Leather renovation kit

[kelsham]

I have just made a great buy on Ebay, I bid one hundred pounds for the seats out of an XJ-s.

No one else was interested so I duly went to collect them. They were in really good condition, I have the complete set. Sadly my car is a cabriolet and I suspect the rear seats will not fit.

However the front seats are just right except they are grey. I need black seats for my car so need to recolour them.

Has anyone used a kit they can recommend?

I am looking at the one supplied by Woolies. Any advice welcome.

Kels.

[J44EAG]

I wrote an article a couple of years ago about refinishing seating in my car.

Materials came from Furniture Clinic. Try this link.

http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leathe ... tAodDEsA3Q

Results achieved were far above my expectations. I was well pleased.

In the case of a colour change, note the recommended use of a blocker coating.

Mike K

[jBlackwell]

Hi Kels,
I can certainly recommend Furniture Clinic along side Mike. They also provide a service in some area's where they will do the work for you (fee depending obviously).
I have done a few seats myself and also used another local company to me who I would strongly recommend if you decided on that route also.

Regards

James

[kelsham]

Thanks for the replies, I will contact the supplier recommended. Did the colour last well?

I am looking forward to having seats without torn stitching.

Regards Kels.

[J44EAG]

No problem at all with colour fastness. Clean well with the supplied cleaner and you will be ok. Use protective gloves as the dye is very opaque and sticks well, seemingly especially your skin and clothes!

Take your time and let dry between coatings and you should be ok. It is quite a fun process and certainly makes a worn seat look a million dollars.

Mike

[jBlackwell]

The seats I have done are lasting brilliantly.
The best thing to remember is that the paint and lacquer form a barrier which no dirt can penetrate. Therefore, leather feeding, expensive cleaners are all a bit pointless. They cant get through the to the leather to "feed it", and nothing cleans leather like a regular damp cloth and dry to keep it clean.

James

[kelsham]

Stenatco, that is interesting, how do you feed the leather if the coating is impermeable?
Should I feed the leather before application?


Regards Kels.

[jBlackwell]

Yes,
That is exactly how you treat the leather. Furniture Clinic do a good product that does exactly that. Leave it over night to settle in, then continue with the repair.
I have tried other companies and products, but none of them come close to the level of understanding and knowledge that Furniture Clinic put into their products.
The company I have used local to me changed all their products over to Furniture Clinic after I spoke to them about a number of things and now use their products exclusively.

James

[davidr]

I have used the gliptone products in the past (see Liquid Leather ads in the Enthusiasts Magazine or Jaguar World). They do not require a sealer, are very easy to use and you can continue to feed the leather after treatment. They have an extensive number of Jag leather colours or can make up a matched dye if you send them a sample.