This is getting to be quite a chore. My 1996 854 has terrible seats, including holes. I would like to get some newer skins. Do the V70 newer than 2000 fit??

This car will never be a 'show car', but hopefully will make nice transportation for someone. I will not spend $300 for new skins. The local P&P yard sells seats for $20, but the pickings are slim to none. The latest V70, 1998, was stripped to the bone in less than 2 days.

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

Klaus,

The local pnp has a 2000 V70 with tan interior. I pulled some parts off of it yesterday and think the skins are intact except for the driver's seat. I'd be glad to send photos. There are also a couple of white 850s. Don't you need a door?

David

Hi Klaus,

It has been my observation that the 2001+ skins would likely NOT fit.

I cannot confirm this 100% but in my friends 2001 V70 the seats at least appear and feel to be a bit wider, not by much though. It could just be an illusion as the interior is different and the leather is showroom soft. As a point of reference, my 07 S60 are of different stitch patterns than my 98 XC, and I would imagine that all P2 chassis vehicles would employ the same skin type (exception would be "R" seats).

You coming up to the Northeast at all? I am sure I don't have to tell you but per capita the Northeast seems to have the highest Volvo ownership....as such, there are a lot of indy shops and pick and pulls. If it wasn't for the 1 ft of fresh snow out I'd scope a few out for you. If I come across something in the next week I will let you know.

A fellow Brick owner and enthusiast in my town has a decent Craigslist business going with used parts, I am hoping to meet up for coffee with him soon....see the recent posting below, I'd maybe ping him as it seems he may have availability of some decent used ones...

http://worcester.craigslist.org/pts/3466982857.html


Best,
Steve

TRY WEGOTUSED.COM USED AUTO PARTS,,SEE WHAT THEY CHARGE

What a nice collection he has!!! I would love to have the R skins, but the C70 front skins should also fit. The problem is that I do not want the seat itself, just the covers, most of these guys want to get rid of the whole seat for a substantial price. It would not be affordable to ship a whole seat.

BTW, my interior is beige, so black is out.

I asked at my local P&P, which charges $20/seat, about just the skins. They told me to take the whole seat, swap what I want, and bring the frame back and put it in their recycle dumpster.

I can wait for the right car to come along, there is no rush. I was just curious about the P2 versions. I guess the later, 2005+ V70 did change the skin sizes, but not quite sure.

I am also waiting for a good white 850 so I can grab the door and trunk lid, plus a few minir items. All of the cars I saw yesterday had the front bumpers off, and I could have used a pair of little wipers :>)

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

I took the skins off mine to install new heater elements, not too much work just finicky to get the hog rings off, I had the leather stiched up and swapped a passenger base skin to the drivers side, well worth the 50$ I was charged to stich them up

Both of my seat bottoms have holes in them. Must have been some really good chille!!! Beyond stiching.

Hog rings are easy, a pair of dykes will cut them off easily and zip ties to hold the skins. Zip ties can almost be color matched, or clear plastic.

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

Hi Klaus

How difficult is it to switch skins, and is there a good tutorial somewhere.
My seats need work here.

Happy new year, Bill

Easiest if the seat is out of the car. Around a 2 hour job for the first one, less the second time around. I just snip off the hog clips and use small zip-ties for putting it back together.

The front seat backs are unique due to the hole for the lumbar adjustment and the airbag, if equipt. Please use the red plastic clip to prevent the side air bag from going off, in case you drop the seat on the detonator.

Before you do anything, try removing one of the lumbar adjuster knobs. Turn counter clockwise (loosen) until it spins freely, then pull out and turn until it comes off. Headrest removal requires 3 hands, 2 to push on the plastic release and one to lift.

Try 'startpage' and see what it comes up with. Google searches better.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

Hi Klaus,

I see there are a couple 850s for parts or Craiglist. Maybe they have decent seats.

