Touching up those seat bolsters/steering wheels
 

Even with gentle use, it seems like that driver's side bolster jumps out and rubs against anything that you're wearing. It can look like hell quickly, particularly if you're a frequent wearer of jean jackets (not that I am).
I carefully tried a few restoration methods, using very light amounts of spray enamel :nono: which is a 'point of no return' if you mess up....then a more forgiving touch-up using craft acrylic, which generally has a more matte finish than desired, and doesn't seem permanent enough. I put my attempts on hold - at least on the GT.
One day I came across an 8oz. jar of latex enamel that was almost an exact match for my beige interior in my Explorer. The leather steering wheel cover looked like hell - a combination of dirty, oily hands, general wear & tear, and UV at the top of the steering wheel. For those of you with beige or light interiors, you know what I mean.
Anyway, what a perfect guinea pig application to see how latex enamel would hold up on leather....heavily used & abused leather.
After thoroughly cleaning the wheel cover with simple green then alcohol, I applied the latex with a sponge, a coat at a time. After the third coat, it looked great. Like new.
OK, how would this hold up?
So far, after 6 months of my grubby paws on this wheel, the latex coating looks like new. I'm told that any enamel is not very flexible. But this is holding up very well.
So if figured let's try this on my driver's side bolster on my precious Porsche.
The most critical thing is getting the color and finish exactly right....particularly if you're not doing a whole panel, & trying to some blending like I was.
I lifted up the pass. side back seat base, and found a nice amount of excess leather (past the staples). I was able to cut out a 3/4 square swatch that wouldn't in anyway effect the attachment of the upholstery & wouldn't be visible unless you peeled up the seat base. Something to keep along with your important documents, by the way.
I confirmed that it's color matched the good panels of my driver's seat, and I headed to Duron on a hunch that they could use their computer to match my swatch.
I got perfect results as far as a color match. The guy put a tiny dab of the mixed paint on my swatch, dried it and I couldn't tell where he'd put it. What's better, is that Duron has a superior quality latex acrylic that has excellent adhesion to glossy - even oily surfaces, and is extremely durable & somewhat flexible.
After gently cleaning the bolster, I used a moist paper towel, and rubbed a very small amount onto the bolster. If it looked really bad, I could get right on it with a damp sponge and get 80% of it off. No harm, no foul.
It looked good. A little lighter than the rest of the seat, but it was wet. After it dried, it looked great. I did another coat, this time with a bit more paint on the paper towel, and let that dry. As the amount of paint lessened on the towel, I brought it upward to blend it with the undamaged part of the bolster. It's important to do a few light coats as opposed to one or two thick coats. Light coats won't show 'brush strokes', and the blending will be better.
After the third coat, my bolster looks like new, and the blend is almost undetectable.
Ok, so if this starts to rub off in 6 months or so, so what? I've got more. Probably 1000 times more than I need. No way is it ever going to look as bad as the original cracked area did.
The paint is a quart of Duron "Design Accents" Acrylic Enamel - Semi Gloss. & the cost? $15.
If anybody with a Classic Gray interior wants the tint formula, PM me.
Certainly, try this at your own risk, but the proof is in the puddin':

That looks like new. So did you prep the leather at all? I have to find a match for burgundy.

Sweet, JP!

My CLASSIC GRAY steering wheel needs a refurb. I don't suppose you could procure a container of it for me?

I'll happily pay the costs for your time and shipping.

Steve, no prep aside from a very light cleaning with a run of the mill leather cleaner...then a damp cloth.
I didn't want to risk taking any of the existing finish off the leather. Fortunately, I don't have any deep cracks. For deep cracks, there are filler products out there like this that are designed solely for filling the cracks prior to 'recoloring'.

For the Moderator, I'll procure away!
PM me with your info. and I'll send you plenty...enough to do a whole seat if you want.

Yer a pal!

PM sent.

That looks as good as the leather dyes like Leatherique and SEM.

Thanks J.P.! :thumbup:

Bill,
I haven't seen the results of those, but here's my take FWIW:
I'm guessing that there are slight variations in interior colors over the years & even model runs. So getting the color right based on color codes & not a sample is a crapshoot.
Best way is to use an actual sample from your interior & match it up to the area that you're working in as step one.
What good is a permanent dye if it's a 1/2 shade off? If it is, and the dye is a permanent, non-water based product, you're at the point of no return if it's not a good match.
I'm impressed at how well the Duron computer works, so it's certainly worth a shot - even if the product isn't quite as long-lasting as the actual dye.
It's also only $15 for enough to do practically all the leather in a standard (non leather-optioned) car.

Leatherique and SEM are water-based and can be removed. Heck, they may be latex acrylic based, for all I know. Although enamel is not thought of as flexible, latex is, so in a way I'm not too surprised by your success.

I just did the same with Leatherique. Main difference is that mine is not as shiny.

This looks great.

I have used Meltonian Shoe Polish, which contains a dye and comes in a multitude of colors, to touch up stuff like old jackets, briefcases, portfolios and Coach bags. It does a great job and seems to feed the leather.

