custom leather install

hey guys well im getting a KILLER deal on some leather hides so im re-doing my leather in my car in 2 tone black and tan. im also looking for 2 front seats so i can take out my rear bench and put in the 2 buckets thatll be fully operational. also am gonna install a fridge/icemaker in the back w/ some curtains. plus ill be installing memory foam in the seats similar to mercedes. and maybe suede headliner. we'll see hopefully everything will come out OK:biggthumpup:
 
pics as soon as i have them

sounds sweet keep us updated!

wow fridge and memory foam eh? i hope ur making a write up with pics :thelaw: i was gonna do a peltier style cooler to keep shit cold in my trunk but i forgot all about it during my stereo install, now theres no room lol. good luck!

thanks, im in a trim and upholstery class right now at wyotech so thats where im gonna be doing all my work. i actually gotta measure my headliner to make sure the suede i can get will be wide enough but im not gonna start my work for another month i imagine, so now im looking for 2 more front seats and the rest of the accessories i would like.

got a  date when u think itll be done? it sound so sick.


so ur gonna put fully eletronic front seats, in the rear?

yep, im basically gonna have 4 front seats in the car, as for the date maybe 2 months?

make sure you take plenty of pictures.

i will of the finished product, i found some seats for a good price and ill be picking them up in a couple of weeks:biggthumpup:

Where do you plan on getting the memory foam? Are you buying it in bulk slabs and cutting/shaving it down or do you have other plans?

you HAVE to take pics along the way, so we know what went into it... especially of the install of the front seats into the rear and the fridge..

well for the memory foam im gonna look around, i havent found a definite source yet.
as for pics in the school im in they dont allow cameras(test comprimise purposes) so ill see what i can do for getting pics

camera phone on the cool

How are you suppost to have sex in the car with two bucket seats in the rear? ? ?
:giggity:

the seats lean back:giggity:

lol. i like 2+2's but for that particular reason i think bench seats win.

we"ll see, ill have to test it out for you guys and post the results:giggity:hahaha

well change of plans, i mocked up my rear seats and they are not gonna fit. well, they could fit with major modification which i plan to do a lil later down the road. to make the buckets fit im gonna have to make a new floor pan even to the floor board so the seats will sit lower and modify the forward portion of the rear wheel well on both sides so the seats will come to the edges of the car. so, since i cant get the buckets to fit for now im gonna modify the rear bench. the rear seat is sewn together like they were originally gonna be buckets, so when i make the upholstery for the seat im gonna finish the edges on the inboard sides to essentially make them buckets and to make room for the fridge and icemaker. it really depresses me b/c i really wanted full functional rear seats (recline, lumbar,heat etc.) but oh well. this will do for now.:biggthumpup:

some new additions
 
 
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got the frige and icemaker in today. gonna mock it up tomorrow see how she fits

Nice work being planned here... I will make sure and keep an eye on this thread...

thanks, the icemaker is HUGE! its gonna have to go in the trunk unfortunately, but the fridge fits perfectly. got the silicone (i think) seat inserts in and theyre gonna be CUSH! anyways, i have the rear seat removed and all the door panels removed (i also tinted the windows, 35% bronze mildly reflective tint, looks awesome!) well i think thats it for now, updates as they come:biggthumpup:

also been toying with the idea of doing black suede inserts. black leather with black suede centers, but i think that would be too much suede since the headliner, A and B pillars, and sail panels and rear package tray will be black suede. lemme know what you guys think

lets see pics of the fridge sitting in there....

eh, everything is sort of a mess right now, alot of my interior trim is in the trunk  but i can take a pic of it to show you guys how big this puppy is, ill also get a pic of my fridge.

Ice maker? Fridge? Now THATS the kind of shit I like hearing about. Lets see some PICS!!!

