Leather Seat Repair (Car, not Bike)

[Dr. Dolittle]

I've got an old Volvo wagon that I drive to work and whenever my wife is hogging our other, nicer SUV. The driver seat has developed a tear about 3 inches long and it has gapped to about an inch wide, exposing the foam innards. Please, no comments about the stress this seat has seen from MY seat!

Has anyone come across a product or technique that they like for making this type of repair? Trust me, it doesn't have to be 100% cosmetically beautiful.

Should I just try to work a semi-matching piece of leather under the tear and glue it in place?

Thanks for any and all ideas!

 

[Breeze3at]

I fixed a similar tear in my work truck seat by tucking a piece of vinyl in the tear hole to cover the foam. Then I stitched the rip (not tight, but firm) using a curved needle in a shoelace pattern (not through the new vinyl piece). Then, I dabbed superglue between the vinyl underneath and edge of rip in several places to hold in place. It held for a year and I was in/out of the truck 30-50 times a day. Maybe more work than you want to do, but I was on the clock!

 

[gator508]

Dr,

I would stitch the ends of the tear so it will not spread any further and then try to match a patch to the seat. Try using contact cement to keep the patch in place and then sew around the edges. I did this once on an oldie I had, it didn't win any awards for beauty but it was functional. Good luck!

 

[Iceman24]

Use gator508 & Breeze3at's suggestions to stop seat from additional damage & then get yourself a cheap seat cover to make it look nice. Gotta kepp the old Volvo's - one of the safest cars on the road (built like German tanks) and they last forever.

 

[Joyflyin]

Use gator508 & Breeze3at's suggestions to stop seat from additional damage & then get yourself a cheap seat cover to make it look nice. Gotta kepp the old Volvo's - one of the safest cars on the road (built like German tanks) and they last forever.

LOL, Iceman, I have always said that every new driver should have to drive an old Volvo wagon or an old Mercedes 240d. They are built like tanks, run on neglect, and won't go fast enough to hurt anyone.....and even when they do crash, refer back to they are built like tanks.

 

[Iceman24]

Definitely...one of my co-workers has a late 90's station wagon and I feel like the president in his motorcade when riding in it. I'll have to find one this summer for when my daughter turns 14 & wants to get her school learning permit...:newsmile071:

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

Didn't know there was such a "fan club" for old Volvo's! It's a 1998 V90 with 153,000 miles on it so I figure it's just about broken in. Definitely the ugliest duckling in our stable of vehicles but then I get to ride the Harley so i don't mind.

I tried the seat cover thing and didn't like it at all. Shifted around too much for my liking.

I'll try the combination of a bit of sewing to stop the tear from progressing and then patch/contact cement to cover it.

Thanks, folks!

 

[Jack Klarich]

Didn't know there was such a "fan club" for old Volvo's! It's a 1998 V90 with 153,000 miles on it so I figure it's just about broken in. Definitely the ugliest duckling in our stable of vehicles but then I get to ride the Harley so i don't mind.

I tried the seat cover thing and didn't like it at all. Shifted around too much for my liking.

I'll try the combination of a bit of sewing to stop the tear from progressing and then patch/contact cement to cover it.

Thanks, folks!

Very well built cars DR, needing little mechanical repairs:s

 

[fin_676]

I had a a 1988 volvo 240 estate car 2.3 injection nothing ever broke on it it just drank too much petrol for my lifestyle when i moved here it was 8 years old at that time 6 years later it was back at the local garage for sale again as good as it had been when i had last seen it

Brian

 

[Dr. Dolittle]

Yep, I plan on driving it until it simply won't run anymore! Might end up as a hand-me-down to one of my grand kids!