Refinished my Z3 seats and retrimmed the steering wheel.....

Refinished my Z3 seats and retrimmed the steering wheel.....

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gizlaroc

Original Poster:

17,251 posts

223 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2014
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Someone on the forum was selling an 80k mile full history 2.8i Z3 last month, so I thought 'why not?'

I miss not having a petrol car with a manual 'box that feels nice and raw, I looked at hiring an M135i, tried a new 330d sport touring and then realised that I haven't actually got much love for this generation of cars.
I got bored of my new E350cdi estate and sold it after only 6 months and nothing in the Merc line up appeals for the family wagon, so bought an old ML off one of the guys on the forum while deciding what to do and a year later still in it, keep it another 6 months and it will be the longest I have ever kept a car!!

Anyway, really enjoying the Z3, doing it up as much as driving it, nice to have something to tinker with.

Last week I resprayed the seats using the Furniture Clinic respray kit, the seats were hard and shiny and the bolsters worn and cracked.
Of course leather seats are not dyed, for the last 40 years they have been sprayed, so it is usually only the paint that has worn or cracked, so once you have cleaned them and taken the original colour off you can spray them like new again.
I used a heat gun to get all the sagging and creases out, got 90% of them out.

Overall the kit cost me £50, well chuffed........






Also, I got Royals to retrim the steering wheel, went for extra padding, plain top and bottom and perforated sides, transforms the way the car feels and looks, was £115 as I paid extra for M tri-colour stitching, best £100 I have ever spent on a car......




I will never write off a car again because the seats are looking tired, now I know they can look almost new for £50 and 3 hours work.

jayemm89

4,007 posts

129 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2014
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Nice

Very tempted to send my wheel to Royals, what was their turnaround time?

gizlaroc

Original Poster:

17,251 posts

223 months

Wednesday 23rd April 2014
quotequote all
About 10 days, but he uses one from stock and then you return yours when the new one arrives.

He takes a £100 deposit.

Slowped

184 posts

145 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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Well done, they look brilliant!

milu

2,346 posts

265 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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we also have a 2.8z3.
its done 98k miles and is a bit chipped etc on the body but overall is great.
Everything works too…Air con,heated seats,elec bits and bobs.
Good value fun imo

milu

2,346 posts

265 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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Sorry,meant to say the trimming looks great!

IAN1967

242 posts

169 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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What kit did you use to get the results on the seats? looked for the respray kit you mentioned but nothing on their site.

Thanks

gizlaroc

Original Poster:

17,251 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
quotequote all
http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Colourant...

I used the Medium kit and I am left with nearly 75% of the dye, and over 50% of the finisher.
But needed around one and a quarter cans of propellant.
So maybe a small kit and an extra can of propellant would be better value.

There are discount codes out there for 10% off as well.


Clivey

5,108 posts

203 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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Brilliant! This is very handy to know. thumbup

gf15

980 posts

265 months

Thursday 24th April 2014
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Big thumbs up for Jack @ Royal steering wheels. I too agree that it is the best £130 I spent. Went from a very hard and uncomfortable wheel in a BMW 650 to a superb comfortable wheel with extra padding that still looks like new after 2 years and 50k miles.

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Friday 25th April 2014
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Cracking result. Love the stitching on the wheel.