In February 2014 we bought our new (Now Old) car and it came with seat covers that I am not allowed to remove by order of Mayang. So under these covers are car seats that as far as I know have never been sat upon or seen the light of day. I myself have never cast my eyes upon the untouched seats, but I’ll wager they are something to behold, a thing of beauty and oh so comfortable to sit on. I can only guess!
In my life as a sailor it never made sense to me to purchase new cars as once a year I’d have to put them in stowage while my ship went to sea for 6 to 9 months, and I could watch them depreciate faster than normal without the joy of driving them.
I broke the rule and in 1978 I purchased a brandy spanking new Lincoln Town Car. Why a Town Car you might ask? Because I could, would be my only answer, and I always thought it was one of Detroit’s most beautiful cars and even though the Corvette was cheaper, every unmarried sailor had a Corvette, Camano RT or a Pontiac Fire Bird. And Paul always marched to a different drummer!
Back to the subject, the Lincoln came with a leather interior not Corinthian leather, but leather just the same. My good friend was married to a Pinay and the first thing she suggested were seat covers! My first indication that it might be a Filipino thing, I said nothing, but was thinking, why should I sit on plastic seat covers like my grandmother had on her couch, and never enjoy the feel of leather while I was tooling around Florida. Besides for $ 50.00 a year you could bring the car in for detailing and they would saddle soap the seats until they looked and felt new again.
Let the second owner buy seat covers!
Next because the car was too large for the roads of Puerto Rico I sent it to my parent’s winter house in Clearwater Florida, for them to own instead of driving down from New England every year. My mother loved the car, and almost divorced my father when for reasons no one could understand he traded it in on a Ford Escort. My mother flew back to New England because she was so mad. My fault I guess.
Now I went back to second hand cars again, until Mayang asked me if we could buy a new car. All her friends had new cars with new seat covers. And those Jones were winning!
So now in October 2016, 20 months later, Mayang took the car in to have a light bulb changed. (Really only one light bulb after 20 months of driving the car) The accessory guy shows her new seat covers from Germany custom fit to her car and once more made of fine leather. And for only ₱ 7,000.00 installed, leather for ₱ 7,000.00 are we talking P leather of the skin of that endangered animal the Nauga. Nauga-Hide for ₱ 7,000.00 I might believe.
So I said to Mayang, what you are saying is: we are going to remove those cloth seat covers and expose the brand new seats underneath, cover them again with new leather or P leather seat covers and then cover them with the cloth seat covers that originally came with the car? Is that what you’re telling me? No definitive answer!
But remember I very seldom interfere with her and any ideas she comes up with. So I’ll let you know what she decided about her new seat covers using her “Philippine Car Seat Logic” Because if that makes her happy, then it stands to reason it would make me happy too! The results are in; we are doing it her way, (Hell you knew that!) with the exception that the cloth seat covers will not be used again. Guys, take your wins where you can! (LOL)
We just bought a new dining table with upholstered seats. Oh we can cover those I am told.
John J.
When they bubble wrap the couch, it’s time to put your foot down. But the Dining room seats, I’m surprised they didn’t try to sell the seat covers at the store? (LOL)
As I read this I looked up at our four year old fridge with the stickers still on it from the store and can fully understand your situation.
Kuya Jim;
Buy a car, it comes with a conduction stickers on the car, the stickers are to be removed when you receive the official license tag. Without telling my wife I removed those minutes after putting on the new tag. According to my wife I violated the prime RP directive. Look at all the worn out cars that still have them on the car. Or the 20 old registration stickers blocking the windshield (British windscreen) And never remove the tag off the mattress!
Hi Paul
The car seat cover topic came up recently. We bought a Ford Ranger one year ago and my wife asked what colour (USA color LOL) covers I wanted. I questioned why we needed covers and the response was that food will drop on the seats and get them dirty. My response was “don’t eat in the car then”. As we know by the article a few weeks ago, Filipinos can’t go anywhere without eating!