Post some pics dammit! lol

well i got my door panels dyed today, came out real nice. i have pics but i dont have a cord to connect to my computer so what i usually do is go to Walmart and put the pics on a disc. so as soon as i do that i will post pics:biggthumpup:

removed my headliner today and all the plastic trim in the car. installed HID's and installed my door panels and the rear seat (we're traveling for thanksgiving and taking the LS) so tomorrow im gonna start installing suede on the headliner and a-pillar, b-pillar and sail panels (c-pillars). and thats about it for now until the holiday weekend is over

Are you at least taking pictures to document? I  really really want to see this. I am in a similar situation right now with having the entire interior apart and everything pulled apart and having to still deal with life and whatnot. It's nice knowing someone else is going through all of that too. It's one thing working on someone else's car but when its YOUR car it seems to have the duality of being and insanely sweet project yet having the motivation to do it.

Plus, you put a fridge in your car, post some god damn pictures :slap:

I'll show you mine if you show me yours ;-P

yeah for sure im taking pics. i got my headliner done on wednesday. the suede looks good, tomorrow im gonna do the sunroof panel and maybe the rest of the trim.

where do you get interior dyed?   how much does it cost?   what color selection do they have?   can they dye any plastics?

im doing it myself in my upholstery class. you can basically do any color you want, just like mixing paint. well i got my sunroof panel and sail panels (c-pillars) done (covered in suede)today, tomorrow i should have the B and A-pillars done and start on dying the rest of my trim pieces. friday i have planned on taking the dash out and dying it but probably wont be done til monday. i ordered my carpet today (not pre-molded, u cant get that stuff anywhere) and i have to wait a week before im even able to dye my leather (waiting on soft touch additive) well, thats it for now. will have pics up soon....maybe. i might just wait til im done and post them all up at once.

dont tease like that man. lol. were all anxiously waiting.  im really really thinking about dying the interior of my car, but dont really know where to start.  its something that ive been thinking constantly for the last 4-6 months that my interior has been out. what products are you using as far as dying? sems? what prep are you doing to it exactly. 
Thanks
Charley

as far as products...... i dont know, its what the school has and my instructor has been doing interior work since he was like 9 so he knows everything. as far as prep i use bug and tar remover to first clean it (used in body shops) then this "green clean" stuff with a green scrubby to get deep down, then let that dry and then spray on some adhesion promoter and let that dry minimum 15 minutes, then start dying (am i spelling that right, dont want ppl to think im emo haha)

[QUOTE=RotaryAE86;209217]as far as products...... i dont know, its what the school has and my instructor has been doing interior work since he was like 9 so he knows everything. as far as prep i use bug and tar remover to first clean it (used in body shops) then this "green clean" stuff with a green scrubby to get deep down, then let that dry and then spray on some adhesion promoter and let that dry minimum 15 minutes, then start dying (am i spelling that right, dont want ppl to think im emo haha)[/QUOTE]

lol. yeah, i think its spelled that way.
does this dye soak in pretty good, or will it scratch off?
been thinking about leather myself, but i need to start shopping around first.
Charley

OK ok, been silently watching this, and I want to see some pics too... Hurry up!!!! Anyway, I've been wanting to get the shift know from Garson, but I dont know if it's the one that screws on, or if it's a pressure fit.... with an allen bolt

well, ive explained earlier about the picture situation, so it would be easier/cheaper for me to wait. besides i only have 3 weeks to finish so you wont be waiting that long. my Garson knob isnt screw on, i just looked, it uses 4 set screws (allen as you referred to earlier)
 
Charley, i have my door panels in right now and the dye looks, feels and holds up like factory. but i do have to ask my instructor what to clean them with as he says never to use armor all on anything. ill ask him what brand to go with and let you know!:biggthumpup:

i use a damp chamois to clean my interior

thanks a million. yeah ive never used armor all, from my understanding, it brings the oils of the materials to the surface giving it that shiny clean look, when in reality its drying up the materials. thats as far as ive ever read, but i dont know, never used the stuff, never will, especially with all the 240s/ car dash cracks that ive read/heard about.

wll you also ask him what brand of dye youre using? where i could find it. if not resaled to the public what his input is on the sems product line?
Thanks
Charley

the brand is refinishing(ers) coatings and he said its like a $10k setup. so basically youd get that for a business youd be opening. he also said sems is alright if youre only doing plastics since its i wanna say chemical based but im sure thats not it, ill have to reconfirm but he said he wouldnt use it on any material like leathers or vinyl or anything that flexes.

