SARD Racing Japan seat cover install & review
 

Hey Guys,

As promised, I ordered the SARD Racing Japan seat covers from Nigel-JDMParts and told you guys I'd be the guinea pig and try them out without finding any additional info online. But I finally received and found the time to install them along with photos and some impressions of the SARD Racing Japan seat covers.

A few quick things about the covers:

- They come in 3 colors:
1. Black with red stitching (the ones I got)
2. All red
3. Black with blue inserts.
- They are made of PVC Leather, which is reflected in the prices.
- They cover both the front and rear seats
- Special stitching for areas around air bag deployment so they are safe for stock seat airbags
- They go over the existing seats and covers. No removal of stock seat fabric at all.

So firstly I received them in a fairly large SARD box. They came with the following pieces for a total of 9 pieces + instruction booklet + hooks.

2x headrest
2x front seat reclining section
2x front seat bottom section
2x rear seat bottom section
1x rear seat back.

From first impressions the leather feels very strong and durable. The stitching is of good quality and there is also a tiny bit of additional cushioning behind the covers which aid to conform and add comfort when sitting in them.

http://i.imgur.com/iJHVpuYh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/EIGMye1h.jpg

First, I tackled the driver seat. The front seats compose of 3 pieces each. The headrest wraps around very easily and conforms nicely. The upper section of the seat goes over top like a poncho and zips up. They have cuts for the seat belt holders to slide through. I had troubles trying to get the back area of the bolsters to conform well and flatten out, but I got it best I could and over time it stretched out and the wrinkles disappeared.
The last piece is the bottom and is pulled through between the crack and the edges of it are "hidden" under the plastic parts wrapped around the base of the seat.

I decided to shoot some pics of stock vs covered:
http://i.imgur.com/HVN7SCKh.jpg

In this photo you can see the wrinkling in the bolsters a bit immediately after install. They have since flattened down after conforming and sitting in them as you can see in pictures further down:
http://i.imgur.com/ruS5344h.jpg

Headrest:
http://i.imgur.com/ojmlS0Eh.jpg

Bottom:
http://i.imgur.com/IBsyi0Sh.jpg

Close up of the stitching:
http://i.imgur.com/VNxtZDQh.jpg

Both seats installed:
http://i.imgur.com/1KlDeQFh.jpg

Next up I installed the back. This took quite a bit of time and tackling to get them in really good. Mostly because I can't read Japanese. Now that I know how to install them, I bet I could do them in a jiffy, but the combination of a language barrier and minimal room in the back made for a lot of 4 letter cussing.

The two bottom parts are pretty easy to install. It involves removing the bolt right in the front and a pulling/downward motion and sweeping up to remove them. The seat covers for these areas simply had 3 backpack style adjustment straps to pull them tight around the seat. Then it had a drawstring that wrapped all around the edge that you pulled tight and tied around. Then reinstall the seat (this part was a bit tricky too)

The backing was the biggest pain. I placed the covers over top first and tried to zip them up and tuck the front piece that goes between and under to the trunk area after and no matter how much I tugged and pulled it wouldn't clip in. In the end, I had to take the entire cover off, hook that part off first, then reposition the cover and zip it back down. Finally after getting that in, I was able to zip it down and it sat flat against the back. The cover in the back sits really flat and nice. In the photos you can see the bottoms they seem to be a bit wrinklier, but it's also because no one sits back there and flattens it out for me. I rarely have more than 2 people in the vehicle, so it didn't have time to set as well as the front seats. Also I could have tied the drawstrings a lot tighter than I did, but felt it wasn't worth it for now since no one sat back there.

http://i.imgur.com/y1h7Srmh.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1VkL0F7h.jpg
The side bolster wrinkles have flattened out quite a bit in a week:
http://i.imgur.com/yXmAdsGh.jpg

Final impressions/conclusions:
I really like the stock seats in the FR-S and wasn't interested in changing them out. I only wanted them to feel a bit better and the stock fabric's thinness was starting to worry me and I could tell areas were starting to fade or "flatten down" due to getting in and out a certain way or rubbing up against certain areas so I opted for these covers.

Overall, I'm very impressed with how well they fit. Many people mentioned that they didn't even realize they were seat covers and thought I had changed out the seats. Another thing I wanted to make clear was that people were worried PVC leather or vinyl leather results in a slippery surface and sliding around in hard cornering, but this isn't the case. I took this car out to autocross and it feels like it's the perfect "stickiness" not all grippy like genuine leather on a hot day, but not slippery like cheaper leather seats. Just right.

There are a few cons of course with seat covers. There are certain areas which couldn't conform quite as well so there are small wrinkles in the bottom piece, the bolsters and the rear buckets. Over time several of them disappeared, but I think the ones that remain are here to stay. Another con is although the stitching is very strong, there were some loose threads or inconsistent stitching on some less noticeable areas. Another issue I have is that when I let passengers sit in the back (rarer occurance) and untie the seat belt holder, It is quite a pain to find the button to reclip it back in as the leather moves a bit when they are unhooked.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend these for anyone who really likes the stock seats but wants to upgrade the feel of the interior and grip/comfortability of the seats. It entirely changed how I felt about the interior of the cheaper FR-S and I have received continuous compliments on them by passengers and other owners. Also, I am a huge fan of SARD and their close ties with Toyota which really gives me the feeling they belong in the car.

Those look awesome! thanks for sharing!

Those look good, I've been looking for some recently. It's either these or katzkin's. But the only think I don't like is the wrinkles, you should take another picture in another week! And is the logo optional? Or is it on every set?

these look way better than clazzio

What was the price on these from Nigel?