I've not tried it on an auto seat, because you have to be very careful about buffing it afterward or you may stain things it rubs on. OTOH, the idea of paint on leather is so counterintuitive to me, I've always wondered whether just wearing sweats and squirming for a few hundred miles would do the buffing.

Very impressive! I can't believe you could get it so smooth with a paper towel, I don't see any lines or marks at all. Nicole, can you post a pic of your results?

That looks great. :thumbsup: Keep us posted on how it wears. This can be a great alternative.

I wish I could do something with mine but a PO already had at it and put something on that makes the leather feel harder and to top that all off it doesn't stay on very well. :crying:

Wow, JP really came up with a fantastic approach here. I followed his instructions for my Classic Gray bolsters and came away with similiar day/night results as JP. I liked the way it looked so much I ran out for one of those pad-with-a-handle thingies made for smearing stain and continued to do the entire surface of the front seats. I just finished and they look terrific.

The guy at my local Duron store perfectly matched a clean square inch from under the back seat (per JP's instructions). I was going more for an improvement (how it looked when it was new) than a match to the current surface color that has darkened and discolored over the years.

I couldn't be happier with the results. I didn't try to fix a tear like Nicole, but it is an enormous cosmetic improvement. It isn't shinier than the original color (maybe that was JP's flash that we see in his pics). If you follow JP's advice on using several very thin coats you won't fill in a noticeable number of the little perforations (a question from Matt on another post) and it won't show.

I have a bucket of this paint and am glad to give some to anyone nearby with Classic Gray. I didn't specify a small quantity at the store and got a gallon for $45. But it's still worth it, it looks great.

What type of paint is Duron? Is is an auto finish type of paint or something you use on your house? I'm confused. Also, Is there a good procedure for repairing a small tear in a leather seat bolster?

Steve or JP:

Did a quick search for Duron, and ended up at Duron.com. Looks like Duron sales are limited to southern Atlantic states.

So, can you give us more details on what product you ended up with? maybe more details off the label, like which tinting base material was used. From that, I should be able to get something close at my local specialty paint store in SoCal. It's certainly worth a look!

Otherwise, it's the full Leatherique treatment to get my bolsters looking sharp and new.

Has anyone with the "Raff" leater option tried the Leatherique dyes on their seats? There's no good way to sand the old dye off the soft gathered leather, at least from what I can see. Maybe a phone call to leatherique if we can't find a Duron-like product here on the left coast.

Nicole did some thing similar but with a tear repair also. Good write up.

Nicole's tear repair

Also, since this is water-based latex (Leatherique and SEM dyes are water-based), one way to avoid filling the perforations would be to thin it with water. As house paint, I'll bet the consistency is far thicker than Leatherique or SEM. I wonder what paint is equivalent to Duron out here in the West.

Bill, Glidden paint from Home Depot is probably the closest to Duron.

That turned out really well.....for minimal cost too.....it will be interesting to see how it holds up over time!

Bill, what color is your interior? If it's cashmere, we can split a gallon and get a couple of those kits with the tray/brush/roller and go to town!

I need to get the color sample from the bottom of one seat to send to Leatherique anyway, so no big deal grabbing a quart of paint to try. Just need to fugure out which is flexible acrylic vs wall paint. I'll ask at the paint store.

-----

As much as I love supporting my Home Depot stock value by shopping there, I've found that the pro painters seldom use HD paints. There are several brand-specific paint places nearby, and the stuff they sell is a lot better than what HD sells. There's also a little paint store nearby in Los Angeles that seems to cater to the artsy designer crowd. Very knowledgable folks there, head and shoulders above the specialists that HD employs. As much as I love the low HD prices, the extra quality and service at the specialty places makes them worth the few extra dollars, in my opinion.

dr. bob:

Mine is black, so this is just academic at this point.

With half a gallon and the big roller, maybe you'd like to have cashmere??? ;)

I asked the Duron guy what his recommendation for automotive upholstery leather would be. Although Duron doesn't have any products in which their recommended use is leather, he had a suggestion that worked well for me.
The type of paint that I used (per Duron's recommendation & label on the can) is:
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGN ACCENTS ACRYLIC
SEMI-GLOSS IFC 8012
Their website describes the formulation in more detail. Those looking for a similar product on the left coast might be able to use this info: http://www.duron.com/products/interi...at=&lineid=338
I don't know much about the color matching software that Duron uses, but that obviously will have a bearing on a color match if another product is used.

J.P.--

That's the info we needed. Thanks!

Still need to go pull one seat out for a color sample, and it's 100 degrees...

Bob,
check out http://www.icipaints.com
they are propbably the worlds biggest paint manufacturer ( they make Glidden and dulux, amongst others)
shoot them an email with the duron info :
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGN ACCENTS ACRYLIC
SEMI-GLOSS IFC 8012

and ask for a match thats available here on west coast.

Bump ... has anyone else tried the 'Duron solution'? How's it holding up? Anyone have success with similar products from other mfgs?

JP sent me a sample of the Duron coating in Classic Grey colour.

I applied it over 5 months ago to my steering wheel.

The colour was a perfect match and it looks as good today as when I applied it then, and I drive my car daily.