man, thats disappointing to hear. been looking around for salvage cars with black interiors, but its rather slim.
guess ill just have to go back on the drawing board.
thanks
Charley

yeah, itd probably be cheaper to have a interior shop do it for you?

idk, i mean, its a project car that im trying to stay on a somewhat budget, but the wheels, suspension and kit has drawn a lot out of me.  and to think that it still has to get resprayed. here in az shops rates for paint is expensive.
charley

thats cool, you can just try interior paint on some small items and see how that works out for you.
well i got the rest of the materials i needed today so im gonna start on finishing it tomorrow, But i have ALOT going on tomorrow with my jeep being picked up (being shipped back to FL) and dropping the lexus off to get the the dash removed so i can dye it (they wont let me do it in class says takes too much time) and other miscellaneous errands i have to run. also next week i get to stay for 12 hr days so i should get alot done which i need b/c i havent even started on my seats or carpet or installing the fridge/icemaker and i dont think ill get the shift knob done til i get back to FL and the steering wheel im probably gonna send out with a sample of my black to get restored. eh, so much to do and so lil time......

well i got some pics, i thought i took more but apparently i havent. ill get more later. also my camera sucks
 
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heres some pics of the leather getting dyed
 
 
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what product are you using to dye? gun application?

the product brand is refinishing coatings. the 1st base coat i foam brush on, then every coat after that spray on with a paint gun
 
 
also got my dash dyed and almost everything else, just a few small things to finish hopefully tonight and then onto my seats and carpet. i actually think i might get this done (i only have until next wednesday)

I cant wait to see this done.

thanks for the pics. that looks very inspirational.
how are you dying the plastics again?
Charley

the plastics are basically the same process as everything else except i use a hard base instead of a flex base. 
 
well i got the front seats ripped apart and the gel pads installed (actually used in motorcycle seats) should add ideally to the comfort of the seats. also got the cover of the passenger  seat done and it came out ok but i plan to do better on the next couple of covers. if i have enough leather(and time) i might re-do it.

charley, heres the stuff we use, hope it helps
 
 
[URL]http://www.refinishcoatings.com/[/URL]

ok, well my time is now up at school and i got most everything accomplished i wanted. i only got 2 hides of leather dyed b/c they had run out of flex base for the dye and didnt get any back in time. so almost half of my rear backrest is a green color (the green in the above pics). i got the fridge in and the rear cushion cut into 2 bucket pieces so the fridge sits in the middle. black carpet is in but i had to custom make it since molded carpet isnt available. everything from the doors up is black suede including the rear package tray and thats about it. ill get some pics up as soon as i can. oh and the fridge i have to paint still b/c its an off white color as of now and dont match but im pretty happy with the outcome as of now:biggthumpup:

oh yeah, thought id also add that 93-94 LS4 seats and 90-92 seats have different connectors so im gonna have to do some wiring so my seats will work (ive had to use a 12v jumper box to move my seat to my comfort haha)

where'd you pick up the hides from?
i'm hunting for some suede. :p

i was in a trim and upholstery class at wyotech and ordered it through them from a company in denver. just search online its easy to find.

so pics of how it sits....

nice....does anybody know where to get "blood guts" or red leathers?

pics of the fridge....where did you get the fridge from?

yeah definitely where did u get the fridge and also \/\/\/
 
[quote=ricky cash;222048]nice....does anybody know where to get "blood guts" or red leathers?[/quote]

well sorry about the delay guys, i moved back to Florida and was job hunting and am staying at a relatives currently and have nothing but dial up so its painful for me to get on. i will get updated pics soon and put them online (probably today). as far as the fridge i hit up ebay for that (the icemaker too) but havent put the icemaker in due to having to do some extensive mods to the rear package tray which i havent had the time to do. also on the drive down here to FL something happened to the fridge but i dont know what (my wife was driving the LS i was in my talon so who knows what she did). as far as the blood red you can have stuff dyed (if you can find a shop that has the stuff)if you cant find the right color material. i actually got a job at an upholstery shop in naples but havent started yet so when that happens i might be able to give better details

ok cool,,,because i know lexus has the red leather option,,,if i were to purchase one that doesnt have red leather than i would probably want to change it up...so thats y i was asking

sounds like I may have to visit you next time I am down at Sebring Int....

