I was interested in getting some front seat covers for my MCS (the interior is leather and it kinda makes me nervous ... I've never owned such an expensively interiored car before). The dealer mentioned Wet Okole ... any other recommendations? I'd like some kind of cover that doesn't make me sweat like a pig when I sit in it for more than a few minutes, which is what the leather does (unfortunately).

MINIangelD

 

>>I was interested in getting some front seat covers for my MCS (the interior is leather and it kinda makes me nervous ... I've never owned such an expensively interiored car before). The dealer mentioned Wet Okole ... any other recommendations? I'd like some kind of cover that doesn't make me sweat like a pig when I sit in it for more than a few minutes, which is what the leather does (unfortunately). :smile:

Good luck!

 

i went with the wet okole's cause i know they're high quality stuff from my '94 p/u. in fact those same seat covers are still going strong despite only anti-uv-spraying it only once about 3 years later and washing it once all these years. and i never put on my sun shield, although i do have legal side tinting. i swear by wet okole's quality.

the pair i got for my MC was custom though cause of the cutouts for the side airbags. plus i got some cool green "piping" that makes the seats look sharp. quite expensive though, about $260 for the front pair. but ultimately, i think they're worth it, especially since i plan to eventually use my MC for the beach once my p/u breaks down. the neoprene is perfect for this. i still sweat in my back though, but then again i believe i would with any material behind my back on a hot summer afternoon.

i know the company that makes quilted seat covers, i think hawaiian seat covers, makes custom ones for the MC also. i think they use velcro flaps on the sides so as not to interfere with the side air bags. not sure how much though. but probably cheaper than wet okole's.

 

Definitely the Wet Okole or Hawaiian Seat Covers...of course, found locally here in Hawaii
They do some nice custom work and provide for the seat airbags.
But if you want to keep things MINI, you can order seat covers from your local MINI parts dept. It's in the MINI Accessories brochure.

Good Luck!

 

MINIangelD-
Welcome to MCO!
You live in MINIlani- the best place on the island for MINIs! What color are you?

>>I was interested in getting some front seat covers for my MCS (the interior is leather and it kinda makes me nervous ... I've never owned such an expensively interiored car before). The dealer mentioned Wet Okole ... any other recommendations? I'd like some kind of cover that doesn't make me sweat like a pig when I sit in it for more than a few minutes, which is what the leather does (unfortunately).

 

>>I too was very nervous about ruining the leather seats so I purchased just one car seat cushion that doesn't cover the whole seat. I'm normally alone in my MCS so I went with a cover that's easily removable and washable. Go to your local Kragens or Pep Boys for a cheap alternative to your dealer's recommendation. :smile:

Pooky13-
Sorry, we are deprived in Hawaii. My local telephone book says that Kragens doesn't exist and
Manny, Moe and Jack don't live on this side of the pacific ocean.

 

On my MCS I have "spacecloth" but I still got the WET OKOLE seat covers (front and back seat) because I didn't want the scuffing on the back of the seat (from daughter kicking back of front seats) which has the plastic area. WET OKOLE has a store here in Costa Mesa, CA. The fronts and backs together were $510 but they do such a good job I think it's worth it (check out their website). BTW, they do take into account the presence of side-airbags. You can't beat the fit and finish of WET OKOLE - no lose material, just a clean application that is custom made for the MINI's seat.

I am not sure about the leather on MINIs, however, all of my BMWs had leather. I always would treat them with interior cleaner and leather conditioner from Griot's Garage and had no real problems. On my 2001 M3 I had grey leather and I did notice that the piping (edge of seat) was starting to wear through but it was nothing major.

 

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses, it sure helps. :smile:

I was leaning towards Wet Okole anyway, and I'm glad to hear that they make such a good product. I was wondering though, how easy are the custom-made seat covers to remove, in order to maintain the leather? I know the leather will need to be oiled or something periodically, right?

I also noticed, when I am wearing jeans, that the rivets or pocket corners will often catch on the seat edge when I am getting in the car ... I know that will leave a mark after a while. Better to scuff up a seat cover than the leather, I think.

And in response to a previous question, my MCS is electric blue with bonnet stripes, and a black top. I got the premium options package, the sports options package, and the HK speakers, in addition to the black leather interior. I hadn't planned on getting such a loaded car, but I got weak when reviewing my choices at the dealership. : wink : I don't regret it (now).