I also used it on a couple scratches and scuffs on the door panels, seats, parking brake handle. You can't tell where it was applied, even with very up-close inspection.

I did all surfaces of both front seats (per earlier post) and I'm still very pleased with the results. Some guy came up to me in a parking lot last week and asked me if I had "put in new seats".

After seeing my shark this past summer, my brother used the same technique for bright red leather fronts and back in a '65 Caddie convertible. They look terrific as well.

The best part of the JP Solution is that it is very easy and idiot proof. Any thing you don't like you can easily wipe off and do again. You can also check out the results a couple of days/weeks later to see how it looks under different conditions (e.g. bright sun, shade, night lights, etc.) and just open the can and touch it up. New paint easily blends with the old.

I'm hooked, and planning to do other cars this winter.

I give this thread 5 stars.

Looks fantastic. Is it possible to repair the bolsters when thy are worn through ?

Long term results
 

I have the red leather and there is a Duron store 5 miles from me, but how is it holding up? Any feedback on red!

any feedback on how this stuff holds up at all?
i checked into the SEM stuff and to do the inerior would be about 150 bucks.
duron , if it is durable would be a good alternative

This is going to sound like BLASPHEMY, but believe me it works. AFTER you have cleaned the leather and remaining dye (actually paint) on the seat etc. leather, put some lacquer thinner on a rag and rub it gently over the area to be touched up. IF dye (paint) comes off, do it again. When it no longer removes paint, you have a well bonded base to apply new dye (paint) to, and that paint has a better "bite" for the new paint to adhere to. AFTER the lacquer thinner has dried, then apply the new paint. It will last a LONG time if it's good paint. Having used Color Plus, Leatherique, and SEM, I actually prefer the Color Plus, followed by SEM.
Good luck,

Gary Knox
West Chester, PA

Let you know
 

I have this as 5007 of the final things to do but will send pixx once I'm done!
Mark

FWIW, prior to putting this product on the seat bolster in my GT, I put a similar, lower quality latex enamel on the leather wrapped steering wheel of my Explorer as a test. I can't think of any spot more susceptible to UV, wear, dirt and oils from my grubby mitts than the top part of the steering wheel in my work truck/every day driver.

In my decision to try this, I figured anything would look better than the dirty, cruddy looking once-beige steering wheel, in which the 'dye' had worn through to the natural leather.
This was a great test spot, since although not cracked, the leather was really dirty prior to my 'dying' it. I used Simple Green to get the grease & dirt buildup off of the wheel. That also took a considerable amount of the old dye off as well. This is an effective but harsh cleanser. I wouldn't recommend it on Porsche leather, unless absolutely necessary. From a dirt/oil standpoint, I can't imagine anybody's bolster being as nasty as the steering wheel in my Explorer.
After more than a year, my Explorer steering wheel has held up remarkably well, and it's been getting considerable UV exposure, and more dirt/rubbing/chafing than a bolster will ever get.
As anybody can attest who's used this Duron method, it's very high quality, and stays somewhat flexible, so if the surface is prepped properly, it will never peel or flake.
Therefore, it's failure over time could only be a gradual fading or rubbing off.
The bolster in my GT hasn't done that as of yet, and still looks like the day that I did the touchup. But if and when it starts to fade or rub off, just a light 'freshening up' with the boatload of 'dye' that I have left over would be all that it will take.

I'm thinking of trying this on my wifes Honda which suffers from wear already! Thanks for posting this and the update.

So, it looks like this has held up well for close to a year at least.

I have one small area of the drive bolster that could use some dye, so I ordered a small bottle from Leatherique. This stuff sure looks like interior latex enamel!

Did anyone ever find a comparable paint available in California?

Long term update ?
 

My seats are out paint is ready and I want to know are your seats still holding up?
Would you do the same thing again or do something different!

No need for me to do the same thing again, since my touchup has held up really well - actually any wear or deterioration of the touchup isn't detectable at this point. Also, the area has been taking periodic Lexol applications without any splotching, discoloring, etc.
I should mention that the touched up area on the seat of my GT don't see every day use and stay in a pretty controlled environment (garage with very little UV exposure), and the touched up area was only the outer driver's side bolster, so I'm not as 'invested' in a touchup like some others (Steve 88 for instance).
My Explorer's steering wheel has held up remarkably well, and that's getting the worst treatment imaginable. What I'm just starting to see is where my application was a bit thinner than other places; but it's now been almost 2 years; noticeable with a critical eye and was my first attempt with a lesser quality product.
Maybe those who have done more extensive touch-ups in their sharks that get more use can chime in. I'm curious as well.

Hey JP, on the web site for Duron, for their Design Accents paint, they show several different Semi-Gloss varieties: http://www.duron.com/products/interi...at=&lineid=338
Semi-Gloss Interior/Exterior; Semi-Gloss Interior; Semi-Gloss Alkyd Interior. Besides some Satin, Eggshell & Velvet finishes, etc. Which one of the Semi Gloss finishes specifically did you use? You provided a product #, but those don't seem to correspond to the ones they show on their web site. They show three Base paints, Deep, Neutral & Accent?? Also, the comment was made last year about that possibly looking a bit glossy, do you think it is or would you stay with the same Semi Gloss instead of trying a Satin finish perhaps?

I remember reading this last year & had planned on trying it. There is a Duron store not too far from my office. Hope to try this to freshen up my Cashmere color seats in the '85.

Thanks for this post being resurrected to remind me!! :thumbup:

Mel,
You linked to the right paint as far as I can see. The one that I used was the 5th one down, the "Semi Gloss Interior" which is a 100% Acrylic Interior Finish. The specific base that I used was 0106, which is the Accent Base. That was for Classic Gray, which is a medium to dark interior color. Cashmere may use the Neutral Base, but I'm guessing.....
As far as the degree of gloss is concerned, that's a good question to raise. I'm not sure if the Duron computer can pick up the degree of gloss or sheen in a sample (I doubt it). If it can't, I'm guessing that the semi-gloss choice was that of the Duron paint guy. Anyway, this particular semi-gloss is dead on for my Classic Gray leather. Not too glossy (as the photo might look) but not too satin. Just right.
Different colors or supple leather may have a different degree of gloss than that of my Classic Gray, so I'd get an opinion from somebody who's done a touchup on a light color. I believe that Steve 88 could weigh in on your gloss question for lighter leather.

Mine is Can Can wish me luck :icon107:
I am going over it to clean with asetone and red is showing on the pad seems like someone had put something on it before or is this normal?

Thanks for that info JP, that helps a bunch. I guess too I could easily change to a Satin if the Semi Gloss was too shiny. Maybe if the Duron experts can't direct me specifically, I could always get a quart of each perhaps. Sounds like its an easy fix if that was the case. My outside bolster on the driver's seat & the middle of the head rest on the passenger seat both are showing some wear. This is a must do for me very soon!

Tampa 928s, I wouldn't use acetone. That's too harsh, and it will dry out the leather. If you're concerned about dirt or oil, I'd use a leather cleaner (without conditioner) - something like 409, Simple Green or denat. alcohol for really grubby spots. You're really not trying to remove the old color, just clean it to prep. for the touchup. I'd stay away from acetone, though.

I prepped with denatured alcohol - not rubbing alcohol which contains water.

It's been over a year and my steering wheel still looks great.

I used the Semi-gloss, per JP's instructions, and didn't find it to be too shiney. It still looks great on my light gray seats (see earlier posts on this thread). Ths spring I touched it up in a few places where I thought I saw some wear. The important thing to remember about this paint process is that it is extremely easy and cheap. I almost enjoy finding a spot to do over. I just get the paint can out with a rag and touch it up.

My brother's bright red '65 Caddie seats still look terrific, although that car is rarely driven beyond parade routes.

A few weeks ago I did the black front/back seats in a '86 shark. They were in good shape to begin with, but with the refresher paint they looked noticeably better/newer. I also did the black stock steering wheel.

Note: With the '86, I thought that "black was black" when it came to paint and I could skip the color matching process. But the Duron guys gave me a sample strip of various shades of black and, sure enough, one of the shades was a much better match. For black, I recommend you hold the samples next to your seats/wheel before buying.

This past week I finally pulled the trigger on this project for my driver's seat.

Challenges started with the idea that Duron isn't sold on the left coast, so I went paint shopping to a local paint specialty store, Jill's Paint in the Atwater Village section of Los Angeles. I chose a latex finish called 'Break Through", based on the store guys' recommendation. They use it to paint canvas awnings that flap in the wind, and it also has instructions for use on concrete. Sounds like the right product but only time and use will tell how it wears.

My seats had some pretty good gashes as well as a flock of stress cracks in the seatback bolster. The seat was cleaned thoroughly, out of the car, and left to dry a bit. Then a couple very thin coats of color on them after a very light sanding. That was followed up with some extremely flexible acrylic filler that I found in my garage, to fill those two bigger gashes. The filler's disguised as "Alex" painter's caulk, a few dollars for a 14oz tube at better home centers. A few thin filler coats of that on the gashes, sanding the edges between coats. Then a final color coat of the paint. The pictures tell the story best.

I had to buy a gallon of the paint and used less than one ounce, so if anybody in the Los Angeles area needs a few ounces for their cashmere repair project I have some to spare. OK, I have a LOT to spare. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures! I have a whole instruction written up, and will add it to this thread as soon as the ink dries on the pictures in the PDF file.

Bob,

This is nice work. It is amazing to see the huge difference between both pics!

Hot Damn!

Bob,

That seat does look nice. Your "before" seat looks like my driver's side now (although mine an '87). Did you "paint" the entire seat, or just the bolster area?

I've been dying to do something similar with mine and will check locally for those products you mentioned.

Mike

PDF Instruction Attached!
 

