Garson Interior Build-Up [Archive]

VIPCel

06-08-2007, 12:11 AM

Hey guys well i thought i might put this up for anyone who has ever looked at garson's website and seen some of there stuff and wondered how good it actually is - especially their seat covers. Ive been looking at their stuff for the last 3 years and been wanting to get some seat covers- the good ones - the premium lounge seat set. well after finally going through 3 different VIP celsiors and settling on the one im keeping for a LONG time i went a head and with the help of robert, bought a set of these puppies. I could hardly find some real life pics of the premium set anywhere so for those who have been wondering i might do a bit of a write up on these as i put them on. Took Garson about 1.5 months to make, but well worth it! Finally got some time this weekend but these are the pics i took a while ago when they arrived from japan.

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02231.JPG
arrived VERY well wrapped up by robert in its own little plastic suitcase - fronts are in this one, rears in another one

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02235_2.JPG
some extra pieces of material for the seats and the stitching (maroon colour) so i can match other things to it. 3 page japanese user guide also

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02236_2.JPG
head rest with garson embroidary - wanted to get rears done too, but garson said no :(

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02239_2.JPG
rest of the front seat

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02246_2.JPG
rear seats in other suitcase and some JP cushions

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02249_2.JPG
the headrest itself

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02250_2.JPG
this thing is so cumfy im afriad i might go to sleep while driving!

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02252_2.JPG
thumbs up finally got them! now to get em on the seats!

SikNLow

06-08-2007, 12:28 AM

lucky bastard.... you owe me this write up minimum!!! LOL nice job so far man!!!

VIPStyleCars

06-08-2007, 12:38 AM

lucky bastard.... you owe me this write up minimum!!! LOL nice job so far man!!!

agreed! care to write it for a feature on VSC? :thumbsup:

DriftGirl

06-08-2007, 12:47 AM

cant wait to see the finished product :thumbsup:

Yokotas13

06-08-2007, 01:01 AM

shit, yeah do a write up, i getting the BLack with the DAD jewel on it soon....

look sgood!

SikNLow

06-08-2007, 06:19 AM

shit, yeah do a write up, i getting the BLack with the DAD jewel on it soon....

look sgood!

what the hell is this rain on Sik's parade thread?? hahahahaha Somebody do a write up so we can see it featured and start our whole entertainment and info factor of the site!........ e-zine or newsletter style?

Yokotas13

06-08-2007, 04:35 PM

lol, Noone can rain on Siks parade, his shit is baller

jtaing858

06-09-2007, 06:55 AM

very nice...now lets see it on ur ride

BrianStyles

06-09-2007, 07:13 AM

duuuuuuuuuuuude, I wanna see those seat covers on and in action!

elpresidente

06-09-2007, 08:15 AM

duuuuuuuuuuuude, I wanna see those seat covers on and in action!
In action?
http://www.ziptied.com/forum/images/smiles/hump.gif

gato

06-09-2007, 09:03 AM

looks to be good quality stuff.

props to Garson for having this nice mod available for our interiors...

{-.-}

06-09-2007, 04:30 PM

They are VERY VERY NICE & COMFY...........

Okay now let me check to make sure your Cloths is NOT dirty - NO sharp objects - NO pens before you sit in the car.

Sorry your walking.........:p

BrianStyles

06-09-2007, 04:33 PM

In action?
http://www.ziptied.com/forum/images/smiles/hump.gif

LOL...:dance:

jqnguyen8

06-09-2007, 08:10 PM

They are VERY VERY NICE & COMFY...........

Okay now let me check to make sure your Cloths is NOT dirty - NO sharp objects - NO pens before you sit in the car.

Sorry your walking.........:p

HAHA....inspection before you are allowed to sit in the Car.

Write-up is a must.

VIPCel

06-10-2007, 04:19 AM

make sure your Cloths is NOT dirty - NO sharp objects - NO pens before you sit in the car

haha yeah i just know something will happen sooner or later like belt buckles, phones, pens etc but trying to keep it as clean as possible. Have to figure out what the best way to clean them and what product to use.

haven't done anything as yet to the car with these covers.....been manafacturing 6.5" MDF mounts and spacer for the front which ive been taking my time with.

Will update soon though....its a crime leaving these in their plastic suitcase!

zion_97

06-11-2007, 12:06 AM

Are the Garson Logos maroon or black? They look Maroon..
I would like to redew my interior as well but its going to have to wait.

VIPCel

06-11-2007, 01:10 AM

there maroon, same colour as the stiching. its all customisable, and in the end after not being able to see any real examples of the colours of the seats and embroidary i decided to go with these colours. the seat colour is as close as i could determine from garson website to my factory colour and the maroon is a good colour that stands out nicely without being montone like black on cream.

zion_97

06-11-2007, 08:28 AM

:thumbsup:

Cant wait to see them installed.

SikNLow

06-13-2007, 07:00 AM

lol, Noone can rain on Siks parade, his shit is baller

Hey Thanks Yokotas!!! hahahahaha

ok now for a true n00b question, so do these get installed over the current skins or are you supposed to strip the old skins off then use these?

