Leather restorer

[David]

Recommendation: Leather colour restorer.

I use Gliptone, but would recommend using a product called 'Leather Forever' Colour Restorer, first. It is coloured to match your leather and when applied slightly tints - the more coats the deeper the colour. I have used it on the Rover Saddletan seats with excellent results - it doesn't look like its has been recoloured

UK tel no: 01886 884569 (Worcestershire)

Link: www.leather-forever.net

[norvin]

I must say that I have never heard of this leather restorer, I have always used Woolies and have had good results using the Woolies kit, but not that cheap to do a car the size of a P5.

[David]

I bought a jar for £12.99 at the recent Bristol Autojumble and it is certainly enough for a P5 interior. I like it because I can gradually add the colour until the right shade is acheived. I have completed all the seats and still have plenty left. Highly recommended

[Deleted]

...is the back of your trousers now the same colour?
(but if yes as Phil would say this will change over time!)

[David]

I beg your pardon - i blame it on the curry ;D

Once applied you have to wipe it off with a soft dry cloth. I guess you have to be careful for a while, but having tested the drivers seat, it does what it says on the tin!

[Deleted]

Ah yes! we were quite wondering who had eaten that curry in the window...but then it hadn't been paid for otherwise we would have said something. I do miss Peter Sellers. Well and his wives actually. Especially...

However returning to the P5B's leather seats in shorts on a hot summers day can produce a similar effect. (Expect another Fergie comment from the antipodes. Although the correct answer is of course Sir Alex).

David I'm just pulling your leg! Although I'm sure Glen's wife will have yet another highly fashionable T-shirt for this occasion.

Glad the seats are coming along. I never dare touch mine for the reason mentioned!

[1richard2west3]

cheap but brilliant from sainsburys , lord sheriton leather balsam , about £3 a jar , and one pot is enough for the first coat (ever), second pot two coats and counting .
give it a try . from new rover restorer

[ste666football]

Have just bought my gliptone and a leather cleanser/neutraliser, also leather filler, am about to go in at the deep end-wish me luck!

[bebopdeluxe]

Good Luck!!

[Warwick]

How about some before and after shots?

[mcgill]

isnt trying to rub stuff through the painted layer of leather seats like trying to polish rust eater through the paint of your car..
"YOU dont see that gunky orange decrosol nowadays.now that cleaned!"

[barryr]

I remeber Decosol - that stuff was great. I had a Cortina with very Brown seats until I used the Decosol - turned out they were actually a light Fawn colour!!

Re the Gliptone I like that product a lot but no matter how much I used their cleaner on my back seat, more and more black came off. I've now found out it was actually green and has obvioulsy been dyed in the past!

[ste666football]

Feb 2, 2012 2:27:53 GMT Warwick said:

How about some before and after shots?

I would do or will should I say if you can tell me how to post pics on the forum-cheers ste

[Warwick]

All that sort of info lives in the Board Problems & Queries section.

roverp5.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=probs&action=display&thread=2867

[eisdielenbiker]

www.colourlock.ch/international.php

I personally prefer the Colorlock System named 'Leather Fresh' as they provide the colour mixed to a perfect match. You have to send in a sample of your leather. They then prepare an acrylic based dye stuff. I.e. you can not completely recolor from one to another color. But it works great if prepared well:
you wont need any other than the coloring, although they provide tons of other specialties in their shop.

1 - clean leather with a NEUTRAL soap
2 - degrease the leather using white spirit for cleaning
3 - apply the Colourlock with the sponge
4 - after drying a synthetic leather care should be applied (they sell one, they also do leather softener if yours is to hardened)

Organic leather care should usually not be used on leather as it might rot. But I admit to apply bee wax based for the lovely smell of it....

Btw. as an acidous environment is natural for leather being a life material , specialists also recommend to give leather a good sponge sweep with concentrated vinegar (clear type). I also did this after degreasing without harming anything. Besides it deadens possible rot or bad smell from the material.

Mark

[ste666football]

Well I've finally completed my seats - stripped back both front seat bases and redressed the foam where necessary, restiched seams to both bases where they had split firstly using leather glue to apply patch under seams then stiching through the seat into the patch.
Next stripped colour and sheen from all seats then sanded surface with 600 wet and dry.
Followed this with daubing on colour leather dye using a sponge and lots of patience,care should be taken not to apply too much dye in one go. Make sure excess is lightly sponged/daubed off , you can genuinely speed up the process between coats by using a hair dryer.
Then finally seal in the paint with an acrylic leather dye sealer in either gloss satin or matt.
Seats look fantastic now.
Tip! You can fill cracks with a flexible leather filer and most holes can easily be repaired using a backing patch glue and filer prior to colour.
I have also started to clean up my engine bay , stripped back and repainted air box, rocker covers breather pipes slam panel etc,starting to look well now.
I have rebuilt my battery box and resprayed black, revitalised the boot area and serviced the webasto roof.
Replaced power steering fluid and filter, aut trans fluid, brake fluids and brake overhaul.
Need new carpets now-any ideas who provides best value carpets- oh yeah and got me an 8track player for installation in near future

[barryr]

Over the years I've tried Neatsfoot oil from Eastwood - smells manky and didnt make much difference to softness really, I tried a recommended equine leather softener but that had no effect at all, I tried connolly leather softener - wrong stuff for our leather, a rolls royce softener that smelled fabulous and worked for a bit but costs a million squillion pounds.. Really!.

The best one for softening seemed to be the gliptone cleaner and then leather care although the aloe vera product from Meguiars also had an impact and smells great even though its aimed at more modern cars (I use it on my Saab).

I like the gliptone smell but in truth I dont think its as nice as the cars own leather smell.

[barryr]

Also... I used the Formula40 Vinylkote spray that was out a few years ago on my centre armrest. I did this as a test as the colour had worn off (ebony). The makers claim it changes the colour microscopically and doesnt come off. I can vouch for the fact it worked really well in covering and it doesnt come off at all. Only thing I didnt really like was the feel afterwards which was rougher ( what you'd expect from spraying a paint really). It does work but not sure I'd do the seats with it.

[mcgill]

vinylkote is still about, go to paint specialists..what people missed with the rattle cans version in 90s was the clear vinyl laquer after.
lots of really misty coats.
I did my rangey ten years ago,on drivers seat,went from black to sorrel.ITs never looked painted,and is still like it came outta factory...its what im doing mine in....they can put in rattle can
LEONARD BROOKS · Paint Works, 27, Oak Rd, Romford , RM3 0PL. Tel: [phone]