my Vadars have been hurting bad, 10 years of AZ heat and neglect has finally brought me to restore them and hopefully get a few more years out of them. I used the Magic Mender kit from leatherrepairkits.com, i must say this product is awesome. they have BMW Dove Gray formulated perfectly and their customer support is second to none, i would recommend their product to anyone interested. from start to finish, one seat took me about 4 hours. the key is to make several light coats and to let them fully dry in between. i also took my time to avoid filling the stitching with the dye. it's definatly a test of patience. enough with that, here are the pictures.
56k, go make a sandwich...

BEFORE
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore1.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore2.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore3.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore4.jpg

DURING
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatduring1.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatduring2.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatduring3.jpg

AFTER
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatafter1.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatafter2.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatafter3.jpg


and this sunday i'm going to tackle the drivers side, MUCH worse condition. i'll post pics as to how that turns out.

http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/seat1.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/seat2.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/seat3.jpg

wow that seat looks great after the treatment. Mine are in very good condtion compared to yours but i'm thinking of trying to restore them to make them look new.

that is incredible!! i have to get to work on my seats.

How much are one of those kits? THat looks very nice!!!

Danm, THat looks good. Good Luck on the drivers side. Very interested to see how it turns out.

Wow, that's an amazing turnaround! I wonder how durable that is and whether it might wear off over time.

my question exactly.

according to my knowledge the new dye is the same type as the original dye so it will perform just as good as long as the surface is prepped and applied properly. you can also use leather cleaning and conditioning products as you would on the original leather. i must say it isn't perfect, it's a bit streaky is parts, but no one would notice it unless they knew what to look for. much better than it was, and for $50 i think it was definatly worth it to get a few more years out of the seats.

Its Sunday and im waiting for updates. I am about to do this to my dove gray vaders, and my driver seat is not as bad as yours but im really interested to see how that works out for you. Good luck today and keep up posted!

good job; that looks great.

ok, I just finished up on the drivers seat. it's not perfect, but it's sure as hell better than it was and should hold up for a few more years to come. overall, i'm very satisfied with the product, it doesn't do miracles and i wouldn't expect to win any car shows. but like i said before, for $50 and about 8 hours total time invested, i'm happy...

BEFORE
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore5.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatbefore6.jpg

AFTER
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatafter4.jpg
http://forum.vwsport.com/pics/data/3061/m3seatafter5.jpg

Awsome job...I wonder how this would work with black Vaders...My seats are in very good condition but simple cracking drives me crazy :mad

Awsome job once again:)

Did you do any sort of patching/filling or was it just a redye? I thought I saw a bit of seat cushion in one of your drivers side back bolster pictures. Unfortunately, my dove gray vaders have a decent sized hole in the seat bolster and I'm currently trying to decide whether I want to attempt it myself or just take it to a professional to get the leather replaced on the drivers bolsters.

Daniel

THAT LOOKS LIKE BRAND NEW!!!!!!!!!1
WOW you did a good job on that drivers side seat!
ive seen other leather restorations on here before but yours amazes me!
This is convincing me to restore my worn seats.
Oh man i cant wait to show people my seats and they will be like are those new seats?!!?

It dosen't rub off onto your pants does it? My drivers side is a lil less worn then yours, but in the same ball park. Great write-up and can't wait to do mine.

the kit comes with some repair compound that i used to fill some of the small holes in the bolster and to create a light layer over the really worn "suede" portions to get a smooth finish from the dye. and once it dries 10-15 minutes it does not rub off at all. some people don't realize this, but all leather is dyed from the factory to create the smooth finish and the color, so all this product does is create another layer or two of dye on top of the existing dye. by roughing up the original surface with some 600 grit sandpaper it opens up the pores and allows the new dye to bond and it's nearly as strong as the original dye.

I used this product too and used it on my dove gray seats. It is amazing what it can do. Like he said, the key is 2-3 very light coats. It does not come off on clothing either. I freshened up my seats for about a $30 bottle.

Tip: Try to do it when it's pretty warm out and/or when the seats are warm after the car sitting in the sun, etc. Works much better.

