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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / April 2005

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Leatherique Seat Restoration

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Paul Valois - 18 Mar 2005 03:47 GMT
I have a 300SD with some pretty nasty leather seats.  I an going to try
to resuscitate them with Leatherique, just to see if the stuff works
like they claim it does.

Has anyone used the stuff? Any input will be appreciated.  I would like
to know how much of the stuff I will need to order to do the whole car.
marlinspike - 18 Mar 2005 06:46 GMT
I've heard it works well. If you do it, be sure to take before and after
pictures. My seats are pretty bad, and I wonder if they are not so bad to be
unrestorable.
Richard
>I have a 300SD with some pretty nasty leather seats.  I an going to try to
>resuscitate them with Leatherique, just to see if the stuff works like they
>claim it does.
>
> Has anyone used the stuff? Any input will be appreciated.  I would like to
> know how much of the stuff I will need to order to do the whole car.
T.G. Lambach - 18 Mar 2005 06:50 GMT
A few years ago an owner used the product to restore and redye his car's
leather seats. The job took him several days - to soften the hard,
cracked leather, then to dye it and to add the finish; he was pleased
with the result. He showed pictures of the "before" (ugh) and the
"after" (like new).

Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org
marlinspike - 18 Mar 2005 16:00 GMT
Can it work magic though? My leather has tears in the creases (you know,
where creases form when you sit on these old spring based benz seats) and I
wonder if anything can cure that.
Richard
>A few years ago an owner used the product to restore and redye his car's
>leather seats. The job took him several days - to soften the hard, cracked
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org 
T.G. Lambach - 18 Mar 2005 20:14 GMT
It will soften the creases but nothing will fix tears.
Paul Valois - 18 Mar 2005 21:10 GMT
To fix tears and holes, you must first glue a leather patch under the
rip and hole, and then apply the crack filler in thin layers on the
patch until it is a little higher than the surface of the rest of the
leather.  After the filler is dry, you sand it level with the rest of
the leather and dye it.

From the photos, repairs to rips and holes are invisible!

The results look incredible.

> Can it work magic though? My leather has tears in the creases (you know,
> where creases form when you sit on these old spring based benz seats) and I
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>>
>>Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org 
marlinspike - 18 Mar 2005 23:52 GMT
Hmm, sounds good, but it also sounds like so much work I might as well just
shell out the $400 and get new leather.
Richard
> To fix tears and holes, you must first glue a leather patch under the rip
> and hole, and then apply the crack filler in thin layers on the patch
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>>>
>>>Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org
Paul Valois - 19 Mar 2005 18:56 GMT
Where can you get leather for $400?  If you can re-leather a Mercedes
for this price than you should DEFINITELY do it instead of using
Leatherique, I think.

> Hmm, sounds good, but it also sounds like so much work I might as well just
> shell out the $400 and get new leather.
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>>>>
>>>>Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org
marlinspike - 19 Mar 2005 22:27 GMT
Uh...the dealer. Though I get special pricing. You can also get it from
performanceproducts.com for 500, and I'm sure worlduph.com I'm sure is
somewhere around there too. This is for a W126 though.
Richard
> Where can you get leather for $400?  If you can re-leather a Mercedes for
> this price than you should DEFINITELY do it instead of using Leatherique,
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>>Can't recall the site, may have been on: www.mbz.org
Paul Valois - 20 Mar 2005 02:16 GMT
> Uh...the dealer. Though I get special pricing. You can also get it from
> performanceproducts.com for 500, and I'm sure worlduph.com I'm sure is
> somewhere around there too. This is for a W126 though.
> Richard

worlduph.com, according to their website, charges $1080 for the front
seat leather kits and $1022 for the rear seat kits...  And this is their
DISCOUNTED price....  And then you still have to install them!...

Perfomanceproducts.com charges $500 per seat or $1000 total for the
front, and and $850 for the back seat leather listed on their site.

It looks to me like it would cost a couple of grand and about eight
hours to do an entire car with new leather upholstery, while it costs
about $300 and (according to what users say) takes about 30-40 hours of
labor (and a week without a car) to use Leatherique, which seems to
restore seats to "almost new"...

I guess the question is "Is it worth it to spend 25 or 30 hours and go
without a car for 5-6 extra days in order to save $1500?" Since this
works out to about $50 a dollars an hour, I bet most people would say
that Leatherique pays, while those who make a better salary or want
absolutely perfect upholstery would want to recover their seats.

