I recently installed Katzkin leather seat covers in my 2003 350z.

BACKGROUND INFO: My driver’s seat bolster wore completely through the fabric making it time to buy new upholstery or seats. I considered new seats (Bride, Corbeau, Recaro, or Sparco), but decided that the weak point of the stock seats was the cheap fabric and the poor support-foam. The factory seat’s framework is excellent, so it’s simply a matter of reconstructing the foam support and recovering the seat.

The Katzkin leather seat covers are better than OEM Nissan leather seats and are comparable to the best leather seats from Porsche (Porsche insists upon no defects), Aston Martin, etc. The leather is thick yet supple. Katzin leather seat covers have no defects (none), and it covers everywhere including the seatback. You also get a full leather rear pocket (which is a blessing on the Z which has poor cabin storage). That makes the rear pocket almost a duplicate leather layer (there are two layers of leather on the rear part of the seat), and Katzkin makes certain that the leather pocket is also perfect.

Here are some Pics.

Burnt orange looks nice with a Redline Z. I also replaced the shift **** and boot to match the new seats. The OEM leather has a veneer that had separated.




This is the Seat Back Pocket, which is also entirely leather. That is an expensive feature, and very useful in a 350z.




Seat Bottom Detail



Seat and Stitching Detail (notice the double stitching)

 

Looks Good!!!
What did it end up costing you?

 

very nice, I've been doing quite a bit of research and getting estimates to get some katzkin installed on my silverstone Z. I'm looking to get all red with black stitching.

Most places are quoting me about 1300-1350 installed

any insight price-wise would help me out!

 

Thanks for kind words.

I’ve identified the vendor in another thread, and it wouldn’t be fair to give the fee here because the project included a lot more than just the Kastzkin seat covers. I also had the installer replace the shift **** and boot, rebuild the seats’ support-foam, install seat heaters (I’m in Minnesota, and last winter was awful), and a couple of other repairs. I only have the price as a lump sum.

Also… the price for Katzkin seats vary, even for identical model cars, depending texture (suede vs. smooth leather), different stitching options, perforated leather, etc.

Katzin leather covers are more expensive, and that is because they are the best you can buy. They match (actually they surpass) the leather you get in upgrades for Porsche, Aston Martin, and other high-end cars.

As a rough estimate… You will pay $800-$1K+ to buy the “hides” from Katzkin, and then whatever the installer charges. You can do the installation yourself. Katzxkin prefers using a certified installer simply because they don’t want their superior product damaged by an untrained installer.

 

Wow, nice dude!! I like the color choice too.

I'm looking into replacing mine at the end of the summer. Where did you order your's from?

EDIT: Never mind, found the other fread

 

Thanks...

I used a local installer, Dick and Rick’s Auto Upholstery, in Minneapolis, MN.

My original plan was to do the install myself, but when I saw the incredible quality of Katzkin leather covers, there was no way I wanted to mess that up. So… Hello… professional installer! Dick and Rick's did a great job. I doubt I would save much doing the installation myself.

--Spike

 

Those seats look great.

 

Beautiful seats Spike! Looks like they did very professional work; very classy seats, congrats!

 

Very nice... Looks great Spike!

 

Thanks KornerCarver, BigBlue, and Sickboy101 for the compliments. I’ve spent some $$’s on the project, so it’s nice (and appreciated) getting some positive feedback.

Of course we’re never finished when upgrading. I did replace the shift **** and boot. The primary motivation was the ugly and worn OEM black leather on both the **** and the boot. Secondarily it allowed matching the burnt orange seat covers.

New leather shift boot and ****



Nissan’s OEM leather (seats, steering wheel, shift boot, and shift ****) apparently uses a heat process to make a “veneer” with the desired color (black, frost, etc.) over the bleached leather “underbody.” Over time (I’ve had my 350z almost 11 years now), that process makes the leather veneer prone to cracking and flaking. That is what happened to my shifter and why I replaced the boot and the **** with high quality leather (thick and supple due to the tanning process).

My current concern is replacing or covering the e-brake leather and the steering wheel cover.

E-brake (It's ugly)



The cracking and flaking leather looks so bad now with such good looking Katzkin leather seat covers. I’m looking for a solution. --Spike

 

Redline has e-brake covers, tons of different leather colors too. I recently got a shift boot from them.

 

Thanks for the info. I also noticed this.

I'll try ordering and installing (the e-brake cover). If it works well, I'll post the result.

--Spike

 

Very nice. Somewhere, a vegan weeps...

Also, from what I see, the word "k-***" was censored every time in this thread. On a car forum? Is that word used in a crude way so much? is it 1995?

 

Interesting… When I log on as a member, I see” k n o b”, but when I log on as a guest, I see “****”.

 

Ebrake cover from Redline Goods will bring you MUCH closer to what you want, but you'll really want to replace the ebrake handle as well or it's going to look hodge podge....a classy Redline outfit on top of a beat up oem handle. Get a new handle, even a knock off, just something simple and classy, and the RedLine leather will bring your interior up a couple of notches.

And can I make a suggestion on your interior? The orange looks great in the seats and the ****...but I really think you might like a black shift boot with an orange stripe better? The orange boot and orange shift **** puts too much orange in one spot and is distracting to the eye from taking in the entire interior as one complementary design...the shift **** and boot look like a blob of orange rather than a sporty or classy accent to the very classy Katzkin action you've got going on.

Hope this helps,

Saved

 

I see your point about the shift boot and the ****. Actually I would have left the original black had it not been for the leather flaking and cracking.