Secondly and more aimed towards Robert, are these available for the 03-04 M35/M45 and would anyone know if the M35/M45 seats are approximately close to the G35 seats enough at least to allow a little poor kid like me the opportunity to someday own these?

I wasn't trying to thread jack yo! and I hope i'm still within reasonable On Topic!

VIPCel

06-13-2007, 07:46 PM

here ya go man

car lineup for the seat covers: - http://www.garson.co.jp/seatcover/lineup.html

seat covers, pricing and options - http://www.garson.co.jp/seatcover/pls.html

jameslim8

06-13-2007, 11:03 PM

wa...garson product ..nice item u have...

VIPCel

06-16-2007, 04:03 AM

heres a few more pics for you guys. Ive been busy lately doing my speaker install and making it from scratch, so haven't gone back into this.

been busy doing all this to fit the speakers under the door trim but just enough for the window stopper to go behind...very close with these 6 1/2's.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02256_2.JPG

first go...
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02253_2.JPG

heres the front seat package. The seats come in seperate parts....from the top you get the headrest, the back seat section which is seperate to the bottom part of the seat. In the middle is the centre console cover and the bottom is the back off the seat. Very happy to get the centre console included.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02261_3.JPG

Close up of the seat....very nice and puffy. the sides arent shown but its pretty thick.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02262_3.JPG

each item comes with a garson label and hand written Number. Goes back to the install guide and this one shows No 506 - 8 which is the passenger side seat bottom panel. Thanks to Dom for translating the install guide for me!
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02267_3.JPG

more to come when i finish my left hand speaker.

solo

06-20-2007, 11:03 PM

get these installed...!! i wanna see how these look. great build.

s

nyARISTO

06-21-2007, 11:07 AM

dammmmn those are sick looking ... dammmn again

VIPCel

06-30-2007, 10:41 PM

an update. right now the last few weeks ive been doing the rears first because i know the fronts will be easy to install so want the rears done first. having finally got the rear out (big issues getting the bottom part out thanks to some bad alignment from previous person) i got the bottom part of the seat covered up and looking great. Fits very nicely. - some background info is that garson do no make this cover to fit UCF11 with C-F package and wouldnt make any cover either for front without saying it was for early model UCF10. So i knew there would be some issues with the rear seat since UCF10's have a complete seat from left to right, whereas UCF11 C-F's have a split between the right and left on the bottom part of the seat and the rear back of the seat. Either way i wanted a full set and not just the front seats covered, so i still ordered the back. The bottom part has fit nicely even though theres nothing actually holding the two seats together other then seat cover, but should fit easily enough in. The major issue is the back seat. The cover is alittle short in areas, but the major problem is the rear centre console. UCF10's have no rear console opening and its just an armrest, so the covers they provided won't do the job. The console of C-F's are also a bit bigger then the A or B packages which cause some headaches. The main headache is getting to actually fit the rear back seat together since they are supposed to be seperate and thus fastening to the rear compartment is now going to be an issue. I will have to cut into the back to fit the headrests into the seat and also through the seat cover to bolt against the back of the car. Just trying to figure out the easiest way to do this and whther i should wait until i get the centre console made up causse i have to reattach all electronics and so cbf putting them in and then pulling them out again. Its going to be a big job getting the rears in without getting any dirt on them at all! Also the rear headrests wouldnt fit over the current leather factory cover, so ive taken the old factory one off and it just fits....so that'll be ok. i didn't bother taking the factory covers of the rear part of the seat or the bottom because there are so many hog rings that have to be cut and thrown away and they never actually stated whehther they have to or not and since the fit is pretty nice and snug im leaving it that way.

The morale of the story is when garson say they custom make it to a specific model they definetly do! Its close enough with the cover that the back of the seat should look the same so im not going to worry about getting or swapping to a UCF10 rear seat. Atleast this way i might have one of the very few UCF11 with all electrics and massagers still when covered with garsons covers. Too bad they never made them for C-F spec....not sure why when they go to great lengths to fit a variety of interiors...making seperate cover for left and right parts of the rear seat wouldnt be that much more....id pay extra anyway. Ill put some more pics up soon.

VIP-UCF

07-01-2007, 02:50 AM

hope everything works out for you...can't wait to see those updated pics...

ikadburry

07-01-2007, 01:56 PM

nice!

VIPCel

07-01-2007, 05:24 PM

ok heres some pics i did acouple weeks ago of the bottom part of the rear seat.

garson provide you with some metal fitments to use to stretch the seat cover as much as possible
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02292_2.JPG

Since there arent any real mounting instructions that come with the seat...ie - just be carfeul not to poke your eye out when using these metal fittings, i assume they go over the stitched waistband material. First i thought they actual connect together, but theres some odd placed ones, so most likely they just go around the metal springs . This was the first test fitment, once im happy with it all, ill put them on properly to the best metal fitment on the seat i can find and clamp the S clip so they wont fall off
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02294_2.JPG

heres a pic of the troublesome rear seat for me. Its upside down and as you can see they a one complete cover. A bit of cutting and poking will be required on this.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02296_2.JPG

As you can see the fitment is pretty good...i can strech it a bit more to cover the end pieces as much as possible, but happy with the bottom part of the seat.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02297_2.JPG

looking at the seat cover from the front.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02299_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02300_2.JPG

DaygoVIP619

07-01-2007, 05:46 PM

great write up man! im thiinkin of buying a set for my Y33 when i have the money. how much did your whole setup cost you?

