Applicable to: '90 - '97
Katzskin Leather Door Panels to Match Seat Covers Beautiful stitching, foam backed. Purchased from Go-Miata with seat covers.
I installed these myself. I replaced the existing door panel covers. I removed the existing covers from the panels and then used auto upholstery glue to attach these to the front side. I then used a much stronger adhesive, Auto Goop, to bond the part I rolled over the edge to the back of the panel. I spent some time scraping off the old foam from the panel before attaching the new panel. I went to Staples and bought a box of 24 large binder clips to clamp the cover to the panel. I also used some pant hangers, the kind that clamp the bottom of the trouser leg and suspend the pants as clamps as well. I let the glue set up for some time, then I went back and trimmed all the puckers so I would get a nice flat appearance. I trimmed out holes for the door handles and the speakers using an X-acto modeling knife. I cut X's for the screws for the door handle.
All in all, this product is an excellent match for the seats. The stitching definitely sets off the doors. My wife was very excited when she saw them installed. I like taking my time and making sure I do things right. Be sure and match the panels back to back so the stitches line up the same on both sides. I moved mine slightly so that the door handle would hit in the center of two stitched areas. Also make sure they are centered top to bottom as well. The drivers side is rubbing the door sill at the back, I may have to trim the door panel to gain the clearance necessary. You will need a well ventilated area when working with these adhesives.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Katzkin leather upholstery replacement - Black on Black. Purchased from Go Miata.
This is a very well designed and constructed product that produces a very refined look. Keep in mind that only the seating surfaces are leather, the back and some other bits are a heavy vinyl (felt like triple the weight of the original vinyl on the seats).
Linda & I bought the kit as a Christmas gift to ourselves, and Go-Miata cooperated by shipping US Postal ground ... the package got to us (in Northwestern British Columbia) in 6 days, and without the usual crippling brokerage fees. I started the installation on boxing day. Although supposedly a product for professional installation, this task is really quite simple. We used a 6 point socket (to avoid stripping) and a 10 inch extension on the seat bolts, and they loosened without a struggle (make sure you use Loctite when reinstalling). We used straight aircraft snips to cut the hog ties. They cut like butter and we didn't suffer the flying bits that others describe, however, do be careful not to pull the wires out of the seat foams when you are getting at some of the hidden ties. Take time to notice the subtle differences between the passenger and driver seat backs, and all will go well with the install. Like so many others we used zip ties - thanks to all the pioneers who suggested this tip. I took the seats apart, installed the covers and reassembled them while watching Christmas movies. Because of the obvious preoccupations involved, it took me two days (maybe 6 to 8 hours). It really is an intuitive task that most anybody with even a tad of mechanical sense should be able to complete to his or her complete satisfaction. Cheers Doug
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Two-Tone Katzkin Leather Seat covers from Go-Miata. Replacement for original cloth seat covers. Colors are 90-97 Tan on the outside and black on the seat panels. Decided to do black on the whole bottom cushion and only the center back panel. Did tan on the bolsters and headrest, headrest perforated for my speakers. Matching door panels in the tan leather.
These are awesome! Amazing improvement over the cloth seat covers. I am reworking the interior and decided to go with the Katzkin covers. I got samples and decided on the tan and black. This way I can keep the black carpet or go with the tan carpet. Also ordered the door panels. Took about two weeks to get but got good communication from Go-Miata and a nice handwritten note of thanks for being patient.
Install was tedious but not at all hard. Definitely use tie wraps, I went so far as to buy hog-ring pliers and hog rings, but after two tries gave up. That would definitely be a two-man job. I marked the cushion and metal pan with a Sharpie pen where I cut the original rings. I used coat-hanger wire through the loops in the covers and a sharp punch to put holes though the batting material for the tie wraps to pass through. A few extra notes, the covers were too tight over the seat bracket and I had to enlarge these. Now I have a small repair job to do as one side I went too far. Also, I have a 96 and the seats are attached to a rail which has a rivet on one end and is bolted on the other. Since I have a Boos Frog Double Hoop roll bar installed, this would have been a nightmare to unbolt, so I drilled out the rivet. As far as I can tell, this is not a safety issue but just a stop to keep the seat from going too far forward. Also, I cannot get the plastic! speaker shields installed, for now I have left them out. I trimmed the plastic shields over the brackets for a better fit. Get a nice Exacto knife with fresh blades and do all cuts in leather starting small and getting bigger.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Katzin Leather Seat covers Black on Black, gathered insert with red Miata logo embroidery
Installing these is not difficult but you need to completely dismantle the seats so proper tools are needed. No instructions were included but as you take it apart it's pretty easy to figure out how the re-assemble it. Buy lots of zip ties they work well and are easy to use in the re-assembly. The seat covers are of very high quality, thought there was a bit of a difference between the drivers side and the passenger side. The driver side fit better. The passenger side seat back pattern seemed a bit short and the seat cushion was missing two of the hogring flaps inside. Also the passenger side seat cushion pattern didn't fit as nicely as the drivers side. It was easy to make it all work but it appears there's a quality control issue here.
