Fixing cracked leather seats.

Post by **songzunhuang** » 08 Aug 2010, 00:02

I have a 1998 V70 T5. The light beige interior is in good shape for a car of this vintage, but the leather is showing some serious signs of wear. After a TON of research, I have concluded that my leather is a candidate for refinishing. Although cracked and worn in many places, it is not torn nor has it gotten rock hard. Here's the before picture:

I've placed a lot of pictures about my experience on my personal blog: Fixing your leather seat.

Here's what it looked liked about 3 hours later:

I used a product called Leather Magic.
I gotta say, the name is not far off. I am hoping that my next stage of repair goes a little faster. I went about this very slow to get the feel of working with all the materials. I think I can move quicker for the rest of the seats. I still need to re-do the rest of the passenger seat. I discovered that the color match is not perfect. If I do the whole seat, it'll look better.

The big challenge will be the driver's seat. It's the most worn.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 08 Aug 2010, 03:35

Wow! That is outstanding. I am going to copy this post into the detailing forum so that it can get a wider view beyond the 850 and 70 series cars.

...Lee

Post by **JRL** » 08 Aug 2010, 06:05

This is what my guy does, you did an excellent job

Post by **thecheat** » 08 Aug 2010, 07:27

The BMW guys swear by Leatherique, it is more expensive but the results are excellent from what I have seen.

Post by **jmmxc** » 08 Aug 2010, 09:00

This is pretty impressive! Your car seats happen to be in the same condition as my mine.
Do you have any idea what that compound does to the leather?
Does it bind onto the cracks, does it seal the leather grain, or is it just a "cover"?
What is the temperature characteristics, cause the car seats can get real hot? So many questions...
Thanks for posting this. I think I will give it a try.

jmmxc
Volvo 850GLT, 1996
150K

mynoralvarez · Post by **mynoralvarez** » 11 Aug 2010, 19:52

I have exactly the same questions as JMMXC and would like to add... How long will the results last?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 11 Aug 2010, 20:31

How long will the results last?

Time will tell.

I need to snap a picture of my daughter's seats on the S70 - they look like a real project. Nothing torn but very cracked.

...Lee

Post by **JDS60R** » 11 Aug 2010, 21:01

I also do leather seat restoration.

The best I have found is at http://www.advleather.com

Call Kevin, (Owner)He formulated his product for very long life and gets you a perfect color match. He gives you lots of product and everything you need to put it on (airbrush,compressed air etc).

The price is very reasonable. I use it in my personal car and it exceeded my expectations. Make sure to wipe your seat down with rubbing alcohol before putting the product on. I wiped mine with a lesser cleaner and had to touch some spots up. Once cleaned with isopropyl and sprayed it has been wearing like iron and looks great.

Here is a pic of my drivers side gobi in an R. For thsoe who have one you know how bad the side bolster gets- mine looks like new.

Volvoagain · Post by **Volvoagain** » 12 Aug 2010, 18:18

I have been using the Leathermagic for years. I have used all of the various Volvo colors on my cars and have had great results. They have a kit or you can buy the items individually. Its a water based material...you prep the seats with an alcohol based wash, if you have major cracks you can fill them with a one part product thats easy to apply....the cracks seen in prior pictures are creases that combined with dirt become unsightly and cover nicely. As opposed to spraying and making a mess, i use small 1/4 nap rollers. two coats per seat and i tape off areas to avoid hitting any trim. The product will layout nicely and covers well. just make sure everything is clean and there is no dirt. i also use a foam brush to get into the crevices, seams and tight spots....
The color i'm using this weekend is light Taupe. the color is 99% and blends well but looks better if you go "Panel to panel", or cover the entire area. You dont normally need to to the backs or sides. It drys fast and in the summer, i can sit in an hour or less...
I will document with pics and post. I can usually do the seats in 15-20 minutes, 1 hour total with two coats. Then i hand buff with lexol leather conditioner. I have done several steering wheels also, bringing back several ugly worn wheels to like new condition.
I did my Saab last year and they still look great, no wear to date.

Post by **thecheat** » 12 Aug 2010, 20:57

I reexamined my left seat bolster and the cracks in it are quite bad. Some areas you can see the mesh backing material and no leather - though these are tiny areas, not quite tears yet. I have a roughly 2x5 inch area that is heavily cracked and chunks going about halfway through the hide are evident. I have soaked the leather with lexol conditioner but I'm afraid that it is too late.

Any recommended filler for this? Is it possibly too far gone and I might be better sourcing a new seat cover instead of fixing it?