For my AE86, I decided to revert to the factory interior. Non-faded seats in maroon are impossible to find, so I went a different strategy: I bought the cheapest seat off yahoo auctions and replaced the fabric using the TimeMachine reproduction AE86 seat covers. I documented the restoration with a few pictures and would like to share my impression.
Before you read on, let me tell you that I am a perfectionist when it comes to restoring cars. I am looking for perfect quality that is indistinguishable from OEM. My standards are very high. On top of that, I am German and we are known for direct and straightforward feedback. This review may sound harsh.
I ordered a complete JDM maroon set from TimeMachine86.
Disassembly of the Seat
The Maroon Color Is Quite A Bit Off
The first thing that struck me is the maroon fabric of the upper seat rest. To be honest, the color is quite far off. Below is a direct comparison of the fabric. While a part of the original fabric is faded by the sun, the area I photographed is the from the backside, where the fabric retained it’s original color.
The reproduction cover fabric is not really maroon but more of an orange hue. Also, the feel of the fabric is different: the stock factory feels like proper fabric, but the replacement feels more synthetic and plushy.
The fabric may not be the perfect choice, but the stitching looks good, and closely resembles the OEM pattern. Also, they’ve nailed the brown leather part: While the leather is slightly more patterned than the original, the color looks like a perfect match. Note that the side parts on the head rest are not included in the set, and these are the original ones that are now 40 years old. The original leather tends to turn dark blueish after the years – originally, it would have been a very dark brown color.
The fitment quality is pretty good. The center part fits perfectly, but the two side support pieces feel a bit tight. Looking at the pictures, you can see that the upper corner of the side pieces is pointing out a bit. This happens because the sewing in that corner is a bit too tight. My seat is not the only problem with this issue, if you look closely on the shop website, you’ll see the same slight distortion on their pictures.
Glossy Fabric and Wrinkles
I am not happy with the choice of fabric for the maroon part, but the seat base fabric is even worse. It feels super synthetic and is glossy. Also, even after tensioning it as much as possible, there are some wrinkles left in the seat base that I couldn’t get rid off.
Also, the sewing pattern is different: on the factory zenki seats, the leather part reaches all the way up to the highest part of the seat. On the reproduction covers, the transition from leather to fabric is lower (like on the factory kouki seats). I’ll add a picture soon to explain this.
I also would like to note that the cutout for the metal hinge is not present and needs to be cut by yourself.
Restoring the Plastic Trim Pieces
The plastic pieces are not part of the reproduction seat covers. Usually, the plastic trim pieces are faded by the sun and have turned gray. I can’t put new seat covers on without taking care of these as well!
After giving the parts a good wash, I restored the brown color by first scraping off the sun-damaged plastic with a soft plastic scraper. The lose part of the plastic will come off as gray powder. Then, I used a heat gun to heat up the plastic just enough to restore the color.
If you do this yourself, use a high quality heat gun that can be temperature-adjusted. You need to perfectly time the point where the color starts restoring, but not to the point where it starts melting. For the final finish, I use a Japanese-made plastic refresher from Ohajiki.
Conclusion
Overall, I would rate the TimeMachine86 seat cover set a solid 3 out of 5. I can’t deny that the restored seat looks amazing – it really looks and feels like new. The fabric is firm again and it’s a just pleasure to sit down.
The fitment is good, but I am unhappy with the choice of fabrics, which is quite far off of the OEM material. My biggest pain point is the color, which is more orange than maroon.
Considering the price, I still think it’s a good buy, especially since there are no alternatives except going fully custom made.
Am I happy that this product exists? Absolutely! Will it make you happy? Pretty sure it does! Does it satisfy a die-hard perfectionist? Nope, it doesn’t. If you want to have results that are indistinguishable from OEM, reach out to an experienced professional upholstery service.
If the fabric choice improves in the future, I may consider buying again.
