Any luck painting leather seats?

[72 Satellite]

I'm looking to paint the center sections of my front buckets and rear bench seats blue to match the blue panels/carpet etc. Do I need to use Adhesion Promoter, I know it's recommended on plastic ? Does anyone have experience/advice on painting/dying leather?
Thanks

 

[66383]

Yes. On a daily driver it will start to crack after about a year or less. I know because I dyed some red leather seats about 4 yrs. ago. It didn,t last.

 

[62440]

Cost wise you maybe better off getting them upholstered

 

[GetX'd]

Cost wise you maybe better off getting them upholstered

And product/performance wise as well

 

[72 Satellite]

I can't believe it's been 4 years since I first posted this thread, older we get the faster it goes!

I finally got around to painting my seats, and have the rear bench pieces completed. My initial response is that Herb's paint is truly amazing! Of course time will tell how it holds up, especially the front buckets. I've used their stuff on my Steering Column Rebuild, Dash Rebuild, window trim, sun visors, rear package tray, and a few other interior odds and ends. I always come away very happy with the results, but I still had reservations on vinyl and leather.

Used SEM Soap with grey Scotch Brite pad, wipe off with moist tack-free cloth, followed by alcohol wipes then finished with compressed air.

Herbs Adhesion Promoter, followed by 6 light to medium-light coats of Herb's interior paint.

I'm working on the front bucket frames/slider assemblies, and then I'll tackle the buckets themselves. Hopefully these go as well as the rear seats, and then it's just a matter of time to see how they hold up. Including pics of the rears, before and after. Comments welcomed.

Rob

 

[69a100]

Use sure that those are leather? Looks like vinyl to me, looks good though!

 

[72 Satellite]

Use sure that those are leather? Looks like vinyl to me, looks good though!

I think the previous owner had them recovered in leather, but I'm not 100% certain...looking at the back where they are hog-ringed to the frame, they look more leather than vinyl, but I'm no expert.

 

[72 Satellite]

Here they are installed...matches the door and quarter panel plastic pieces quite well I think. Also, I think this might be the first pic showing all the new interior stuff together, carpet, panels, trim, headliner etc.

 

[Sam69sat]

Looks awesome! Are any of the blue pieces original and how good do they match up with the painted pieces?

 

[69a100]

I think the previous owner had them recovered in leather, but I'm not 100% certain...looking at the back where they are hog-ringed to the frame, they look more leather than vinyl, but I'm no expert.

If you fold leather, it will leave a crease like a piece of paper. Doing the same with vinyl won't leave a crease!
As for the color, did you use a solvent base or water based? Solvent base used on leather will create problems with cracking, water based on either fabric is fine. Time will time the story, Good Luck

 

[72 Satellite]

Looks awesome! Are any of the blue pieces original and how good do they match up with the painted pieces?

The only original pieces (window and headliner trim) that were blue, had been painted white, which I then prepped and repainted blue using the same Herbs paint that I used on the seats. The other original pieces (door panels, kick panels, seat backs and dash pad) that were painted white, I replaced with new. The Herbs paint I used throughout, matches the new parts that were ordered blue really well I think.

 

[72 Satellite]

If you fold leather, it will leave a crease like a piece of paper. Doing the same with vinyl won't leave a crease!
As for the color, did you use a solvent base or water based? Solvent base used on leather will create problems with cracking, water based on either fabric is fine. Time will time the story, Good Luck

As mentioned, I used Herbs paint which is indeed solvent based, but made for vinyl and leather. I also used there adhesion promoter as well.

 

[72 Satellite]

Passanger side Bucket & Frame rails done. What I'd give for a bead blast cabinet...cleaning & stripping those slide rails was a PIA!

 

[Bighouse]

Nice work!

 

[WileERobby]

Looks great. Hope it holds up for ya.

 

[72 Satellite]

Looks great. Hope it holds up for ya.

Thanks, I should be finished with the driver's side bucket in a day or 2. Damn allergies are kicking my butt right now. I'll definitely give an update as to how they hold up pretty soon...

 

[Ron H]

Used Herb’s interior paint on my modified leather console and was happy with it. I had used another paint product on the vinyl visors and didn’t like the appearance. After 3 years the console looks good. Testing the durability in a concealed area of the console though found I want to be wary of any cleaners containing alcohol as it took some of the paint off. When I use cleaners in the car such as cleaning windows, I cover the console as a precaution.

 

[72 Satellite]

Finally got the driver's side bucket finished. I'm super pleased with how they came out. Can't say enough good things about how consistent Herb's paint applies and looks. Hopefully have them installed in the next day or so, and then we get to see how they hold up. BTW, I didn't paint the clamshell, that's a repop from Classic Industries. The match in color is spot on i'd say.

Rob

 

[Rusty34]

You did a fantastic job, they look perfect to me. Proof of the pudding will be in the eating!

 

[72 Satellite]

Finally got the front buckets put back together and installed. Mounting the top half of the buckets to the bottom half caused some minor scraping off of the paint, but nothing a touchup brush can't remedy. Also got the front arm-rests painted blue to match the rest of the interior. The interior is finally back to the factory blue it was born with. I'm toying with the idea of painting the steering wheel an Argent silver to match the gauge bezel. The only remaining white in the interior would then be the shifter ball.

Before

After