Hey, thanks J.P.! Remember that your post way back when is the inspiration for this. Even I am more than impressed with how easy the reapir is and how good it looks. Like most projects with pictures, they really don't convey the full benefit of the work. Sharktoberfest is coming up in a few weeks, and it wouldn't be appropriate for the dr to show up with ragged saddles. :)

For those playing along at home, I started this project Friday before lunch, when I pulled the seat and plopped it on the workmate. It took a good hour of scrubbing and cleaniing to get it ready for the work. After everything was dry, the actual work time was not more than another hour or two. Lots of time waiting for stuff to dry. I put the last coat of paint on before breakfast Saturday morning, then worked on another 928 while it dried. By 11am, the seat was back in the car, and it was rolled out into the sun to make sure the paint dried completely. We finished Rolf's car and went to lunch. Washed the car later in the day when the driveway was in the shade. Drove it to the VCR Euro Supercar Sunday event this morning to show off the results. I spent more time wrestling the seat in and out, and cleaning all around the seat area, than I spent on the seat itself. It was that easy.


Mike--

I did both of the outside bolsters, although the bottom bolster was pretty much a touch-up compared to the effort on the upper bolster. The painter's caulk for filler was 'wonder if that will work... It should work!' thought that appears to be working fine. The inner bolsters were rubbed with a pretty dry sponge, and a few surface cracks were touched up with the paint. The dry sponge is one I had used to buff the edges of the painted sections of the outer bolsters. There were a few spots on the center pads that were touched up that way too.

-----

There's some more detail on the process in the attached PDF file. It's still condensed, doesn't include brushing instructions since every car has different problems, everyone has different knowledge and may need different techniques.

x2! Wow!

Bob, how durable will the Alex's acrylic filler be? How well will it stand up to entry and exits by the driver? I've got seats that could use this treatment, I just don't want to end up with something that falls apart after some pushing, shoving and rubbing. Your seat looks really great.

I used some 100% latex acrylic from Sheman Williams and the color is perfect, however my seats still seam tacky. When I say tacky, I mean sticky and after 1.5 weeks of drying time in the upper 80's. Did I do something wrong or does the paint I have just suck? Anyone else with this problem? Duron paint is not available in my area, neither is the Break Through paint that was used by other members.

What the heck are you doin' in yer car, H?

:p

LOL Randy ... same as you my friend ... having a beer :cheers:

Heinrich--

It's almost a year now and the filler is doing great. :thumbup: No cracks/splits/breakthroughs that might signal impending failure. No evidence that there is any filler in there at all. The paint itself is due another coat, mostly since I went so light in my cautious first attempt last August. I can scare up a few current pictures tomorrow if it will help with your decision.

That would be cool Bob thanks :thumbsup:

Help with seat match
 

Help with seat match,

geese louise, whats the easiest way to get a color sample for the paint store. From which part of the interior????

I have a S4 1991 with the cashmere- Anyone have extra Paint???

Located in lancaster, pa

Thank you in advance and the latex caulk is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WORKS PERFECT- I MEAN PERFECT!!!

Joe Cat

Joe--

I pulled a small sample from the bottom of the driver's seat while I had it out for the repair. The leather is rolled around the bottom of the seat frame and secured with hog rings. Find a place where there's a little extra past the hog rings and snip from that. Paint store dude did fine with a piece about 3/4" square. Be aware that he spent some extra time fine-tuning the tint to get a perfect color match.

I have almost (less an ounce or two) a gallon of the cashmere paint he made for my car. I don't know if it would be a perfect match for your newer car, and of course the color changes with how the car has been stored and where/how it's been driven and parked. Sun is tough on the colors.

I would hate to have to take the seat out to get a piece, Any panels that come off easier???

Any other suggestions?

Joe Cat

Joe,
The seat is in with four allen head bolts, you just need to move it fore and aft (Navy terms) to get to the bolts. Disconnect the electrical connector. Be carefull as the seat is heavy but not too hard to remove. You can also just tilt the seat back and get your sample. I've had various 928 seats out. I plan on doing this myself.

Good luck,
Glenn

If your door insert matches the seats, it's the easiest to pull out and take with you.

Joe,

There is usually a fair bit of leather tucked away under the rear seat lower section. May have some glue on it, and of course it has probably never seen sun light, so is the original color (no fading).

Gary Knox
West Chester, PA

+1 :thumbup:

That's where I took mine to send a sample to Color Plus.

Wow its too bad here in chicago,we cant get either products

Sidehatch,

Here are the links to the Color Plus and Leatherique stores.
You can get everything there that you need to re-do your car interior.
Not a complicated job but take your time and follow every steps and you will be happy with the result.

http://www.colorplus.com/
http://www.leatherique.com/

Good luck.:thumbup:

Thanks berts,

Sidehatch, , my vote for a burgundy interior is the colorplus product.
I just completed mine by ordering their stock porsche burgundy dye.

I originally ordered the Leatherique product in which the color was not even close to the burgundy. I sent it back and had them custom match to sample for big $$$, again not even close to the burgundy color. I then sent back everything and they refunded my money.

I ordered the Colorplus stock burgundy color and the match was perfect, for much less $$$. I am very pleased. The colorplus was very easy to use and the results were fantastic. I removed my seats though, which made it much easier doing the work on my kitchen table.

