Bolster Wear: Any way to Protect?

[echo46]

Today, I was sadly looking at the cracked, torn and totally worn out bolsters on my e36 vert's tan sport seats. This wear is due to the extended time in the sun and 17 years of hard use.

I then took a look at the ZHP's bolsters and can faintly see the beginnings of the dreaded bolster wear on the seams and leather.

What, if anything, can be done to stop and/or significantly slow this unfortunate process?

[Washburn]

Best prevention is avoiding rubbing against it when getting in/out. I have a setting for the driver's seat for the farthest setting back, and every time i get out of the car, i have trained myself to hit the memory button so it's in that position when i am getting out/back in. best prevention, IMO. Pass. seat is far back always - most people incl wifey will just sit as it is, so pass. seat bolsters get saved a lot...
Back seat almost never gets used in my coupe.

when it gets hairy, trimming my help - but that's only for visual quality...

also, use a windshield sun cover when parking in hot sun. Protects the dash too...

when the time comes and they look so bad, (car only has 33k miles now), my plan is to cover all alacantara parts with leather. Then I will have leather/cloth combo seats - my favorite look anyway.

[BlackNTan]

Any ideas where I can get tan dye to re-dye the bolster wear I have now on the driver side?

[MrMaico]

Any ideas where I can get tan dye to re-dye the bolster wear I have now on the driver side?

Personally, if I was looking I'd probably get it from Leatherique....

http://www.leatherique.com/oem-color-samples/bmw.html

My drivers side leather bolster shows some wear from the PO and possibly a repair on it. Since buying it 3 years ago, I'm just careful when getting in or out and it still looks the same as the day I bought it.

It bothers me quite a bit though seeing the repair/wear and I'd someday like to find a piece of leather and have an upholstery shop replace that piece. Either that or try a Leatherique repair kit. Only flaw in the whole interior otherwise.....probably why it bugs me so much. :biggrin

[BlackNTan]

Dumbass question here. How do I find out what color my seats are? I can look at the car for the paint color; just don't know how to figure out the leather color.

[echo46]

Beside doing the limbo getting in and out is there any type of coating or clear covering, say like a 3M product, to put over the high trafficked areas of the bolster?

[az3579]

Beside doing the limbo getting in and out is there any type of coating or clear covering, say like a 3M product, to put over the high trafficked areas of the bolster?

Not sure about the covering, but the best way to avoid a lot of the wear and keep the aesthetic appeal of the seat is to train yourself to get in and out of the car a certain way.

If you were to observe me, you'd see that I get in and out of the car in an awfully weird way. It seems to be working though; I have about 140k miles (almost half that mileage is from me) and my bolsters look like they have maybe a third of that mileage on them.

[Washburn]

I apologize for my reply above- JUST noticed that this was about leather seats, and not alacantara - i thought this was also about alacantara as most posts are about the wear of those... !!
sorry - was tired that day :(

[Hornung418]

I apologize for my reply above- JUST noticed that this was about leather seats, and not alacantara - i thought this was also about alacantara as most posts are about the wear of those... !!
sorry - was tired that day :(

Still applies. No need to apologize for a proven protection method :)

Horney...via TT.

[danewilson77]

I levitate when entering my car.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[M3TA5IN]

I levitate when entering my car.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Can you teach us?


Sent from my fancy city machine.

[az3579]

Can you teach us?


Sent from my fancy city machine.

I'm gonna call him out on it...

Dane,
Vids or it never happened. :shifty

[johnrando]

I believe him. :) Guess there isn't anything, too bad, as I'd like to protect mine too.

[echo46]

I've started working on various techniques, including but not limited to the following: the hip thrust, the two legged flop, the jump on trampoline and do cannonball through open sun roof, the running dive through the back window, the cartwheel through the driver side window, the drop directly in the seat via front loader through window method, the take the front seat out of the car and sit on the floor method and my favorite the get in the car once and never leave again method. All of the above methods are tried and guaranteed to work.

[danewilson77]

:rofl

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[das boots]

I've started working on various techniques, including but not limited to the following: the hip thrust, the two legged flop, the jump on trampoline and do cannonball through open sun roof, the running dive through the back window, the cartwheel through the driver side window, the drop directly in the seat via front loader through window method, the take the front seat out of the car and sit on the floor method and my favorite the get in the car once and never leave again method. All of the above methods are tried and guaranteed to work.

Watching too many Jackie Chan flicks lately????? LOL.

[Hermes]

somebody is having dreams of being Bo Duke

[echo46]

Indeed, the Maia Bo of ZHPs

[PHZ]

Fosbury flop