Dominik

07-01-2007, 07:23 PM

That looks great.... It already looks very inviting; once its all done people will be fighting to go for a ride in your car!

Be careful with those metal clips. As it says in the instruction manual, You can damage your face with them

VIPCel

07-07-2007, 02:26 AM

ok heres some more....

the original console covers wont work on the C-F package and are only for A and B model LS400's. So i used the original covers and took them to a trimmers to be modified to fit around the centre console for C-F package.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02308_2.JPG

heres my rear back seats....they aren't one package but seperated which cauzes alot of headaches!
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02314_2.JPG

the rear headrests are too fat to fit into garson covers so i pulled off the original cover to fit over the headrest
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02317_2.JPG

put the back cover on to do a test fitment...lots of electrics and bullshit at the back
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02318_2.JPG

heres how it looks as one....at this point nothing is holding both seats together other then the cover itself
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02319_2.JPG

rear and bottom together
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02323_2.JPG

a test fit into the car. its a BIG pain in the ass to move the rear back when the seats are split...theres so many electrics and clips to worry about hitting on the back....then dirtying the front...this is def. not a 1 man job but since i had no one to help.....it was a pain in the ass
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02327_2.JPG

old and new.....this is why i got em...17yrold leather isnt that flash anymore
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02330_2.JPG

after the test fit i went back indoor to clamp the S clips with some eye protection as much as possible.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02334_2.JPG

once i put all the S clips on together and clamped i put all the electrics back together. also bolted together both parts of the seat and cable tied together to make it easier to move around and put back into the car
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02336_2.JPG

continued....

VIPCel

07-07-2007, 02:31 AM

the little fasterners are stitched in, but when you try and pull them as much as possible to get a tight fit, they sometime pull apart. some re-stitching was required.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02339_2.JPG

the whole rear setup with the rear centre console put into the rear seat. the console is also a pain in the ass to take off with the electrics and the rest of it.....but finally back together.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02341_2.JPG

after this, i eventually got the rear back into the car but havent been able to put in acouple of the rear bolts through the headrest compartment part....gonnna do that tomo and hopefully get the bottom part back in the car all together!

SikNLow

07-07-2007, 03:02 AM

OK i have to ask this and I know some of you will hate me for it, but here goes anyways.... seriously VIPCel, if you had the money to pay someone to do this for you, after all you've gone through with the rear seat, would you have paid someone to do it?

Yokotas13

07-07-2007, 03:22 AM

i would SOOOOO pay someone to do it
for the price of the garson stuff, i can have someone redo the same stuff for around 1400 in the states.

just looks like wayyyy too much work to me

Dominik

07-07-2007, 06:36 AM

i would SOOOOO pay someone to do it
for the price of the garson stuff, i can have someone redo the same stuff for around 1400 in the states.

just looks like wayyyy too much work to me

But on the other hand, you wouldnt think twice about performing your own engine rebuild right? :smiley:

I paid alot of money to have someone do my engine replacement, but i wouldnt pay someone to do interior work which, although annoying, is possible to do on your own

zion_97

07-07-2007, 07:09 AM

BrianStyles

07-07-2007, 09:41 AM

ugh, I'm sponsored on my leather seats right now but once my contract's up I'm SO tempted to get Garson seat covers. it's just so.........tasty.

damn this thread! lol :runcoold:

VIPCel

07-07-2007, 10:44 AM

yeah its all a bit of work for the rears.....but its still costing less then $1400US all up and id rather have the knowledge that im putting my energy and work into it to make it look tasty...infact down in Aus, itll cost near $3kAUD for a full re-trim and more if you want extra padding etc. Dont get me wrong.....if they actually made a seat cover for C-F package...it would be easy as...it took about 30mins to get everything on the bottom part of the rear seat since thats a correct fit across all models and was easy. If the cover was supposed to fit a C-F rear back then it would be the same....quite easy. But since its not, im just showing you all what is actually involved to get this on a C-F package (because guess what there wasnt much information - none actually - or any threads i could find in japanese either about why its non compliant with CF model or how much work is involved to get it on). If they make the correct model for your car then there wouldnt be any two buts and id do it all myself.

I didnt want to get JUST the front because 1) colour mismatch and 2) i wanted a complete set across the car. If i had money to get someone to do it....i still wouldnt trust them with putting them in correctly....rather know whats been done, how to do it and sense of acheivement once its all in the car.

SikNLow

07-07-2007, 10:59 AM

Well said but I sit in the same boat as you my friend but for different reasons, I am a non-platformer, so there is very very little to no support in the industry for my vehicle, yet being who I am I will make something work damn it! hahahaahah that's why I asked since there are a lot of shops out here that could take the Garson covers and "make them fit" one way or another. I don't mind paying, I already know what it takes to do something yourself and that achievement I know all too well, but I'm at a point in my life where I believe I have earned the right to just pay people to do that and besides that way liability will rest on the hands of others as supposed to me where I would either live with my mistake or pay to fix it hahahahaha, so I'm glad you are giving us a step by step on this since it is really informational believe me, good job once again and keep the pics coming!!!

