Repairing a torn leather seat

[MaineShark]

I have a small tear in the bolster of my driver's side seat. I really don't want to re-cover the whole seat, so is there any good way to repair the tear? It's like and inch, or less.

What I'm thinking, is pull the seat cover, then glue something onto the inside to hold the cut closed. But I've never done any upholstery work, at all, so that may be totally the wrong thing to do...

Joe

P.S., I know this is sort of a "general tech" thing, but I figure that owners of older cars are far more likely to have chosen repair instead of replacement, since new leather would not be faded the same as the rest, so I figured this was the best place for it.

 

[Nut]

Joe..... interesting idea. I'll be curious as to the responses you get. I never had the opportunity to try that since my OEM seats were cloth. I replaced with leather. However, the side bolsters are the No.1 area on these pan style seats that take the most wear. You may end up ultimately replacing them soon as you put a lot of stress on the material/foam every time you ingress and egress from the car.

Good luck................ Nut

 

[Bob Chadwick]

I would take the car to an upholstery shop. Repairs of this nature can be difficult and they do it every day.

 

[Guy]

Joe - Take/send it here:

Columbia Auto Seat Covers
165 S BROADWAY
LAWRENCE, MA
01843-1426
Phone: 978-683-2205

I had the same problem and they fixed it with 1/2 day turn around for $75. The local Vette guys told me about this place and you can't tell.


Guy

 

[MaineShark]

Thanks, Guy. I think I'll wait until the weather warms up, and then take a drive down there.

Joe

 

[Guy]

Thanks, Guy. I think I'll wait until the weather warms up, and then take a drive down there.

Joe

Call them before you go - they might do it while you wait. I dropped mine off on Sat morning and they called 10am Monday to say it was ready.


Guy

 

[Vette/Berlina-coupe]

Hello Joe(ms): -your own original notion of pulling the panel for access to the underside is absolutely correct (why pay some scmuck to do what you can do just as well)! First, place a strip of duct-tape over the outer-facing damaged-area; then using a piece of scrap 2"x3" leather or leatherette(plastic), -get yourself a tube of GOOP(urethane-glue) and smear it well into the leather's damaged-area backside including the tear's-crack, do the same thing with the reinforcement-patch (using either the raw-side of the leather-patch, or the fabric-side of the leatherette-patch). If possible, place and clamp a small flat rigid panel of wood (or similar quality) on the opposite sides of the now patched area, --leave alone for a day or two (for best results, -what's the rush). When you remove the clamp(s) and then the duct-tape, if you have made sure the leather tear was closed properly via the duct-tape, --anybody will be hard pressed to ever notice the permanent-fix you yourself can now be personally proud of having done'dit-it-yourself!!! Note that white-glue is also commonly used to repair leather, but I believe the flexile quality of GOOP(any of their three different lables will do as well). Tell us how you did please... -Bob vH

 

[MaineShark]

Call them before you go - they might do it while you wait.

That's what I hope, since it's about an hour's drive. Plus, I'd like to take it off and put it back on right there, in case their repair rips when the cover is replaced.

Bob: that was my original thought, but I think, for $75, I'll leave it to the experts If it was more, I would definitely do it myself. I'm glad to see that my idea wasn't off-the-wall, too

Joe