[quote=burgy;223551]sounds like I may have to visit you next time I am down at Sebring Int....[/quote]
 
 
sure, no worries. but im not gonna live here too long (maybe a month or two). like i said earlier i got a job at an upholstery shop in naples and if that don't work out im lining up some other stuff in sarasota just in case

here are a couple pics, for some reason my camera isnt loading up all the pics so im working on that right now. the rear seat you can see in one of the pics has some green (shoal) panels that was b/c we ran out of soft base so thats why, i figured i can always dye it later. well here's what i have for now.
 
oh and i have a black wheel i just havent had the time to put it in and i havent had time to install my Garson shifter yet so.... yeah
 
 
 
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nice, Can't wait to see this finished.  if you end up in Sarasota that just makes you closer.  You need to come up for some of the local meets once the car is done.  I have a buddy with a sick GS down in Sarasota.

here are a couple more i got uploaded, i still gotta paint the fridge
 
 
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Wow that looks awesome. Very Nice work.

thanks D, there's still some small things to tie up, i still got to get black seat belts and a rear passenger door handle plastic cover and a few other small pieces i missed while dying (2 to be exact)  and then dye the rest of my back seat not to mention finish my shift knob and install the icemaker but thats all in due time. right now im also painting some things on my talon. my front bumper and my hood. the front bumper im staying a stock color but on the hood im taking the CF one off and gonna be using the steel one where i think ill be doing a claude monet-like custom job and painting it a candy color like my mail box. but we'll see im still searching for cool ideas....

lol that stock shifter is MONSTROUS!!!

looks bad a$$$... now lets see pics of you ride with those wheels on it... :)

lmao nice work but the shifter and steering wheel are killing it for me.. after u get those installed and the fridge gets painted and the green panels dyed that will look 100x better. i like how the panels and the seats came out. cant wait to see it when its fully done. i had ideas of putting a cooler in the trunk when i first got the car, but this thread inspired me to put one in the trunk for sure when i get my funds right. ive been looking at prices and different models recently and its really not too bad costwise.

[quote=shawnthemonster;224558]looks bad a$$$... now lets see pics of you ride with those wheels on it... :)[/quote]
 
 
actually, the wheels are being worked on hehe. ive never seen any well fitting Euroline N2's so i figured id make mine well fitting, sooooo theyre getting modified barrells to widen the wheels and lessen offset:giggity:

[quote=jaynick808;224571]lmao nice work but the shifter and steering wheel are killing it for me.. after u get those installed and the fridge gets painted and the green panels dyed that will look 100x better. i like how the panels and the seats came out. cant wait to see it when its fully done. i had ideas of putting a cooler in the trunk when i first got the car, but this thread inspired me to put one in the trunk for sure when i get my funds right. ive been looking at prices and different models recently and its really not too bad costwise.[/quote]
 
 
yeah for sure, when i start my job at the upholstery shop im gonna try and stay after work and finish up what i have left. but we'll see. i might have my wheels done before that:shrug:

nice.... well i will wait with high anticipation on this one. i love those wheels. keep me updated.

well got the black steering wheel in a couple days ago. so all thats left is shift knob, dye rest of backrest, paint fridge, install icemaker, and get the small black parts i need..... sheesh. well it might be awhile anyways b/c that upholstery job fell through (guy never called me back for a start date) but i got an interview tomorrow and the guy basically said im just coming  down there to discuss how much it'll take to get me to work there. this is the place sweetstreetcustomcars.com ,looks cool enuf

oh yeah thanks shawn, im hoping theyll come out as nice as i want them to. after i get the mods done to them i have to get them refinished..... fun fun

So are you definately working at that shop now?  I also have a few questions about headliners and door cards I'll PM you later about.

THIS IS AWESOME.. LOOKS LIKE THAT STEERING WHEEL NEEDS TO BE REDONE OR REPLACED THOUGH

yeah, i have a new black on now, its still not done unfortunately. im working at a place called Palm Beach Hot Rods where i do everything except upholstery so im gonna have to start doing side work. right now im rebuilding my talon engine.... long story