Another factor would be the age of the car.  A 300SD like mine, with
280K will never be worth $5000 no matter what, simply because of the
market...  So it seems to make little sense to toss 2 grand at it
instead of a few hundred dollars.

What do you think?
marlinspike - 21 Mar 2005 16:46 GMT
> I guess the question is "Is it worth it to spend 25 or 30 hours and go
> without a car for 5-6 extra days in order to save $1500?" Since this works
> out to about $50 a dollars an hour, I bet most people would say that
> Leatherique pays, while those who make a better salary or want absolutely
> perfect upholstery would want to recover their seats.

I should have been more clear. Considering all the work I'd have to do with
my car (take off the leather, put leather patches benith all the tears and
cracks (there are a lot of them), put crack filler, sand it, dye it, etc)
I'm better off just getting new leather.
Richard
Richard Sexton - 20 Mar 2005 03:41 GMT
>Uh...the dealer. Though I get special pricing. You can also get it from
>performanceproducts.com for 500, and I'm sure worlduph.com I'm sure is
>somewhere around there too. This is for a W126 though.

It's aftermarket leather. Not the same as the original stuff.

Signature

            Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org   | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org

marlinspike - 20 Mar 2005 05:34 GMT
>>Uh...the dealer. Though I get special pricing. You can also get it from
>>performanceproducts.com for 500, and I'm sure worlduph.com I'm sure is
>>somewhere around there too. This is for a W126 though.
>
> It's aftermarket leather. Not the same as the original stuff.

Same with from the dealer? But yeah, I was talking about per seat.
Richard
Richard Sexton - 21 Mar 2005 07:05 GMT
>>>Uh...the dealer. Though I get special pricing. You can also get it from
>>>performanceproducts.com for 500, and I'm sure worlduph.com I'm sure is
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Same with from the dealer? But yeah, I was talking about per seat.

I think the dealers can get the right German leather. Just
be careful, they can also sell anything.

Signature

            Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org   | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org

Tiger - 18 Mar 2005 21:26 GMT
Leatherique is the best... They do work. However, it is winter for most of
us... it is hard to get the car baked for the leatherique to penetrate
leathers. I use their stuff.

They will soften all leathers... You gotta watch out on some thinner leather
seats like old GM... it will soften to the point that the thin leather will
tear at the existing crease...

Mercedes leather is thick so use as much as you want.
/\\/ / & E - 18 Mar 2005 23:55 GMT
>I have a 300SD with some pretty nasty leather seats.  I an going to try to
>resuscitate them with Leatherique, just to see if the stuff works like they
>claim it does.
>
> Has anyone used the stuff? Any input will be appreciated.  I would like to
> know how much of the stuff I will need to order to do the whole car.

Any UK based similar product?

Ta

Nige
Richard Sexton - 19 Mar 2005 16:20 GMT
>>I have a 300SD with some pretty nasty leather seats.  I an going to try to
>>resuscitate them with Leatherique, just to see if the stuff works like they
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Any UK based similar product?

Similar but not the same. I've never heard of the other stuff
havning the same results. Leatherique has a European distributor
now.

Signature

            Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org   | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org

Richard Sexton - 19 Mar 2005 16:18 GMT
>Has anyone used the stuff? Any input will be appreciated.  I would like
>to know how much of the stuff I will need to order to do the whole car.

I use it on everything leather. Not just car seats but coaches
and coats. Everything they say about it is true. As long as the
leather isn't dry rotted it'll come back to life. The directions
regarding heat MUST be observed. I use a small room in the
summer and crank the heat up to 100F.

I give it 3 days of treatmenet for cardboard-hard stuff and it
comes out butter soft like they say.

Signature

            Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org   | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org

Ernie Sparks - 03 Apr 2005 07:04 GMT
Called a guy who does quick touch up on MB leather and he gave me a great
hint. They simply use black shoe dye to get the "light" cracks back to
black. Then they use regular paste shoe polish. I did this on my 240D seats
and it worked great. Been about a year now and it looks like I might have to
go back and do some touch up. BTW I simply let the paste shoe polish (Kiwi)
sit until it was dry and wiped it off with an old towel. Was concerned I
might change the color of trousers and shirts so I put a beach towel on for
a couple of days. When I pulled it off there was virtually no polish residue
on it.
I won't hesitate to do this again when the need arises and it's certainly a
lot less expensive than the Leatherique system, But, then again, I'm a
miser, that's why I drive a 240D.
 
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