary parts, including wiring and a couple of dashboard buttons, for £52. With some help from my girlfriend, who’s an electronic engineer (for safety oversight), I got the heated seats wired in.
The last piece was armrests. This was the most expensive part—£49.50 for the brackets and £230 for the OEM armrests.
In total, this little van project cost me around (add the total here). It took about 6 hours and was relatively easy with the right tools. Overall, I’m much happier with the results than I would’ve been with generic seat covers, and now I no longer have to deal with the uncomfortable leatherette feel.
Here are some photos of the process!
After speaking to a few upholsterers, I was getting quotes up to £1,500 for a fabric retrim—way out of my budget. So, being a bit of a cheapskate, I started looking for alternatives. I’ve got a setup with one captain seat (with armrests), one without, and a 2+1 rear seat in the Kombi.
Eventually, I contacted Leighton Vans to ask if they had any leftover fabrics from Kombi conversions. I spoke to a helpful woman, and after a few hours, she got back to me saying they had exactly what I was after—for just £65, including delivery! A few days later, the fabric arrived in perfect condition, well packaged. I also ordered some cheap hog nose pliers and hog rings to help with the fitting.
Since I was already planning to take the seats out, I decided to add electric heated seats. I bought all the necessary parts, including wiring and a couple of dashboard buttons, for £52. With some help from my girlfriend, who’s an electronic engineer (for safety oversight), I got the heated seats wired in.
The last piece was armrests. This was the most expensive part—£49.50 for the brackets and £230 for the OEM armrests.
In total, this little van project cost me around (add the total here). It took about 6 hours and was relatively easy with the right tools. Overall, I’m much happier with the results than I would’ve been with generic seat covers, and now I no longer have to deal with the uncomfortable leatherette feel.
Here are some photos of the process!