Joe, Hatch--

I took the leather sample to my favorite specialty paint store, where the expert made the paint recommendation and matched the color perfectly. The gallon was less than $50, IIRC. The rest of the stuff is commonly available, like the denatured alcohol for the pre-paint cleaning, very fine sandpaper for prep'ing the edges if filler is used, and the latex painters caulk I used for the filler. You'll still want to get the Leatherique stuff to revitalize the tired and dried leather no matter what, and for that the seats really want to come out of the car. You'll get to work on them up at a convenient height, in good light. You'll also have a chance to recover the collectible coins, french fries and takeout fried rice that's somehow migrated under the seats. You'll want to clean the carpets, maybe add a few more layers of sound deadening, etc while the seats are out of the way. The Leatherique softener deserves a good week to work its magic, with the seats wrapped in trash bags and kept in a warm area. There's no reason to try to repair leather cracks if you don't do the softener step, since it will quickly crack again if you skip that step.


Were I to do this again, I would have had the sales guy separate out a quart or less of the paint, and tint just that part to match what I have. Then the other three quarts would go to others in the area with different color projects. I'm sure that the paint guy would be happy to tint one of those quarts to order for a bit less than the cost of a gallon for the next victim. The way it is now, I can only buy cashmere-interiored 928's for the rest of my life if I want to recover the rest of my paint value.

The stuff sure goes a long way & holds up really well. Fortunately I was able to opt for a only a quart as opposed to having to shell out much more for a gallon.
Even with a quart, I've been able to share my stock w/other Classic Gray owners w/reports of good matches...and still have plenty left for a future touch-up jobs.

Sorta related but I was getting bugged by my bolster wear....so I swapped driver's/passenger's. They are identical hence can be swapped; at least sports seats in my case. My thinking was that the wear, no matter how much (hair ;)) dye you use, it's still there...so now I have another few years before I call on our leather specialists.

After getting a better appreciation for the wear that the bolsters suffer, I find myself doing a little bit of a one-armed vault out of the seats these days. Cuts down on the twist-and-drag wear I think.

I looked today at the repaired bolsters and they probably need a little attention more before we enter any serious shows. There's some very slight checking starting on the repaired bolster section. The Good News is that I have enough of the paint to do the car, plus the front and back Porches too. :) Added to my list of to-doits.

My bolsters aren't too bad but some surface wear is beginnning to show. I've been using Leatherique and I'd like to try something like the Duron you guys are talking about. What you've done looks great.

Has anyone found anything in an aerosol spray can that works? Maybe paint for vinyl?

H2

Harvey-

I cut a section of a sponge into a wedge shape and painted with that and a standard foam brush. Much better control that an aerosol. The BreakThrough paint I used is way too thick to put in the airbrush or even the touch-up gun without a lot of thinning, and that thinning seemed to cause the color to change towards yellow so I gave up on that and went with the foam brush. The sponge was used just a little damp to detail the edges of the repair and help restore some of the leather texture to the refinished areas.

Would you say it's flexible enough to use on other parts of the seat?

DEFINITELY FLEXIBLE ENOUGH!- WORKS ABSOLUTELY FIRST CLASS!!

^^^WHAT HE SAID!!!

How would this work to completely change the color? Has anyone any experience?
I would like to change the burgundy interior of my car to a light and dark grey scheme.

Thanks...

Nah, I dont think I would go that far. But i might do a panel or two just fpr some contrast!

Enjoy the rideits a blast!

Just my opinion & not from actual experience:Going from a dark to a light color, any product will give you limited success - & for a limited time. The areas that get the most flexing & contact (bolsters, seatbacks & bases) will develop tiny stress/flex lines and the base color will likely show through.
I wouldn't try it unless you really, really hate Burgundy.

I have burgundy, I wouldn't try a color change. I did dye the door panel inserts black in mine. I have pictures in my album if you click my avatar.

Wow! That looks awesome! Your seat looks a lot like the driver's seat in my GTS. Unfortunately, I'm in NorCal or I'd be knocking on your door. I'm definitely going to give the repair a shot. Couldn't make my seats look any worse than they already do.

Discouraging news/advice on a color change but have to do something to introduce some lighter color and/or contrast to my burgundy interior. I grew up with burgundy and as much as I can appreciate it with someone elses property, I cannot surround myself with it. Perhaps if I change a less flexible area's color like the dash and console or perhaps if I change the burgundy carpeting. SOMETHING needs to be lightened up. Perhaps the burgundy seats may punch out and be appreciated more if contrasted by another color. Hmmmnnnn..................
Juz thinkin out loud and inviting comment....

JPTL, I respect your opinion, and you say it isn't based on experience. I have recoloured entire interiors before except for seats. And I have never found any difference between going light -> dark or dark -> light.

Well, I've never really thought of this before... What keeps the ORIGINAL color from cracking and showing the natural color of leather through the dyed color? Cows are not originally burgundy, grey, cashmere, etc.
Surely a subsequent color added, if a proper bond and flexibility characteristic are achieved, would just add to the top finish of the leather? This would be like a good paint job on top of an already painted car, no?

Difference between painted and drum dyed leather, I believe. Paul could shed some light on this......

Yes, yes. Paul, please educate the masses on this one. I want to do something to get by less embarrassingly and swear that if finances ever permit, you are going to do an entire sting ray leather console and door panel interior with anaconda snake skin seats ! ! ! OK, maybe just some ostrich leather.....

