1996 850 GLT Split Front Seat Covers, OPTIONS.

Tinwood · Post by **Tinwood** » 30 Jan 2019, 15:51

Just joined so here goes. I have a 96 850 GLT with leather seats. The fronts are terribly split. Rest of the interior is spotless. What seats (or can I get replacement covers for reasonable price) can I use as replacements? Also, the front seats are not heated. If the replacement seats (i.e. from an auto salvage) have seat heaters what do I need to hook this up? Gets cold in Canada some days. Thanks

Tinwood

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 30 Jan 2019, 18:36

You are not going to find reasonable priced replacement Seat Skins. OEM seat skins are like unicorns expensive if you can find them. Aftermarket seat skins are low production items. Expensive for that reason. If you go to eBay there is a vendor (topcar-athens) from Greece that makes some decent, custom fit, slip covers for $150.00 per pair. Color matching not perfect but good.

If you go the salvage yard route and the replacement seats have heaters, you don't need to hook them up, helps if you enjoy being reminded you live in Canada. If you want to take the wimps way out, make sure you get all the hardware like, seat heater switches.

Post by **erikv11** » 30 Jan 2019, 19:45

Tinwood wrote: ↑30 Jan 2019, 15:51 Just joined so here goes. I have a 96 850 GLT with leather seats. The fronts are terribly split. Rest of the interior is spotless. What seats (or can I get replacement covers for reasonable price) can I use as replacements? Also, the front seats are not heated. If the replacement seats (i.e. from an auto salvage) have seat heaters what do I need to hook this up? Gets cold in Canada some days. Thanks

Tinwood

In response to your two questions:

(1) Front seats from any 94-97 850, sedan or wagon. These are plentiful in junkyards but it can be difficult to find them in good condition.

(2) You would need the switch for the seat heaters (center console, pic of seat on them, switches pop straight up and out then disconnect) and a fat metal circuit breaker for each heated seat, pull these from the underhood fuse box positions 38 and 40 (the two are identical breakers - look like oversize silver fuses). Everything else should already be in the car.

Also no guarantee the heated seats are still working at this age, but most of them are ...

Post by **scot850** » 30 Jan 2019, 19:49

Does your car not have seat heaters? Don't think I have owned a Volvo since mid-70's without them. None of my Canadian supplied Volvo P80's (including 93 850 GLT and 97 850 base) all had them.

How bad are the splits? Are they just old stitching that has failed? They can be re-stitched. There is a US company that makes replacement covers that may not be a match but do seem to get good reviews. Sorry can't recall their name, but try searching in the data base here.

Neil.

Post by **gmh** » 30 Jan 2019, 20:41

scot850 wrote: ↑30 Jan 2019, 19:49 Sorry can't recall their name, but try searching in the data base here.

http://elwoodindustries.com/850seats.html
https://www.lseat.com/products/1991-199 ... front.html

Post by **j-dawg** » 31 Jan 2019, 00:41

For what it's worth, I bought a set of seat covers from Lseat for my old E320 coupe and was displeased enough with the quality to return them. The Mercedes seat covers incorporate foam padding and have smooth, soft leather. The Lseat covers were stiff, flat, and coarse by comparison.

OEM Volvo seat leathers pop up on Ebay from time to time. Might be worth setting an alert.

Cookeh · Post by **Cookeh** » 31 Jan 2019, 01:09

I got mine reupholstered. Two split sections and broken piping. Was repaired same day with new leather, new piping and a rebuilt foam bolster that matches extremely well for £70 - or $91ish dollars.

I had previously spent months looking at scrapyard and breaker cars trying to find one in good condition, eventually gave up.

Post by **misha** » 31 Jan 2019, 04:44

Note that seats from '91-'96 will NOT have sips airbags....so you will need seats from '96 & '97.

Skins are interchangeable all the way up to p2 models.
There were some visual changes in skins from s,v,c,xc70....but they are interchangeable with 850.

Cookeh · Post by **Cookeh** » 31 Jan 2019, 04:53

misha wrote: ↑31 Jan 2019, 04:44 Note that seats from '91-'96 will NOT have sips airbags....so you will need seats from '96 & '97.

Skins are interchangeable all the way up to p2 models.
There were some visual changes in skins from s,v,c,xc70....but they are interchangeable with 850.

Are you certain? My 95 850 has SIPS, I thought 95 was the crossover year and it was a $500 option in NA on non-Turbo cars.

Post by **misha** » 31 Jan 2019, 05:09

It was a transitional year....'95 should have sips airbag just on driver's side along with SRS...at least in EU.
But ALL '96 & '97 have them from the factory.