painting/spraying interior door panels...

[scoot]

I need to refresh the interior door panels on my 63 220S.  They are red, in good condition, but have areas of discoloration.  Can someone recommend a good product for doing this?

thanks
Scott

[Iconic]

Scott,
Are they MB-TEX?
Regards,
Mark

[scoot]

Scott,
Are they MB-TEX?
Regards,
Mark

Not 100% sure.  The seats are original leather.  Don't know if the door panels are leather or MB-tex.

[Jonny B]

If all is standard, the panels should be leather, to match the seats. The two horizontal seams near the top of the door panel will be stitched if they are leather. The MB Tex panels have the two lines, but they are molded in.

[scoot]

The two lines are stitched, and it appears to be leather.  In remarkable condition except for some discoloration.

[Iconic]

Leather is good.
My understanding is that leather takes dye much better than vinyl.
I am no expert ! I have never done it but I have had it done for me on a couple of occasions. The results have been fantastic.
Do some internet research. You will need to find someone to custom mix the dye for you based on some sample you provide (extra piece cut from under the seat??). Then there is some procedure that breaks the exterior surface up to accept the dye and then smooths it out again to seal it up.
I hope to do this in the future on my 911.
That is all I've got at this point. I hope it helped a little.
Mark

[Pinder]

I am also going to be doing this. Ive got new seat covers in leather arriving today but I need to re dye the door panels on the dash. I did a search on the internet and did come across some sites that claim to mix it for you based on a sample. I dont recall names. Ill post more details if I proceed further this week.

[BaronYoungman]

I have been using Joanne at Color Plus out of Milford PA for over 20 years, she is great, it is a 1 person operation but she has never let me down.  It is all about the prep.  She has a article online that explains about leather good info.
No affiliation but I like to see good small business that deserve recognition get it.
Colorplus.com
570-686-3158

[scoot]

I have been using Joanne at Color Plus out of Milford PA for over 20 years, she is great, it is a 1 person operation but she has never let me down.  It is all about the prep.  She has a article online that explains about leather good info.
No affiliation but I like to see good small business that deserve recognition get it.
Colorplus.com
570-686-3158

Thanks for the recommendation.  I worked with Joanne and got the materials to do my door panels (and more) in Roser Red, it will match the GAAH seat covers if I ever buy new ones.   So another vote in favor of Joanne and Colorplus.com

Here's some pics of the results...

[scoot]

And just for the fun of it, pics of the dash and the unfortunate condition of the leather seats...  I think the seats are beyond repair...

[Pinder]

Doors look very nice!

[Iconic]

Scoot,
Those doors really pop.
Fantastic work !
It sounds like it is your first time working with Joanne, but is that the first leather dye work you have done?
Mark

[scoot]

It sounds like it is your first time working with Joanne, but is that the first leather dye work you have done?
Mark

Maybe 20 years ago I dyed the seats from my 1979 BMW 733i (with manual transmission) - black to black.  It was a very different process, first of all the leather was in good condition but showing through in some areas.  I did what they guy at the shoe shop told me to do, which was clean everything with acetone to get rid of any removable finish, blot on black liquid leather dye (like shoe dye), and the spray them with black that you find in shoe repair stores for giving an even satin finish.  So that time was more like dying a purse or something, and it worked great and looked great for as long as I owned the car.  There was no "conditioning" as part of the process.  But the leather had regularly been moisturized with Lexol.

[Iconic]

Thanks Scoot.
Great results with not a lot of experience.
That gives me motivation and hope.
Mark

[scoot]

If the condition of the leather itself is good, I think the job is easy.  If there are cracks, Joann has a material you can use to fill cracks which sounds more complicated to me, but I didn't have cracks.  I wish my seats were in good enough condition to re-dye.