Hard Vinyl Seats

[Grady]

I thought the seats in a 1986 car costing $35,000 (in the day - same as an XJ-6) would be real leather but looking at the back side, it appears to be vinyl.

I'm selling the 'test' Miata seats and putting an original driver's seat back in. I have 2 to work with. One has a broken frame (done for now) and one has rock hard vinyl. Replacing the vinyl is not in the cards at the moment.

I'll probably add a seat cover but as stiff as the vinyl is, I'm sure it will split and fall apart in no time w/o some TLC.

So the Q is: Does anyone have a recommendation for softening vinyl?

[phillpot]

Some seats were leather facings but vinyl sides and backs?



I think once vinyl has "gone" it's terminal ?

[mrzigazaga]

phillpot said:

Some seats were leather facings but vinyl sides and backs?



I think once vinyl has "gone" it's terminal ?

In most cases once the vinyl has crystallised then its toast...However you can try a heat gun on the low...Hold about 2" away moving all the time, You don't want to burn it!...If the vinyl start to weep or starts to show a sheen then its getting softer..Don't poke it while its hot as it will dent it...

You can clean and feed which should give it some suppleness back..I swear by the Meguiars number 57 for vinyl...Do this while its still warm ..Let it soak in for an hour...Ideally test on a small area first...Vinyl is porous just like leather and does need to be fed.


Hope this helps


Ziga

[ElvisWedgely]

mrzigazaga said:

In most cases once the vinyl has crystallised then its toast...However you can try a heat gun on the low...Hold about 2" away moving all the time, You don't want to burn it!...If the vinyl start to weep or starts to show a sheen then its getting softer..Don't poke it while its hot as it will dent it...

You can clean and feed which should give it some suppleness back..I swear by the Meguiars number 57 for vinyl...Do this while its still warm ..Let it soak in for an hour...Ideally test on a small area first...Vinyl is porous just like leather and does need to be fed.


Hope this helps


Ziga

If all that fails or you've got the heat gun set a tad too high, I know a really good upholsterer. He goes by the name of Zig.

Tony. TCB.

[phillpot]

Many many years ago we used to put oil of Wintergreen on the tyres of slot Cars to soften them (then "spongies" came along), this would seem to be backed up by this quote from Wikipedia..."restoring (at least temporarily) the elastomeric properties of old rubber rollers, especially in printers".


Works on rubber, may have no effect at all on vinyl



happy days...............

[mrzigazaga]

It might not work at all but i do this to 30 year old vinyl so i can take a template..I have also used this technique to remove heavy creases and dent in leather & Vinyl....There are two risks here though...Well actually 3 but hopefully the third won't happen...

1. Warming up the vinyl will also warm the glue.
2. Although vinyl will soften with heat it will also harden with cold.

So to address 1 don't man handle any hot/Warm part...It will be okay if you gently work the cleaner in....To avoid 2 then apply the cleaner/Feed when the material is still warm so that when it cools it has a lubricant in the fibres....The oil as suggested may work but any excess will penetrate the foam and glue which will in no time start to look rough.

Avoiding No.3 is done by not having the gun too high or too close for any amount of time...Keep it moving at all times.....

As said though test on a smaller maybe unseen piece first.....


Im getting better Tony...Although the postage might be the killer!

Some 280i parts....

[tbernd]

Hi,

if the back and sides are softer than the facing the facing might be leather. Then you can try this

http://www.letec-gmbh.de/colourlock-altleder-softe...

but I don't know where you get it in the UK.
I tried it and it worked really well.

Cheers

Bernd

[mrzigazaga]

Here is what the Meguiars number 57 does...Its the same as their gold finish which is 3 x more expensive...Just bottled differently...


This picture shows some 30 year old vinyl that i needed to tidy up to use as a template...First i heat with a gun to flatten the vinyl and then normally trim off the stitch line to allow for years of stretch...5mm is a lot in upholstery terms!.

The top section has just been warmed and flattened but the lower section has been treated while warm...That is its buffed finish...It also feels a lot more supple, Almost like leather....

There is definitely a clear distinction



So all may not be lost.......