All,

I normally frequent the 911 forum, but I'm looking for info on redyeing leather seats, and I figured there might be some 928 owners who have tackled this (or at least thought about it). I've also posted to the 964 board.

Has anyone had experience with redyeing lether using Leatherique or similar on Linen leather? If so, please post your comments/results at:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=40042

Thanks for any info you can provide!

Jason
1988 911 Carrera Diamond Blue / Linen

 

I haven't done Linen, but I've done silver grey. Once did a set of brown sport seats in silver grey. Stripped the brown "dye" (acutally paint) using CitruStrip, then wiped leather a few times with lacquer thinner to get all the dye off. Treated it many times with leather softener, then 3-4 coats of silver grey dye (paint). I've also re-done several silver grey seats and a set of burgundy ones. Believe it or not, I find the best result when I've cleaned the original leather/dye, then wiped it several times with a rag very damp with lacquer thinner. Gets the old paint off and provides a new surface for the new paint to bite into.
I've used Leatherique products and the ones from Color Plus. I MUCH prefer the Color Plus dye and their Soffener. They are easier to use, cheaper, last better and have very good with customer relations. If you want to get further info: www.colorplus.com is the web site. Joanne Price is the person to communicate with. Has a lot of Porsche colors in stock, or will custom mix. No relationship other than a satisfied customer.

Gary Knox
West Chester, PA

 

Thanks Gary! Great info - I'll look into Color Plus.

 

Gary I appreciate your information on color plus. I was just getting ready to send a swatch to leatherique and have heard about color plus quite a bit now on this forum.

I was looking at the prices but cant say i agree that its allot cheaper. I am looking for an entire kit from cleaner to conditioner to prepping agents and to the dye itself. Both companies seem to have the same products, but in your opinion the color plus stuff is just easier to use. I will say that leatherique has a wealth of information about their products on their website and ways for application and tips and tricks so to speak. I havent found the same to be true for color plus, although you could presumably use the leatherique instructions for color plus as they appear to use similiar if not identical steps and products.

I guess i am still waiting for more response before deciding wether to go the leatherique direction or color plus. Either way i want to get this stuff done asap..

Anyone with a cashmere colored interior want to split a bulk purchase with me to reduce the cost? Please pm me if interested. I also would like some black to do the tops of the door panels and the shifter boot and rear qtr panels.

 

Jaon, Ryan,
You really only need the conditioner (Soffener from Color Plus) and the dye. Soap and water to clean the leather, lacquer thinner to take off all the old paint/dye, LOTS of Soffener (treat once a day or so for 6-10 treatments), light cleaning of the surface with lacquer thinner again to remove any surface soffener, then the dye. I use the "rub on" technique used for staining wood. Some dye on a rag, rub it on and around, let dry about 1 day, then put on another coat. I usually put 3 coats on, let it dry for about a week before using, and it lasts like new. I've also done spraying, but the rub on method works great for me.
Good luck,

Gary Knox
West Chester, PA

 

Gary,

Thanks for posting again. I am very interested to see you using the rub on method. I was previously going to use the spray on method with a small paint gun because i worried about the finished texture with a hand applied dye.

But thinking about this maybe hand applied is best. It definitely reduces the prep of having this done. I do think that if the leather is properly treated and cleaned before hand that a proper dye will be absorbed by the leather and probably will make for excellent results.

My leather has some cracking in it and I think i will need to make use of the crack filler as well. I would prefer to do this by hand event hough i have an air compressor and a gun, I just think it will be allot easier and less time consuming doing so by hand. So I am glad to hear about this.

From your experience how many square feet is the leather in the 928 for the entire front and back of the two front seats, the rear seats, the small door panel inserts, the rear seat console around the AC condenser and the small parts on the opposite side of the rear seats? Will the 150 sq ft container be enough for all those areas? Also I want to do the black in the car which is the door panels, the shift boot and the rear quarter panels and perhaps the headliner and sunroof cover if i have enough. Would another 150 sq/ft container be enough? (I believe its a pint?) Also what Black would you suggest for a factory look? I was thinking of going with a matte look as opposed to the glossy which i think looks like armorall. With the matte finish, if i want some gloss i can always add a leather conditioner to bring out the shine right. So would you suggest the matte look as well?

I tend to put more behind your experience then others because as you have stated you have used both leatherique and color plus and you much prefer the color plus. I have heard nothing but good things about leatherique but perhaps the people that ive heard use that have used it exclusively and know no other way. I have heard at least one other person on Rennlist who has used both also prefer the color plus stuff as well.

I will scour the threads on Rennlist some more before making my ultimate decision but I do appreciate your help.

Thanks

 

I did many interior parts 2 years ago or so with the Color Plus product.

Very satisfied with the final result and Johanne Price is a very good person to deal with.

I tried first to do the job with a brush but was not happy with the result on bigger parts like seats.

Finally I did both seats with an air brush and the result was very good.

Here is what they look like

 

airbrush huh, thats the other method that was suggested to me

 

Ryan,

A pint from Color Plus goes a long way - don't know for sure how many sq feet, perhaps Joanne Price knows. She stocks the Porsche Black, that's what I've used on some black items I have done.
I actually did use the air brush when I sprayed. Worked fine, but was a LOT slower than the rubbing method, and I didn't think it was any better looking. Used that method on the brown sport seats I mentioned above. I'll e-mail you a picture of the seats in my '94 GTS that I refinished. A friend and I bought a wrecked '88 with these seats, and I kept them to install in my GTS. Wanted them because of the 12 way/heated options they had. The '88 had been in a wreck, one window was down about 1/3 of the way, and it had been in wrecking yards for about 18 months. I performed the cleanup I mentioned above, re-dyed the seats, then sent them to Dallas and Roger/Jim helped me get the OE silver piping replaced with new black piping.
Removed black seats from the GTS to install these.
I'll be away for the next 16 days, but if you have any questions after that, drop me a line.

Gary Knox

 

Color Plus is the way to go. Linen is a stock color so it is cheaper and when I got mine is was an exact match. I did not need to finish the entire seat so after prepping I rubbed in the dye with a piece of bed sheet. I rubbed it pretty hard to get penetration and in all directions to prevent "brush marks". After two coats I air brushed a couple of lit coats on and then finished with a coat of the Color Plus clear coat. It looks like showroom new and it is so easy that touching up is a snap. Good luck.