Yokotas13

07-07-2007, 05:41 PM

But on the other hand, you wouldnt think twice about performing your own engine rebuild right? :smiley:

I paid alot of money to have someone do my engine replacement, but i wouldnt pay someone to do interior work which, although annoying, is possible to do on your own
yeah true
I just hate diving into stuff i have no clue about lol

But htey are supple and inviting, id almost hate to have them loose their virginity

VIPCel

07-07-2007, 07:14 PM

no support in the industry for my vehicle

im from Australia and the support for a LS400 in my state anyway is non existant. I went to a geniuine lexus dealer once and they said they never saw one of these with air suspension at all and straight away i said see you later. Ive learnt not to trust anyone with my car other then me if im able to do it myself (especially interior), and although i could pay someone to fit these over....after buying them and waiting 2 months....and the fit being very close other then the centre console its just a matter of stuffing around to pull it all out with electrics. It is unfortunate that garson dont make these for c-f package and i dunno why, but i can already see how well they will come up...just a matter of bolting these back to the car!

zion_97

07-07-2007, 08:30 PM

Much props to you for doing this install..

SikNLow

07-07-2007, 08:32 PM

zion_97

07-07-2007, 08:37 PM

[quote=VIPCel;71857]the support for a LS400 in my state anyway is non existant...quote]

in your state, ok I understand, I mean yeah we all get our parts from Japan anyways right? but at least they had something that was close to your application.... I might spend money for something I will have to sell at a loss because it was no where near my application. There is no support JAPAN-wise for my vehicle unless I want to be an uber-fast-neo-initial d-quasi ken namura- wannabe. which by the way..... I don't!:biggthumpup: but like I said, you being able to pull it off gives me hope, and I would have to pay just to make sure it fits due to trimming and such, since the applications are nowhere near each other, and I'm so picky I would want it to look like it was made for my car, just like yours look!!!:drool:
Cant you just take your car to a custom Ulphostry shop and have something custom made..YOu can take pictures of the garson and have them make something like that for you..and then have something Custom ebroidered..like "SikNlow VIP sytle"..just a thought, thats what I would do in your shoes..but if it is that important to have Garson than I understand.

VIPCel

07-08-2007, 12:13 AM

SikNLow yeah i understand that....if its not going to be anywhere near your application then getting someone else to re-trim parts or whatever will be easier. If they dont make these sets for your car at all, then there might not be too much you can do other then what some others have done and get some pics and get someone to copy them and re-trim wherever you are. the costs would probably be similar if you bought something from garson and then got it retrimmed to fit. The garson covers are really specifically made so if they dont do your car then it would be easier to get it trimmed up.

Anyway....i finally got the rears on today! Major problem was getting the bolt through the headrest which is the factory way of doing it on the C-F model, so i had to cut into the covers...but the headrest covers it up anyway which is nice. Once all the rear bolts where fastened it took about 5mins to fit the bottom part and and she was all done.

The fit is great....i just need to secure 2 little peiecs to the centre console when it moves up and down so the old leather isnt showing. Sat back in it and mmmmmmmm soooo nice. Biggest problem is its winter here and the back heel of your shoe will always hit the bottom part of the cover for anyone sitting in the back over 5"10 but meh i need to make a rules list up for people coming in during winter.

Heres some photos i took quickly....bit hard to get the entire rear byitself but you get the idea!

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02345_2JPG.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02346_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02347_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02350_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02351_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/DSC02356_2.JPG

next for the all important fronts!

SikNLow

07-08-2007, 01:11 AM

hahahaha thanks zion and VIPCel, from the pics your taking VIPCel I might be able to get something done here custom hahahahaha so keep taking pics please!!!! and please include more write up details step by step since I know this is as a thorough guide as possible that we've had yet on these and I am hoping this will be stickied?!?!? clue clue hint hint wink wink? keep up the good job man! oh yeah and zion..... hahahahaha nice touch on the "SikNlow VIP sytle" maybe just maybe or maybe even the "Royal Monkey" with SikNLow underneath it hahahahaahha we'll see! thanks guys! and yes Robert! You did mention this previously I just remembered after reading zion's post hahaahhaha

{-.-}

07-08-2007, 01:42 AM

and yes Robert! You did mention this previously I just remembered after reading zion's post

Its understandable as you age the 1st thing that goes is the mind........... :yahoo_12:
Just talk to Sean " JDMpalace " He did that over 1 yr ago custom made im sure that shop has expericance now and can do it w/ thier eyes closed.

Good to see the seat covers worked out for you and they LQQK GREAT............ all you need now is a Garson Comforter and Pillows so you can have a good nites sleep.

SikNLow

07-08-2007, 02:58 AM

i wonder how much Garson will charge to custom make me some? I would pay them for it hahahahaahaha

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 06:05 PM

Ok, i havent posted anything here for awhile now so heres an update. I got kinda stuck on my front passenger seat because of the electric headrest. Now one was able to tell me how to remove the headrest as its the one that hinges 90degrees and there is no obvious button to push to release it - forums, local importers, re-trimmers, Lexus service....all either had no response or said "hmmm thats a weird configuration". Without being able to take the headrest off, i would have had to cut 2 * 10cm cut into the front of the garson seat covers which i didn't really want to do. So after pulling the whole seat pretty much apart, i finally found how to remove the headrest. Can't blame garson, since they dont make it for the C-F package, so i guess thats what you get when ordering a non-compliant spec item.

