New leather seats

[74 Laguna]

I have a 1997 Town Car Signature with 80,000 miles, the car is very good condition except for the front seats are showing some wear, they are starting to crack. I can get the front seats recovered and the guy said I would not be able to tell the difference between the new seats and the original, they would even have the Lincoln emblem on the back of the seats. The price would be $1,200.00 installed.

My question is, if I have them recovered and keep the car for 1 more year do you think I could recover the $1,200.00 with the nicer seats or should I trade the car sooner and use the extra $1,200.00 to help pay for the new car?

[LithiumCobalt]

I have a 1997 Town Car Signature with 80,000 miles, the car is very good condition except for the front seats are showing some wear, they are starting to crack. I can get the front seats recovered and the guy said I would not be able to tell the difference between the new seats and the original, they would even have the Lincoln emblem on the back of the seats. The price would be $1,200.00 installed.

My question is, if I have them recovered and keep the car for 1 more year do you think I could recover the $1,200.00 with the nicer seats or should I trade the car sooner and use the extra $1,200.00 to help pay for the new car?

Very doubtful that you could recover. The value of these cars is so low anyways. I would just try to clean and condition them. That would probably at least make them look about 50% better. Keep your money. Unless it's a show car I wouldn't bother. You could always try the junkyard, though. They may have some, but who knows what kind of shape.

[Jet Set Limo]

I had a thread here just a while back about seats. One of my cars had seats that were worn and sun damaged. Instead of re-upholstering, I went to a local "You Pull It" wrecking yards. Found a Town Car of the same year, same color, seats in excellent condition :)

Got the whole leather interior of the car, front and rear seats for a grand total of $80.00. You maybe should have a look around b4 spending all that loot ;) If not, maybe I'll see what I can find here locally for you.

[Chevyguy]

+1 on just getting used seats from the junkyard. The seat covers/seat foam comes off the frame in one piece if you just want the seat cover and the donor frame is damaged.

BTW I have a Laguna also!!

[Kielbasa]

You must have stepped in a big pile of........ to find seats in that condiiton. I can't believe finding an older Town Car in the bone yard would have seats in that good of condition. Good for you!

My dad has a 1988 Acura Legend that he just had the seats redone last week. Absolutely beautiful...... and there's nothing like that new leather smell in your car.


I had a thread here just a while back about seats. One of my cars had seats that were worn and sun damaged. Instead of re-upholstering, I went to a local "You Pull It" wrecking yards. Found a Town Car of the same year, same color, seats in excellent condition :)

Got the whole leather interior of the car, front and rear seats for a grand total of $80.00. You maybe should have a look around b4 spending all that loot ;) If not, maybe I'll see what I can find here locally for you.

[LithiumCobalt]

...... and there's nothing like that new leather smell in your car.

Yes, there is. The smell of $1,500 in my hands. :D

[mark95man]

The bottom line on selling your Lincoln will be $$$. Buyers will not care that you just spent $1,200 on the interior. You'll hear, well you HAD to do that! If you want a nice interior and plan to keep the car, that's a different story. This is why I purchased a new leather seat cover for my 07 Designer Driver's seat. In time, it will age but saddle soap will preserve it. Use nothing else! The odds of finding this model in a future junkyard are very low. Been using saddle soap since 1970. The seats in my 70 Mark III & 79 Mark V are damage free--had to replace the foam under the leather. My 96 Town Car @ 132K miles, only the driver's seat was showing signs of wear/tear---didn't keep up with the monthly saddle soap. If I kept the car, my plan was to find a rear seat using the same color for replacement sections of the seat cushion.

[Kielbasa]

My take on it:

If the car is in GREAT shape, treats you good, even though eventually things will probably start to go wrong with it, you do not mind fixing problems that will come up, the car's probably paid for, TAXES are less expensive, of course gas probably kills most Town car owners, the $1500 is probably 5 months of car payments, a new car will cost more in taxes, insurance, mileage would probably be better, but a lot of news cars at least the 6 cylinders do not get much better gas mileage then out Lincolns, you'd go crazy at the dings that you (will) get in a new car and you'll be paying a mounthly payment on those dings.

But then again, if you're loaded, through out all I have said. ;)




Yes, there is. The smell of $1,500 in my hands. :D