geraintthomas Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 (edited) Check this out. There's been quite a few people who have done this, and with very good results. Obviously the first downfall would be if it rubbed off, but a lot of people are saying that it holds up perfectly if you use a good fabric dye pen. This guy does it with a red sharpie, and holds the tip on the stitch while it absorbs it. So if it holds up perfectly, cheap to do, and looks that good - then why not? I'm going to give this a try but I'll do it on the gear gaiter first, as I have one with light stitching to match the seats. Edited April 28, 2015 by geraintthomas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_p Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Would save a lot vs a pair of GT seats, keep full leather and the T sport logo, could be just the thing for your interior plans! You do right in a trial run first, but looks promising, just as long as any over spill can be wiped off easily enough (which it should from vinyl/ leathers ) Nice find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraintthomas Posted April 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Exactly. The gear gaiter is good to test as it's just an eBay one for a tenner. Can't go wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david924s Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 I remember using Kiwi Scuff Kote (black) on my last car when the bolster got scratched by a buckle covered the scratch and lasted until it got sold years later, so cant see why this wouldn't work could be a little like doing a 10,000 word puzzle though if you do the whole car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Exactly. The gear gaiter is good to test as it's just an eBay one for a tenner. Can't go wrong! Well I am not sur I fancy sitting on the gear stick to see if it rubs off on my clothes personally G, but whatever floats your boat! Interesting idea tho. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcusslerfan Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 You sir have just saved me £300! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 'ere Baz Racey. Minimum order 5. Will have a couple at Japfest for £1 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraintthomas Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 You sir have just saved me £300! Likewise! Can't wait to try it Well I am not sur I fancy sitting on the gear stick to see if it rubs off on my clothes personally G, but whatever floats your boat! Interesting idea tho. I uhh.. never thought of it like that. Oops! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 and being a total IT / EBay twonk I also accidentally bid for 12 more.............I am still highest bidder. FFS . Help! Search Blue sharpies and out bid 4.95 for 12 of the bloody things someone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheltGirl Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 You'll have to set up a stand to sell them on - or better still, wear one of those ice cream trays you used to see in the intervals at the cinema, and wander round selling them (Not many will know that there used to be an interval for films at the cinema - people used to wait to go to the toilet, rather than stand up in the middle of a film ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 'Ullo moi deeere. Oi be up from Debb'n . Now then Maid, fancy samplin me wares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J03 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 GT seats VS coloured in stitching God loves a trier. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 velour is so Gen 1 :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraintthomas Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 GT seats VS coloured in stitching God loves a trier. True! But £300 vs £3. That's what the question is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_p Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 GT seats VS coloured in stitching God loves a trier. ...meh, never been a big fan of alcantara, though I see they're a lot less slippery, I'll take my leathers for day to day driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J03 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 True! But £300 vs £3. That's what the question is! And the answer is, one option looks like 300 nicka worth of seats, the other, 3 quid's worth of pen work I looked at the same technique when I had t-sport seats in all fairness, but once you see GT seats in the flesh, there's no substitute. Aside from the Alcantara centres / red stitch, the outer leather is a different shade to the t-sport & matches the facelift plastics much better. The t-sport seats also tend to sag & develop that god awful pleating/arse creasing to them, whereas the alc centres hold their shape & give a higher quality look. No sliding around through hard corners either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david924s Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) ...meh, never been a big fan of alcantara, though I see they're a lot less slippery, I'll take my leathers for day to day driving I've seen and experienced what it takes to clean Alcantara and I would agree give me easy clean leather any day, but that's just my "form over function" coming to the top. Do agree though the Alcantara GT seats look the part. Edited April 30, 2015 by david924s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daytona Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 joking aside , yes of course the newer seats look better but how do you suggest Alcantara stops seat sag compared to leather? That's pushing it a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david924s Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Maybe as Alcantara is a man made material rather than natural leather it has less tendency to stretch whereas leather does stretch and give, think of leather shoes compared to manmade substitute material ones, which end up conforming to your feet the best? I personally like the ease of cleaning and hard wearing nature of leather, thinking of my last car 21 years old and the leather seats were as good as the day they were made, I think the issue with the Celica leather ones sagging is probably down to the quality of materials used for the covering and the cushion. I can't imagine Toyota using best quality hide on a mass produced coupe, mine still look fine with 60k miles but bet they would look worn at double that, when they do I will get them re-covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Seeing as people want to know: The leather that Toyota used through the years is, frankly, crap. It does like to stretch and, after a while, the seats look crap as well. Alcantara does have a small amount of stretch in it, but only on one axis (whereas leather stretches in all directions). So using it on seat centres will lead to less sagging than using Mr T's leather. There's always a downside though. No matter what anyone tells you, Alcantara is simply not as durable or robust as leather is. So it will wear faster and it will look a bit tired faster! As for "colouring the stitching"... well, let's just say I use expensive thread because I want it to be colour-fast in all conditions... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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