Well to install these properly, you have to take out the seat from the car. Really theres 3ways you can install these covers. 1) take it to a trimmer to put on for you and pay more money, 2) do it the slack and quickest way possible, 3) do it the proper way and take the time and try not to mess it up or hack where the need be no hacking of the covers. Anyway, these photos are only for a UCF11 C-F pack, otherwise you dont need to go this far. I took the seat out and removed the back panel of the seat...only 2 screws needed to undo at the bottom. Once out, i pulled the factory cover off as far as possible as well as the cushion to have a look at the design of the headrest holder itself. Note: the headrest has to be in the position shown...ill go into why later.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02393_2.JPG

The back of the seat once the panel has been taken off with the leather.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02394_2.JPG

The headrest mechanism is welded onto the seat frame, so its difficult to see whats going on behind the cover itself. You have to pull the cushion away from the seat frame at the front abit more to get a bit of room. You only have as much room as up to the headrest as its still attached obviously.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02396_2.JPG

Heres where it gets interesting. After looking for a day for some sort of release button behind all this crap shown in the pic i couldn't find anything.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02397_2.JPG

What you have to do is bend the headrest into the 90degree position. This means going back to the car and reattaching electrics etc to bend it 90degrees. You can only do this if you havent noticed by keeping the passenger side door shut, otherwise once its opened it reverts back to the last memory of the seat and the whole seat moves and reclines back. So you have to unattached the seat from the electrics from the drivers side door. Once done go back and pull off all the covers again (no since you know, this can all be done in one go :)). When you pull the front off, there is a little circlip as shown below. Hard to see, but this is what holds the headrest in on both sides.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02398_2.JPG

heres one of the little bastards. If the headrest isnt at 90degrees, then you cant get to the circlip as the hinge will be 90degrees backwards. Oh yeah before getting to the circlip you have to take the black plastic holder seen before off as well.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02400_2.JPG

as you can see....it was either cut a 10cm hole to compliment the seat, but have 2 large cuts visible at the front, or take the headrest out. Theres a cheat way of getting the headrest back on when you put the covers on.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02438_2.JPG

So now the headrest is off and you can start putting the covers on.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02439_2.JPG

The covers go on really easily as the seat itself is the same across all specs. All the metal fittings and ties will go into the back and be cover up via the back panel.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02403_2.JPG

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 06:35 PM

continue..

You have to pull the cover through the bottom of the seat and tie it up to the back as shown. This is the driver side seat but its the same on the passanger side, minus the big plate in the middle which controls the lumber support on the driver side. The bottom seat cover is also attached and fitted to the underside of the seat itself. It gets a bit dirty and you have to find a correct fitting spot for the fitment on the underside. It cant be fixed obviously as the seat moves on tracks and will tear the springy material off the cover....so you have to go under alot of the mechanisms to get a point that will move with the seat.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02457_2.JPG

Its a bit hard to see but garson dont provide you with the headrest holes. I guess its because it really depends where you anchor the cover onto as too how tight the fitment will be on each seat. So i started it off here with a pin and later a big screw driver to make a hole big enough for the headrest bars.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02459_2.JPG

For the best fitment, i took off the cover on the headrest. Its a struggle though as these things are tight!
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02437_2.JPG

Once the clips are tightened on the rear of the seat to its mounting point, the back panel can go on with a bit of effort as theres the holders everywhere underneath it.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02440_2.JPG

A finished picture....the bottom part where there is some visiblity of the old covers are not seen as its pointed towards the ground in the car.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02441_2.JPG

hmmm all on
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02443_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02444_2.JPG

with the headrest on. To get the headrest in the cover and onto the seat requires you to decide whether you want to use that electric function or not. I dont at all, and didnt want to cut into the front of the covers. So, i made sure by going back to the car before fitting the cover that the up and down function of the headrest will still work without the circlip, plus you have to put it back to the straight postion via the elecrtics to get the holes accurate. So the headrest still goes into the hinge, but now without the circlips you can just pull the headrest out when its at the top of its height. the black cover holds the headrest stable sort of as a second big circlip so ill see how it goes without it.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02448_2.JPG

There is also another thing that needs to be done that garson dont provide you with. That is the seat garnish at the bottom of the seat. You have to take it off to fit the bottom cover correctly...its not on at this point.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02449_2.JPG

This is the seat garnish and im still unsure of putting it back on with the factory dark brown colour to it. It has to go over half of the bottom of the seat cover, so i went and bought fabric as close as poissible match to the covers. Not sure how it is on other cars and the covers for them but id like to keep a clean straight colour on the seat completely, so im going extra to finish the seat here.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02418_2.JPG

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 06:54 PM

continue...

all done minus the seat garnish to be added on later.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02450_2.JPG

passenger side seat on the right and the aged drivers seat on the left. i did a bit of taping up the cuts in the leather to stop them from expanding in the future.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02452_2.JPG

see where the garnish is positioned, i think it would look a bit weird, so i will do some of my own trimming as shown previously.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02455_2.JPG

finished with another hole created for the belt buckle.
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02456_2.JPG

once i finish with the garson seats, and clean my carpets ill put up the finished product in the car. Looks crazy!