Happy 4th of July!

MINIangelD

 

I've seen somewhere online the neoprene seat covers on a MINI and they had the MINI emblem silkscreened in the center. Does anyone know if that was Wet Okole's? If so, was that additional cost?

 

MINIangelD,

Yep, jeans are what scuffed the piping edge on my Bimmer's leather seats too.

Sullivan'sDaddy,

Yes, you can get the silkscreened MINI emblem on the WET OKOLE covers. I don't remember seeing this on their website but when I went in to order my covers, they also had the Cooper S emblem available for silkscreening. BTW, the silkscreened ink is somewhat of a felt-type ink (at least it feels like it). I did not get the silkscreening because I ended up getting the black hibiscus pattern in the middle and the silkscreening would have been hidden. My covers arrive on Monday/Tuesday so if I get a chance before we ship our cars (moving from Cali to Hawaii) on Wednesday, I will post photos under this thread.

 

Oooh, I forgot....Welcome to the MINI Ohana, MINIangelD and VERY NICE MCS

>>...I know the leather will need to be oiled or something periodically, right?
>>

Correct, you would need to use a cleaner and then a conditioner.

>>I also noticed, when I am wearing jeans, that the rivets or pocket corners will often catch on the seat edge when I am getting in the car ... I know that will leave a mark after a while. Better to scuff up a seat cover than the leather, I think.

It will, if you want to do something temporary while you wait for your seat covers, you can always put a towel on the seat. But like DaKINE said the plastic on the backs EASILY get scuffed up.

 

Not my car but images of WET OKOLES on MINIs from WET OKOLES website :

 

great...just great ....more bookoo bucks outta my wallet.
Looks like I'll have to run by Wet Okole's store.
Thanks for the pics DaKineMINI

 

>>I was leaning towards Wet Okole anyway, and I'm glad to hear that they make such a good product. I was wondering though, how easy are the custom-made seat covers to remove, in order to maintain the leather? I know the leather will need to be oiled or something periodically, right?

More like greased if you wear metal studs alot. If you have covers you might tend not to clean and condition your leather as much. Out of sight, out of mind. Plus for $500+, I don't know if the hole in my wallet is large enough for $500 to fall out. Or more likely I don't think there is $500 left in my wallet for such great looking fun.

>>I also noticed, when I am wearing jeans, that the rivets or pocket corners will often catch on the seat edge when I am getting in the car ... I know that will leave a mark after a while. Better to scuff up a seat cover than the leather, I think.

That's why it is always better to go Motorin with as little clothing as possible. Hmm. I seem to still get sweaty!

>>And in response to a previous question, my MCS is electric blue with bonnet stripes, and a black top. I got the premium options package, the sports options package, and the HK speakers, in addition to the black leather interior. I hadn't planned on getting such a loaded car, but I got weak when reviewing my choices at the dealership. : wink : I don't regret it (now).

Yes this happens. The dealer uses MIND control when you are showing minor signs of weakness. That's why you should always wear dark eyeglasses and wear one of those tin foil hats like those seen in "SIGNS". This protects your soft brain against unneeded thought probing. And you thought I didn't know about such things.


>>Happy 4th of July!
By the way it was the day the aliens attacked the earth. Seen the movie Independence Day! See it again.
>>
>>MINIangelD

 

Haha! MINIangelD

 

MINIangelD,

If you are still in the market for WET OKOLEs, I saw this ad posted on Roadfly :

http://www.roadfly.org/mini/classifi...w.php?view=101

Sounds like they are still brand new.

 

Thanks! I e-mailed the guy. I'll let you know how it goes.

MINIangelD :smile:

 

MINIangelD,

Are you getting the covers from the Roadfly ad guy?