Where do you get this bottle at?

the website is in the original post. www.leatherrepairkits.com

Wow that looks amazing. Have any close-ups of the 'after'? Can't wait to see how the other seat turns out.

i already posted pictures of the other seat :confused

the website is in the original post. www.leatherrepairkits.com
how much did you use per seat? it comes with an 8 oz bottle i think.

let me know because i hella want to buy some, i have the same color seats as you... dove gray right?

how much did you use per seat? it comes with an 8 oz bottle i think.

let me know because i hella want to buy some, i have the same color seats as you... dove gray right?
me too... how much did you use on both of the seats?

i used the repair "kit" they sell and i had about 1/4 bottle of dye left over after doing both seats. yeah, the Magic Mender is so hella cool... :stickoutt

did you use the dove grey stuff? I heard some people used a different color on dove.

edit: nvm reading owns me

after seeing how you improved your seats..i'm going to order that kit today! Thanks a lot for that info..I was already "head-aching" about a scratch I have on my driver seat, but with this product it should really look like new again :)

Quick question to the original poster or those who have used this product. Did you follow their instructions to the T or did you guys throw in some extra steps in there?

I wanna bey this kit but im wondering if a more work is involved than just what the website recomends. TIA

website recommendations are perfect

Those seats came out nice, great job. That sucks that dont have Mulberry though.

Did you get dove gray 436 or gray 2394?

dove gray, it's a perfect match but if you apply it next to old worn leather the color difference is noticable... thats why i just did the whole seat from top to bottom, side to side.

ordered it. did you do the seatback plastic too or no?

the vader seatbacks aren't actually plastic, they are a thin vinyl covering of some sort and no i didn't touch those.

Hey, i have a black interior and black vadars.. is the color jet black or charcoal?

i have no idea, but judging from the color my eyes see... i'd say it's jet black and doesn't look very charcoal to me. but don't hold me to it.

wow! im buying that right now.... mine are good but preventitive maintenence FTW

if your's are not damaged, don't use this product.. the finish isn't as good as new. its better than old and cracked, and worth the money. just a warning. preventative maint would be getting some Lexol and cleaning and conditioning on a regular basis.

if your's are not damaged, don't use this product.. the finish isn't as good as new. its better than old and cracked, and worth the money. just a warning. preventative maint would be getting some Lexol and cleaning and conditioning on a regular basis.
You may or may not know this, but I was wondering if this system is on par with the leatherique re-dye kit? I think the leatherique is more expensive, and I'm not sure if they have the same color matching, but my seats look as bad as yours...maybe a tad better on driver's, but nonethelles VERY BAD! Judging from the pics I will be very happy as long as I follow the directions, I just wanted to know if anyone or the poster knows how it holds up in the long haul compared to leatherique...ie, more cracking and fading and whatnot after only a few months....

*EDIT* Does the kit also take care of the nasty stiffness of the leather? Or does that requrie the leatherique restore kit...then this dye kit?

Anyone? I'm getting ready to order the kit...but I also want to soften the leather up. Just want to know what to do first or if the kit takes care of both the cracking and cardboard-feel....

does anyone know if the $50 kit is enough to do the front and back?

I just used this kit on my back seat and the seats did not come out as expected. i did three really light coats, even lighter than the ones in the first post and it came out a little streaky. The process i used was, lexol cleaner, crack fill then die. what should i do, sand, condition b4 i dye, etc?

What would happen If I tried to die dove vaders black or imola or some other color other than dove?

What would happen If I tried to die dove vaders black or imola or some other color other than dove?

I'm not sure...but you woud probably want to completely strip the seats first. Even in that case, I don't think it's worth risking seats that are so expensive. Maybe get a junky seat or something and try it first....

I just used this kit on my back seat and the seats did not come out as expected. i did three really light coats, even lighter than the ones in the first post and it came out a little streaky. The process i used was, lexol cleaner, crack fill then die. what should i do, sand, condition b4 i dye, etc?

You have to clean all the conditioner off the seats with the alcohol before you dye it. Condition it, let it sit for a day, then wash it with the soapy-water, then dry it, then alcohol pad. Don't use the Lexol Cleaner in place of the soapy-water, even though the instructions say to do so. It's much easier to just deal with soapy water than the added chemicals of Lexol....

