Seat Cover Questions

[DeePa]

I want to replace my seat cover on my 85 200s. I called up hi flite and for just the cover, they want $81 shipped to my door. I went and checked on ebay and found this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2430404913&sspagename=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores

for $84 shipped to my door, and it included new seat foam. I understand that the Hi-Flite is probably more durable, but it is worth spending 80 bucks on just a cover whereas i could get that cover and foam for $84 or that same cover for just $35 bucks.

My seat foam is complete, and the cover has a few cracks at the corners and maybe a tear or two, but its kinda hard and glossy and slippery now, not soft as before, so I would like to replace it.

Do the seat foams get harder after 20 years of use? Is it worth replacing at the same time as the seat cover?

Please let me know what you think I should do.


Thanks,
Mike

[Billy Golightly]

What normally happens is that in the places where you have tears or cracks, the seat foam gets damaged, and it leaves little pitted areas (Similar to what happens to metal when it rusts). Then when you go to put your new seat cover on it looks like the surface of mars in a few places where the old one was ripped. I just put a new ceet brand cover on my tri-z a couple weeks ago and I've ran into that exact problem. Didn't think the foam was bad but you can notice it when you get close. Your right, the hi-flite will probably be thicker and more durable, and probably seamless also. I noticed when I was doing mine and really tugging on it to get the wrinkles out that I could see some of the seams were really being pulled hard and it might not hold up to a lot of it. Its up to you of course, but if it were up to me I'd go ahead and get the foam also and do it all together at once.