Subject: Good questions, Isiah! Author: davidc (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 10223 posts Posted on: 2007-01-19 00:11:50

I didn't have any cracks, but I've seen others obtain excellent results with crack filler.

Overall, the project took about a month, but I didn't work on it every day. I think you could do it in a weekend if the weather cooperated. And, speaking of weather, you'll get the best results if the temperature is >60F and the humidity is low (i.e., no rain). I did everything in my garage, though it is heated.

It takes about an hour to remove both front seats. It should take about another hour to remove the leather, which is attached with little metal clips. If you're refinishing your existing leather, you won't need to do that -- you'll only need to remove the trim and tape off things like the metal rods of the headrests.

The longest part of the job was definitely the sanding and prepping stage. I'd budget six hours for that (mine took a lot longer). If your seats are cracked, you'll need to add time for a few layers of crack filler to cure, along with additional time for follow-up sanding.

In short, you should be able to remove the seats and fully prep them for painting in an afternoon.

I used a sprayer for applying the dye, almost like I was painting the seats. It seemed to produce a much more consistent finish than with a brush, and it had the added benefit of being able to blend in better if you aren't able to finish the job in a single work session. I used a $10 air brush from Harbor Freight and it did just fine -- no need for expensive tools. You'll probably need to apply four to six thin coats of dye, allowing 20-30 minutes between coats for drying. You'll need to wait 24 hours for it to cure before reinstalling the seats, too.

David Cecil

'97 740iL, 155k miles
'92 750iL, 90k miles
'86 735i, 101k miles

Visit e38.org for everything technical about your BMW

• More photos of the driver front-seat leather re-dye project. (pic) (url) - davidc 2007-01-14 23:30:56 (12264 views)
  • Looks great!!! I am inspired. - beamme 2007-02-02 02:34:34 (449 views)
    • Re: Looks great!!! I am inspired. (pic) - beamme 2007-02-02 02:58:30 (627 views)
  • Re: More photos ?t - shadetree/pete 2007-01-18 15:02:39 (459 views)
  • Great job on the seats David! They look really good! (nt) - bcweir 2007-01-18 07:57:34 (301 views)
  • David I am confused, what is with this picture? (pic) - Nick (Australia) 2007-01-15 20:20:07 (838 views)
    • That's a closeup of the 'before' shot of the driver's side. (nt) - davidc 2007-01-15 20:40:56 (462 views)
  • That close-up photo seems to show many cracks - Patrick C 88 750 154K 2007-01-15 19:35:45 (375 views)
    • The leather was fairly well worn. Some of those cracks, though, were not in the - davidc 2007-01-15 19:37:51 (505 views)
  • perfect! - plbowler 2007-01-15 16:06:57 (278 views)
    • Here's a link for the color codes (url) - davidc 2007-01-15 16:09:02 (709 views)
      • BTW, mine was 0438 (nt) - davidc 2007-01-15 16:09:38 (242 views)
        • Thanks, what exactly did you order from leatherique? - plbowler 2007-01-17 20:28:45 (365 views)
          • Prestine Clean, Rejuvenator Oil, Prepping Agent and Dye (32oz of each) - davidc 2007-01-18 02:58:07 (490 views)
            • ok, so not a Kit, what was the $$$? (nt) - plbowler 2007-01-18 09:05:20 (412 views)
  • Where's the love? C'mon guys, let's have some questions! (nt) - davidc 2007-01-15 15:54:24 (347 views)
    • Re: Where's the love? C'mon guys, let's have some questions! - Isiah 90-735il 2007-01-18 23:48:13 (286 views)
      • Good questions, Isiah! - davidc 2007-01-19 00:11:50 (377 views)
  • what a great job; hard to believe the difference.... (nt) - Logun 2007-01-15 13:50:39 (346 views)