Katzkin leather kits?

ahjjones · **Joined:** Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 38

Anyone have any experience with them? The cloth seats in my Liberty have had it and I'm sick of getting them cleaned all the time. Also, if you've installed them how hard was it? I can't seem to find any installers in Virginia so if anyone knows of a place please let me know. I'm looking to get this done ASAP! I can't deal with the cloth much longer!!! :banghead:

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:35 am

I do.

ahjjones · **Joined:** Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 38

JL Rockies wrote:

I do.

Okay.... could you tell me about it?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:50 pm

What would you like to know?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:51 pm

I also know about Roadwire leather kits.... and seat heater kits..... heck I know lots of stuff.... I'm kind of a big deal.

STINGN · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:06 pm

i would also like to know. these look nice

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 6:46 pm

Yes... it's hard to install but not if you know what you're doing.... I don't live in VA what did google say?

linewarbr · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:28 am

Hmmm. This must have been when he decided to have an awkward moment, just to see how it feels. Cool points lost.

Seriously, ahjjones, JL has installed a Katskin kit in his Sport, and he's the only one I can think of on this board off the top of my head. He may not have realized you were relatively new to the site and posted the way he did. Try PM'ing him and I imagine he will be more helpful than you have so far experienced.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:08 am

I sell lots of both Katzkin and Roadwire kits daily; most new car dealers sell one or the other. Me lose cool points? Has the sun begun to rise in the west or something? seriously...

keyboard commando needs a hug again.

Peep the offroad sexuality:

STINGN · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:09 pm

how much do those run? no information on the site.

ahjjones · **Joined:** Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:26 pm **Posts:** 38

STINGN wrote:

how much do those run? no information on the site.

About 800-1k depending on options.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:02 pm

STINGN wrote:

how much do those run? no information on the site.

It depends on market. Here in the valley, the going rate anywhere you go is:

$1495 two rows installed for single color standard leather
There's an upgrade leather called "Tuscanny" which adds $400. The standard leather has a 3 yr warranty and the upgrade 1 yr due to the much softer material.

Seat heaters are $500 per row installed if done at the time of install or $600 added to whatever.

I have a few options installed that add more $ like perf inserts, double stiching, 2nd color and embroidery. I didn't pay for the kit because the KJ was initially being built as a demo vehicle for JL Audio (hence the corporate slogan "Ahead of the Curve") nor did I have to pay for the audio or video equipment installed by yours truly.

STINGN · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:14 pm

off topic on the audio...where is your amp for the speakers mounted?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:36 pm

I have a 500/5 mounted under the rear seat where the stock jack mounts. The 500/5 was discontinued because consumers just didn't "get it".

There were plans to put the new (at the time) HD series amps in the tailgate and add the new (at the time) marine tower speakers to the rack facing backwards and add a tube frame to the trunk to mount a flat panel TV to it and an Xbox. The vision was to have a vehicle for dealer events that consumers could rock out with guitar hero which was huge at the time.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:19 am

Any experience with upholstery work before?

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:30 am

I have some on jetski and bike seats. But that is about it and i can't believe i have been edited my comments were ment to go right along with this post. But i guess it was required to keep this post clean.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:07 am

Well, you'll need hog rings and a hog ring pliers to do the job.

You'll have to remove all the seats cut off the old covers and put on the new. The hard part is shaping and straightening; guys who do this for a living have forearms like Popeye. The other hard part on vehicles are the headrests... with the KJ you only have to worry about two. They are hard because it's very tight and you don't have any leverage. Professional shops have something called a "headrest shrinker" which is a machine that they drop the headrest post into and when they step on the pedal, a vacuum pump sucks the air out of the foam and "shrinks" the headrest. It makes the new cover real easy to slip on. Without this machine you'll find those two headrest will take longer to cover than the whole back seat. Guys who do it without this without the machine have serious kung fu grips.

Once the covers are on and straight secure the kit to the frame with the hog rings and pliers and bolt the seats back in.

This is an over-simplification but it's how it works. With no experience, it will probably take 1 1/2 days and there's a greater chance of damaging the kit during installation.... damage not covered by the warranty so keep that in mind before you determine the shop wants too much $ to put it in.

jnaut · **Posted:** Fri Aug 27, 2010 7:45 pm

Leather is your friend. :BANANA:

Xodius · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:43 pm

Those look really nice but Holy hell they are pricey. Maybe that is just me that thinks that though.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:57 pm

Xodius wrote:

Those look really nice but Holy hell they are pricey. Maybe that is just me that thinks that though.

New car dealers sell lots of these because in many cases, factory leather is only available with the most expensive packages. Some consumers want leather but don't care about factory nav, premium sound, etc which could add $4k or more to the pricetag. Katxkin and Road Wire aloow the dealer to save the customer $ while increasing their margins at the same time... everyone wins.

Katzkin leather kits?

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