Not sure how the Wet Okole store in Hawaii is but I wanted to let you know that the guys in Costa Mesa. CA (their other store front) are a joke! I first thought about ordering through the internet but the Costa Mesa guys came back to me and said if I came-in they could have the covers done in five days and install it for me. I ordered them as I posted here in the past and was expecting them a few weeks ago. They never got back to me so I contacted them and the girl who answered (who also took my order when I went in) tells me it takes 3 to 4 weeks for covers to be made. I told her what she told me and refreshed her memory and she said she would get a status and get back to me. I waited a few days but no call, so I call back again. This time a guy tells me the "truth" and says my order fell through the system and started the day before I called but would be ready on Saturday by noon. I double-confirm that it will be ready. On Saturday I go to pick-up and they give me the 3 to 4 week speech again! :smile:

 

DaKineMINI,

I decided to not get the seat covers. They look like they are pretty nice, with a cool MINI logo on them, but they are dark gray, and I decided I want something in blue. So feel free to contact the seller. I just sent him an e-mail today saying I would not be buying the covers.

Thanks for the referral, though. :smile:

MINIangelD

 

>>I've seen somewhere online the neoprene seat covers on a MINI and they had the MINI emblem silkscreened in the center. Does anyone know if that was Wet Okole's? If so, was that additional cost?

If they were mine that you are referring to then yes they are Wet Okole. The MINI logo was around $40 extra and you can opt for many different color combinations. I love them and many people don't even realize they are seat covers at first.

[img]albums/album04/cyz.sized.jpg[/img]

 

Ya, that's the ticket. Thanks minitothemax.
:smile:

 

MINIangelD,

How are those seatcovers working out. Hope you don't mind but I also ordered similar seatcovers to yours. I got the black hibiscus. These are the same type as the ones I originally ordered from Wet Okole in Costa Mesa a few months ago.

I think I ordered my covers the day after you had yours installed. Funny thing is, the guy tells me ALL of their covers are now made in Costa Mesa, so I'll probably get the ones I originally ordered (and they messed up on). :???:

Did you get the back seats also? I did, as I found my daughter's sneakers track the red dirt all over the place (when she sits "criss-cross applesauce style&quot. In fact the reason I need the seat covers is she keeps kicking the seat in front of her....arrgh!

 

DaKineMINI,

The seat covers look great. They were installed last Tuesday (a week ago today). The neoprene smell is still overwhelming when I get in the car, though (I'm very sensitive to smells ... well, lots of other things too :smile: ). I'm afraid to leave the windows down for several hours to air it out (even though I live in a safe neighborhood, since the car attracts a lot of attention) so the only time it gets aired out is when I'm driving. I also usually leave the sunroof tilted up during the day, but that's not a lot of ventilation.

I'm glad the seats are protected now, but the neoprene is even more heat retentive than the leather, which I had not thought possible. I very much like the idea, though, that water won't soak through (within reason) so I'm willing to put up with it. I should be moving back to the mainland next year so hopefully that heat retention will be nice in the wintertime.

I didn't ask where the covers were made, I just assumed they were made here. I guess sending the order off to Costa Mesa is why it takes so long to get them made.

I did get the backseat covers as well. I will rarely, if ever, carry passengers back there, but I wanted the "look". The seat covers really do look sharp!

Why would I mind if you ordered similar seat covers? Great MINI minds think alike! It would have been nice if they had a larger variety of patterns to choose from (I LOVE plumeria, for example) but no big deal.

Here's hoping that now that you are in paradise, your order will go smoothly.

MINIangelD

 

hey miniangeld...you going back to the mainland? will you be back? how about the next aloha 500 or driving school class? if you won't be back, at least you got some good quality cruising time here with your mini.

btw, for those with wet okoles...i highly, highly recommend you purchase either the uv protectant stuff that wet okole sells or get 303 protectant from daiei or walmart or whereevers. that stuff is killer. i never sprayed my covers in my beach p/u for the first 2-3 years. when i finally noticed it was fading, i sprayed on 303 and the fading has just stopped ever since. and that's just with a one-time spraying. now i admit i got tinted windows, but the dash windows is not tinted, and i never put the sun shield on, even at the beach.

in fact, the 303 is great for all the black plastic trim and rubber to battle the sun fade effect.

 

kbseto,

I don't know when I will be transferring. Currently it is scheduled for next September, but there is a slight possibility it could happen sooner. And I have had some nice cruising here. :smile:

Thanks for the UV advice. I do use windshield covers whenever the car is parked, and the other windows are tinted, but I had planned on buying some protectant anyway. The Wet Okole guys said (I think) that it would prevent fading and also keep the neoprene in good condition.

MINIangelD