Changing flappy paddle leather

[nickv8]

It’s one of the very few things that bugs me about the interior spec of my V8 Vantage SportShift... the black leather used on the flappy paddles.

It’s Volcano Red on the outside with red stritching on the inside (centre console, seats, door cards, wheel...). So why wasn’t red spec’d for the flappy paddle leather???

These things matter in life! And no... I don’t get out much.

Has anybody else changed theirs? Do AM supply the leather patches? I presume they are justed glued onto the black-finished metal of the paddles?

Thanks!

[zafod]

nickv8 said:

It’s one of the very few things that bugs me about the interior spec of my V8 Vantage SportShift... the black leather used on the flappy paddles.

It’s Volcano Red on the outside with red stritching on the inside (centre console, seats, door cards, wheel...). So why wasn’t red spec’d for the flappy paddle leather???

These things matter in life! And no... I don’t get out much.

Has anybody else changed theirs? Do AM supply the leather patches? I presume they are justed glued onto the black-finished metal of the paddles?

Thanks!

I'd buy some red leather off cuts from the bay and replace them myself. Shouldn't be that difficult and only a few quid?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Split-Leather-Offcuts-L...f:0&var=471175425916

[nickv8]

Yep - it was my first thought. But it seems quite thin leather, so depending on how much it’s glued on, it may stretch when being peeled off - which would then not be good as a template.

I don’t think that making a new template is beyond me, but not sure if anyone had bought a replacement set from AM which is guaranteed to fit and match in colour?

If it’s silly money for such small swatches, a home-job it maybe

[zafod]

nickv8 said:

Yep - it was my first thought. But it seems quite thin leather, so depending on how much it’s glued on, it may stretch when being peeled off - which would then not be good as a template.

I don’t think that making a new template is beyond me, but not sure if anyone had bought a replacement set from AM which is guaranteed to fit and match in colour?

If it’s silly money for such small swatches, a home-job it maybe

Yep, £8 for a handful = no brainer

[yellow_tang]

I did price up the AM leather patches when I swapped my paddle-shift, Replacement leather inserts (CD33-7L238-AAW) cost over £536 for a pair

[nickv8]

yellow_tang said:

I did price up the AM leather patches when I swapped my paddle-shift, Replacement leather inserts (CD33-7L238-AAW) cost over £536 for a pair

Thank you yellow_tang - that makes the decision process much simpler!

[westhumbler]

As you say pulling off the old leather would distort it, so as an idea:-

You could make a template by putting a piece of paper over the leather on each side, clipping it in place and rubbing it with a pencil that would reveal the outline of the leather which you could then cut out with scissors?

Not sure how much room there is to get in there to do this, but possibly worth a try?

Good luck

[nickv8]

westhumbler said:

As you say pulling off the old leather would distort it, so as an idea:-

You could make a template by putting a piece of paper over the leather on each side, clipping it in place and rubbing it with a pencil that would reveal the outline of the leather which you could then cut out with scissors?

Not sure how much room there is to get in there to do this, but possibly worth a try?

Good luck

Indeed - that would be the kind of route. Ideally, I’d like to make a CAD / PDF template once done so that others can easily make them up.

It’s in the looooong to-do list

[yellow_tang]

Is it possible just to recolour the leather? Appreciate you are starting with black and wanting red...

[nickv8]

yellow_tang said:

Is it possible just to recolour the leather? Appreciate you are starting with black and wanting red...

Never thought of that... but due to the amount of dye needed to make that shift in colour, I'd probably emerge from each drive looking like I've murdered somebody with my own bare fingers

[Vet Guru]

I had mine done at AM works to match the steering wheel upgrade I did

[nickv8]

Vet Guru said:

I had mine done at AM works to match the steering wheel upgrade I did

Nice personalisation!

[yellow_tang]

nickv8 said:

yellow_tang said:

Is it possible just to recolour the leather? Appreciate you are starting with black and wanting red...

Never thought of that... but due to the amount of dye needed to make that shift in colour, I'd probably emerge from each drive looking like I've murdered somebody with my own bare fingers

You say that but there is a guy based in Kent on the Vantage Facebook group that does this for a living, and one of his photos was changing a black seat insert to a red one - so the dye must be pretty robust not to come off on your backside when you sit in it! If you had to send the paddles off, you could borrow my old paddleshifts while they get done?

[DobHunter]

Actually its not dye; nearly all leather is one of two base shades. The colour on the A surface is a flexible paint which is then sealed with a type of clearcoat.
You can paint it any colour you want and it should last a long time if you prep it properly and apply several coats.

The thin leather is called skived. It goes through a shaver (skiver) until it is the required thickness. Even when very thin it doesn't stretch much more than the unskived variety.

Use a good adhesive like Dunlop 758, coat both leather and substrate and let it flash off for the correct time.

[nickv8]

Cheers, yellow_tang and DobHunter - useful info I wasn’t aware of!

[Manx V8V]

I was thinking the same about re-coating, I've seen a couple of the Wheeler Dealer episodes where they have taken seats and other bits of leather trim to a restorer, who basically rubs them down and sprays them just like bodywork, using flexible paint designed for use on leather, so it should be possible.