These were ordered from Go-Miata: I've always received exellent service from them and everything arrived within the week, no delays. These covers really give the interior a rich look and are very comfortable to sit in. I added the Katzkin Seat heaters at the same time (see review) and I feel they're well worth the money spent.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Leather seat covers that replace the oem cloth or faded seat covers. A must buy if you are trying to totally makeover your interior.
Excellent product. Very dramatic results. You can totally install these yourself dont waste the 400 bucks on having a professional shop do them. Find the instructions on this site and just take your time and do it yourself.
My only comments would be to use zip ties instead of hog ties it will save you tons of time and make any errors painless to correct. The hardest part was removing the bolts that hold the tracks down. I recommend taking it to a local gas station and having them use their professional grade air ratchet to loosen them for you. Buy the mechanic a coke or something and he will gladly do it in a matter of seconds. From there its pretty clear sailing. A+++++
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Two tone leather seat covers designed to replace the factory cloth seating surface
At first I was intimidated to install it myself, so i called the upholstery shop. They quoted me 400 bucks, now that was practically as much as the covers so i browsed in this site and saw the instructions for doing the install yourself. I must say that was the BEST instructions I've ever read online, it was purfectly written, excellent photos you really cant go wrong installing it yourself.
The hardest part of the install was probably removing the first four bolts holding the seat in, they are EXTREEMLY TIGHT, i tried taking them off myself but only pulled a muscle and got a sore wrist, instead save yourself the time and effort and take it to a gas station or something and have them loosen the bolts with their impact wrench, takes like 2 seconds and all i had to do was buy the service guy a coke. After those bolts are out the rest is a piece of cake, just takes a while to install, makes a MAJOR difference once installed, these seats are a treat to look at and a treat to sit in, fit extremely well and i couldnt be more pleased. Highly recommend them. *the install is much easier using zip ties instead of hog rings, its easier to adjust and easier to cut them off and put another one in if you mess up.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
A pair of leather seat covers which replaces the factory seat cloth. The particular covers I ordered were tight fitting black leather with red inserts and red stitching. The headrests were also perforated for speakers.
These seats arrived approx. 1.5 weeks after being ordered, just as promised. They were beautifully made, and a pleasure to look at from the moment I opened the box. In a few very inconspicuous places, such as inside a few concealed corners, the threads were a little loose. This ultimately presented no problem in appearance or installation. Rather than paying for someone to install these for me, I opted to do it myself. I had recently installed Duetto's seat heaters, so I was partially familiar with the procedure. Installation was as expected, straightforward but long. Each seat took about 3 hours. The second of course went more smoothly. I ordered two-toned black and red leather with red stitching, in the tight fitting form, and this is the most dramatic improvement yet to my interior. I could not be happier with how these turned out. They are well worth the price.
In another review somewhere I read that a consumer replaced the hog ties normally used in this procedure with zip ties. This decision probably cut the time of my installation in half, as well as made it much more forgiving. This was the single best piece of advice I have ever come across, and I urge anyone hesitant to install these themselves to go for it, it is not very difficult. The zip ties allow the covers to be adjusted specifically without committing to a position, and also require no special tools.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Katzkin leather seat covers, black with black Miata logo stitching, sold by several Miata.net businesses, including Crazy Red and Duetto. Price varies according to your taste and requirements (i.e., single vs. multiple color leather, stitching color, etc.) as well as by vendor to some extent, so shop a bit.
Excellent quality leather used in manufacturing for the face and sides, the back and under portions are made of heavy vinyl (much heavier than OEM vinyl used in the same areas). The side seam on one seat back cover was poorly located, making lining up of the frame bolts very difficult.
Installation was not difficult, but professional installation is recommended if you are not very handy with tools. I took this opportunity to shampoo the carpet with the seats out of the car. Purchase hog ring pliers (< $10 at a local upholstery shop) and extra hog rings (in spite of the ~$500 price for the seat covers and the cheap price of hog rings, Katzkin did not supply enough hog rings to complete the job!) I would also purchase a good quality, heavy duty set of wire cutters: your hands will thank you! I would both purchase and install these seat covers again in a heartbeat. I only wish I had done so sooner (my Miata has nearly 300k miles).
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Katzkin Leather Seat Covers - Black / Charcoal 2 Tone inserts model X*MA20
Ordered direct from Katzkin - Excellent service - 7 day delivery to Canada on custom order! Great quality. No instructions but included package of hog rings. Installed myself with very little trouble. Took approx 12 hrs (took my time).
Great product / great service - would recommend! If your are fairly handy you should be able to do. Get the right tools (hog ring pliers & good cutter)and TAKE YOUR TIME!
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
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