Leather dings

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,557
Can't find the thread so thought I'd post a new one. After finding out that my Continental was one of many where the seatbelt tongue gets caught when the door shuts and dents the leather, I thought I'd have a go with one of the fixes. With very pale leather, though I was very cautious about getting a paint stripping type heat gun so opted for one of these:


Quick test assured me that it was hot enough to screw up polyethylene, but cardboard, for example, was not going to char. So on to the leather:

Before
83742

After
83743

You can afford to get right up to the leather, nozzle stationary and pretty much resting right on it. Takes about 60 seconds for each dent to get up to temperature and start easing off, so patience is key. It's not perfect and I'm sure I can do better in better weather (i.e. when I'm not so cold!)

C
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,557
I think it can get better. The door was less good, but less padding so the leather has been stretched more but I'll have another crack :). Overall happy

C
 

Swedish Paul

Member
Messages
1,807
Crikey. Doesn’t look like there is much leg room in the back. Or is that a bit of an optical illusion?
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,557
Put a damp cloth on it after you remove the heat, it sucks the moisture in and help swell out the dents.

Well done for having a go BTW

Noted. Used some Renapur which helped a little. Totally terrified of discolouring the leather, but happy that that's now very unlikely

C
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,557
Really? I thought they were “4 in comfort”

Well they might be. Just not at the same time? ;)

Granturismo is still the only car in the class (1) that I can say has genuinely usable rear seats

C

(1) DB9, Continental, Jag F-type, Maserati GT etc etc
 

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,445
To demonstrate its quality, the shop keeper at at one of the many leather emporia in Kusadasi, held a lighter to a leather jacket I was considering buying, without any ensuing damage...

He must have known just how long to leave the flame there! These were the days of travelers cheques and I had to go back to the pension where we were staying to fetch the required amount.

Couldn't find my way back to the particular establishment. After much retracing of steps I eventually stumbled into the shop where Mrs Dr Eb (Then Miss Medical Student Eb) had been left as collateral.

More than once, she was asked whether I did indeed love her and would I be returning?

Eb
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,700
Put a damp cloth on it after you remove the heat, it sucks the moisture in and help swell out the dents.

Well done for having a go BTW
Wait. So if I heat it up and then put a damp cloth on it, it swells and sucks the moisture out. I shall report back in the morning, cigarette in hand.
 

ChrissGT

Member
Messages
341
Ah nice, have a couple of pressure indents that i should be able to fix myself. Learn something new every day!
 

Simon1963

Member
Messages
819
Nice job Mr. C. I’ve been looking at cars recently and seen quite a few that have indentations from child seats and has put me off but I would think this trick will sort them out. How are you enjoying the Bentley ownership experience?
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
Wait. So if I heat it up and then put a damp cloth on it, it swells and sucks the moisture out. I shall report back in the morning, cigarette in hand.
If we are still talking leather then yes, just don’t apply the same level of heat to the non leather, PVC wrapped parts.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,557
Nice job Mr. C. I’ve been looking at cars recently and seen quite a few that have indentations from child seats and has put me off but I would think this trick will sort them out. How are you enjoying the Bentley ownership experience?

It's great. Very different from the Maserati. I won't say better at all but certainly on a par.

Got some niggles to sort out (mostly electrical) so it's off to a local independent next week but in the limited miles I've done it's a great thing.
Stupidly quick. Epic brakes. Sounds 'OK' in Sport mode ;)

C