Reupholstering with vinyl

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

So yeah, I'm redoing my seats in cardinal red vinyl and the rears have slight wrinkles in the backrest. It's in the low dips in the seat. Would heating the vinyl cause it to shrink a little? I'm hoping the answer is yes, it would be just what I need to get the seats looking perfect and wrinkle free. If so any recommended tips? temp for the heat gun? I'm guessing since it's vinyl low temp.

[Tricked 323i]

So yeah, I'm redoing my seats in cardinal red vinyl and the rears have slight wrinkles in the backrest. It's in the low dips in the seat. Would heating the vinyl cause it to shrink a little? I'm hoping the answer is yes, it would be just what I need to get the seats looking perfect and wrinkle free. If so any recommended tips? temp for the heat gun? I'm guessing since it's vinyl low temp.

It will a little just be careful with the heat. I do not ever use it to get rid of wrinkles. If it is a well fitting kit you should not have to use a heatgun. You can also glue the center sections down.
Kevin

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Haha, not exactly a well fitting kit. Has me pissed off. Any recommendations on glueing it down? Leave in the metal rods? Thanks

[IRON-E]

I would say if everything is already installed, take the seat out of the car and let the heat from the sun do the heating. Make sure you have stretched the material to the limits!

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Actually I only did the rear seat back so far, it's sitting in my house. I'm hoping for a response as to how to go about gluing it down, that'd be less nerve wracking than staring at the seat hoping for the wrinkles to leave. :drink:

[Tricked 323i]

Actually I only did the rear seat back so far, it's sitting in my house. I'm hoping for a response as to how to go about gluing it down, that'd be less nerve wracking than staring at the seat hoping for the wrinkles to leave. :drink:

Get some good 3M spray. You might have some some wrinkling unless the centers were glued down to the foam. Is it one of my kits? I know one of my customers was selling his cardinal kits from Colorado, just curious if it is the same one.
Kevin

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Cool, just to be 100% sure I still use the metal rods? And nah, I got these off some dude on sf craigslist, he was ordering it for a convertible but accidentally got coupe ones. M3 stitching, horizontal lines not vertical, no side piping.

[Tricked 323i]

Cool, just to be 100% sure I still use the metal rods? And nah, I got these off some dude on sf craigslist, he was ordering it for a convertible but accidentally got coupe ones. M3 stitching, horizontal lines not vertical, no side piping.

Yeah still use the metal rods and the attachment points. You will have some wrinkling, look at the micro kit rear and vinyl wrinkles more than that.
Kevin

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

Alright cool thanks a ton. Perfectionist status, I think it's cuz I'm german. That and the fact that I'm part mexican so this stuff should be secod nature haha. Looks like I'm going to Home Depot tomorrow for glue, and some flat black for the window trim inside.

[atle36m3]

+1 on the glue, i have a well fitting kit and i still have a few wrinkles on the top rear. That is one of the hardest parts of the install since it has so many concave curves etc. Def use the metal rods and hog ring them in.

the only place i used a heat gun was to form the vinyl covers for the front seat backs, def have to be careful...

good luck, def post some pics

here are a few pics from mine

i still have a few places to fix on the passenger seat, havent gotten around to pulling it back out.

[Streichholzschächtelchen]

I've never done interior work before so I figured I would start on that piece. Guess I could have learned on the seat bottom. Oh well. I'm getting glue today, when I have everything finished, carpet died, headliner ghetto blacked, an actual shift boot, I'll take pics.:pimp:

[e30nub]

+1 on the glue, i have a well fitting kit and i still have a few wrinkles on the top rear. That is one of the hardest parts of the install since it has so many concave curves etc. Def use the metal rods and hog ring them in.

the only place i used a heat gun was to form the vinyl covers for the front seat backs, def have to be careful...

good luck, def post some pics

here are a few pics from mine

i still have a few places to fix on the passenger seat, havent gotten around to pulling it back out.

What kit is this?

[atle36m3]

leatherseats.com

custom m3 style horizontal stitching in the rear to match the fronts...

[catchuk]

that looks really good!