Leather seat restoration advice?

[MattM]

well, i finally found a set of seats that are worth some time, but Ive never really worked with leather before. So i want to know the best way to restore these. Is a good conditioner all i need to get the lines to go away?

[JBird]

I would like to know the answer too. I think the only way to get the seats to look like they have been "restored" is to actually get them professionally restored.

I have a problem with some seats that I bought...Someone has cut the little piece of leather that goes in between the seat itself and the thigh support. So the two pieces of leather where the seam is, are totally separated.

[siggy]

It's not rocket science, just takes time. td325ic (Todd) has lots of experience with this. If the leather is soft, conditioners won't change things too much. To make them look restored and 9+, you will need to thoroughly clean the surface, then prep for dye (600 grit wet-dry sandpaper, then re-cleaning with a mixture of acetone & isopropal alcohol) and apply by hand. The more time you spend the better things look. I just re-dyed a complete Black interior and also a Gray interior.

I used SEM products for the Black, and www.dynamixdyes.com for the Gray.

[MattM]

yeah, i got some dye to play with today, it helps a lot for now... one day ill take it in and get that bolster spot repaired.



SEM GM black was what i used, seems like a perfect match, i didnt completely dye the seats... only the spots that needed it. And there are no color changes!

I also grabbed some mothers conditioner, so after the recommended 24 hours after dying ill hit them with conditioner.

[nmlss2006]

Uh, no. Very, very no.
Mothers conditioner I would feed to the local sink. Partial dye over seats that were not treated will not last very long and conditioner on top of recent dye is about as bad as it gets.
Use one of the serious conditioners of choice (Colorplus or Leatherique) and their cleaner. Follow the instructions carefully - including soaking times and saranwrap/garbage bag wrapping.
Once that is done, wipe lightly with mineral spirits, then dye (again, Colorplus or Leatherique preferred, there are other brands). I prefer using a spraygun, others use cheesecloth, others use brushes.. whatever floats your boat.
Leave them be at least 48 hours.
At this point, either LIGHTLY!!! pass with saddlesoap or just reinstall. Dye will last several years that way. And no, doing it the right way is not even remotely worth it, unless you value your time at $0.00/hour.

[MattM]

they were treated, i followed the exact prep directions on the can for the dye, which included a cleaning agent i bought as well.
It still looks perfect today. Been daily driven.

I do wish to one day do the leatherique stuff, but i cant afford it atm.

[Ceeker]

The grey showing up on the seats is NOT repairable. Once the suede beneath the black or any color leather shows up, it's done with. You'll need to replace the piece of leather. I had the same problem with my IS and just removed a piece of leather from a recently redone seat. Since my seats were pretty mint it didn't need dying. Before and after shot of the replaced bolster.

On another note: I have pearl beige interior in my vert. I still don't know what bmw was thinking when they made this color. MHO, it wears like shit and looks like shit. I bought complete leather kit. As I am reupholstering my whole interior. If I sell the car, heck I can still remove this and put into another vert.

[CabrioPunk]

To properly redo look into Leatherique products.

Or have Creative Options cut you up some new skins.

[Ceeker]

To properly redo look into Leatherique products.

Or have Creative Options cut you up some new skins.

I went a step further for the same money; got genuine Italian leather from the manufacturer hand picked and had it brought to upholstery shop. Did it in two tone for me. Creative stuff is awesome, I have seen the quality from their pics, But I don't know where they get the leather from. Since my friend has contact in LA he flew down to get some work done and got my order in to his buddy. Just finished the head rest and replaced a few bolsters. Now gonna get started on the seat and back cushions. I used porche leather color code to do mine.

[Tricked 323i]

Creative stuff is awesome, I have seen the quality from their pics, But I don't know where they get the leather from.

Good looking headrest. I have leather suppliers in Cali, NC, Germany, UK and Italy.
OP if you need dyes let me know, I have kits as low as $55 shipped and it does really well.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=86663&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25

Kevin
Black German Napa

OEM German Pearl, looks great when new

Italian leather

[AndrewBird]

Uh, no. Very, very no.
Mothers conditioner I would feed to the local sink. Partial dye over seats that were not treated will not last very long and conditioner on top of recent dye is about as bad as it gets.
Use one of the serious conditioners of choice (Colorplus or Leatherique) and their cleaner. Follow the instructions carefully - including soaking times and saranwrap/garbage bag wrapping.
Once that is done, wipe lightly with mineral spirits, then dye (again, Colorplus or Leatherique preferred, there are other brands). I prefer using a spraygun, others use cheesecloth, others use brushes.. whatever floats your boat.
Leave them be at least 48 hours.
At this point, either LIGHTLY!!! pass with saddlesoap or just reinstall. Dye will last several years that way. And no, doing it the right way is not even remotely worth it, unless you value your time at $0.00/hour.