If it is coming out too streaky, then get the little spray bottle they sell or get a little spray bottle from the store and use the spray as a final coat. It really does a good job hiding the streaking.

Hope that helps...

I'm not sure...but you woud probably want to completely strip the seats first. Even in that case, I don't think it's worth risking seats that are so expensive. Maybe get a junky seat or something and try it first....


What do you mean strip the seats? Like sand them or whatever the directions say? I am thinking maybe to buy an e36 M3 and its so hard to find a clean estoril thats not on dove. So I was thinking it would be tight to get a estoril with some dove vaders that needed help and redye them like imola or cinnomon. That would be so hawt.

:coolWhat do you mean strip the seats? Like sand them or whatever the directions say? I am thinking maybe to buy an e36 M3 and its so hard to find a clean estoril thats not on dove. So I was thinking it would be tight to get a estoril with some dove vaders that needed help and redye them like imola or cinnomon. That would be so hawt.

No, not what the directions say. This kit is not designed to change the color of your seats, it's designed to restore the original color of the seats. If you want custom colors, you really need to have the seat re-upholstered, which costs four times as much as the seats themselves are worth.... Barring show cars, that would be one of the worst ways to spend money on an E36 I could think of...if you really like custom seats that much tho...there are other options available like racing seats, or very nice aftermarket seat covers....

If you wanted to try redying the seats a new color...it would have to be darker, not lighter in color. Which, since Dove Gray is almost White, wouldn't seem that bad. But the problem would be once the dye fades, it's going to fade down to a completely different color and look like crap. Once a seat has been dyed one color...it's difficult to dye it to a completely different color.

And, for the record, if you do try this...don't try red. They are the hardest to color match and some of the most quirky dies on the planet.

Dove Grey, when restored, is very attractive IMO. :cool

But esotril on imola would be so hawt. But I just thought that if I were to redye the seats red even if they did look good. It would be dumb because the doors and the other trim pieces wouldnt match and the interior would look stupid.:confused. So I guess I will just have to find a sweet estoril on magma or something.

But esotril on imola would be so hawt. But I just thought that if I were to redye the seats red even if they did look good. It would be dumb because the doors and the other trim pieces wouldnt match and the interior would look stupid.:confused. So I guess I will just have to find a sweet estoril on magma or something.

Hawt??? :rolleyes

Estoril on magma is going to be a hard car to find my friend. If you really like custom interiors like that, and are more concerned with the interior than the overall performance of the car, then get a nice 325 and with the money you've saved, you'll be able to get a nice custom interior with quality leather, even on the door panels, in whatever color your heart desires.

Like I said, show cars have that kind of interior, but the usual interior modification to E36 cars is race seats, or Vader/Luxo swaps...things like that. Although if you got your hands on parted-out luxury interior stuff, you could buy leather door panels, leather seats...everything you wanted and then try dying it...but again, changing the color of the seats completely is a risk...

This is the compilation of my $.02 :)

Hey, I think my Vaders are the same color as yours (the original poster's). Can you please confirm that this is "dove gray"?

Also, I have dark blue seats on my '88 735i... does anyone know what that's called? There are a few different blues listed on the site. Does it say it anywhere on the car?

Thats A Really Nice Kit. I May Have To Use A Mulberry Kit Soon If They Have One.

why do you have to stay away from the stitching? It will actually fill that in?

why do you have to stay away from the stitching? It will actually fill that in?

I just did mine a couple weeks ago. Don't get ANY filler in the stitching, or it disappears. You would be able to see the seem/sticthing anymore, and it looks bad. As far as the dye, you can get that on the stitching, but it makes it very very rough, it takes away the suppleness of the seam and the thread.

do you have any updated pics of the driver seat?

sorry all, i've been busy dealing with non car related stuff recently. but anway, the product is holding up ok... the cracks that i didn't completely sand out the first time are starting show up but they aren't breaking through the new redyed layer. kind of hard to explain. but once again as i said before, this process is meant to give a few more years of life to some worn beat ass seats. the finish isn't perfect and it won't hold up for as long as the original leather did. but for a few hours of time and $30-50 it's worth it, but if you're anal about this stuff, spend some $$$ and find a nice set of seats that have been well cared for and be nice to them.

i just used bmw leather care kit and suntan lotion on my seats and they look new. the bmw leather care kit if applied right and using alot takes the cracked leather out and leaves a smooth clean and original seat

But esotril on imola would be so hawt. But I just thought that if I were to redye the seats red even if they did look good. It would be dumb because the doors and the other trim pieces wouldnt match and the interior would look stupid.:confused. So I guess I will just have to find a sweet estoril on magma or something.

