I'm almost thru restoring a 15 year old Nissan Xterra, and the driver's seat is pretty worn. It works but doesn't have enough support for my wife, it's her main personal vehicle.

I've done almost everything under the hood, replaced all cooling system lines, soft brake lines, rebuilt calipers, power flushed brake system, rear diff fluid, replaced wearable engine parts (temp sensors, pcv valve, etc.), new serpentine belt, tensioner and idler, thermostat, new OAT type green radiator fluid, tranny flush (hired that out), new strut assemblies and shocks (hired that out), and complete exterior refresh staining and sealing faded brittle plastics, heavy clay bar, polished off oxidation layer, sealed and waxed paint, new Nissan plugs and ignition heads, cleaned fuel system, removed and cleaned and sealed roof rack composite parts, etc. I still need to replace valve seals and valve cover gaskets. Working on old cars is my hobby.

Anyway I'm not capable of rebuilding the upholstery on a car seat. The interior guts of the seat are in excellent working order, being OE Nissan equipment, like all other major assemblies on that vehicle. So my question is, are there upholsterers that specialize in rebuilding car seats with original factory quality cushioning and upholstery contouring etc., to bring it back as good as it rolled out the factory ?

Do auto upholsterers even exist ? There are LOTS of furniture upholsterers, but I think that kind of work doesn't seem nearly as technical as rebuilding a factory car seat.

There are zero Nissan seats avail, and zero exact fit type covers, so I'm sort of stuck. I think the chance of finding an old original in like new condition is probably impossible, since Nissan stopped the Xterra in 2015, and those vehicles are highly desired for back yard mechanics like me and off roaders since they're simple and extremely well made. Personally I've never seen a single Xterra in any parts yard.

Any advice appreciated on how to bring this driver's seat back to its original condition or something close to it.

If I could get that done, then extract and clean the interior, she could drive the hell out of that car for another 100k, including short out of state trips, and enjoy it.

Upholsterers definitely exist.... lots of boats in this area, but are expensive if you're on a budget. Having taken my seat upholstery off to wash them, they are definitely more technical in the way the foam is cut and fabric is secured than furniture.

I am restoring a Toyota pickup and bought a walking foot sewing machine to give it a go DIY style. First, simple stuff like door cards then maybe tackle a seat if I have enough confidence.

Yes. If you can’t locate someone, call a couple of local used car dealers managers and ask who they use. If you have some car fan clubs nearby, ask them too.

You may not need new foam but nowadays these auto/boat upholstery shops can offer Memory Foam as replacements.
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A local auto and marine upholstery service is easy to find around here. Perhaps a half-dozen. One I use have the sources for replacement OEM leather. They specialize in working for the dealers who need to recondition used trades, and option up a few new vehicles.

The hot setup is to purchase OEM replacement foam and covers, and have the shop install them.

Although the driver seat is the only one needing repair, the color differences in the renewed driver’s seat and the rest of the interior may be objectionable.

The internet suggests that seat parts (foam) and covers are readily available.

YEs they do. In my area there are a lot and some are inexpensive but do quality work.

I need a seat for my Excursion and noticed that Amazon actually sells seats. Might be worth a look for your car.

 
Tijuana, tuck and roll.

You could try The Seat Shop. They are located in Allen, TX I believe. I ordered new seat and back covers for my 2005 2500HD from them. I got new foam and seat heaters from GMC Parts Direct.
The seat covers fit beautifully and my wife and I installed them in a couple hours on the kitchen floor with minimal cussing on my part. They were indistinguishable from the factory.

Go to the Katzkins site and they list local installers for their stuff. While I know you aren’t looking for Katzskins stuff any of their installers should be able to do what you want. So it should give you a good local list.
https://katzkin.com/

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
Tijuana, tuck and roll.

You are giving away your age now!!! I have seen a fair amount of their work back in the day.