So I am torn. $1,000 for real leather or $500 for Hampton vinyl for the grey seats of my 92 GTA....

I have seen and felt both in person and the Hampton was not too plastic-eee for my taste, it seemed decent. Like once I put some leather lotion on it it would even appear like leather to a certain degree.

I'm willing to spend double for the full leather but it would suck to have to keep lotioning it (it puts the lotion on its skin of else it gets the hose again haha!) and dealing with wear on the driver seat side bolster, and hell, I may have to replace it again in another 15 years or 20 years. Ack. Although, man does it feel great and look great when new.

I'd like to hear from people who have gone leather and those with Hampton vinyl. Would you do it again? Will the vinyl out last the leather and wear better on the side bolster?

 

I had samples sent to me from "Lethal Interiors"

1) Ultra Leather
2)Reconditioned Leather
3)Hampton Vinyl

I like the Hamption because I believe it is feels nice, IMO is stronger and will wear better with less maintenance.

Here's a link = http://www.lethalinteriors.com/

 

Can't speak of the Hampton Vinyl product, but if it's of the same quality as late model "Leatherette" I'd vote for it over real leather any day of the week...

When shopping daily drivers, I tested a couple BMW 3 series cars. I had the opportunity to drive two identical year cars, one with leatherette and the other with real leather. The real leather was worn and lumpy...the leatherette looked new, was still tight, and showed zero wear. I ended up purchasing a year old VW Jetta, we still have that car in the family and the seats also show zero wear after 7 years of daily use...and yeh, they're leatherette as well. I vote for high quality vinyl!

 

Nice. Thanks for the feedback, looks like Hampton vinyl here I come lol!

 

If your not opposed to putting them on yourself, then Princess from lethalinteriors does very impressive work. I just got my new seats in ultra leather just haven't had a chance to install yet. She is very well priced as well. Think with what all I had done it was like 600 or so shipped. She even included the hog rings.

 

I'm paying a local place to do it who did the carpet and convertible top/back window on my Porsche for me years back. I trust them. I'm buying new rear seat foam and they are shaping new foam for the front seats. the side bolster air bladders are attached and the foam around them is also eaten away. I know my local guy will do a great job and everything will come back as if it were factory, nice and tight and shaped correctly.

 

Since you are redoing your seats, (which I did in May-June), I would like to suggest something to you. Find yourself a set of seats from a 1998-2002 firebird - the seat could be torn, it doesn't matter, what does is the power seat track. They are direct bolt ups for the front seats (driver is power, passenger is manual) but you get newer electronics and a power 4 way driver seat. The plastic trim pieces can be painted with a shade of SEM gray paint if you don't find the seats in gray that is.
Gray should be easy though.

 

Ha! Right on, thanks for the great suggestion!