I'll get another picture. The wrinkles have relaxed. The logo is on every set.

http://www.nigel-jdmparts.com/sard-8...her-seat-cover

Was talking to Nigel about these...might be in the future...keep us updated on how theyre holding up and all.

How long did delivery take?

the fitment looks excelent!!! forgive me if you answered this (didn't read everything) but did you take the stock covers off, or do these go right over everything?

Delivery took around 4-6 weeks I think. But it was an item I requested from nigel-jdmparts. He didn't mention or have it listed at all. He simply said he was able to get them but might be a longer weight, so my waiting time is a poor representation of shipping time.

Yep, they fit really well. Nope, I didn't have to take the stock covers off. They go right over the stock items.

that looks much better than the clazzio kit. looks like it's less baggy in the middle of the seat

Yeah i like the straight seems or pattern going thru the middle as opposed to the curved.. it looked really weird.. anyways this looks great! So the 4XX it also includes the back seat?? I wonder why there is no option for black and red.. but theres black and blue.. abit confuzzled but owell..

Yep. The pricing off the site provides you front and back. 9 pieces + booklet + metal hooks. The back of everything is covered as well. Back of the front seats, and even back of the fold down, so you can it from the trunk as well.

Amazing gona save up for this haha Do you know if it would be possible to place heat seat pads under these?

I'm unsure. I think theres a bit of room to slide something under there you want, but I'm more worried about the heat. In the end they are $400 seat covers. But I've had the car baking pretty hot in the sun and the seats getting pretty warm and haven't had an issue with them so far.

badass! looks CLEAN!

These look fantastic. I think I have found my seat covers of choice!

SARD - Black with red stitching
 

We do have the SARD seat covers, black with red stitching in stock! ;)

PM us if anyone interested!

Is it possible to order the seats without the SARD logo?

Unfortunately, this is not an option from SARD, sorry! :(

Hey, so I'm back after a month so as promised here are the photo's of 1 month (+ 1 week. sorry I'm late guys) of use:

http://i.imgur.com/gDKU5FC.jpg

that looks awesome. so much cleaner than the clazzios

how do the back seats look? bunched up at all?

Are they real leather? I was looking at the link you provided and it says they are PVC and not leather.

they arent real leather - they are pvc

Nope, not really bunched up. The back piece is ultra flat with no wrinkles. The buckets have a few wrinkles in the corners, but They'd flatten out if more people sat there, I'm sure.

Not real leather, it is made of PVC.

Regarding seatbelt strap
 

Hi. I have just ordered the 86 GTS (as it is called here in Australia). And it is actually the first car I have ever bought in my life.

And while waiting for it (4 month waiting period), I am seeing what accessories I will need and get.

I am interested in getting these seatcovers.

But, just a quick question regarding the strap that holds the seatbelt to the corner of the seat (the one at the backrest). Does this seatcover have it's own strap? Or are you using the original strap?

Thank you.

It looks like it reuses. Most seat covers will. The only seats that use their own is if you get a whole new seat cover to replace the cloth entirely.

I would imagine spray adhesive on the rear seat buckets would help with the wrinkles. That is how most oem and professional reupholstery is done. It also might help with the seatbelt strap holes staying in place.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pX2BAr5CHwo#t=18"]West Coast Customs - Removing Upholstery Wrinkles with Ish - YouTube[/ame]

You can use steam to shrink leather/pvc/vinyl to get rid of wrinkles.

man, he made fifi's for his whole crew.

They look really cool and dead on fitment =)

You definitely could. I just didn't wanna muck up the stock fabric. Might take the seat covers off after 10 years and have the mintiest stock FR-S seats ever?

How do these feel on a hot summer or cold winter day? Burning hot/freezing cold like real leather or less intense?

i recently bought and installed these seat covers and ill say the fitment is perfect. the back seat bottoms are slightly less than perfect, but i set my backpack there to help kinda settle them through the day. its helped so far. The front seats are absolutely perfect.

Question to OP though: have you had any problems sticking to the fabric? Im trying to find if theres some sort of chemical or something i can apply to the seat covers to make them less sticky. Where i live, its nearly 100 degrees outside, and if the back of my shirt comes up when i sit down or my arm rests against the side bolsters for too long, its uncomfortable. My wife complains about her legs sticking to the seat as well.

Her car has leather style seats (although not real cow) and theres no problem with them. And even in the heat, theyre still smooth and cool to the touch.

Would they ever have a center red option? since they have a blue center...

I feel that the burning hot is there, but it seems to cool off "faster" than real leather. I haven't had any burns or where it was so hot I couldn't stay in the seat, neither has the lady friend. I notice leather stays a lot hotter longer, but these seem to cool off pretty quick once you get rolling.

I haven't had them on a cold winter day, but I imagine that they'd be pretty cold.

I haven't had much problems sticking to the fabric. I've come out of the gym pretty sweaty and they still seem comfortable on a hot day. I think it's because I've sat in mediocre seats before and I'd rather take the trade off of them being "too sticky" sometimes and knowing that I'll stay planted in the seat around hard cornering vs being a bit less sticky sometimes and on a cooler day sliding around on it. I feel like a lot of non-leather seat covers end up being too vinyl-like and slippery and that wouldn't be too good in the FR-S.

the seat covers are looking great man. but how do they feel? I'm a relatively big guy and I've started to feel that the seats as nice as they hug you and pretty stiff. so I'm looking to maybe add some cushion onto the seat..after seeing your pics i'm convinced sard is better than clazzio but are they comfortable/have a good amount of cushion? or is it simply just a cover for that leather look..thanks for your insight!