Blue Leather Seats Wanted

FredMcJoe

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Ok, I measured from the metal bar that would be under the seatback there where they meet. That would probably add the extra 3 inches. Even if its only an inch or two, that can be 'taken-up' in the installation process.
 

FredMcJoe

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Be sure to check the business history of any 'sample" sending business. They could have books and books of the old fabric selector books that the upholstery shops used to get and cut samples out of that. Some places will then sell you an amount and you'll hear back in a few months that they actually had run out and will have to remanufacture the material which they rarely if ever do and never to the original manufacturer's quality.

Check the business history before you spend money. I've been burned on that kind of deal before with a business I mistakenly trusted because they had some amount of fame. They were just in the business of collecting money, not providing material they said they had.

I always suggest to ask for a picture of the entire yardage being purchased from a "samples" sending company, with some way of ensuring that they took the photo that day. FYI ;)
 

FredMcJoe

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That is an idea, tho. If you were a stickler for originality, you might be able to find suitable replacement materials. Typically that means finding a roll that was manufactured at around the time the car was made and has been sitting in a moldy warehouse ever since, and likely moved around the nation from warehouse to warehouse as different lots were bought and sold. If you have a popular car in a popular color, it's all probably long gone in which case some suppliers will offer to remanufacture a like-type fabric. Fabric weaving depends on a multitude of things not the least of which is no-longer-available threads in no longer safe to make colors, etc.... Its a challenge but it could be done.

If you want to go that route, getting a set of blue leather covers to slip over the old while you gather the bits and pieces of the original fabric would be a nice substitute ;)
 

Bruceynz

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Hi Mr V,

I don't care for originality, my steering wheel was cracked with 1/4" gaps, I bought a leather wrapped 5th ave one and fitted it in, the 318 and auto are long gone and I am getting ready to put in a 360 magnum, the wheels are now 17" 100 spoke chrome wheels and the color has gone from glacier blue to a Subaru type blue :) I would LOVE a nice blue leather interior to finish off my car!

Thanks
Bruce
 

FredMcJoe

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I've tried a number of ways, not just people, to get photos of the car in Chico. One guy gave a sob-story about a woman he uses to go take photos for him... I don't know that I have much faith in his story. I called the wrecking yard, they aren't allowed to go back to look at cars, so I left my name and number for their next customers to take some pics for a few bucks. No calls yet.
 

Bruceynz

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How does this pull your part work, we have a thing in NZ pick a part and there are guys who work there and take you cash, these pull a part have no employees??
 

FredMcJoe

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"Self Serve" junk yards usually only have a couple of dis-mantlers removing large components and they throw the leftovers in the back yard for the self-serve consumers to pick thru them for parts.
The real money is in the drivetrain components, and then in the crushing and sending it to China part of the process. Their business model doesn't allow for the dismantlers to do anything else.
 

FredMcJoe

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When you take the leather skins off is all the puffy look and buttons in the leather skins?

yes, the squishy cushion is part of an assembly. The removed cover would start at the vinyl skirting around the vertical sides of the seat bottom, I think this is foam backed in a way, then there will be a flat piece of foam with some other dimensional stabilizing materials and the rubberized ends of the 10 buttons per seat poking downward, then the pillow cushion with the leather draped over it and pinch sewn around the edges into a sturdy plastic welt. The installation is termed 'stretching' on a cover. The hog rings start at the center of each side, working in opposition towards the outward direction from center, as the cover is stretched over the seat frame which sometimes will also have foam mounted on it, usually in areas for strategic wear protection.
 

kkritsilas

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In our case, the cars are all lined up in rows in an open lot. You find the car that you want, and take the part that you want off using your own skills and tools. You take your part (s) to the counter, they tell you the price to pay, you pay and go home.

In this case, I (more accurately, my friend would) need to try and get the leather off the seats right in the lot. My major concern would be getting the seat covers off without damage or tearing something.
 

FredMcJoe

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"Without tearing anything" is pretty easy. I find using a set of needle nose pliers along with a flat blade screwdriver works to open up the steel hog-rings. There is a reverse pivot C washer ring tool that will spread apart the hog-rings pretty well, too. It works like an oppositely hinged needle nose pliers so that instead of trying to spread the handles outward, you just squeeze and the ring opens up.

