Refinished my leather seats
- Thread starter Geepeater
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Looks phenomenal! Please expand on the process and colors. Thanks
- Thread starter
- #5
I thoroughly followed Furniture Clinic (FC) instructions. I removed seats from truck (easy) and I stripped them down to bare leather with lacquer thinner and medium steel wool which was the most time consuming step. I then cleaned with alcohol (provided in the FC Leather Colorant kit), applied 2-3 coats of FC Adhesion Promoter (I bought the Adhesion Promoter separately from FC - it is not included in the Colorant Kit but was a step I felt worth doing), 4 coats of colorant (color matched to headrest by FC), and finished with 4 coats of FC Leather Finish (3 coats of gloss, final coat of Satin).
I used a combination of FC's Leather Prep and Soffener from Color Plus (they also make SurFlex Colorant). I considered both ColorPlus and FC and decided on the FC product for the coloring. The only issue I had was the air brush clogging while applying the color. I ended up applying most of the colorant with a cotton cloth. With the final coats of finish all applied with the air brush (finish is thinner than the colorant) you cannot tell I used the cloth.
I used a combination of FC's Leather Prep and Soffener from Color Plus (they also make SurFlex Colorant). I considered both ColorPlus and FC and decided on the FC product for the coloring. The only issue I had was the air brush clogging while applying the color. I ended up applying most of the colorant with a cotton cloth. With the final coats of finish all applied with the air brush (finish is thinner than the colorant) you cannot tell I used the cloth.
THIS!
Used Surflex on several early 911's over the years. One '85 Carrera is still local, and the leather still looks terrific after almost ten years. Suflex Soffener if the leather has become hard, and Surflex Colorant to dye the leather. Hard to beat the results, and it wears as well as the original color.
- Thread starter
- #10
Total materials cost was between $150 and $200. Patience and time are the major costs. Its all about the prep. Time between some steps is 24+ hours to allow for drying, absorption, or curing. I don't need my LC as a daily driver. I had the luxury of removing the seats for a month.
I'm curious as to why there are two different seats shown? The drivers was the original seat (which makes sense why it would look pretty bad). But your restored picture is the passengers? (Can you show us the drivers again?) I want to restore mine but I want to see what it could look like!
Thanks
Sent from my iPhone, please embrace the typos
Thanks
Sent from my iPhone, please embrace the typos
- Thread starter
- #12
Here are both seats installed. I never took a "before" photo of the passenger side and had the driver's side back in the truck before thinking of the "after" photos. Below are both installed after refinishing. They look lighter in the photos but are almost imperceptibly lighter in person. I'll post some photos taken in daylight as the flash seems to skew the tint.
Both Color Plus's Surflex and Furniture Clinic's colorants are water based polymers and both have both positive and negative reviews online. I looked at both and, in fact, purchased the leather softening product and flex fill for crack repair from Color Plus. FC has the superior website with very detailed instructions for each step in the process. Based on my research, I believe both products will perform well IF the leather is prepped correctly. But only time will tell. At the end of the day, it was worth the $200 or so I spent. If it doesn't hold up, I'll either redo them with another product or (more likely) install one of the better seat covers I've read about on this forum. I just can't justify $700+ for new leather on a truck I just purchased for $6,700. But I could not leave them as is, they were UGLY.
I left out a couple steps in my earlier description. Here's the full list:
1. Remove seats. I cannot imagine doing this with the seats installed.
2. Strip to leather with lacquer thinner and steel wool (medium)
3. Allow to dry 24 hours
4. Apply leather softener liberally if leather is dry (I did at least 3 applications of ColorPlus's Soffener product)
5. Allow to soak in for at least 24 hours.
6. Wipe off seats with with damp cloth to remove any excess Soffener
7. Fill any cracks with Flex Fill (I used ColorPlus's product). Don't go too crazy with this as you'll be sanding off any excess.
8. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours
9. Sand Flex Fill smooth. Also sand any rough leather. I used 320 grit.
10. Apply FC Leather Binder. Usually used only on cracked areas but I did the whole seat.
9. Clean again lightly with lacquer thinner and then with alcohol cleaner.
10*. Using air brush, apply the FC Adhesion Promoter in multiple coats, multiple directions. I think I did 3 or 4 coats. Dry between coats with hair dryer
11*. Immediately begin air brush or soft hair brush application of colorant. Dry with hair dryer between coats. Apply as many coats as necessary to get full coverage. Mine took 4 coats I believe.
12*. Using air brush, apply Leather Finish (aka Top Coat). I chose the satin finish. Dry between coats with hair dryer.
*I also added FC's Cross Linker product to the adhesion promoter, colorant, and finish coats.
![20140112_152620[1].webp](https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachments/20140112_152620-1-webp.851153/ "20140112_152620[1].webp")
![20140112_152701[1].webp](https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachments/20140112_152701-1-webp.851154/ "20140112_152701[1].webp")
Both Color Plus's Surflex and Furniture Clinic's colorants are water based polymers and both have both positive and negative reviews online. I looked at both and, in fact, purchased the leather softening product and flex fill for crack repair from Color Plus. FC has the superior website with very detailed instructions for each step in the process. Based on my research, I believe both products will perform well IF the leather is prepped correctly. But only time will tell. At the end of the day, it was worth the $200 or so I spent. If it doesn't hold up, I'll either redo them with another product or (more likely) install one of the better seat covers I've read about on this forum. I just can't justify $700+ for new leather on a truck I just purchased for $6,700. But I could not leave them as is, they were UGLY.
I left out a couple steps in my earlier description. Here's the full list:
1. Remove seats. I cannot imagine doing this with the seats installed.
2. Strip to leather with lacquer thinner and steel wool (medium)
3. Allow to dry 24 hours
4. Apply leather softener liberally if leather is dry (I did at least 3 applications of ColorPlus's Soffener product)
5. Allow to soak in for at least 24 hours.
6. Wipe off seats with with damp cloth to remove any excess Soffener
7. Fill any cracks with Flex Fill (I used ColorPlus's product). Don't go too crazy with this as you'll be sanding off any excess.
8. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours
9. Sand Flex Fill smooth. Also sand any rough leather. I used 320 grit.
10. Apply FC Leather Binder. Usually used only on cracked areas but I did the whole seat.
9. Clean again lightly with lacquer thinner and then with alcohol cleaner.
10*. Using air brush, apply the FC Adhesion Promoter in multiple coats, multiple directions. I think I did 3 or 4 coats. Dry between coats with hair dryer
11*. Immediately begin air brush or soft hair brush application of colorant. Dry with hair dryer between coats. Apply as many coats as necessary to get full coverage. Mine took 4 coats I believe.
12*. Using air brush, apply Leather Finish (aka Top Coat). I chose the satin finish. Dry between coats with hair dryer.
*I also added FC's Cross Linker product to the adhesion promoter, colorant, and finish coats.
How do these products work? Are you essentially adding a layer of colored vinyl to the top of the leather?
Is it my eyes or are the covers two toned? Seat and back one color with sides and console another.
- Thread starter
- #15
Like it or not, your leather seats are painted at the factory. This process removes the original finish and replaces it with new. And the center console has not been done yet. I did not refinish the vinyl sides of the seats, only the leather seating surfaces. I still have to do the arm rests but after driving for a couple of days without them I am not re-installing them. There's more arm room and the interior just seems cleaner without them. I plan to fabricate round, flat covers for the holes.
Everyone who has seen it in person is astonished at the results. I'll let you know how it holds up.
Everyone who has seen it in person is astonished at the results. I'll let you know how it holds up.
Part of it is vinyl and plastic reflects light differently from leather in flash photography so it will appear different. It is probably closer than in appears.
It cracked me up when I learned the console was vinyl. Really?
Yep. Not only that, only the seating section and center part of seat back are leather, the rest is vinyl.
Anybody know of a sturdy repair for split leather seat?
My LX has about 2-3" of split starting on the drivers seat. A new OE leather seat bottom cover from local stealer is over $500, a major ripoff even for a Lexus stealer part.
I can't imagine anything that will look OK, last a long time, and not aggravate driver with coarse sewn threads or similar.
My LX has about 2-3" of split starting on the drivers seat. A new OE leather seat bottom cover from local stealer is over $500, a major ripoff even for a Lexus stealer part.
I can't imagine anything that will look OK, last a long time, and not aggravate driver with coarse sewn threads or similar.