The Lotus Grand Tourers

Not sure if this is the best way but this is what I did.

The problem.




First of all I purchased a leather refurb kit from Woolies as I wanted to refurb all my leather. The kit I got was a No2 kit in Beige which matched the sample I sent perfectly.
I also got a Leather repair kit from Furniture clinic which contained leather filler, gauze, 1200 grit sand paper, leather glue, and various tools to apply the filler and trim the leather.
Apply the glue to the gauze and using the tools provided, push the gauze through the hole and tuck it under the leather. Leave to dry so the gauze is bonded to the under side of the leather. Then apply several thin layers of filler until it stands slightly proud of the surface. When dry, use the 1200 grit to sand it level.
Next colour it using the Woolies leather renovator. It requires a few coats to get the colour to match.




Photographs normally flatter body work and interiors but this picture is pretty accurate. With hindsight, it needed a bit more rubbing down and will need another coat of colour but it is a big improvement on what I had before. Just hope it lasts.

Well done Phil. That is a great improvement.

Great job Phil.

Shaun

Great job...massive improvement!

Any idea what the filler is based on?

Is it as flexible when set/dry as the surrounding leather?

Nice job, interesting repair work. My back seats are split on upper the seams, but the leather has since shrunk and can't be stretched back to stitch up. I'm wondering if I could just span the gaps? they are almost an inch wide at the worst part. For now the back seat has a big Lotus flag covering up the splits which actually looks pretty cool while serving a functional purpose.
Do you think this type of repair could span a wide gap?

Lotus-e-Clan wrote:Great job...massive improvement!

Any idea what the filler is based on?

Is it as flexible when set/dry as the surrounding leather?

Don't know what the filler is made from - no list on the jar.

It is flexible after it has set. Really nice and smooth to work with and the spatula they give you is perfect for the job. I'm sure someone more talented than me could get a invisible repair.

Phantasm wrote:Nice job, interesting repair work. My back seats are split on upper the seams, but the leather has since shrunk and can't be stretched back to stitch up. I'm wondering if I could just span the gaps? they are almost an inch wide at the worst part. For now the back seat has a big Lotus flag covering up the splits which actually looks pretty cool while serving a functional purpose.
Do you think this type of repair could span a wide gap?

The split in the picture above was quite wide and it filled it no problem.. Make sure you glue in the gauze properly sticking the gauze to the underside of surrounding leather. Then just build it up in thin layers.
I would give it a try if I was you. What colour is your leather? You will need some kind of colourant.

It's beige, and has discolored a bit from original coloration.

Phantasm wrote:It's beige, and has discolored a bit from original coloration.

I'm using the Woolies kit to revive all the leather in the car. Then you don't have to worry about discoloration.