Seat fix?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 185
Likes: 3
From: Folsom California
Seat fix?
What do you do when that super thin leather gets a little tear?
I could've hung myself for this one, (I actually did shed a tear and was in a horrible mood for the rest of the day) but about two months ago, I was getting in my car, and one of the studs on my belt caught the seat and put two small hole/tears in the leather. The biggest of the two is no more than a 1/2 inch long x 1/4 inch wide. I bought one of those leather repair kits, but still haven't attempted to fix it. I was thinking about trying to find a replacement stock seat cover, cause it looks like the whole top part of the leather can come off. I also thought about taking that same part off and switching it with the passenger side so I don't have to look at it every day, but then I'll procrastinate even more in repairing it....
Has anyone used one of those leather repair kits that's like a glue substance and you put it on the hole and flatten it with another peice of leather so the grain matches?
Any other suggestions besides spending $300+ on a new seat?
I could've hung myself for this one, (I actually did shed a tear and was in a horrible mood for the rest of the day) but about two months ago, I was getting in my car, and one of the studs on my belt caught the seat and put two small hole/tears in the leather. The biggest of the two is no more than a 1/2 inch long x 1/4 inch wide. I bought one of those leather repair kits, but still haven't attempted to fix it. I was thinking about trying to find a replacement stock seat cover, cause it looks like the whole top part of the leather can come off. I also thought about taking that same part off and switching it with the passenger side so I don't have to look at it every day, but then I'll procrastinate even more in repairing it....
Has anyone used one of those leather repair kits that's like a glue substance and you put it on the hole and flatten it with another peice of leather so the grain matches?
Any other suggestions besides spending $300+ on a new seat?
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Washington
Jade,
Never had any luck with the repair kits. Check with a local upholstery shop. They should be able to order matching material and replace the torn panel, not the whole seat cover. If your interior color is black, they may even have some material on hand. I don't know what they would charge, but it should be alot less than $300 dollars. If you remove your seat and reinstall it will further reduce the cost. Good luck.
Never had any luck with the repair kits. Check with a local upholstery shop. They should be able to order matching material and replace the torn panel, not the whole seat cover. If your interior color is black, they may even have some material on hand. I don't know what they would charge, but it should be alot less than $300 dollars. If you remove your seat and reinstall it will further reduce the cost. Good luck.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
From: Glen Cove New York
I've tried those kits twice in the past (but not on my Vette) and the repair never came out right. Maybe others had better luck. As a compromise you may want to find a professional who can perform the repair. Less $ than new seats but more than do-it-yourself. I hear some are really good at it.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,755
Likes: 3,688
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
Jade, you're better off buying a new set of GM skins for about $300 or upgrading to some new aftermarket leather depending on how much you want to spend.
If you stick with GM leather, no guarantee the same thing won't happen again as it's not as good/durable as most of the aftermarket skins.
I'd stay away from patch kits due to the stress points. Maybe some seat covers for when the outfits get more exotic...
If you stick with GM leather, no guarantee the same thing won't happen again as it's not as good/durable as most of the aftermarket skins.
I'd stay away from patch kits due to the stress points. Maybe some seat covers for when the outfits get more exotic...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 65
From: Rochester Hills MI
Jade,
Never had any luck with the repair kits. Check with a local upholstery shop. They should be able to order matching material and replace the torn panel, not the whole seat cover. If your interior color is black, they may even have some material on hand. I don't know what they would charge, but it should be alot less than $300 dollars. If you remove your seat and reinstall it will further reduce the cost. Good luck.
Never had any luck with the repair kits. Check with a local upholstery shop. They should be able to order matching material and replace the torn panel, not the whole seat cover. If your interior color is black, they may even have some material on hand. I don't know what they would charge, but it should be alot less than $300 dollars. If you remove your seat and reinstall it will further reduce the cost. Good luck.
This is the way to go. The previous owner of my car had the side bolster recovered. It looked a little newer than the rest of the seat, but it turned out great, and the color is exactly the same. With a little wear, it now looks dead up like the rest of the seat. not sure how much it costs, but im sure its a heck of a lot cheaper than a new seat.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
A set of Cover King covers from Chip at CCA runs about $250. Way durable, hold you in the seat better, and they look great!
In the first pic, the color is way off.
I hear they also look great with blonde.
In the first pic, the color is way off.
I hear they also look great with blonde.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 648
Likes: 1
From: South Jersey
Jade,
I upgraded my seats with new foam and new covers and exactly one week later found a hole and long scratch on the top edge of the passenger seat. Don't know how it happened but I bought it back to my upholstery shop and he used one of those kits to repair it and it came out perfect. He called it liquid leather, red color, heated it with a heat gun, sanded it down with a fine sandpaper, used an old sponge to give it a grain and
then used a spray paint (oak) to blend in the color. Don't know what color your seats
are but I would give it a try.
You have to consider the fabric section near the console...you really can't switch seats
from passenger to driver without it looking funny. If the repair doesn't go well, I can recommend an ebay vendor that will deliver a set of seat covers to your door for about $575.
Jerry
I upgraded my seats with new foam and new covers and exactly one week later found a hole and long scratch on the top edge of the passenger seat. Don't know how it happened but I bought it back to my upholstery shop and he used one of those kits to repair it and it came out perfect. He called it liquid leather, red color, heated it with a heat gun, sanded it down with a fine sandpaper, used an old sponge to give it a grain and
then used a spray paint (oak) to blend in the color. Don't know what color your seats
are but I would give it a try.
You have to consider the fabric section near the console...you really can't switch seats
from passenger to driver without it looking funny. If the repair doesn't go well, I can recommend an ebay vendor that will deliver a set of seat covers to your door for about $575.
Jerry
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 185
Likes: 3
From: Folsom California
Actually, I'm always careful, but one of the studs on my belt had come up and caught it just right. It almost did the same thing to my hand when I drug my hand across the back of my belt to see what messed up my seat. Needless to say, I don't wear that belt anymore. I hate it for what it did...
Thanks everyone for your input. I'm quite handy with my hands, so I'm gonna try the repair kit, and if it looks like crap, I'll probably just get that section replaced.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
There's also the option of buying a used set of skins here in the 4-sale section. I have seen lots of nice, lightly-used skins someone has pulled off to install a set of aftermarket customs go for sale in that section. You just need to keep your eyes peeled for when they come up for sale or post a wanted-to-buy (WTB) ad there.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,053
Likes: 24,730
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Not sure if you would have a vendor like this in your area, but here we have a place called Dr. Vinyl that does amazing repair jobs on interiors. You might check with a local upholstery shop and see if they can recommend someone like that to do the work. Otherwise, maybe it's time for some custom seat skins - lots of good stuff out there.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 185
Likes: 3
From: Folsom California
So I fixed my seat, (for now) with a leather repair kit. It came out really nice, the grain is exact, but in a certain light, you can see the difference in material. All in all though, it's hard to tell unless you get it at the right angle. 
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
