This installation guide is designed as a guide for fitting an Optimise Automotive rear seat cover kit.

Installing seat covers is very different to installing “nut & bolt” items. There is movement in the materials and as a result, seat covers need to be manipulated, pulled and installed through the fitters touch & feel.

We recommend taking your time, do not rush the process and double check alignment before cutting or glueing anything.

Your Kit - What’s Included:

• 1x replacement seat cushion cover

• 1x replacement seat squab cover

• Trim-clips & fixings

Tools Needed (Recommended):

• Slot screwdriver

• Pin hammer

• Contact spray adhesive (high temperature resistant)

• Hog ring pliers (SPi & MPi rear seats)

• Staple gun and 6mm staples

• Staple remover

Preparation & Pre-Installation:

Our rear seat cover kits fit just like the original covers (near enough), so when you remove the original covers from your seat take a good look at how they are installed.

Remember to keep your original trim-clips, as you will be using them to install your new covers.

Later rear seat squab seat covers (later SPi interiors and a majority of MPi interiors) are attached to the seat frames using plastic J section strips. If your original covers are installed in this method you will need to purchase the additional trim-clip pack, to install your new seat cover.

Removal:

1. Start by removing the squab cover. Before you remove the cover, pay particularly close attention to how the cover fits around the fixing plate (on the lower edge), so you can copy it when installing your new cover. The squab cover is held in place using metal trim-clips, located all around the frame, on all four sides. Turn the seat around (so you can access the back of the frame) and remove the trim clips using a small slot-headed screwdriver.
   Alternatively, if you have an MPi Mini your squab cover will be held in place using J section plastic strips/fixings, to remove them, prize the strips off the frame using a slot head screwdriver.

2. The next step is to remove the squab cover face from the foam. The likelihood is that it will not be glued to the foam, as a majority of original squab covers were not glued, in this instance simply remove the cover from the frame/foam. Alternatively, if you have an older seat, the faces of the cover could be glued to the foam, if your cover is glued to the foam, take care whilst peeling the cover away, not to damage the foam.

3. You can now remove the cushion cover. It is held in place underneath the seat with either staples or glue (depending on the age of your seat). To remove the cover turn the seat upside-down (so you can access the back of the foam) and using a staple remover, remove the staples from the hardboard strips, around all four edges. Alternatively, if you have an older seat, the border of the cover will be glued to the foam, if your cover is glued to the foam, take care whilst peeling the borders away, not to damage the foam.

4. The next step is to remove the cushion cover face from the foam. The likelihood is that it will not be glued to the foam, as a majority of original squab covers were not glued, in this instance simply remove the cover from the frame/foam. If applicable, feeding the plastic piece through the slot in the foam (from underneath) and removing the cover. Alternatively, if you have an older seat, the faces of the cover will be glued to the foam, if your cover is glued to the foam, take care whilst peeling the cover away, not to damage the foam.

5. At this stage, if you have a steamer, you may want to steam your foams. This will puff the foam back up to its original state, creating a better base for your new covers.

Installation:

With the old covers removed, you can install your new seat cover kit and essentially, you are now going to reverse the process of removing your old covers, to install your new covers:

1. Start with the cushion cover. With the border inside-out, the first step is to attach the face of the cover to the foam, the cover aligns around the edge (the piping will line-up around the edge of your foam). If you have the style of foam with the pull through (and you also ordered that style of seat cover design) feed the black plastic piece (the fixing that’s attached to the face of the cover) through the slot in the foam and hook it underneath. Alternately, spray both the face of the foam and the backside of seat cover, wait for the spray glue to go touch dry (tacky) before glueing the items together.
   Please Note It is vitally important that you wait for the spray glue to go touch dry before attempting to stick the covers in place. If you do not wait for the glue to be touch dry the covers will not stick correctly.

2. With the face installed, turn the border of the cover down, so it sits around the foam and turn the seat upside-down (so you can access underneath the foam). Depending on the age of your seat, you will need to either staple or glue the border to the foam. If you have a later seat with the hardboard strips (running around the edge of the seat underneath) pull the border around and staple the cover to the hardboard strips. Alternatively, if you have an older seat, glue the border straight to the foam (just as it was originally). Spray both the underneath of the foam and the backside of seat cover, wait for the spray glue to go touch dry (tacky) before glueing the items together.
   Please Note It is vitally important that you wait for the spray glue to go touch dry before attempting to stick the covers in place. If you do not wait for the glue to be touch dry the covers will not stick correctly.

3. You can now start to install the squab cover, place the seat cover face down on a desk place the seat frame/foam on top, aligning the frame/foam with the cover. Starting along the sides, pull the borders tight and using your original trim-clips (you can push and/or hammer the clips on using a pin hammer), attach the cover to the seat frame. Starting in the middle of each side (on the elbow) and working out (up and down). With the sides secured, repeat the process along the lower edge, cutting and feeding the cover around the frame, as originally fed, around the fixing plates.
   Alternatively, if you have a later style rear seat squab seat covers (later SPi interiors and a majority of MPi interiors) and you have purchased the additional trim-clip pack, starting along the sides, pull the borders tight, then using the hog rings (supplied) and a set of hog ring pliers attach the covers to the seat frame, starting in the middle of each side (on the elbow) and working out (up and down). With the sides secured, repeat the process along the lower edge, cutting and feeding the cover around the frame, as originally fed, around the fixing plates.

4. All that is left to do, is to attach the top of the cover to the frame, under the metal lip, pull the cover tight over the top of the frame and using your original trim-clips (you can push and/or hammer the clips on using a pin hammer), attach the cover to the metal lip (just like the original).
   Alternatively, if you have a later style rear seat squab seat covers (later SPi interiors and a majority of MPi interiors) and you have purchased the additional trim-clip pack, pull the cover tight over the top of the frame and using the trim-clips provided (you can push and/or hammer the clips on using a pin hammer), attach the cover to the metal lip (just like the original).

5. With your new seat covers installed, if you have a steamer, you may want to steam your covers as this will smooth out any imperfections.

Post-Installation:

With your new front seat cover kit now installed, you can reinstall your rear seat to your Mini.