Zippy M3
03-15-2001, 06:39 PM
Hey I've found a custom 3 step kit from Leather Masters that will redye our seats and make them look like new. The kit will do 3 - 4 cars and you only need to do it once. Duane Collie from UUC who recommends it has tried it with great results. Leather Masters has a BMW Dove Grey swatch from a M3 on file and can make more of the kit. The 3 item (Cleaner, Dye and Cream) kit runs for $80 plus shipping but I don't want to do 2-3 cars so I'm wondering if someone wants to share the price of one? Call me cheep-O but I just blew $2500 on some new 18's and tires :). Also unlike painting the leather (another technique), this stuff will not flake, smear or stain over time. Oh ya, I've tried Lexol and a bunch of other stuff, but they just cleans the seats and the cracks and the faded leather still shows.
Here's the original archive post:
I promised to send a post on my attempt to repair my '95 M3 Buffalo Grey leather which suffered a dye-transfer from carrying a new tire in the seat when returning from O'Fest.
So I went to the experts - Leather Master out of North Carolina and sent them a sample swatch with the stain re-created. They sent back a number of products, in various levels of potency (some of these could etch glass, I think). I worked through them up to and including the last & most drastic of them : SUPER REMOVER! This one has caution label alls over it including "USE AS LAST DITCH EFFORT BEFORE REPLACING LEATHER". OhhhKayyyyyy...right....this should be good.....
I proceed cautiously with the Super Remover as a last resort (as the lesser products failed to remove the stain). "BY GAWD!" I says..."Super Remover is getting the stain out...finally!" It is also taking the original BMW leather pigment dye with it.
This is not a good thing.
On to the next step. I suspected this would be the case and had them mix up a water-based analine dye kit.
It works great! They nailed the color spot-on and its now just a matter of laying up successive coats of dye. This is not as drastic as it sounds an is easy to do. Its also great for re-dying the cracks on the aggressive bolsters on the standard E36 M3 seats. This is not an acrlyic-based paint (that I saw another Digester mention they used) - the painted leather repairs eventually crack and flake off over time. A proper water-based analine dye sinks in and bonds to the leather itself.
You can call Leather Master direct at 800-300-2359. I'm a dealer for them (I use their products for touch-ups on leather furniture I sell in my store) so I do not know if they sell direct. I don't really want to get into the business of selling leather care products via the Digest, but if you are in need and cannot source elsewhere, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out if I can on a very limited basis. NOTE: This is NOT a solitation for commercial business - and I have nothing to send out for information!
Here's what I used:
MIDI kit (a basic 'soft' cleaner & protection kit).. $ 17.50 Bottle of Super Cleaner (careful here!) .... $ 19.00 Custom Colorline Kit-Pigmented (matched to your leather).. $ 49.00
Moral of the story:
Rubber products DO chemical dye transfer into the leather - don't lay them on your seats.
Save the leather sample swatch BMW gives you when you buy the car so it can be sent off for a dye match transfer later on if required.
Don't be afraid to re-dye your seats, but get the right product (not acrylic paint!)
Duane Collie
RM3DR1
National Capital Chapter
Here's the original archive post:
I promised to send a post on my attempt to repair my '95 M3 Buffalo Grey leather which suffered a dye-transfer from carrying a new tire in the seat when returning from O'Fest.
So I went to the experts - Leather Master out of North Carolina and sent them a sample swatch with the stain re-created. They sent back a number of products, in various levels of potency (some of these could etch glass, I think). I worked through them up to and including the last & most drastic of them : SUPER REMOVER! This one has caution label alls over it including "USE AS LAST DITCH EFFORT BEFORE REPLACING LEATHER". OhhhKayyyyyy...right....this should be good.....
I proceed cautiously with the Super Remover as a last resort (as the lesser products failed to remove the stain). "BY GAWD!" I says..."Super Remover is getting the stain out...finally!" It is also taking the original BMW leather pigment dye with it.
This is not a good thing.
On to the next step. I suspected this would be the case and had them mix up a water-based analine dye kit.
It works great! They nailed the color spot-on and its now just a matter of laying up successive coats of dye. This is not as drastic as it sounds an is easy to do. Its also great for re-dying the cracks on the aggressive bolsters on the standard E36 M3 seats. This is not an acrlyic-based paint (that I saw another Digester mention they used) - the painted leather repairs eventually crack and flake off over time. A proper water-based analine dye sinks in and bonds to the leather itself.
You can call Leather Master direct at 800-300-2359. I'm a dealer for them (I use their products for touch-ups on leather furniture I sell in my store) so I do not know if they sell direct. I don't really want to get into the business of selling leather care products via the Digest, but if you are in need and cannot source elsewhere, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out if I can on a very limited basis. NOTE: This is NOT a solitation for commercial business - and I have nothing to send out for information!
Here's what I used:
MIDI kit (a basic 'soft' cleaner & protection kit).. $ 17.50 Bottle of Super Cleaner (careful here!) .... $ 19.00 Custom Colorline Kit-Pigmented (matched to your leather).. $ 49.00
Moral of the story:
Rubber products DO chemical dye transfer into the leather - don't lay them on your seats.
Save the leather sample swatch BMW gives you when you buy the car so it can be sent off for a dye match transfer later on if required.
Don't be afraid to re-dye your seats, but get the right product (not acrylic paint!)
Duane Collie
RM3DR1
National Capital Chapter