The biggest PITA parts were:

1. Sliding the backrest covers on the front seats. There was much tugging, cursing, and sweating. It took forever to get the things slid down far enough for the velcro to attach.

2. smoothing out the front seats. I wasn't happy once it was on, so I spent a good amount of time massaging vinyl smooth on there. I think that's where most of the soreness came from.

3. The worst: I couldn't figure out what the little spatula-butterknife tool was for. Then I realized that the covers would need to be tucked under the edges of the rear seat fold release controls.

Overall, the rear seat was extremely easy. It just lid right on with no fight. It took me (working by myself, about three hours to get it done. SO well worth it now.

My next project will be to redo my armrest cushions:

[IMG][/IMG]

I have the cover from the flip-down armrest that I'll never use, since the Zeta proved to be FAR more comfortable, and already has a leather cover. So, I'll be using the material from that piece to redo these elbow pads and make them nicer, softer, and a better match.

Anyway....

I can't believe how much more comfortable it is - It redistributes a the pressure when you sit, and gets rid of some of the pressure points that were bothering me. The stock seat padding is a bit thin in places, and the molded "seams" in the foam (like the deep channel between the side bolster section and the center section) were causing me some irritation. I finally found about a week before I ordered the seats that stuffing those grooves with material made a HUGE difference, so I did that before putting on the seat cover.

Also, this stiffness of the vinyl gives me back some of the firmness that was lost over the past year. I can tell a distinct difference in the driver and passenger seats, as the pax seat rarely has anyone in it (usually my only passengers are my kids in the back seat). Sinking down into the seat, esp due to my nasty case of 'got-no-ass-itis", surely is part of the reason. Having my knees elevated so that only my butt (not my thighs) were making contact with the seat probably exacerbated this (adjusting the angle of the seat bottom with shims helped aleviate this.)

So, anyone annoyed with the design of the seat, this is a worthwhile fix. And 270-450 is nothing compared to the loss you'll take on it if you trade it in. I love everything about the car except the seat, and it was annoying me enough that I'd started perusing the certified used listings. With this, I think the car is just the way I want it.

Next mission: pay it off so I can't trade it without going from zero-payment to payment (its easy to deceive yourself into believing that it's not that big a deal to trade when the payment is the same), and see just thow far it will go.

 

OK... A week later a bit more reflection and info:

First off, the color is a close match for the steering wheel, shift-knob, and the Zeta Armrest, but it's not perfect. It's usually not noticable, except in direct sunlight:



Note that a collateral benefit, not expected or anticipated, is that the thickness of the seats is fairly firm against the sides of the Zeta armrest. Wobbling is a frequent complaint about the Zeta armrest, and the seats are tight enough against the sides that it doesn't move. It's not something that's ever concerned me much, but I thought I'd point it out.

You can see the color difference a bit more here:

You can also see my custom door armrests. I made them using the material from the center flip-down armrest cover. Since i have a console, I had no need for the extra piece...

... and made two elbow pads out of it. I'd hoped Zeta or another Fit product developer would create something like this, but since they didn't, I made my own.

Re the installation:
The rear seat latches are a major PITA:

You have to use the little spatula tool to push the edges of the material underneath. On this side, it didn't come out perfect, but close enough for seat covers I suppose.

One other thing to note: I don't know about the rest of you, but my driver's seat foam has started to compress pretty significantly. I used a small terrycloth towel between the seat cover and the top of the cushion on the driver's seat to give it a bit of extra support. I hope it doesn't compress further.

 

You know when you open the latch up, there's a screw that you can get to. That was the easiest piece for me.

 

Looking good! I like the idea of the armrest cushions, the stock configuration feels terrible.

 

1) Yep.

2) Black.

3) PVC.

4) Yes

5) Not sure if the overall weather will do anything, but maybe try warming it up with a hairdryer or heat gun?

 

Occam, any further thoughts now that you're going on a couple of months with the seat covers? I'm *this* close to pulling the trigger on these.

 

Pictures!!!

 

A few questions about the PVC clazzios.

Do they scratch easily? I have a dog.

Do they off gas and stink? If so, for how long? PVC is toxic.

 

I have only had dogs in my car once with the covers. No scratches. They do off-gas, though. After a week or so, it no longer smelled. I did notice a cloudy filmed formed on my windshield, though. It was a real pain to clean it off. I'd recommend setting the seat covers out for a week or so before installing them, if you don't want to deal with those things.

 

I've got a set that I have not installed I'd like to sell. They are custom made in black and gray just like the OEM colors. In the OEM locations. Center is Gray, the rest is black. They have been sitting around for about 6 months now in my basement. PM me if you are interested.

 

thanks for the heads up! i just bought a set.