Greg

I've had great luck with my car tops guy in Queens -matching and replacing sections. Couple hundred and worth it. How 'bout

Mark's Auto Upholstery & Convertible Tops
1581 Concord St N
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
(651) 455-2533

B & K Auto Interiors & Tops
3030 Granada Avenue N # H
Saint Paul, MN 55128-3547
(651) 748-5107

Presion Auto Upholstery
6318 Lakeland Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55428
(612) 861-4637
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'97 855na, Mobil 1, K&N, various IPD's and eBay's

Saturday was a good day. I went to my almost local P&P and found a complete 1995 854T with beige leather interior. Not new, of course, but in decent shape without holes.

All of the seats including rear and rear side bolsters totaled $70. The right front seat was powered with memory, just like my trashed one, so there is little work.

The driver's seat has stitching coming undone, but I have the bottom from a V70 which fits nicely.

I also picked up 2 rear light lenses, a left front turn signal, clamshell for the steering column, ashtray with lighter (mine blows fuses), bottom of the air cleaner box with air intake (makes possible removal of heated air intake), and a few extra bits.

Like fishing, you never know what you are going to find in a junk yard.

Congratulations for the findings!!!

Amigo

$170 to replace one little side bolster! I can wait for a while to get better leather at the P&P.

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

There must be 40 or so hog clips for the bottom seat skin. No big deal, just a little hard to get the 2 for the rear center back in. Zip ties work great, but now I have to buy another bag.

The top skins are worse! On my 1995, I had to lift the backrest cover to expose the cable, so I could get the seatback to electrically move again. No problem, the only hog clips I had to undo were the 4 on the very bottom.
I just pulled off the S70 top skin, and it had almost as many as the bottom! How can I put it back on? I cannot conceptualize the proceedure of working my way down from the top and blindly putting zip ties where the hog clips were.

BTW, my current driver's seat has a 3-4 inch verticle gash in the center of the large center panel - kind of looks like the Eye of Mordor staring at you. The replacement skin (S70) has a round hole on the side bolster contained within a single verticle panel.

The 850 seats smell of smoke, the S70 don't smell. Found another 5 cents today, for a grand total of over $3. And the heater core hasn't leaked??? The thermostat was replaced 2 days ago - just a little cold when it is 0F.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

There is an outfit that sells new skins for just under $300/seat. The nice thing about that is that you can also order "R" seat skins for the same price.

But, I am on a budget here, and $600 is a bit too high, considering the P&P prices are $20/seat. The last 2000 to come into the yard came without seats, darn it.

I can wait... somewhat.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

Check the auto tops guys. They can pull the seat, pull the skin, you help them match the color, and they redo just the seat bottom, or side panel, or whatever for $120-$150. Call 'em! I can send you pics of mine. They redid the airbag section recently, and seat bottom years ago and all looks factory. I spent no where near $600. I'm tellin' ya!
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'97 855na, Mobil 1, K&N, various IPD's and eBay's

A 1998 S70 managed to get to our P&P, so I ran over and picked them up. The driver's bolster has a hole in it from the seat belt, but that is nothing compared to the 854 seats!

I was going to just take my driver's seat out and replace it with the S70 seat. Unfortunately, the electrics are different. The 850 has 3 plugs and the S70 only has 2.

I am going to bring the skin to the 'top' guys and get and estimate. I appreciate your help.

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

Harrys upullit ,Allentown ,Pa. has at least 3 V70s wagons w great seats.

You guys are great! I did get a good seat bottom from a 98 V70, so now it doesn't look like I lived on Texas chile. The seat back cover from the 98 had a hole in it from the seatbelt, so that is not usable. My passenger seat is power and the unpowered seat back from the 98 would have a monster hole near the bottom for the adjuster knob.

But, PA would only be a 2 day drive from here - one way.


BTW, the V/S70 seats have better seat heaters. They are glued on to the foam and cover the side bolsters on the bottom. If I knew how to get them off with out damage, I would trade them to the 850 seat. The 850 seat only has the center panels heated.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic