Reupolster seats?....

[bimmerboi18]

I want to reupolster my front seats, where can you find the leather kits at? 92 525i. Is this expensive??
Thanks guys
Stephen Merrill

[Kalevera]

Stephen...it's mucho dinero. So much that it's practically easier to buy a set of seats in better condition out of a wreck on eBay or from Rigmaster (he has a nice set in pergament -- I've seen them, they're in great condition and heated!). That's plug and play, baby. I think he's looking for something like $500 + shipping for the set of fronts, but don't quote me on it (if they're even still for sale). Reupholstery kits and shops are all going to be up in that region, if not much higher, for one seat. Go figure.

Or, try something like Leatherique or Color Plus. I had bad results with leatherique; others have done better. I decided to forget about restoring the old seats and am currently in the process of swapping in a set of memory seats (plus steering column and mirrors) from a '94 740.

best, whit

[632 Regal]

I went to a redo shop, no discount....500 a seat no guarantee on match unless I did both front and the rear...I dyed mine its better than stock (yeah right). It's liveable tho.

[Russell]

Was it a fill cracks and dye situation? That is tricky. I just conditioned mine with Leatherique. They feel and look great. Lot of work. I did it twice on the front seats. Just interested.


Stephen...it's mucho dinero. So much that it's practically easier to buy a set of seats in better condition out of a wreck on eBay or from Rigmaster (he has a nice set in pergament -- I've seen them, they're in great condition and heated!). That's plug and play, baby. I think he's looking for something like $500 + shipping for the set of fronts, but don't quote me on it (if they're even still for sale). Reupholstery kits and shops are all going to be up in that region, if not much higher, for one seat. Go figure.

Or, try something like Leatherique or Color Plus. I had bad results with leatherique; others have done better. I decided to forget about restoring the old seats and am currently in the process of swapping in a set of memory seats (plus steering column and mirrors) from a '94 740.

best, whit

[Kalevera]

Was it a fill cracks and dye situation? That is tricky. I just conditioned mine with Leatherique. They feel and look great. Lot of work. I did it twice on the front seats. Just interested.
Exactly.

I've got no qualms with their prep products. But...the crack filler is practically worthless when applied anywhere on a seat's lower cushion, and the latex/rubberized dyes that they sell both feel tacky and aren't very reliable.

Here's my driver seat...before and after:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v736/suzpectx/dsbefore.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v736/suzpectx/dsredone.jpg

It looked and smelled great for about a week after the 7 day application process of theirs that I used.

Here's what happens after two years or so:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v736/suzpectx/Twoyearsafterleatheriquing--califor.jpg

So, if you're just looking to restore some of the feel, use leatherique. Otherwise, try something else.

best, whit

[bimmerboi18]

Stephen...it's mucho dinero. So much that it's practically easier to buy a set of seats in better condition out of a wreck on eBay or from Rigmaster (he has a nice set in pergament -- I've seen them, they're in great condition and heated!). That's plug and play, baby. I think he's looking for something like $500 + shipping for the set of fronts, but don't quote me on it (if they're even still for sale). Reupholstery kits and shops are all going to be up in that region, if not much higher, for one seat. Go figure.

Or, try something like Leatherique or Color Plus. I had bad results with leatherique; others have done better. I decided to forget about restoring the old seats and am currently in the process of swapping in a set of memory seats (plus steering column and mirrors) from a '94 740.

best, whit
I have grey interior. I think when I do new front seats, I am going to do the front door panels as well. Any ideas as to where to get the seats in grey??
Thanks guys,
Stephen Merrill

[uscharalph]

I went to a local shop and got a quote. My seatback are fine, so the quote was just for the bottoms. $175.00 per in a synthetic and $275.00 per in leather.

[oldskoollove]

Exactly.

I've got no qualms with their prep products. But...the crack filler is practically worthless when applied anywhere on a seat's lower cushion, and the latex/rubberized dyes that they sell both feel tacky and aren't very reliable.