There's alot of hog rings on a seat. Its best to get comfortable. The front seats need a special bit to unscrew the headrest mounts with, I think its a Torx. Pull the back off the seatbacks, just like you do with a door-panel's clips, and start un-hog-ringing the seatback. A large hex wrench undoes the armrest. The seats all need to be removed to effectively access it all. The back seat is simpler, just hog-rings all along the inside edges of the seat frames. There can be 'tie-downs", these are upholstery sections that are cinched down to make a concave form to the seat. Again, usually just hog-rings. There can be some wrapped steel tabs as I recall, too.
 

Bruceynz

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These hog ring things you talk about is like a metal C type thing, for ease of removal can you just cut them with a big pair of cutters?
 

FredMcJoe

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The hog rings Chrysler used were a soft steel. Its easier to try to bend them out than to try to cut one, but it could be done if you had a tricky area or sumpin'.
 

FredMcJoe

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Now on a lowly Mercedes, they sew in all sorts of light-duty plastic slotted tabs & stuff that make assembly easy but the plastic breaks... where are you going to go fix that at for a dollar 49 like a bag of hog RINGS. :p
 

Bruceynz

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Mr V, if you, me, one of the forum members can get some blue leather seat skins to you that are ok condition you can dye them back to blue and vacuum seal and USPS them to NZ?
 

kkritsilas

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Nothing to do with the seat covers, but the guy in the video is incorrect. The reason the "zip ties" (most often called tie wraps in the electronics industry) are loose is because they were improperly tightened. THis is because he didn't invest in a proper tie wrap gun/tool. If he had, the "zip ties" wouldn't have been as loose as they are, and the ends would have been cut flush, not left full length. "Zip ties" are made from nylon, sometimes with a stainless steel strip embedded within, and are pretty much impervious to anything (as long as you are using the correct grade (exterior or interior)). They do not lose tension, and they do not release, which is why you need to cut them off when no longer needed. You can use too small "zip tie", and it will break, but won't stretch.

In outdoor applications, the "zip tie" has the advantage of not rusting.
 

FredMcJoe

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Let me alter that a bit. I don't have blue dye. Right now I have black and white, a wee bit of a matched 1964 Imperial white which I reserve for my personal needs... I had to do something with all those leather seat covers, I have them everywhere... I bought hundreds of used Imperial leather seat covers to refresh the story, I have them covering all my regular furniture. I have a lot of the pearlescent white Imperial color so I had some color matched at Leatherique. They charged at that time $35 for matching. You could order some dark blue dye from them, or maybe a shoe maker locally would be a good resource for some leather dye, but Leatherique is excellent. Their website is a leather tutorial in its own, I learned a lot there.

What I have now is a tiny bit of conditioner that I would apply to the most sun damaged areas. I have a good supply of the Leatherique cleaner, I would go over the entirety of the seats which has a bit of the conditioner in it. These two Leatherique products are pH balanced, they are designed to float out the oils and dirt from the skins, and it has lanolin for a final conditioner. The leather has a degree of restored suppleness afterwards, depending on how much sun damage there is. Sometimes you have to work really baked leather slowly back into a semi-state of flex. They are kind of expensive but I recommend getting some of the conditioner products if you have leather products you want to keep supple and prevent from drying out and tearing apart.

I live near a Walmart and can shop for some vacuum bags, I have a vacuum. I can use my local UPS store for shipping, or USPS, both are local.

For redying, that is probably not needed after cleaning. I have a clear topcoat, tho, that I would apply to restore the original gloss and bring out the color. Dye color goes deep, usually its the clear top coat that you never realize was originally applied that restores the surface appearance.
 

FredMcJoe

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Nothing to do with the seat covers, but the guy in the video is incorrect. The reason the "zip ties" (most often called tie wraps in the electronics industry) are loose is because they were improperly tightened. THis is because he didn't invest in a proper tie wrap gun/tool. If he had, the "zip ties" wouldn't have been as loose as they are, and the ends would have been cut flush, not left full length. "Zip ties" are made from nylon, sometimes with a stainless steel strip embedded within, and are pretty much impervious to anything (as long as you are using the correct grade (exterior or interior)). They do not lose tension, and they do not release, which is why you need to cut them off when no longer needed. You can use too small "zip tie", and it will break, but won't stretch.

In outdoor applications, the "zip tie" has the advantage of not rusting.

...and you 'could' zip tie on a seat cover, too, for that matter.
 

kkritsilas

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Second Leatherique products. There Rejuvenating Oil can work wonders for even the most dried out, stiff leather. If the leather is really, really bad, it may take a few applications, but it will work. Follow up with the Pristine Clean to get the dirit/soils/skin oits/etc., that the Rejuvenating Oil forces to the surface, and enjoy. Funny thing about the Rejuvenating Oil, is just by itself, it smells like leather.
 
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