I have a Gilson/Wards 525 that I need a seat cover for. I have the wood and foam, just need a cover. I can staple it on...I checked with Manchester1 but she only makes complete seats, not covers. I only need a cover.
I asked, she said $100 for the seat. She doesn't make only the cover. To me, $100, is a lot more than $28 for a cover.
My seat isn't going to be an exact replica of a Gilson seat. It is a simple seat, 16" long, 8 1/2" across the back and 7 1/2" across the front. I'm confident the $45 seat cover will be fine.
Reading this thread, it looks like the requirement changed. So here's the quotes to clarify the decision making process and the final requirement for those who think it was simply that Manchester charges too much.
Manchester did my last few seats. (well over ten, though I had one Cat seat done locally and it was $119 by a well known local high end boat upholsterer)
On my last seat, I bought the material, one yard, and sent it and the seat pan to Manchester, as it was a custom job. Just the material was $38.95, plus $15 for shipping. Considerations of the material are weight per sq yard, abrasion rating, colorfastness, backing material, and many other factors and these are industry standards.
For $45, are you getting the same quality of material that Manchester provides in a custom seat? She sells "designed to fit," specific or custom applications for twice the amount you're paying, and at slightly more than the generic E-Bay seats are going for. Ok, you saved $50.
How will you evaluate your seat cover? Shine a UV lamp of "x" lumens on it until it fades? "Double rub" the fabric together to see if it exceeds 1000 rubs? Those are industry standard tests and quality benchmarks above and beyond the quality of the stitching, and the type of thread used, and I wont even mention flame testing!
I'm sticking with Manchester, despite having a fellow car club member nearby who owns a car upholstery shop, despite the several high end boat upholstery shops, despite the shipping. Why? Because Manchester understands what a mini bike seat is. Because a $50 difference in price is just not worth the reduction in quality on a mini bike I spent a few thousand dollars and a few hundred hours on. Call me a sucker, but with my fixed income, I refuse to sacrifice quality to save a few bucks on the most used part of a mini bike.