Dude, Just look here for someone wanting to either turn their car into a racemonster (thereby eliminating their seats and panels) or make a trade! A friend of mine did that by making the post and finding a local for exchange.

I must vote for Dove Grey looking the best though...

That is amazing. What is the site i can get that at. I am debating on actually installing m3 bucket seats from a 06 into my 325i bmw. With out the m3 logos though. You think it would be wiser to go this route?

That is amazing. What is the site i can get that at. I am debating on actually installing m3 bucket seats from a 06 into my 325i bmw. With out the m3 logos though. You think it would be wiser to go this route?

the answer to your question is in the second sentence of the first post... :confused

You should be ok with the cracks underneath the coating. The only caveat is if you are having delamination. If the coating has separated from the leather, then you could have an issue with it peeling away.

has any one tired this on black leather seats?

:subscribes:, nice work

i used the repair "kit" they sell and i had about 1/4 bottle of dye left over after doing both seats. yeah, the Magic Mender is so hella cool... :stickoutt
my seats look alittle bit better then yours did, i am hopeful that they will come out as good as yours did! where in Az are you?

give us a brief DIY i wanna do this

I noticed that you pulled the seats when applying the product. Could you have done it without removing them? Any time I take something out..it never goes back in the same way.

I am missing a cleaning step in there somewhere. I seem to remember leatherique process sweated out the soils in the seats. 'Let set overnite and wipe' kinda thing. Leather does soak up the salty sweat, would be nice to get that out before sealing the leather. I will go the extra step when it's time, the sport seats in the 540's are not cheap.
Leatherique How To (http://home.insightbb.com/~todd.kenyon/leather.htm)

Looks pretty damn good for $50.

I am interested to see if I could get a tan kit and make a beat pair of dove gray vaders match my tan interior.

I was wondering if there is a kit that will match the armrest, it is like a dark grey. does anyone know?

Ordered the kit yesterday! I hope it turns out well, my seats look the same as what is pictured.

Any info on Mulberry interior?

Those seats came out nice, great job. That sucks that dont have Mulberry though.

Wonder if they can make a perfect copy?

Has anyone done there m3 leather door panels yet i was just wondering if that has already been answer sorry thanks jordan

wHAT IS WITH ALL THE RESSURRECTIONS..... OP was in '06....

wHAT IS WITH ALL THE RESSURRECTIONS..... OP was in '06....

Searching is sexxy, it prevents multiple threads on the same topic.
~Phil

that's fantastic. a very DIY info. :D

Any updates as to how it is holding up? It has been two years now haha I would be interested to hear how it's doing.

Amazing stuff, I think i'll give it a try.

has anyone used the "Fine Mist" Sprayer? or Grain Sprayer? Is it recommended for Dove Vaders ? I think using the brush alone will make the finish too "smooth"

..

WOW I am impressed..

I think www.leatherrepairkits.com (http://www.leatherrepairkits.com) is down. Maybe it was too good to be true!

I think www.leatherrepairkits.com (http://www.leatherrepairkits.com) is down. Maybe it was too good to be true!

works for me:confused

How long did that take?

I found this thread trying to find a good alternative to fully stripping my tan leather seats. I think I'm gonna try this out. Almost anything will look better than the seats do now.

BTW the website works for me too. Before I give them my $50 I am going to try and contact them to make sure they're still with it.

Doing this ASAP, Thanks!

I wish there was a way to pay $300-$500 to get them restored.

Every quote I get is nearly 2k...

this $50 product looks like a patch job that will fade in another year.

the instructions say that you should condition the seats prior to painting.

does this mean wetsand/clean or lexol conditioner first?

thx