LF leather restoration advice

[Skella]

Howdy

Can anyone recommend something decent I can use to restore the leather on my Z please? I'd like to do it myself. It it is mainly the side where the wear and tear is.

Also, what colour is this red as I find it hard to see the difference between them all (slightly colour blind :roll: )

Thanks

2012 E89 S20i

 

[Chippie]

I think that’s coral red

 

[blunderthumbs]

Have a look at this stuff https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/colour-chart/bmw-colour-chart. They do all the BMW seat colours. But you need to know what colour your seats are before you order.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Run your car through a vin decoder and it’ll give you the exact upholstery colour

 

[Busterboo]

My experience, Andy, with normal "wear and tear" like yours, is 'Don't clean too much before you colour'.

The temptation is to be thorough. To take the leather back to how it was. But most cleaners - all, in my experience - are too thorough. They strip the present surface too far.

By all means, clean the seat lightly with baby wipes, but that's enough. Then, when the colour goes on, it'll pick up some of the dirt that's left behind and blend in well. Trying to return the leather to the colour & condition it was the day it left the factory can be a thankless job.

As for products, Gliptone is excellent and they provide BMW colours or a match from a swatch if a seat's discoloured.

p.s. After you've done the job and in future, conditioner is a better cleaner than cleaner, too.

 

[tim03]

I have recently used COLOURLOCK (colourlock.com) for a bad scuff on my black leather seats. They couldn’t have been more helpful after I provided them photos and sent through a load of tips, videos and recommended products to carry out a home repair. They have most BMW colours on the website.

Felt a bit weird sanding down a leather seat to remove the scuff and prep it, but once the dye was applied it’s now back looking brand new. I even did the rest of the side bolster the colour match was that good.

 

[flybobbie]

Might be ok on black seats but the other colours are just a thin layer with black underneath. I question if the material is actually leather.
Certainly the colours seem printed on with no depth. Father was in leather trade, leather tended to be same colour through it's thickness.
He would come home stinking of leather (which Z4 doesn't) and have trimmings in his trouser turn ups. (Remember them).
Also the pump up bolsters the air bags create rubbing areas.

 

[Busterboo]

Felt a bit weird sanding down a leather seat to remove the scuff ...

It's a brave man who does that.

Fortunately, the wear & tear to Andy's seat is not so bad and it look as if Gliptone's 'Scuff Master' will do the job very well.