Seriously, I am thinking of attempting some color changes to my interior. I will forgo the stock Porsche colors as my car is beyond being a fine, original specimen. My interior is burgundy. I am interested in a grey and green interior.

Paul?

I checked out Duron's website and there seem to be several paints that might fit the description. Could someone point me to the precise paint used please?
http://www.duron.com/products/interi...t=1&lineid=338

Why not use a paint designed specifically for leather..... www.leathermagic.com :thumbup:

I really like the idea of taking a leather sample to a store and having paint matched to its color. That sounds like an inexpensive way to get good results without having to jump through hoops. So could someone please tell me which one of the many duron paints this is?

This info. should provide enough for the Duron rep. to determine the exact product that I used. Others have used this with success as seen in this thread.

UPDATE - 3 1/2 years since the initial application
 

A fellow Rennlister asked me how this has held up. I figured I'd post my reply here to share:

I've had my quart of the Duron formulation of Classic Gray for nearly 4 years now and it's been stored in a cold garage (probably not the best place to keep it). Regardless, the product holds up really well in a properly sealed can.
Since the original application to my driver's seat bolster, I've reapplied a thin coat twice since the original application - and got the same results as the first application. The amount that I used both times was only about half of the initial amount, since I had a base and I didn't let the bolster get as rough as it was for the initial application.
Since the driver's seat bolster is the highest wear area - at least for me, naturally the area will need periodic attention - regardless of the integrity of the touch up job.

I can say this about how it holds up:
So long as it's properly applied to clean, oil/conditioner-free leather*, the finish doesn't peel or flake. It adheres really well - like it was made for leather. A good application will thin over time as rubbing/contact basically wears it down. Areas that aren't subject to friction/wear would likely hold up for several years.
I suggest to try a test area to make sure that the color match is correct. When a partial area, such as a seat bolster needs attention, don't simply spot treat by going over only the worn area, but blend it the way a painter would blend a quarter panel. In my case I applied a coat to the entire bolster, avoiding the piping, and ran it up to the stitched seam just below the headrest section. This way any negligible difference in the color is nearly undetectable.

*It's important that you apply to a clean, oil/conditioner-free surface. If you've recently applied a conditioner like Lexol, you should use a leather cleaner (without conditioner) or diluted Simple Green. If you apply a coat over recently conditioned leather, it will remain sticky and you'll end up with an inconsistent finish. Some areas will be glossy, others, dull.
I know this because I did an application to the entire base and uprights of the black sport seats in my e30 convertible. A few weeks prior, I had conditioned the seats using a liberal amount of Lexol. When I applied the color-matched black Duron, I did it in the hot sun. This was a mistake, since I believe that the heat from the sun caused the Lexol to leach to the surface. The coat took nearly a week to lose its tackiness. Very annoying since tacky seats are like lint brushes. They looked like crap for a month or so until eventually they dried fully. The seats needed another application since the first one was somewhat inconsistent. Now they look fantastic - almost like reupholstered seats, and they aren't tacky.

I'll toss in some more follow-up info.

Like JP, my driver's seat has had two touch-up treatments since the original effort. The last touch-up was a couple years ago and it's due again. A few of the original cracks have surfaced again, so this next effort will likely be closer to the original effort in scope. Knowing what I do now, the whole effort will be less than 30 minutes actual work on the seats, with a day of dry/cure time mixed in.

Part of the work for this season's interior up-fixin' will be a bit of black spray dye on the dash mat, and a thorough carpet cleaning while the front seats are out. My car is a sort-of daily driver, in that it's what I drive but I don't drive that much. Bought a Honda Pilot SUV recently, so the 928 can get a few of the longer-duration tasks taken care of including this little bit of interior refreshing.

On my last three cars 300ZXTT, Miata, Boxster when the seat bolster starts to look worn I gave just the worn spot a coat of good ol Kiwi black shoe polish and buffed it out. Holds up for about 6 months. Stops getting on your clothes in a couple of days.

My concern regarding a 'house' paint on the leather would be the flexibility of the paint vs the flexing of the leather. Might be wrong, but I'd 'guess' that the paints made for leather have more flex agent in them (like the paints made for our plastic bumpers, vs that made for the steel/aluminum parts).

Just my logic, often wrong on many subjects, however!

Gary Knox

I had the same concerns when I did my seats this way. I decided to visit one of the better local paint specialty places for their recommendation. The product they came up with is used to paint canvas awnings and such that flex and flap in the wind. I figured the seat bolsters won't do that much flapping, since I generally keep the windows and sunroof closed above 120 or so. Plus my butt-damper-cheek-thing limits bolster travel.

So a few years later now, there are signs that more flex cracking in the leather is coming through the paint. I treat this like any substrate cracking: not the fault of the finish. I don't really know what could be done differently. I'll probably sand the area again, drown it in Leatherique for a week to restore some of the flex again, then clean and reapply the finish.