VIPete

07-29-2007, 07:19 PM

The seats look comfy as heck but damn I do not like how it looks. Oh well as long as you're happy-- its all good. Not my cup of tea on the other hand.

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 07:31 PM

The seats look comfy as heck but damn I do not like how it looks. Oh well as long as you're happy-- its all good. Not my cup of tea on the other hand.

fair enough might not be your cup of tea, but out of the two shown below, do you acutally mean the left one looks better then the right one? because theres only 1 type of seat thats going to fit in my car and thats the two shown. Either leave it as normal, ie left or do something better, ie right. Cant get that comfy without it looking like that :smiley: every other seat cover ive seen looks too plain for me, but then thats just me. My car is not plain enough to warrant anything else :smiley:

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02452_2.JPG

zion_97

07-29-2007, 08:52 PM

dude I think it looks awsome..dont know if it would work for me as I have recently put on wiehgt..but I would sure like to sit in one of those to see how comf they are. Looks like you could take a nice nap at all the red lights..grrreat job lovin it!

elpresidente

07-29-2007, 09:04 PM

Wow, reminds me of a plush couch! I bet passengers will be sleeping in back!

{-.-}

07-29-2007, 09:04 PM

Looks GREAT........ do you really need to put that seat garnish back on looks good with out it.

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 09:56 PM

yeah pretty much, the garnish covers up around the seat buttons and below that it covers up some of the motozied parts which will be showing out the side of the door. Its not too hard....i could probably get away with leaving the factory colour on it, since it will hardly be noticeable at the bottom of the seat. its a bit weird since all UCF11 models have the garnish, so i think garson assume you to just put the factory colour back on.

Yeah they are really really really really comfy!!...only downside is because its soooo padded it props you up a bit higher in the car, but you can move your seat back further as well since its equally padded on the back.

VIPete

07-29-2007, 10:28 PM

fair enough might not be your cup of tea, but out of the two shown below, do you acutally mean the left one looks better then the right one? because theres only 1 type of seat thats going to fit in my car and thats the two shown. Either leave it as normal, ie left or do something better, ie right. Cant get that comfy without it looking like that :smiley: every other seat cover ive seen looks too plain for me, but then thats just me. My car is not plain enough to warrant anything else :smiley:

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Garson%20Seat%20Covers/Latest/DSC02452_2.JPG

True True. Good point. Garson looks better than the used leather on your stocks. But on the other hand, getting a brand new leather wrap on your stocks (different patten or just stock replacement or different leather color) IMO will look better and comfy to boot.

Not to knock your Garson choice... I"m sure your choice compliments the rest of your car regardless.

VIPCel

07-29-2007, 11:23 PM

yeah but to get the entire front and rear seats custom done would have cost more then i got these covers for even though they were pretty expensive all up with me not being in japan. Plus i liked the fact of having a genuine Garson set which over here (Aus) is non-existant. But yeah i think they would look out of place in something that hasn't had too much work on.

Dominik

07-30-2007, 06:58 AM

I think that the way they look there in your lounge is nothing like the overall look they will have installed in your car. I think they look insanely inviting as they are; certainly not an 'OEM' look, but thats not the point. Good work on getting the headrest out, that looked HARD!

Is the material a matte finish or glossy? (hard to tell in the pics)

firelizard

07-30-2007, 07:43 AM

Wow, those look more padded than my couch!
Like VIPete I'm not a fan of the style, but they really do look comfortable.
Nice install!

VIPCel

07-30-2007, 05:10 PM

its pretty much a matte finish dom, like leather but not as tuff. The feel of it is comparable to vinyl but its really well made so its pretty tuff. The good thing is it is easy to clean. Dirt comes off pretty easily with PH neutral detergent and a bit of water. Oh yea, that meguiers spot cleaner is pretty good - im gonna go through a couple of bottles to clean the visible parts of my carpets :smiley:

Dominik

08-01-2007, 12:28 AM

LoL, i think the operative word with that Maguiars stuff is "spot"... Thats gonna take you ages to do the entire carpet!! LOL

One of these days i am going to have to come to adelaide to see your beast. Let me know when you are all finished!

VIPCel

08-01-2007, 02:02 AM

it might be a different one then, i got one called heavy duty carpet and interior cleaner in a purple bottle. it works really good actually, i use a tuff plastic tussle brush to get in deep and it cleans it out pretty well. although its $15 a bottle and its going pretty quick atm!

EliteAutoStyle

08-01-2007, 10:50 AM

Man that looks comfy!! try not to fall asleep ;)

Googookid

08-02-2007, 10:42 AM

Thats awesome...I cant imagine when u sit on it..they'll wrap u all over...looks comfy from here

Bippu_Ten

08-06-2007, 01:25 AM

WOW looks good, are you doing any other interior mods?