Most of that is very false information.

First off, let me say I grew up around leather at my parents shoe repair shop. I know leather. Second, always follow the directions that the product comes with.

The worst thing for leather is oil. Regardless of what is advertised to you, leather's number one enemy is oil. It softens the leather, yes, but it does this by breaking it down and reversing the tanning done to the leather in the first place. Heat is it's second enemy. Do not dry leather in a clothes dryer or oven. It will dry it out and make it shrink and crack. This is what happens to leather when sitting it a hot car.

Products like Lexol or Leatherique are great for general upkeep and cleaning. They will not however restore old dry leather to new. If the surface of the leather is worn away, there is nothing you can do to fix it. The finish is gone. You can re-dye to make the color the same again, but you won't get the surface finish back.

For cleaning and prep, use a non-oil based solvent. Acetone is a good one. Mineral spirits is essentially oil, so do not use it. There are also many cleaners made by well know manufacturers such as Lexol or Fiebing's or Lincoln. I don't recommend saddle soap for something like seats. Saddle Soap is made for cleaning leather like what you will find on - you guessed it - saddles. This leather is much thicker and coarser then the leather used for upholstery and will tend to roughen softer leather. Also, NEVER sand the surface of the leather. All this will do is roughen the surface and take away its shine or if using very fine paper, do nothing. Once clean, you can proceed to polishing or dyeing. DO NOT apply leather conditioner at this point. That would negate the whole cleaning process. Things like oil and previously used products are what you are trying to clean off.

If your seats aren't too bad, you can use a polish to bring back a lot of the color. Polishes do contain a bit of dye and will darken light spots. I recommend Meltonian Cream. Stay away from Kiwi and any other brand you find at the grocery store, their stuff sucks. Basically just rub the polish in in a circular motion, let it haze and buff off, much like waxing paint. Cut up cubes of foam rubber work as a great applicator. On something like seats or steering wheels that you rub and touch, you will need some kind of sealer or else the color WILL rub off on your clothes/hands. Fiebing's Resolene or Tan-Kote are both good products. Just follow the directions that come with it.

If you want to re-dye your seats, expect a lot of work. Buy a dye made for leather and not a do-it-all-in-a-can type stuff. I highly recommend Lincoln or Fiebing's products. Apply it in several coats with either foam rubber or a rag until the darkness you want is achieved. I do not recommend a spray gun as you need to rub the dye in a bit. Spraying it on just coats the surface and doesn't allow the dye to penetrate well. This is not how the product was intended to be applied. After dyeing and allowing time to dry, buff off the leather thoroughly with a rag. You will then need to polish and seal as stated before.

[Ceeker]

[quote=NitroRustlerDriver;2370490]Most of that is very false information.

First off, let me say I grew up around leather at my parents shoe repair shop. I know leather. Second, always follow the directions that the product comes with.

The worst thing for leather is oil. Regardless of what is advertised to you, leather's number one enemy is oil. It softens the leather, yes, but it does this by breaking it down and reversing the tanning done to the leather in the first place.

I recently bought new auto leather for my car and was told to oil the inside of the leather to keep it soft and was also told the softness will stay like this ti'll I'm old and gray. lol. then apply conditioners on the outside leather for upkeep.

Are you telling me then oil is bad, period, and should never be applied?

I have witnessed people bringing back leather which has somewhat hardened over the years due to age and exposure to heat using oil and dye. The oil used "fiebing's prime Neatfoot oil compond.

[CabrioPunk]

What is a good sealer?

[Ceeker]

What is a good sealer?

What do you mean? to seal what? the leather? I have not heard of anything in my limited experience. but I don't think you need a sealer, if there is such thing once you dyed it properly. You will need to let it dry thoroughly before applying any quality leather conditioner.

[MattM]

Good looking headrest. I have leather suppliers in Cali, NC, Germany, UK and Italy.
OP if you need dyes let me know, I have kits as low as $55 shipped and it does really well.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=86663&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25

Kevin
Black German Napa

might take you up on some dye in the spring! in the sunlight, the difference in shades is noticable to me.... which wont do :p