We got our start in 1987 repairing leather and vinyl auto interiors for dealerships and body shops in Southern California. CC learned that tiny beads of liquid super glue, when sanded, corrected minor nicks and cat scratches in leather upholstery. Her clients were shocked that such a simple method could yield such flawless results. Ron Mangus Interiors even featured CC and her method in his exquisite manual, Custom Auto Interiors.
Lesandre (daughter) demonstrates the method on a steering wheel in the video below.
Click here to learn how to:
- repair holes,
- repair perforated leather,
- repair cracking vinyl,
- repair a cracked dash,
- repair seams,
- correct sticky leather or vinyl, and
- restore plastic components.
Video contents:
- 0:12 – Clean
- 0:30 – Repair small tears and dents with super glue and sandpaper
- 2:47 – Repair deeper gouges with an epoxy made from super glue and baking soda
- 4:53 – Polish
- 5:15 – Color test
- 5:52 – Texturizing
- 6:55 – Advanced texturizing
- 7:57 – Spraying the color
More substantial damage, like this hole in Bill’s Silverado, is best repaired with a flexible filler. It’s less work and maintenance to restore the original color, and our Custom Color service is highly recommended for auto interiors.
However, Brianne restored the entire interior with our stock Beige when a $300 detailing could not rejuvenate the leather.
Brian restored this gear shift knob with Black, which is a universal color in auto interiors. He could always go back and fill the few remaining gouges using the method demonstrated in the video.
Will restored his Volkswagen Bug with our Marine White, Red Chili and a beautiful serape.
Mike ordered a Custom Color to restore the discolored vinyl to its original aqua in his collectible car.
Rub ‘n Restore® Colors double as a conditioning sunscreen that are great for exterior vinyl, plastic, and rubber—everything from convertible tops and tonneau covers to sun-rotted bedliners, bumpers, and trim.
Our finishes are water-based acrylics. Consider a heavier urethane or aerosol coating to change the color of an auto interior.
So,… My steering wheel doesn’t need repair just a recoating of a portion of the steering wheel I think got too much hand sanitizer in or something and the leather to coat feels home or something. Would I be able to just passing a later if this over it?
The alcohol in the hand sanitizer may have damaged the finish… or perhaps moisturizing chemicals.
Gently sand any unevenness with 500 grit wet or dry sandpaper, and wipe down with rubbing alcohol. So long as you can’t feel the damage, our finish will correct the rest. Black is universal. Other colors might require customization.
My 1993 volvos leather steering wheel has worn down to the plastic in a few spots…can I use filler tho build it up again ? Many thanks! Bill
I would try the method detailed in this video, not the Soft Filler used for seat repairs.
Wonderful site!
Similar question to Bill Boyd’s, posted here on 29 July 2020: How would you advise addressing significant deteriorization of the leather wrap on a steering wheel? A full quadrant of the wheel is without finish and fully reveals the interior of the wrap material (leather, according to the vehicle manufacturer). I wonder if too much material is missing to successfully use the sandpaper and glue method I watched Lesandre apply to scratched and gouged leather on a steering wheel. I could send a picture to better allow you to assess the problem.
Thanks for emailing the photo directly. We’ve never seen such extensive damage on a leather steering wheel. Must be an inferior finish, perhaps damaged by lotion, body products, or oil.
Repairing with Soft Filler will be tedious and also not as stable over time. We suggest:
1) Clean with alcohol.
2) Primer the worn areas with our Clear Prep+Finish. Let dry.
3) Gently sand with 220-500 grit sandpapers.
4) Repeat steps 2-3 if desired. Tack down little flaps with a tiny bead of super glue. Use the uper glue and baking soda epoxy method in the video to repair gouges.
5) Apply a matching color.
6) You can repeat steps 3-5 as needed without having to strip off the color.
7) Add Clear alone for shiny topcoat or mix with color to make a more subdued satin finish (we call this a glaze) which will blend well to undamaged areas.
Wheel restoration service for a 2006 Mazda MX5 Miata. Pricing and process time. Thanks
You’ll need a Custom Color ($60 matching and 8 oz. minimum $48) unless it’s black, in which case our smallest 2 oz. is plenty. Questions about application are answered in the our free how-to resources and videos. Please submit an evaluation if you want us to point you to the specific articles and tailor a solution.
I am looking to change the Interior color from tan to cinnamon/tan in my ‘04 F150. Can you help me find this shade?
That would probably require customization, but we don’t recommend color changing auto interiors with our acrylic system. See if SEM has that color code in an aerosol paint.
2012 Lexus RX-450h, leather is worn off half drivers seat,
Sounds like a job for filler and a Custom Color. If the substrate foam is worn also, might be better off replacing or reupholstering. We can advise you better if you submit photos and complete the evaluation.