VIPCel

08-12-2007, 06:20 PM

well i got the fronts in last weekend and ready for a show we had here this weekend so i did a fair bit of cleaning it all up inside including every piece of carpet interior. these are some of the photos from the show, i got some others somewhere on another pc after i put the fronts in at home.

Overall, it takes a bit of getting used to, because the bottom seat cover is so cushioning it pumps you up higher in the car, but after a bit of driving and getting used to them they are so daym comfy. Its a bit weird actually, cause your so comfy it sometimes feels like your not sitting on a seat at all...especially the backing of the seat....it feels like your not pressing your back against anything at all!

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02504_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02505_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02506_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02507_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02509_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02510_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02511_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02512_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02513_2.JPG.

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02524_2.JPG

VIPCel

08-12-2007, 06:21 PM

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02526_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02530_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02621_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02624_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02626_2.JPG

{-.-}

08-12-2007, 10:42 PM

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC02624_2.JPG

NICE PIC............ LOL

Good to hear you were able to make the show VIPstyle Right On!!

bippU!

08-12-2007, 11:34 PM

simply luxurious!

hummm . . . i believe the color you have from GARSON will match my LS430 interior to a tee.

oh, how tempting . . . .

bbdaisukidesu

08-13-2007, 12:52 AM

o man. i was kind of iffy this whole time but now i see what the outside of your car looks like! i love it. :biggthumpup:

jbo

08-13-2007, 07:07 AM

Very nice bro it came out super plush...

Dominik

08-14-2007, 06:11 AM

Goddamn you gotta put this on a separate gallery post, this is such an awesome outcome

Now get to work on those door trims! lol....

Btw, congrats on the trophies! I am sure they are the first of many

jqnguyen8

08-14-2007, 04:52 PM

They came out great! Nice and Comfy.

HotBox009

08-15-2007, 06:01 PM

very nice car man!

Kuroikaze

08-15-2007, 08:30 PM

Looks really comfy and plush!:biggthumpup:

tech126

08-16-2007, 12:55 AM

o man. i was kind of iffy this whole time but now i see what the outside of your car looks like! i love it. :biggthumpup:

I was thinking the same..But after seeing the exterior, damn!! That thing is nuts!! Everything matches!! You don't even see people building or trying to attempt to build that type of quality VIP car..

Again, SIK work both inside and out!!

Kohinoor

08-16-2007, 10:42 AM

i love it!

VIPCel

08-16-2007, 10:54 PM

thanks for all the nice comments guys. i can't take full credit for the admiration bodykit since that was done over in japan in terms of the fitment and molding into the body itself plus a few engine mods and the conversion front and back. however, the state that i received it in wasn't anything like you see it now, and i've pretty much now repainted every panel except the roof. remolded and reinforced the front bar twice now as well. everything else on the car, wheels, interior and soon to be complete audio install ive done myself. its come up reallly nice and im really happy with the fitment of the seats and the look of the interior atm.

front pic:
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/Autosalon/DSC_3586.jpg

Yokotas13

08-17-2007, 12:21 AM

ya know
thats the style of VIP car i likethe badass extreme shit

But i would cut a bitch if she leaned on my car

GLuXuRy

08-17-2007, 06:30 AM

damn those seats look extra comfty

VIPCel

08-17-2007, 06:32 PM

haha Yokotas13 i got her to wipe the bonnet after :smiley:

Damicci

08-26-2007, 08:13 AM

looks good but I am with Yokota, better be some high quality booty if that was my car and some girls were lwiping thier ass all over it. lmao

rusher

09-17-2007, 07:04 AM

I wonder do Garson custom make cushion covers for other makes?

Dominik

09-17-2007, 07:24 AM

Mainly just vip sedans, and some wagons/kei cars. They wont do one-off ones for your car though

Googookid

09-21-2007, 05:25 AM

thumbs up that badass car.....I'm drooling all over now hehe

VIPCel

09-22-2007, 07:30 PM

more to come soon...i've dismantled half the car again for a major audio install...getting
0g through the firewall is fun :)

widebody_Q

09-24-2007, 02:37 AM

Looks great interior and exterior. Im digging the widebody and the front end conversion. Post some more pics of the exterior on the gallery section so more people can see it.

VIPCel

11-07-2007, 09:37 PM

few more pics of the trunk interior

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/P11-07-07_1514Medium.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/P11-07-07_15152Medium.jpg

HotBox009

11-08-2007, 03:46 PM

^Sick! Garson logo etched in the glass.

VIPCel

11-08-2007, 03:52 PM

^Sick! Garson logo etched in the glass.

ive been waiting for someone to say that! Admiration's logo (ie my bodykit) is also down the bottom

ebruce2

11-08-2007, 04:49 PM

your ride is absolutely top-shelf, man! Very nice.:biggthumpup:

MR. LS400

11-08-2007, 06:36 PM

Beautiful car. I do have a Q though, about how much did you spend total on kit? I understand shipping to the states will change the price, but I am just looking for a ball park figure. I would appreciate it greatly because I want to redo the interior of my ucf11 as well.

