General Leather seat repair

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Is anyone knowledgable on repairing leather seats? Mine has some minor damage as below and I know one can obtain repair 'kits' but I'm concerned about getting the colour right and blending any repair into the overall appearance - and I certainly don't want to risk making things worse!

 

[Baglady1990]

Is anyone knowledgable on repairing leather seats? Mine has some minor damage as below and I know one can obtain repair 'kits' but I'm concerned about getting the colour right and blending any repair into the overall appearance - and I certainly don't want to risk making things worse!

Yeah my drivers side bolster is a little worn! So I feel your pain! Mine is a white/cream too [emoji23] I was going to attempt it myself even bought flexible leather filler but the chances of getting an exact colour match myself is almost impossible!

When we are back to some sort of normal I’ll be asking the place where I go for dent & paint issues

They are going to re condition my alloys and I’m pretty sure they do interior reconditioning.... that is something I’ll be happy to pay for as if I get it wrong I’ll be very VERY upset [emoji22]

I have watched loads of videos on YouTube they fill the creases and re spray the leather .... it looks really easy ..... but I bet it is for a professional not me!

 

[typecastboy]

I’ve got the red leather in my convertible. I bought some red repair balm. It sort of works but there was no issue with the colour even though it looks bright red in the tin.

 

[jimboy]

You can buy leather dye repair kits that work well although as said red may be a bit harder to match. You can see videos online to get an idea how it works. In some cases they actually rub down areas with sand paper then paint on the dye, after it dries it's buffed/polished. On the black seats you really can't see the repair, the red may be more difficult as said earlier. Best of luck.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Thanks all. When I can get out I'll visit a couple of upholstery places and talk to them. An on-line quote suggests it won't be cheap however.

 

[Farrah]

Hi,

There was a great company called Gliptone that specialised in leather restoration especially on old classic cars. I remember they supplied a whole Rolls Royce treatment kit to us years ago referred to generally as re-connollising as Connolly Leather in the UK were huge processors of leather for the auto industry worldwide and even supplied Ferrari. It was quite cheap really for the materials less than £50........labour well that was expensive and does need someone who knows what they are doing. Small areas can be applied with a small foam pad and large areas better sprayed......I watched it being done


Gliptone has now been bought out by Furniture Clinic ....google...''furniture clinic leather repair kit''.

They are very helpful even over the telephone and will colour match the leather but you have to find a small waste piece from somewhere underneath that you send to them.


Farrah

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Thanks Farrah;

I appreciate that. I'm still not too keen on the idea of doing it myself but I've made contact with a local firm who also ask for a sample of the leather so they can supply the right shade. Unfortunately, looking under the seats as far as I can with a mirror, all the edges seem to be beautifully trimmed and finished and getting even a small piece looks out of the question.


I'll get out to visit places as soon as I can but in the meantime I've found a place that will tailor a set of seat covers so I'll look into that further.

 

[Gina500]

Why don't you take out the passenger seat cushion as a sample ? That's easily done and not too heavy to ship locally...

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

It's not desperately urgent so I'll wait till I can just take the car to a couple of places and get a feel for what's possible and affordable. One quoted, based on my photos, $295 (divide that roughly in half for £) which is pretty steep.

 

[Farrah]

Thanks Farrah;

I appreciate that. I'm still not too keen on the idea of doing it myself but I've made contact with a local firm who also ask for a sample of the leather so they can supply the right shade. Unfortunately, looking under the seats as far as I can with a mirror, all the edges seem to be beautifully trimmed and finished and getting even a small piece looks out of the question.


I'll get out to visit places as soon as I can but in the meantime I've found a place that will tailor a set of seat covers so I'll look into that further.

Hi,

Did not realise you were in Australia.


You can try removing the rear seat squab and look underneath for spare bits.

It is not just the colour that is important but you have to get the matt/satin/gloss facture right too. Then you have to deal with possible fading which can be an issue getting an unexposed piece. I know companies have scanners now to match colours. Never found these any good at the home paint shops though when I looked for some touch in for the kitchen doors. Got closer mixing it up myself.


The kits supplied here in UK usually come with the extras to slightly lighten or darken the shade and with a gloss enhancer you add to get the right finish.

We found on the Rolls to leave the solution in its delivered state as very matt then use the oils/creams to keep leather supple.

20 years on and still looks good

Farrah

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

We found on the Rolls to leave the solution in its delivered state as very matt then use the oils/creams to keep leather supple.

20 years on and still looks good

Farrah

Farrah;

Now, that's a beautiful interior! I would gladly dump all the modern hi-tech gadgetry (yes, even phone connectivity!) to call that home.

I had thought about pulling out the back seat squab but I'll leave that now until I've gotten a bit more information and the upholstery people have had a look at the seats. I don't want them restored to as-new, I like the lived-in look the leather seats acquire after a few years.

Having said that, my passenger seat is mint and uncreased because it's rarely been used, so the two seats are a bit mismatched already.- it's a shame you can't simply swap them over to even out the wear...

 

[Farrah]

Farrah;

I had thought about pulling out the back seat squab but I'll leave that now until I've gotten a bit more information and the upholstery people have had a look at the seats. I don't want them restored to as-new, I like the lived-in look the leather seats acquire after a few years.

..

Hi Piccolo,

Yes it is nice to have that bit of 'patina' but sometimes only one way to fix the leather when it has gone too far as on our other Italian little gem.

Farrah

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Hi Piccolo,

Yes it is nice to have that bit of 'patina' but sometimes only one way to fix the leather when it has gone too far as on our other Italian little gem.

Farrah

Nice job.