Repair of Saab interior door panel and leather seat. 4 pictures.

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AppliedColors

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Time: 40 minutes.

Cost: $7 materials.

Retail price: $150. We also detailed this Saab for $175 (4 man hours).

Process: Clean and mask off door pull. Sand out chips. Prime with black primer. 3 coats of catalyzed SEM Sure Coat...pure black. Cure with heat gun. Clean and scuff leather seat. 3 coats of catalyzed SEM Sure Coat custom color matched. Cure with heat gun.



We see a lot of damage like you see on this door pull in Audis, VWs, Saabs, and BMWs: consoles, door pulls, buttons, glove boxes, and even vents. Replacing with new parts is expensive, so customers are eager to pay us to repair such damage.



Another example of how to make real money in the detail business: upsell reconditioning services.



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I looked at a 07 Lexus GS350 that someone broke through the passenger front door glass as nicked the woodgrain section and the painted plastic window switch of the door trim panel. I had no choice other than to replace it for $1500. Do you have a way to repair woodgrain perfectly?
 
David Fermani said:
I looked at a 07 Lexus GS350 that someone broke through the passenger front door glass as nicked the woodgrain section and the painted plastic window switch of the door trim panel. I had no choice other than to replace it for $1500. Do you have a way to repair woodgrain perfectly?
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Not that I know of. I once tried to have a master carpenter restore the wood grain in a '92 Q45, but with dissapointing results.
 
I do.



If its real wood and not plastic, you can sand through it and clear it. On some MB's, there is aluminum sandwiched between layers of wood to stop splintering, you cant sand out a deep scratch.
 
The shop is actually going to try some 2000 grit and spray it with some special clear. This piece is a non serviceable part of the door panel and requires complete replacement. The switch however, could be replaced separately and was only $350.
 
Use lacquer from WATCO (I think) as the clear. They sell matte, low build material as well as a high gloss that appears like a plastic shell. Its just like furniture refinishing, if you remove the stain, if it is stained, match up and add more.
 
How long does the leather repair last? Previously when I had leather/vinyl repais done, the areas would eventually flake off and the damage would show through within a few months. I did it for used cars so I could get them looking as good a posible for the lot.



Remember, the last itme I had this done was 1998, I'm sure there has been advances in the material technology since then. Whats different now?
 
jsatek said:
How long does the leather repair last? Previously when I had leather/vinyl repais done, the areas would eventually flake off and the damage would show through within a few months. I did it for used cars so I could get them looking as good a posible for the lot.



Remember, the last itme I had this done was 1998, I'm sure there has been advances in the material technology since then. Whats different now?
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There's two possibilities for the flaking:



1. Poor cleaning. If the surface isn't clean, the dye won't last.

2. No use of crosslinker. This makes the dye resistant to wear and chemicals. We can actually clean a leather seat with all purpose cleaner within 1 hour if we add 1% crosslinker to our dye.



Flaking within a few months is not normal. Within 24 months, high wear areas like the driver's bolster will start to look thin, but should not flake. Rear seats, passenger seats, dashboards, and consoles--because they don't see the rub and wear of the driver's seat--generally last for the life of the car.
 
I had an 03 Saab 93 that had the same door pull problem. It also affected the AC knobs, glove box button, dash, and gear surround. I replaced each of these parts at least 3 times under warranty. I was told by the dealer this was a supplier known issue.



I got frustrated enough with the car because of this issue and the other 100 issues, and it was gone in 06. Really, it was a piece of crap of a car. Sweet looking on the outside and inside, but quality was sub-par to that of Kia even.



As for the repair, you've done a very nice job. I'm sure this will hold much much better than the original.
 
spielnicht said:
I had an 03 Saab 93 that had the same door pull problem. It also affected the AC knobs, glove box button, dash, and gear surround. I replaced each of these parts at least 3 times under warranty. I was told by the dealer this was a supplier known issue.



I got frustrated enough with the car because of this issue and the other 100 issues, and it was gone in 06. Really, it was a piece of crap of a car. Sweet looking on the outside and inside, but quality was sub-par to that of Kia even.



As for the repair, you've done a very nice job. I'm sure this will hold much much better than the original.
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I had an 03 also, that was a launch year car, total junk. I got out of mine "for free" through GMAC only if I took another. I took an 06 and sold it via lease swap about 6 months ago. The 2006 was a gem, not one issue.









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I figured the spots were not cleaned effectively. I didnt know that the material requires an additive. I remember one clown telling me that he knows it doesn last and the seats flex so I should just use him to get the cars sold!

I rememebr my clean up shop taking the "paint", I wont call what the guys did for me dye, off of the seats with degreaser regularly. Just poor bonding and preparation.
 
Awesome repairs. In the past we have used a guy from Fibrenew, very good results, but he also didn't like to do driver seat leather. He said the repairs wouldn't last for more than a couple months.
 
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