Toyota Supra Leather Seats Installation Guide

If you're reading this, it is safe to say that you have chosen to install your own interior. Or, perhaps you're curious as to the difficulty level of installing a leather interior. Either way, this comprehensive guide to leather installation will make your installation as easy as 1-2-3.

First, the tools you will need to install the interior. In addition to a standard tool set, you will need the following:

The first step to install your new leather interior is to remove your seats from the vehicle. On the Supra, each of the front seats are held in by five (5) bolts. To access the bolts, you will have to pop the plastic covers off of the seat rail (See picture #1). Then, simply remove the bolts, tip the seat backwards, and check for electrical connections. Almost every seat will have some wiring harnesses on the bottom connecting to the floor of the vehicle. Unplug the connectors, and then remove the seat from the vehicle.

Make sure to save all bolts, screws, and other parts for reassembly.

The back seat requires that you remove the cushion (bottom section) first. There are two (2) clips that hold the front of the cushion to the floor. Simply pull the seat up, and the cushion will pop out. Once the cushion is removed, the bolts for removing the seat back are visible (see picture #2). There are four (4) bolts that hold the bottom of the seat back to the floor of the vehicle. You will have to flip the seat back forward to access the back bolt on each side. After all the bolts are removed, remove the seat back from the car. Make sure to save all bolts, screws, and other parts for reassembly.

Picture #1	Picture #2

The next step is to remove the factory leather.

Front Seat Cushion (Bottom):

The first step is to remove all of the plastic hardware from the outside of the seats. The Supra has Phillips screws that hold the plastic trim pieces to the seat (see picture #3). Make sure you remember which screws go where. To remove the power seat switches, gently pry them up and they will pop off. The seat height knob comes off similar to a manual window crank. Just look behind it and you will see a c-clip holding it on.

After all the trim pieces are removed, there are four (4) bolts that hold the seat cushion pan to the seat frame. Two of them are on each side of the seat (see picture #4). Remove those bolts and remove the seat cushion pan from the seat. There are hog-rings that hold the edge of the factory leather to the seat cushion pan (see picture #5). Remove these, and fold the factory cloth/leather up towards the center of the seat, revealing the insert seam lines (see picture #6). The inserts use hog-rings to attach the covers to the foam core. Snip them and remove the cover (see picture #7). The installation of the Leatherseats.com covers is the reverse of removal. Start with the inserts, and then move to the edges. After you have recovered the foam core and seat pan, set it aside and start on the backrest.

Picture #3	Picture #4	Picture #5

Picture #6	Picture #7

Front Seat Backrest (top):

First, remove the headrest and set it aside. The headrest is tricky on the Supra. There are regular headrest release buttons, but they are hidden beneath the leather and foam (See picture #8). Push on the side of the seat where the buttons are, and the headrest will come up. You can do one side at a time if you don't have a friend to help.

The Supra has zipper back seats. Unhook the J-clip and the bottom of the cushion, then unzip the zippers (see picture #9). Start at the bottom of the seat, and start removing the hog-rings as you roll the cover up over the seat.

The installation of the Leatherseats.com covers is the reverse of removal. Start with the cover inside out, and align the seams with the edges of the foam (see picture #10). Start to roll the cover down, and attach the hog-rings as you come to them (see picture #11). After you reach the bottom, close the zipper and tuck the ends of the zipper inside the seat. Reinstall the recovered seat cushion and pan assembly (from above) and reattach your plastic hardware. Next, you will need to cut holes for the headrest posts. Feel where the post holes are, and then cut a small hole with the razor blade (see picture #12). Make the holes just big enough that the headrest can be re-installed.

Front Seat Headrests:

The headrests are easy! This is your “break time” in the installation. The bottoms of the headrests are connected with zippers and plastic clips. First, take the plastic clips off (see picture #13). You don't have to re-use the plastic clips, so you can break them off. They are impossible to remove with breaking them. Unzip the zipper and roll the headrest cover back to reveal the foam. To install the Leatherseats.com leather, start with it inside out, and line up the seams to the edges of the foam. Then roll the cover down, and zip the zipper. Make sure you tuck the zippers inside the covers. If you have difficulty rolling the covers over the foam, you can wrap the foam in a plastic bag, and using a “shop vac” compress the foam to make it easier to cover the headrest. Slide the headrest into the re-upholstered seat, and you're finished with the front seat!

Repeat this process for the other front bucket and you're finished with the front row!

Picture #8	Picture #9	Picture #10

Picture #11	Picture #12	Picture #13

Rear Seat Cushion (Bottom):

The cushion is the more difficult of the two sections in the backseat. Start with the cushion upside down, and work your way around the cushion sniping hog-rings, there are several of them (see picture #14). After you have removed all the attachments around the perimeter of the cushion, fold the cushion up to reveal the inserts. Snip the hog-rings for the inserts, and remove the cover (see picture #15). Be patient, as there is a ridiculous amount of hog-rings in the seat cushion. Installation is the reverse of removal. It is best to start with the Leatherseats.com cover inside-out and hog-ring the inserts first. When you get to the edges, fold the cover over the foam. Then, hog-ring the perimeter of the cushion where the factory attachment points are and you're finished!

Picture #14	Picture #15

Rear Seat Backrest (Top):

Removing the cover on the backrest is very easy. First, pop the plastic clips that hold the carpeted back to the seat. Then, slide the back out. Remove the pull handle that folds the seat down by twisting it counter-clockwise. Around the perimeter of the backside of the seat, there are hog-rings that attach the factory cover to the foam (see picture #16). Also, there are two plastic clips that need to be re-used (see picture #17). Snip the hog-rings and then roll the cover off the foam to reveal the insert hog-rings. Snip these hog-rings and the cover should fall off of the foam. Installation is the reverse of removal. Start with the cover inside-out, and hog-ring the inserts first. Then roll the cover over the corners and hog-ring the perimeter in the factory locations. The hole for the knob that you use to fold the seat back will have to be cut. Make sure you cut it no bigger then it has to be (see picture #18 & #19). Re-install the hard back and you're finished!

Picture #16	Picture #17

Picture #18	Picture #19

The final step is to put everything back into the car. Be careful when installing the seats that you don't scrape any plastic or the door panels with the bottom of the seat, as the seat rails are sharp and will damage any plastic or vinyl they come in contact with. After the seats are re-installed, it is a good idea to condition the leather and massage any wrinkles that are in the leather. After sitting in the sun for a few weeks, the leather will begin to shrink and will actually form itself to the foam, creating a wrinkle free install.

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