RE-leathering Interior parts

[t11mfn]

Right people,

A few people have asked me with regards to getting bits and bobs re-leathered inside there cars.

As some of you might know i own a motorsport cab and the interior was looking a little shagged, especially the original center console it had screw holes and funny silver bits screwed into it, phone holders, chunks cut out etc etc.

It looked a bloody mess, i took it to a re-leathering place and these two old guys said they could try and repair it but it might not look that good what with plates inserted to cover the holes etc and it would cost over Ԛ£300 for just the one piece.

Here are some pics of how bad theyt actually are:






So i thought what if i were to get one from the scrap yard and get someone to cover that instead exactly as per the original pieces, that way there are no holes to deal with and it would be a straight forward job to get it leathered to look as per the original.

So thats what i did;


Ok i had to cut out the electric window switches and ok it will not be the original one that was supplied with the car, but under the leather of the orginal one it is just the same as the standard ones.

This way i get a new one and the interior looks like new, I am also going to get a new handbrake gaiter and gear stick gaiter included in the price of Ԛ£230 (this also includes the part that runs down the centre past the front seats and both ashtrays)

I am hopefully getting it back next weekend and will post pics of the finished items. This guy has a good reputation he has alsorts of motors visit him there was an immaculate 911 porsche there the other day, he was leathering the seats of an E34 while i was there.

I will also be getting a new hood from him too for around Ԛ£600 but then i know its a good job and all the work i will be putting his was will be well worth it me thinks.

Just liked to share this with you all!!!

[stevetigger]

Yes I know what you mean! Everytime I've been to my local re-trimmers! They always have seats from lamborghini, maserati, aston martin, porsche, Ferrari and so and so forth!! When I went the last time, I was asking how much to half leather my Sport seats.......The guy comes out looks in the car and say's, yer no probs Ԛ£700. To which I reply, What car do you think this is a Rolls Royce or sumit?? The guy said to me, we must be good because look at the car interior's we do! I said in all honesty, I aint never seen any of the above cars with a bad interior because them sort of cars are well looked after!! So in the end I got the other half to do it!! Bonus!! My mrs say's the ferrari seats were most likely MR2 seats in for a re-cover after being raped with a stuck on bodge ferrari kit!!

Yer they look great.....Not

I hate people trying to make there cars look like sumit its not!!



But what you are doing is a great idea!! Now i'm going to do it too!!

[t11mfn]

Cheers mate it was awkward cause its the leather trim and you wouldnt be able to buy it new at all, so the next best thing i suppose.

Its individual abet it looks like the original so know ones going to be bothered the fact when i come to sell it (if i ever do) if they are then they can have the originals of which im sure they wouldnt want them

[stevetigger]

Like you said anyway, the factory did this anyway!!

[nav786]

so are you getting it covered in new leather?

[t11mfn]

nav786 -> yeah i am getting the black one leathered to look exactly like the original does with all the piping as well with new leather (matching the grey colour as well!!!)

stevetigger -> yeah the factory did this anyways

[keith52]

Any pics when its done ? , could be the start of a bit of business for him

[t11mfn]

Im a little annoyed he's had it what all of 5 weeks and counting.

I was only expecting it to take 3 weeks, as the guy who skimms the leather was away for two weeks and then i envisaged it to take one week perhaps two i got told it would be ready last wednesday but no. So fingers crossed it will be this weekend.

Im hoping its worth the wait as i have other things that need doing to match so i dont really want to pi$$ them off.

Will keep you all informed fingers crossed for saturday.

[t11mfn]

Went down today the guy was not there but someone showed me what he'd done so far.

I tell you what i nearlly died, the leather didnt follow the contours of the console one bit, the part where the money tray is by the handbrake didnt follow the lines at all it kinda dipped in and didnt look square.

I dont think the leather was skimmed enough and enough time taken over it. When he showed me the bit where the gear gaiter went all around the electric window swiches wasnt streched properly it was just a total mess.

The guy assured me last week that it was all done all he had to do was the gear gaiter and i gets there and the ash trays havent been done etc what a total liar.

Then to my astonishment he had even ripped the leather off the ORIGINAL and ruined that as well i nearlly died. All his leathering works on seats he'd done in the shop looked nice but this was total crap. I told the guy i will be back next week to get it, i tell you what im going to go back and im not paying him a dime i am absolutly gutted, now i have to try and source an original one in gray from somewhere else.

I cannot believe it dunno what to do now!!!!!!!!!!

It wouldnt do my car any justice to put the stuff he's done in there.

[Euro3]

You should be able to find someone that can do a good job, I do them here in the states all the time and the guy doing it just has to make a good pattern and make it fit right. I am currently working on doing leather dashes and I think I just about have the pattern right.

[t11mfn]

Cheers for that mate but i want it to look as near as damn it to the original but i aint got an original now as the guy has stripped it so how am i supposed to explain to someone what i want doing?

[Euro3]

Any good trim man/women should be able to look at the shape make patterns and see where the french seams should be located. All my patterns are made from scratch as we did not get the leather trim pieces here in the states.

[t11mfn]

Thats what i thought he wouldnt need to take it apart, i think i will pop down the weekend and have words with him what do you think?

I will tell him ive got a friend in the states that does it and said that you should be able to make the patterns without taking it apart.

I personally think the leather wasnt skimmed enough personally i dont see how he could cover the ashtrays and get them to shut i reckon he's going to just cover the top and not fold it over the edges like the original was.

[Euro3]

Yeah sounds like a plan, the hard part of the ashtray is finding leather thin enough that it is not bulky. I use nice soft supple Euro leather for things like that and Factory grade dye matched Euro leather for most of my seating. If a customer does not want to spend that kind of Coin then I take the Euro leather strip the dye and spray new color matched dye over the hide. Good luck, if you were not on the other side I would do it for you. BTW, how much is he charging you US Dollars?
Regards,
Kevin

[t11mfn]

about $400 US dollars he's trying to charge me for doing a crap job, i will go down the weekend and have it out with him.

I am willing to pay to dollar for the job as well thats not the problem here.

[Euro3]

Shot some pics of the crapy work, I always like to look other peoples work and see what they consider quality.
KC

[t11mfn]

yeah no worries i will try and get a few pics thats if he's reasonable when i go down. Wont be till after xmas now though

[Euro3]

Thats cool enjoy the holidays

[Demlotcrew]

I would like to see this also!

Andrew

[t11mfn]

Hey guys got the bits back well the one piece it isnt as bad as i first thought, had a go at the bloke for taking the original apart wasnt tooo happy about that!!!!

I will post up some pics when i get a few taken, still looking else where to get another one done as near as damn it to the original.

[Euro3]

Any pics yet?

[stevetigger]

I showed my missus this thread and she is going to do my centre console in suede for me!

[t11mfn]

Will get some pictures in the next week am waiting to get one part back as there was a bit on it i wasnt happy with.