-----

A couple Sharktoberfests ago, Mark A & Rob E invited a local leather seat repair guy to do some demo work on a pretty tired seat that Mark had on the rack at 928 International. He'd done some work on the seats in Rob's GTS that looked great, and had my attention for quite a while as he showed us all his steps. Biggest differences from what I'd done included his willingness to use much more aggressive solvents when prepping the seat surfaces. The actual crack-repair steps were virtually the same as what I did to mine, down to the filler material he used. For the finishing, he used a paint product that's targeted to shoe and handbag refinishers. He used a turbine-powered HVLP gun to apply the finish, where I used a foam brush so I could better control where it went. He custom blended each color to match the seat, by the way. Interesting that his rates for that kind of repair were pretty reasonable too for the care and quality of the work.

For folks who are a little squeemish about doing this yourself, I'm sure there are folks around who will do this for you at a relatively reasonable cost. Much better rates if you take the seats out yourself and bring them. Takes a little local research obviously. The results on the tired seat at Mark's were very impressive.

Bob,

I like your approach regarding the awning type paint. Should be much more flexible than house paint.
Thanks for sharing that.

Gary--

Interior touch-up in austin
 

This is my first post. I just wanted to share that Austin Interiors did a great job touching up my interior non-leather scuffs and scratches on my 2007 S cabriolet. They also dyed the seats (the bolsters had worn slightly). Really came out great! Here are the before pics:Attachment 770388

Attachment 770389

Attachment 770390

Attachment 770392

Attachment 770395
Here are pics after:
[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]Attachment 770399[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

oops ..notice I posted this in the 928 forum!
 

Sorry!

oops ..notice I posted this in the 928 forum!

It's alright. We'll be OK.

No worries. Restoration techniques like this are amazingly transportable among brands and models.

Ha! You posted pictures. You'll get nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns from this group.

For leather seats, trim, panels, steering wheel I advocate for Color Plus products, and the service/advisement you'd get from Joanne Price the proprietor there.

Thanks! I had never needed this type of repair before so I went to see them, they showed me examples of their work, and I liked what I saw.

More importantly the crew I met seemed knowledgeable and honest. I took a chance on instinct and very happy with the results.

So I procrastinated back in 2013 about the needed rework on this project. New house via remote control, the move and settling in. All took time that could have been invested in seat refurb.

So, by the time I got around to doing the work again, a couple cracks were showing through the finish. The seats looked OK unless you looked really close. But since this is about making them pass at least show-and-shine muster, they were due for the work.

The first picture shows what the seat bolster looked like after thorough cleaning with denatured alcohol. This completely removes the pain, and exposes all the work done previously. The white is the filler (acrylic painter's caulk) I used in the first episode about seven years ago now.

It also showed up a few fine cracks in the leather that are the focus of this episode. In only a few spots, the cracks were all the way through. None of them were three-cornered tears or similar, just a few places where flexing had worked it's magic.

First step then was a thorough rejuvination with leather treatment to restore the flexibility of the leather itself. This took a few days. Then the cracks were repaired using a tiny bit of Gorilla Glue, applied into the cracks with a toothpick while gently squeezing the crack open. Let the crack relax closed again, and wait a day for the glue to gain full strength.

The second picture shows the last of about half a dozen thin coats of the same flexible acrylic paint caulk. The first coats are forced hard into imperfect areas. Allow to dry, then sand smooth with a block. By the last couple very thin layers, the sanding wasa done with a single sheet held in the hand, no block. Very gentle with almost no pressure, so the seat bolster maintains its shape during sanding.

I used some of the paint I'd had blended for the last effort, using a foam brush for the first few thin coats. Light sanding/scuffing between coats. The last couple coats go on thin, then get stippled with the edge of a water-dampened piece of sponge to give the final finish some texture. As you can see in the last picture, the finish on repaired section looks a bit flatter. With the seat in the car, the whole seat will get another treatment with conditioner. Then the leather gets a light buffing with a cloth to even out the surface texture. The seat is back in the car now, and will get that last buffing in the next day or two.

The total time working on the seat is a couple hours, including remove and replace. In between, there's a few days of dry and cure time mixed in. Take your time, work carefully, and the same results or better are available.

What a difference...I waited too long, and a big piece of my driver's bolster literally broke off. I tried to patch it but it looks awful (I need to update that thread with my failure) but I found a local auto upholstery guy who can replace the bolster. Then I think I'll redye everything, including the leather dash/center console I found, so it looks consistent.

This effort started out as a delaying tactic as well as a nothing-to-lose experiment. Building on JPTL's initial efforts and Randy V's success, what started out as a casual science project has kept the seats in acceptable condition for a lot more years than I originally expected. I was planning at the time to install new leather, and I still am. The timing for that keeps moving back as the casual repair work keeps the original leather serviceable.

If you have seats that have damaged leather, don't give up. The original tear-throughs were repaired with vinyl as backing, carefully inserted and unfolded behind the tearing. Glue was used to adhere the old leather back over the under-patch, with plastic stucco-tape holding the splits closed while the glue set up. Turns out Gorilla Glue is better for this than what I used originally. Then after sanding to smooth the edges, the painter's caulk was used to fill the remaining gouges and gaps. Smooth that out, repeat as needed, then the paint. Just a few hours of work over the course of several days gave these results. As before, the pictures don't do justice to the final results.