I’m adding a padded burnt orange arm rest over the lid of the glove box cover between the seats. That might make the burnt orange shift boot appear a little less obtrusive. I decided to try the arm rest not for appearance but for function. My passengers tend to rest their arm along the tunnel where they inadvertently press on one of the rocker switches (I put in three, two to control the seat heaters and a third that turns my Nav System ON/OFF).

Thanks for the tip on the ebrake handle. I’m planning to remove all the padding and leave the metal framework in place. I think I can then install a round sleeve and cover the base with a new boot. I haven’t worked out the details yet.

 

You and I will be very similar....I've done the ebrake mod with shift boot and it looks great, and one of my many next projects is to put in an arm rest as well. Lots of ideas, not sure which way I want to go yet. Probably going to make a custom steering wheel first, we'll see.

BUT...for yours...two cents again?,....I don't think making a big block of orange cushion is going to look good at all...you'll have two blobs of color distracting the lines and flow of the interior....I'd do an all black arm rest/cushion with orange stitching (maybe), or better...do black leather but have RedLine do an embroidery of a logo a word that is in orange and silver thread just to give it a little accent of orange to keep your color scheme intact. Think of a black workout shirt with a single logo on the chest...it looks sporty and classy, but isn't some big blob of orange.

Later...replace that shift boot by selling it for a good chunk of what you paid, and then just order a black one with orange stripe from RedLine and I can almost gaurantee you you'll like it a lot better.

I think if you add more orange you're only going to the problem worse...it's kinda like repeating the problem in hopes of it being the solution.

Hope this helps, and beautiful car.

Saved

 

Jubes: I've known guys that got Katzkin installed for under $800 total. Like any business, installers have competition and can be haggled with. The customer has the ultimate say in the haggling as the customer can walk away and choose someone else, or the custom can choose not to do it entirely and just enjoy their car as is. Installers want your money, as much as they can get...but if you show them there's a limit to what you'll pay, and you're not a jerk about it, many will agree to do the job for a better price than they first say.

If you live near a big city, and are friendly but firm, I would bet you can have both seats done for around $800 total, or less as I've seen personally.

The standard leather is very nice, I wouldn't recommend the higher grade material as it's just a different texture, not a longer lasting leather. And I wouldn't recommend the perf either...perf will get dirty eventually and it just can't be cleaned....standard plain (not perf) leather like the orange seats you see here is really the best way to go in my opinion.

Katzkin is not as awesome as they want you to think though....they word their warranty intentionally so as to invalidate their warranty...all leather needs a leather conditioner to avoid cracking, keeping it supple, and there are many well known leather conditioners that are proven safe and from reputable manufacturers...but...Katzkin puts in print that if any conditioner or chemical is used at all, the warranty is void. They promise you a warranty to sell the product, then they remove the warranty without telling people overtly that they invalidate all warranties if someone cares for their leather as leather must be cared for. It's a deceptive business practice.

Hope this helps,

Saved

 

Regards, Spike100: Did my research last year & elected to have Katzkins installed last Oct. Charcoal with red stitching, black perf. panels, red in the perforations.

Katzkin warranty reads (quote): "The application of silicone-based products or harsh chemicals can damage and destroy the surface of your leather ***and will void this warranty***." (S)hould be cleaned with a soft cloth and a small amount of mild soap and water. Allow soap solution to free the soil for several minutes then completely clean off all soap with a damp soft cloth. After cleaning, apply a generous amount of leather conditioner. ---NEVER USE SILICONE-BASED PRODUCTS". I chose Meguire's leather cleaner/conditioner, an aloe based product. Applied with a micro fiber cloth, after 11k miles the covers are tight to the foam and still look new.

Some general info: Katzkin offers several grades. Premium is (like your selection) leather front & back. A more cost-effective option is a blended cover, the backs are color-matched vinyl. Another consideration is the place of manufacture. Top-tier covers are made in the U.S., standard covers are imports. Although available from resellers, the three year/36,000 mi. warranty is void unless installed by an authorized shop. And yes, (some) dealers will negotiate. For the curious, I offered nine bills for TOTL + upgrades. Installer countered with twelve. We both smiled at $1050 out the door, warranty & all.

In this respect we seem to think alike. E-brake & shifter boot are on order from Redline, perforated charcoal with red stitching. After examining the (easy-peasy) install requirements for the console arm rest, a charcoal cover is also in the pipeline, solid leather with red stitching. Piping was considered but might be a little distracting to the eye. Striping is attractive but might be somewhat bold in red. Having seen red (car is Nogaro Red) overdone, IHMO the more subtle contrasting stitching will be sufficient accent.

Fortunately my interior is in gratifyingly good shape except for the switch covers in the doors. At the first sign of loss of the rubberized finish, carbon fiber covers were ordered from Evo-R. Great fit, durable & attract a lot of positive attention. The bright shifter trim now offends my eye so a CF cover is now on order, also from Evo-R. Wish me luck with that!

"Saved" makes some good points. If my interior were in your (very nice) burnt orange rather than the stock charcoal, in order to establish continuity from starboard to port consideration might be given to the burnt orange door arm rest covers, also available from Redline.

Classy interior you've got going there. The shifter **** is especially nice. I'm sure you're pleased with the outcome.

 

^^ Yes... Good old saddle soap is the best cleaning product for leather. It cleans and preserves, and without damaging the leather.

Silicon based preservatives provide waterproofing and prevent staining, but they eventually ruin the leather. --Spike