my leather dye results

[steveo3002]

i recently picked up some used car seats , the outer bolsters were not up to standard and i looked into new pieces and various dye/paint/repair options

i decided after lots of reading that i needed a water based dye kit, i went with leathermagic and got the £34gbp repair kit

heres what the leather looked like when i had removed it from the foam and base







the instructions state you should wipe the leather down with the solution included (alcohol i think ) and then sad the leather with the 220 paper that comes in the kit...alot of the minor creases and cracks sand out at this stage

heres the sanded leather





next job...wipe on 3-4 thin coats of dye and you have the option to spray the final coat with a sprayer thats included

i was very happy with the results , most of the cracks and creases are gone or improved and the bolster easily looks as good as a one year old part (its 11 yrs old really) im not easily pleased and had my doubts about doing this, but im fully satisfied and couldnt expect any better unless i paid for brand new leather. it still feels and looks just like it should and it doesnt smell bad of chemicals at all...pics look a little patchy but its very nice in person





heres the dyed one next to the passenger seat for comparision(the drivers one was worse that that )



heres a gear knob i refurbed...no before pic but the colour was worn away on the stitching




ive only used about 5% of the kit , so its great value..i just hope it lasts a few years

[BlackElantraGT]

That looks really nice, definitely a huge improvement over the original. Does the color rub off after awhile? What if someone wore light colored pants on a hot, sweaty day? will it transfer onto the clothing?

[steveo3002]

they claim its permanent , as good as original if done correctly

i did have to sand a few spots i wasnt happy with and it sands just the same as orig finish

it shouldnt rub off on light coloured pants etc

[gmblack3a]

Nice work! I need to re-dye the drivers seat on the wifes car. I might go with leatherique's kit.

[steveo3002]

Originally Posted by gmblack3a

Nice work! I need to re-dye the drivers seat on the wifes car. I might go with leatherique's kit.

yeah theyre both waterbased so probably pretty similar

leathermagic was avail here in uk, and leatherique tried to stiff me and say i needed 16oz to do that repair, so i went with leathermagic as he seemed honest ...i only used about a cap full of product

[gmblack3a]

I think I will just do the entire front drivers seat. I need to have a look at the rear seat as well since we have been using a carseat back there for 3 yrs now.

Do you think an 8oz of the dye would be enough for a rear seat and one front seat in a BMW 740? The pass front seat still looks new.

[steveo3002]

it might be enough....is the whole seat beat up ?

if its just wear in certain areas you can do those and then wipe a coat over the whole seat to freshen it up

[bobbyp]

Please keep us updated on the wear. I've read where the "filler" products start cracking over time and I want to do my dove color seats.

[steveo3002]

yeah i'll be sure to post if it cracks or fails in any way

i didnt use any crack filler...the damage mostly sanded out as it was in the original finish not cracked through the leather...im not sure i would chosse to use a filler myself

[LKDFW]

Its not the water based dye that is the most important issue. Its the base the dye mixes with for adhesion and long term wear. If the dye peels in a less than a year then the products are the probloem and not the leather. Good luck.

[Showroom Shine]

The dye repairs look great. I need to do my own seat. Leather Magic repair Kit? Do I have to take the leather off? That's pretty intensive!

[steveo3002]

no, no need to take it apart..i had to repair my heat pad and foam so it made sense to do it that way

its pretty east to do...just cover the carpets and stuff incase of any spills