Kansas Walnut seat restoration – looking for dye and stitching recommendations

[DepositoLleno98]

Hi everyone,

I'm about to start restoring the driver's seat in my 2014 BMW Z4 E89 with Kansas Walnut leather.

The seat has the usual wear on the side bolster and also a small section where the stitching has come apart.

Before I begin, I'd really appreciate some advice from anyone who has done this before:

• Which leather dye gave you the closest match to the original Kansas Walnut colour?
• Which thread did you use for the stitching repair (size, material and colour)?
• Any products or techniques you'd recommend—or avoid?

I'm planning to document the entire restoration and share the results with the community, so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ARCS]

I used seat doctors, and it was a good match. I didn't need any stitching repairs.

 

[DepositoLleno98]

Thanks, Arcs! I'll check if it's available in Spain.

 

[Usel]

You want some 'leather waxed thread,' you should get results from Amazon or ebay by typing that in.

Also sewing that back together you really want the leather off the foam. You may be able to get behind it by removing the back plastic panel and then release the leather from the metal frame supports. Hopefully then the leather will pull away enough from the foam so you can sew it back together. It will be very tricky and time consuming to push the needle back through the original holes. If the leather is backed in cloth material then you'll have no option but to remove the leather from the seat and unpick the cloth so you can get access to the leather.

You'll need the seat out the car to have any hope of sewing it back together but you'll need the seats out to paint them anyway.

 

[DepositoLleno98]

Thanks for the advice! I completely understand that removing the seat and separating the leather from the foam would be the proper way to do it.

However, since only a few stitches have come undone and the leather itself isn’t damaged, do you think it would be possible to repair it in situ using a curved upholstery needle and following the original holes, without removing the leather from the seat?

Have you ever tried that, or do you think access is simply too limited to get a good result?

 

[Usel]

Thanks for the advice! I completely understand that removing the seat and separating the leather from the foam would be the proper way to do it.

However, since only a few stitches have come undone and the leather itself isn’t damaged, do you think it would be possible to repair it in situ using a curved upholstery needle and following the original holes, without removing the leather from the seat?

Have you ever tried that, or do you think access is simply too limited to get a good result?

Having done similar work a curved needle won't really work but could be possible. If you do go this route I would send the thread and needle through all the holes without pulling it tight. When you have got to the end then pull the thread tight working from the first hole to the last.

Without working from behind the leather it's a bit like trying to paint the external of your house by leaning out the windows.