Greg

VIPCel

11-08-2007, 07:57 PM

it was awhile ago when i got it and the exchange rate in Australia then was about 90Y = A$1 dollar. Now its 106Y = A$1 which has made it even cheaper. But if they haven't changed the price it cost me over a grand aus to get it made. The cost for the 2 lines are 100,000Y and then add about A$300 for commision for someone to do the order sheet in japanese, get it, pack it and ship it. then add the shipping price - that is pretty cheap on EMS since it really light weight. If you know someone in japan who can do it and order it and write japanese should be cheaper on the commission side.

As you can see just be careful what model UCF11 you got...if its a C-F or with a rear seat thats not one entire seat (split like mine is) then your in for alot of fun :)

VIPCel

11-09-2007, 01:28 AM

a few more pics

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/IMG_0300_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/IMG_0305_2.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/IMG_0311_2.JPG

MR. LS400

11-09-2007, 02:17 AM

Thanks for the info, but unfortunately (in the luxury aspect of it) I have the solid rear seat.

VIPCel

11-09-2007, 02:47 AM

Thanks for the info, but unfortunately (in the luxury aspect of it) I have the solid rear seat.

well that makes it even better to get the seats....they will fit perfectly and itll be much easier to put them together and install them

MR. LS400

11-09-2007, 03:49 AM

well that makes it even better to get the seats....they will fit perfectly and itll be much easier to put them together and install them

Yeah, that does make it easier, but once I seen your car and found out that the ucf11 came with massaging rear seats I became a little disappointed that I don't have that luxury.

VIPCel

11-11-2007, 10:28 PM

heres some pics of the car at a recent show. Also put a video of a quick go around the car :)

Will be doing some features soon so might put up some proffesional photos after that.

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/SCS/IMG_0324.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/SCS/IMG_0336.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/SCS/IMG_0339.JPG

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/SCS/IMG_1518.jpg

vid (save target as)
http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/MVI_0334_Med_Prog.mov

crxgames

11-12-2007, 12:21 PM

That's one sick ride. Looks good. You do the etching yourself?

VIPCel

11-13-2007, 12:56 AM

no the etching was done on a laser cutting machine. eight08customs got me a soft copy of the image and the guy who did it turned it into some special vector format which the machine follows.

EliteAutoStyle

11-13-2007, 06:30 PM

god damn that car is a nice piece of work. It just SO JDM!! Lovin it!

Dominik

11-13-2007, 06:43 PM

Hotness!!!

Damn that boot install turned out nice!!

Get any awards?

VIPCel

11-13-2007, 07:19 PM

dunno yet the computer system crashed on the day, so gotta wait for the wkend paper!

but the judging is a bit fd up...u loose points for having floor mats, and gain them for having a med kit in your glove box or a tool box in the boot. yes i know, dont ask me about it! Theres too much riced up crap around australia and no categories at all for VIP style....so i doubt it :)

widebody_Q

11-14-2007, 05:03 PM

...u loose points for having floor mats, and gain them for having a med kit in your glove box or a tool box in the boot.

WTF????:fatasspsychod:

Well if you win or not, your car is still very well built and one of my personal favorites on this site :biggthumpup:

ebruce2

11-15-2007, 07:02 AM

and a nice choice on the Shallen CX.... had those on my GS a few years back when they came out in diamond polish. DAMN I loved those wheels.:biggthumpup:

VIPCel

11-16-2007, 06:29 PM

thanks for the kind words guys. yeah i love the wheels too, i got lucky eventually looking for them at the auctions. they come out really nice when polished up and the sun hits them.

dancar420

11-17-2007, 03:56 PM

wow that stereo piece with the garson in it is tight. mmm garson <3

elpresidente

11-17-2007, 04:12 PM

Any recent pics of the interior? I'd like to see how it's settled.

VIPCel

11-17-2007, 05:57 PM

you can see a bit of the interior in the video on the last page which was last weekend. just organising a feature with it, so will get some good ones done soon.

VIPCel

02-07-2008, 09:02 PM

VIPCel

02-07-2008, 09:04 PM

a couple recent ones:

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/14.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/21.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/24.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/7.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/~dee23/VIP/IMG_0691_3.JPG

555

02-08-2008, 03:05 AM

awesome ride.. time for some bigger & wider rims =)

Green Poupon

02-08-2008, 11:02 AM

Looks sweet!

On a scale of 1 to 10 how comfortable is seats?

elpresidente

02-08-2008, 12:21 PM

awesome ride.. time for some bigger & wider rims =)
Seconded.

lexusls

02-08-2008, 05:39 PM

im pretty sure if i had those seats i would fall asleep in my car while driving

VIPCel

02-08-2008, 08:36 PM

Looks sweet!

On a scale of 1 to 10 how comfortable is seats?

11. They are extremely comfy but takes awhile to get used to sitting on them - first off feels like u have no pressure on your back at all. Has 10cm of urethane foam padding in places so you melt into it (plus u still have your original lexus padding).

i dont want it to look too roller style putting 20's or larger on it. Im happy with the 19's although the front gaurds can take more. 5.5inch lip at rear not enuf? =) i had 19*12 -26 with the same dish as my rears and didnt like the style on the car. These fit perfect on the rear with a inch spacer (all legal as well)...yes fronts could be a bit better gaurd wise but theres other issues at the front so its as close as possible atm. I want to keep it legal since its my only car and i drive it every, even to shopping centres :)