Here's my driver seat...before and after:

It looked and smelled great for about a week after the 7 day application process of theirs that I used.

Here's what happens after two years or so:

So, if you're just looking to restore some of the feel, use leatherique. Otherwise, try something else.

best, whit


now i'm freaked out. i have some discoloration on the back of my driver seat and a few places on the back seats. i had intended to buy the leather restorer from leatherique (after reading some past post and people comparing it against zymol) as well as the crack filler and dye (i have a few tiny cracks on the front seat). but now i'm rethinking that. i have to admit that you are the first person who i have come across who has had such a strong negative experience with leatherique. . .i've read nothing but praise about their products.

lj

[JonE]

I refurbed my 89 325iC with Leatherique products last year and am happy, so far. I had to repair a hole in the side bolster of the driver's seat, created a patch with leather and used crack filler to "smooth it out". Admittedly, I didn't do a very good job with the crack filler, but, I no good at body work either! The seats do look very good when it is done and the color match was perfect.
A few notes about the job:
1. Plan on spending alot of time doing this, one weekend is too short. I think to do it right you'll work on it for about 4-7 days depending on weather and temperature.
2. Make sure you don't skip steps, the rejuvinating oil is critical for softening the leather. My rear seat top was hard as cardboard and the center seam needed restitching. I was skeptical, but it did work out fine, needed 2-3 applications of the oil.
3. Make sure you thouroughly sand all of the leather dye, probably doesn't need to be completely stripped, but make sure you hit it all very good. This will wear your hands out, you've been warned! Also, remove all of the dye where the "cracks" are, as, many times it is actually the old dye that is cracked and not the leather. If the leather is cracked, use the crack filler sparingly, building up layers until it blends. I found that getting rid of all the cracks completely was not in my scope of expertise.
4. Finally, the dye. Oh, the dye...Yes, it is water based, so you're not going to get the adherance and durability of the original, I think. I also tried spraying at first, but, ended up brushing it on. After awhile, you get the feel of how it needs to go on, thinly. Gonna get some brush strokes, but, they evidently do sand out, if you want. I didn't bother with that detail and the seats still look pretty good.
This is a very detailed, time consuming job, that can be rewarded with patience and very meticulous attention.
I'd say mine came out about a 8 out of 10. 9 if it weren't for my less than great crack filler job. Going into the job, I'd say my seats were about a 5, so that is a significant improvement. As Whit pointed out, we'll see how they look in another year or so.

[Marshy]

Whit,

Are you using seats from an E38 or E32? We had E38s in 1994 (I had one!) so I'd be fascinated if those front seats can fit an E34. Not sure the US had the E38 until 1995 though...

Cheers, --Chris

[Gene in NC]

Get better seats for less money. Go to modest cost sheepskins.

[Kalevera]

The seats are coming out of a late '93 E32 with full memory. Which means that the harness is a pain in the ass to get right (I haven't pulled back my E34's carpet all the way to see if there are any useable connectors in the harness, but suspect there won't be any). They're not in great condition (smoker car...ugh) and I'll have to clean them up a bit, but they're not cracked like my DS is. I'm going to strip the car, anyway, so it'll be a fun few week long project.

On leatherique: as others have said (me too), there's a lot to like about the product, and their oils and cleaners are great. But it's not going to restore the seats to what they looked like out of the showroom, especially if the seat's got severe cracking (as mine did), yet their marketing and various people's writeups suggested differently (some post 'one year later' pics to show what might happen).

Presently, my pass front seat looks like it did the day I finished it (plus a few dirt smudges from what I do on the daily). The driver's -- with admittedly the most wear and use -- is cracked, peeling, and discolored. Of course, the degradation that has transpired could have been due to something I did while applying this stuff, but I did follow their instructions to the T.

Bill has a picture (posted a few times in the board's recent history) of a late E24 seat that he/his nephew redid with Color Plus. I was hoping to get the same results with leatherique. Bill's used both and has said that he prefers the former. So, if I were to do this again, I'd be calling PA.

best, whit