[swedespeed7]

I just bought an '08 Aero. Noticed after I brought it home that there was a gaping hole in the driver's side bolster (was hiding because the seat was far back enough that the B pillar was hiding it). Don't ask me how it got there, because it's a weird place for such a large hole.

Rather than pay a place to do the exact same process, I decided to try it myself using the 3M 08579 Leather and Vinyl Repair Kit from Amazon. At $12 free shipping, why not?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058WXNOK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Reading the reviews, it's very apparent there was a lot of user error. So I took my time and followed the instructions with a few exceptions.

Since my hole was pretty substantial (2 inches), I used the thicker patching material. Cut out a piece bigger than the hole and slide it in.

The "vinyl adhesive" just appears to be Elmer's white glue in a small container, but whatever. I applied the glue to the patch and under the leather and waited for it to dry. Don't apply too much glue or it won't dry.

Finally, select the grain paper that most closely matches your leather/vinyl grain. Then mix the colorant until you get a close match to your factory color. The colorant is thicker than the glue, which is good for filling voids.

Then, instead of using the heat transfer tool and an iron, I used my wife's curling iron (set to 330 degrees F). Apply the paper right over the sticky wet colorant and then roll the iron over the paper firmly, being careful not to let the paper move. About 15-30 seconds for the colorant to cure.

That's it! Came out pretty well, it's not perfect but I'm happy with the results especially because the damage was in an inconspicuous area.

Before:

After:

Hope that helps anyone thinking about doing this.

 

[Diggs]

my wife would **** a brick if i used her curling iron to fix my car. good job. ;ol;

 

[swedespeed7]

my wife would **** a brick if i used her curling iron to fix my car. good job. ;ol;

Haha. Thanks. My wife didn't even blink, she knows I take good care of her stuff. The iron never touches anything except the back of the paper.

 

[Capriman86]

that came out better than I expected ;ol;

 

[swedespeed7]

that came out better than I expected ;ol;

Thanks, I was surprised too. It didn't look very good after the first patching step, but the colorant/ironing step really finishes it out. It feels perfectly smooth to the touch and with the same texture as the rest of the seat too.

 

[toxicavenger]

Congrats. I worked for an upholstery shop who use to do the same kind of repairs and believe it or not they held up really good.

 

[swedespeed7]

Congrats. I worked for an upholstery shop who use to do the same kind of repairs and believe it or not they held up really good.

Good to know ;ol;

 

[bdo888]

motivate!

Nice review! Hopefully this will motivate me to fix drivers side mini tear that drives me NUTS

 

[verso]

Came out pretty well, it's not perfect but I'm happy with the results especially because the damage was in an inconspicuous area.

It's definitely passable and looks a hell of a lot better than the gouge that was there.

Sometimes "perfect" just isn't in the cards, doesn't make sense or isn't practical, the time/expense makes it not worth it. Sometimes "good" is good enough. ;ol;

 

[bdonney]

I'll have to try that too. My drivers seat on my 2006 9-3 has the vinyl part cracking pretty bad and the leather part. part you slide across. pretty sure those are the two most common areas. I have the parchment colored leather. I'll have to post pictures when I try this out.
I kind of always assumed those patches didn't work worth a damn.

 

[GoArmy]

Nicely done!!

 

[swedespeed7]

Nicely done!!

Thank you sir!

As an update, the repair is still holding up nicely. ;ol;

 

[brt]

Great job! I am really impressed with results and the fact that is holding up.

I love reading this forum!

 

[swedespeed7]

1 year later and looks the same as the day I repaired it. ;ol;

 

[swedespeed7]

Almost 2 years later, patch still holding fine, looks the same as the first day it was applied, no color changes either. Good stuff.

 

[DryBear]

Looks great! Have you used any leather care/conditioning products on the patched area?

 

[swedespeed7]

Looks great! Have you used any leather care/conditioning products on the patched area?

Yep, just leather cleaner and conditioner as I normally do.

 

[SaabEC]

Man, this is a nice fix to a problem I fear encountering with leather seats.

 

[SilentJ20]

I'm debating trying something like this on the typical drivers seat bottom wear, but I'm worried about how it would handle actual contact. Your repair looks good still, but does it see any abrasion, rubbing or other contact? I wonder how it would hold up to me sitting on it and flexing it.

 

[swedespeed7]

I'm debating trying something like this on the typical drivers seat bottom wear, but I'm worried about how it would handle actual contact. Your repair looks good still, but does it see any abrasion, rubbing or other contact? I wonder how it would hold up to me sitting on it and flexing it.

It doesn't see any contact, no. However, I'd have to say it feels stronger than the original leather/vinyl so it would probably hold up just fine.