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Leather / Vinyl Repair
#5086570
04/25/19 09:53 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511
tom slick
OP
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OP
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511 |
The driver’s seat in my wife’s Ford Flex has started cracking and splitting along the edge. The seams are in good shape but the material itself is failing. Anyone have experience with a repair kit? Any recommendations?
You get what you pay for... So keep in mind how much you paid for this advice.
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5086629
04/25/19 11:43 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639
ctechbob
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639 |
If its leather, the repair kits like 3M will work, but only temporarily before another area fails. Best thing is just to replace the cover. They're not terribly hard to do. I did the whole interior on my TL with a kit from Auto Custom Leathers. He'll ship the cover to you and even include the hog ring tools if you need them. Good dude to do business with, and he will sell you just the cover you need (no need to buy an entire kit). Before and after on my TL https://acurazine.com/forums/third-...-custom-leathers-my-new-interior-972908/Yes, I did have a shop help with mine, but I'm confident I could have done it myself. The shop is my uncle and it was part of a trip to see family anyways, so why not have a pro help you out? https://autocustomleathers.com/Not affliliated, etc etc. Just a positive experience.
Last edited by ctechbob; 04/25/19 11:49 PM.
2008 Acura TL Type S-155k 2003 Honda Accord V6-222k Oil-Havoline HM 5W20 Filter-Partsmaster 61334 Trans-Idemitsu H+
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5086649
04/26/19 01:16 AM
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 11,965
Char Baby
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 11,965 |
IDK if it's been discussed on this site however, "Sweet Project Cars" has many good tip for car care.
"Retired" -----------------------------------
'80 Firebird FORMULA V8/4bbl-purchased "NEW" '15 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV '15 Honda Civic 1.8 LX
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5086700
04/26/19 05:12 AM
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 855
joekingcorvette
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 855 |
ctechbob- that was a sweet job you did on the Acura. Thanks for sharing.
2005 Chevrolet Corvette 2014 Ford F-150 4x4 supercrew 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited (wifes) 2012 Honda Civic 4 door (my daily driver) 2007 Lund Tyee Grand Sport Mercury 115HP 9.8HP
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5086723
04/26/19 05:47 AM
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Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 731
diyjake
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Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 731 |
It probably will be cheaper to buy a kit online and replace yourself versus going to an upholstery shop.
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5086965
04/26/19 09:28 AM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,642
csandste
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,642 |
We're going all the way back forty years here. Back when they had get rich magazines with various spiels. I had some old beater with an upholstery split and didn't do a very good job with a JC Whitney kit. Purchased a new '79 Renault LeCar-- vinyl but nice French vinyl. Back in those days, the only thing the French could do right was seats. Some miscreant cut a hole out of the upholstery on my month old car. Took it to one of these vinyl repair gurus operating out of his house and he repaired it flawlessly. Matched color and grain perfectly. Long time ago and I'm sure he's long dead, but I was pleased with his work.
2017 Kia Soul Plus-- VWB 5w30+ a bit of Harvest King syn 5w30-- 70,000 miles
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5087483
04/26/19 04:59 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511
tom slick
OP
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OP
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511 |
Right now it’s just a couple of small spots. I’m sure it will get worse with time but it’s nowhere near new seat cover time. The edges of the seat are vinyl and just this portion seems to have hardened.
Anyone ever used one of those kits?
You get what you pay for... So keep in mind how much you paid for this advice.
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5087515
04/26/19 05:27 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639
ctechbob
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639 |
Right now it’s just a couple of small spots. I’m sure it will get worse with time but it’s nowhere near new seat cover time. The edges of the seat are vinyl and just this portion seems to have hardened.
Anyone ever used one of those kits? Yes, in my Accord. It fixes the hole but then the leather/vinyl tends to tear around the fix as the stress gets concentrated there.
Last edited by ctechbob; 04/26/19 05:30 PM.
2008 Acura TL Type S-155k 2003 Honda Accord V6-222k Oil-Havoline HM 5W20 Filter-Partsmaster 61334 Trans-Idemitsu H+
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: joekingcorvette]
#5087519
04/26/19 05:29 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639
ctechbob
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639 |
ctechbob- that was a sweet job you did on the Acura. Thanks for sharing. Lol, I just put it in ACL built it so I'd give them and my uncle most of the credit on it. I just did the grunt work.
2008 Acura TL Type S-155k 2003 Honda Accord V6-222k Oil-Havoline HM 5W20 Filter-Partsmaster 61334 Trans-Idemitsu H+
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: ctechbob]
#5087551
04/26/19 06:05 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511
tom slick
OP
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OP
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,511 |
Right now it’s just a couple of small spots. I’m sure it will get worse with time but it’s nowhere near new seat cover time. The edges of the seat are vinyl and just this portion seems to have hardened.
Anyone ever used one of those kits? Yes, in my Accord. It fixes the hole but then the leather/vinyl tends to tear around the fix as the stress gets concentrated there. You are confirming my suspicions, the material is failing so patching is just that, a patch. I’m mostly thinking of damage control to make it less snaggy and to slow the rate of failure. I was more curious about experiences with particular kits and if they look decent when done with a modicum of care. Or would I be better off just glueing down the splits until total failure.
You get what you pay for... So keep in mind how much you paid for this advice.
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5087648
04/26/19 07:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,284
atikovi
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,284 |
A picture is worth a thousand words.
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Re: Leather / Vinyl Repair
[Re: tom slick]
#5087718
04/26/19 08:43 PM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639
ctechbob
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 639 |
I would get some coarse material and some fabric glue (contact cement) and push the material under the split, coat both halves with glue, let it set and then stick it together. That's probably about the best hope you have of slowing the damage.
2008 Acura TL Type S-155k 2003 Honda Accord V6-222k Oil-Havoline HM 5W20 Filter-Partsmaster 61334 Trans-Idemitsu H+
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