When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My seat leather is pretty tight, although mostly intact. Unfortunately, it has wear on the driver's side bolster, and it finally developed a small hole. A piece cracked off and it became a fairly large hole. I didn't like where this was headed, so I decided to see if I could repair it, using the advice from ColorPlus.
I forgot to take a pic at the very start. This shows my status after trimming some of the dry and curling up edges, cutting a patch from a square bit of scrap leather I bought from Amazon, and gluing it upside down inside the hole...so the edges of the patch that stretch into the seat are glued to the underside of the original leather.
Next up, cut a patch to match that hole and glue it over that now-filled hole.
Looks even worse than an old Jaguar I put back on the road. Its leather could not be patched - it had to be replaced. I took the seat apart and brought the leather panels to a shop in nearby Tijuana. It turned out so well that it made the rest of the interior look bad. It cost so little that I gave them the whole car and had the entire interior redone. To give you an idea of how long ago it was, the new interior cost...
The funny thing is, my seats looked pretty good. The leather is clearly tight and a bit hard. I've tried various leather treatments to soften it up. There are a couple places where the finish needs to be touched up, and that damn driver's side bolster. I should have done something about it before it tore. I'm predicting that my results will not be very good. This is not the type of thing I do well lol. Hopefully it looks OK from a distance and keeps the leather from tearing worse. I'm likely going to have to have the seats redone in their entirety at some point, however...
Once you have patched it there are fillers that need to be applied and then you can colour the area. Yours looks pretty far gone but nothing lost in having a go.
Mine looked in bad shape but they did an excellent repair and now look like new [I posted some pics a while back].
I use Lexol and works miracles. If the seats are really hard, paint it on thick and cover with plastic wrap and leave in the sun a couple of days. Then work it in. Might have to do it twice. Basically it hydrates the leather. I think it is liquid essence of cow in a bottle...
Interesting...that may be a viable option. I'll try to find someone local and get their on my situation.
I also have an area on the top of one of my rear seat backs where the leather has split right at the seam. It may be that it's just all so tight, I'm going to be "springing leaks" periodically all over the place. I've been trying to use Soffener but I should try that method where you slather it everywhere and cover in plastic wrap. I haven't tried that one yet.
Originally Posted by Kevin in Atlanta
My local upholsterer was able to replace the bolster leather.
Leather softening and patching are two completely different things.
Your bolster is far gone. There is not much chance of a successful patch IMHO. I has an upholster replace that one panel in my '88. Something like $150 IIRC.
I also patched a small hole in another panel using the leatherique filler and dye, but it was a perforation not a worn patch that will inherently have fragile edges.
I have used Leatherique, Lexol and Autoglym conditioner on hardened leather and all seemed to work, though it can take time and multiple applications. But we aware that if you soften leather that is already worn through it will likely tear even quicker than it was doing before.
Interesting, I didn't know that. My bolster had typical wear and abrasion marks, which I foolishly ignored, until it developed a very small perforation. Things escalated quickly from there, when a fairly large piece actually broke off...eek. Hence my attempt at an emergency patch. I suspect you are correct, and that it won't work....but if I can get the bolster replaced for reasonable money, that's what I'll do, definitely.
I was in a similar situation as paalw, even though the damage was not nearly as bad. I used the local Fibrenew guy to fix the tear (about 1/2") and refinish both front seats.
Matching the classic grey was the biggest challenge, it turned-out. He said the color readings varied at different spots of the seat, but the outcome is pretty close to the rest of the interior.
Best of all: At about $600 for both seats it was quite affordable, while the car looks about $2k nicer.
04-23-2016, 05:09 PM
Here goes nothing...patching a leather seat