I won the argument though and, to date, we are using the car seats without covers.
Cheers
AJ UK
AJ/UK
I was still smoking when we bought the car in 2014, I made the deal that there would be no smoking in the car as long as no food was consumed in the car. But I lost the seat cover debate, but I’m so proud of you!!! (LOL)
Been there, done that, maybe when my car gets old enough my backside can touch an actual seat……maybe.
Tony;
If you wanted to protect your seats and relied on the Dealership seat covers, they would have fallen apart in the first month. But if you don’t want them, they last forever. Murphy’s Law will never fail!!! (lol)
Mr. Paul T. Another super Monday morning chuckle (reading from Southeastern New England, about 66 miles away from South Boston.) I love the bantering between your British “windscreen” and Mr. AJ/UK’s “USA color”. Thank you.
Jose;
The only thing dividing the United Kingdom and the United States is our common language. (LOL)
Hi Paul,
I am writing this comment sitting on plastic seat covers on our dining room table chair. My computer is resting on a plastic cover on the table. As the greatest US President of our time William Jefferson Clinton has been quoted or mis-quoted to say, “I feel your pain.”
Please don’t overreact to my Clinton reference. I am simply rattling your cage. I actually would rank Ronald Reagan above Bill Clinton in a ranking of US Presidents in my life time.
I am with you on the seat cover issue, but like you it is not a hill I would die on and so everything is covered in plastic. I enjoyed reading your article as usual it was well done!
Peace
Jay
Not only the dining room chairs. The lampshades also. It almost caused a rift in the family when I took the plastic off the TV!
Mark;
The plastic muffles the sound and blurs the big screen, while your butt is stuck to the plastic seat on the couch!
Hi Paul and Mark,
After reading this article and writing my comment my mind drifted to the movie Goodfellas where Joe Pesci’s character was being taken through the Don’s mansion to become a “made man”. At the end of the scene he notices that he is no longer walking on carpet but is now walking on plastic. He does not finish his last line, “What the fu….” when the bullet goes through the back of his head.
Peace
Jay
Jay;
I liked Billy Bob Clinton; he had a great economy going for America during his presidency. Plus after Black Hawk down he walked away from the UN in Somali. It’s his wife I’m not very fond of!
But I know what you’re talking about with those seat covers, especially here in the RP on a warm day. Not very comfortable (LOL) But if my wife really wanted them, I’d say nothing, but I’d carry a large cotton towel to cover those plastic seat covers with. We can learn to live with it because we love our ladies!
Hi Paul,
As I said earlier plastic covering is not something I would want to die over or standing on. My wife puts up with a lot worse from me than I from her. I agree with what you wrote, “We can learn to live with it because we love our ladies!” the amazing thing for me is that my lady loves me, too…warts and all!
Merry Christmas! We are at the end of the second of the Christmas month’s which end in “ber”
Peace
Jay
Jay;
Christmas at our house starts the day after All Saints Day, I never asked why I just take it and save two months. But the stores started in September! (LOL
Jay;
I would rethink entering any room with that much plastic on the floor.
Curious Paul, which Linc,Merc dealer in San Diego got your business, as I may have sold you that car!
Stephen;
I bought my Town Car in Coco Florida and then was transferred to San Diego. A Wonderful cross country drive as I let the Navy pay for a free vacation as I travelled on I-10.
Funny story: I had a full custom Chevy Van, it was decked out with everything. I stopped in and the salesman that caught the up, missed a sale because he under estimated the customer. I pointed to the Cream colored Lincoln in the window and said; “I like that” he showed me a Cougar, then three more Merc’s. I told him I had to use the men’s room. I went to the sales manager and asked if there was a salesman who would sell me the damn Town Car?
The manager sold me the car, great trade on the Van (They were hot then) Let me call the bank and check your finances. I handed him a NFCU card and said call them, he talked to the NFCU for ten minutes and NFCU told him I was approved give me the car. I had twice the amount in savings then the car cost.