Mini Radford De Ville comes back to life

[Peter Laidler]

In my very limited experience with leather Doc, the best people for advice, help and repairs are the old fashioned saddle makers/saddlers. Being in horsey country round here, there is/was an old saddlers shop in a nearby village, run by an old man and his wife.

Some of this stuff lasts for hundreds of years with a bit of care and attention......., and saddle soap!

They also supplied and part-made some of the uniforms for the Cromwellian 'seal-knot' reinactors

[Dr.Mabo]

@Peter
As you may know, I prefer to take the challenge myself

When starting to refurbish old leather for the first time, it is probably not so clever to start with the most challenging parts, i.e. the front seats. It is better to make first experiences with the material and the products on small and uncomplicated parts. The probably unavoidable beginner's mistakes should then be made on the less visible parts. That's why I opted for the center armrest. Even though it will be quite visible later on, the size and complexity are much more manageable to get to grips with the material.

The Radford interior is extremely individual. No two interiors are the same. Not even the center armrests of several Radford Minis are identical. Consequently, each one is constructed differently and the first challenge is to find out how it is attached and can be dismantled.

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An armrest like this is exposed to all kinds of dirt over the years. With all old and used things, there comes a time when the users don't care how they handle them. This is also the case with the armrest. The leather has decades of dirt in it. After a lot of research, I chose for products from Colourlock offered by the German “Lederzentrum”. They claim to understand leather. Let's see if we have the same understanding.

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I'm quite happy with the cleaner, at least it can do something.

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[roger mcnab]

hi doc
it is good when a product actually does what it is claimed to do you seem to have picked a winner and leather can be hard to revive
keep up the good work
cheers roger

[Dr.Mabo]

Without the layer of dirt and after degreasing, the next challenge becomes visible: the front corners of the armrest. Both sides are badly chipped and frayed. Some of the leather is even missing.

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So-called liquid leather should help here. This is a flexible plastic product that bonds particularly well with the leather. I used it to fill in the missing areas. As it shrinks or falls in a little when it dries, you have to apply it in layers. The liquid leather can be mixed in the desired color.

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As there is only a little original color left in the contact area, it is now time to apply some toning. You can either paint the leather and thus change the color totally, or you can tone it. You can either use a color chart to find the right shade or have it mixed according to a sample. I have sent a sample of the underside of the rear seat. However, I'm not sure how clever that was, because even if that was the original color, the old leather is discolored or faded over large areas. So just spot-toning in certain areas, as is actually intended for toning, unfortunately does not achieve the goal. However, if the tone is applied in several layers, a uniform color tone is achieved again. It makes sense to dab the toner on with a sponge to avoid smudges and dry with a heat gun in between. I am absolutely delighted with the result.

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[roger mcnab]

hi doc
that is a great result amazing what can be achieved with some research and good products this car should come up looking as good as new
cheers roger

[InnoCooperExport]

I have heard nothing but good things about Colourlock leather care products. Great to see the results here.

[Dr.Mabo]

And what has worked successfully on the armrest must now also prove itself on the center console. The console has to withstand far more external influences than the armrest. The leather is maltreated on the sides by the seat belt buckles when they slip between the seat and the console, as well as by all the sharp-edged objects you carry in your pockets. At the rear edge, it not only has to withstand the kicking of the font guests, but is also exposed to everything that is deposited behind the seats. The front edge also has its own special stresses, as every grip on the handbrake and gearshift leaves its mark. There were numerous deep scratches, chipped edges and the knob on the front was also damaged.

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The damage could be largely eliminated with leather glue and liquid leather. Here too, a clean and uniform appearance could be achieved with the color tinting.

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[Peter Laidler]

I am sure that with your metal and woodworking skills, you could improve in the amateurish original quality of the central 'box' Herr Doktor. Unless you want to keep it as original.

For example: It could be screwed down to the tunnel through the top and the square corners could be rounded off. These are just suggestions that might improve the appearance given your skill

What was the purpose of the 'knob' on the front?

[MiNiKiN]

What was the purpose of the 'knob' on the front?

It is a "Familienbenutzer" by LORIOT

Translated: The family user. "It's an item that appeals simply because of its pleasing shape, right? It is beautifully designed, weatherproof, noiseless, skin-friendly, easy to clean, completely purpose-free and - for an extra charge - removable. A gift that brings joy, for the gentleman, for the lady, for the child, right?"

[Dr.Mabo]

I am not aware of a family-friendly knob. After 60 years, it would certainly show more signs of wear .

The knob is only decorative on the outside, on the inside it holds an aluminum bracket in which the cut-outs are for the power window switches. However, these are located in my dashboard, which is why the cut-outs are only covered with leather.

[hanlminiman]

Same design as mine. It's not often the handbrake is adjusted inside the car but to do so one needs to remove the box which is a pain as the electrics for the cigarette lighter and window switches is inside.

[richardACS]

Hi Doc

Please see my question on the last paragraph as to how you removed the twist rivet your advice would be appreciated - BTW inspirational work on the leather!

The retractor spring is located on the opposite side of the housing. It is essential to secure this before dismantling so that it retains its tension, and only release it last. I did this with thin wire. The assembly of the other parts is self-explanatory and quite simple in terms of technology. Careful and deliberate work is of course particularly important here, as you only have one attempt in case of…..


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With new belt material, clean seams, freshly painted housings, fresh chrome and new stickers, it looks really smart again.


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I too have a set of these that I wish to refurbish and therefore interested to learn how you managed to remove the twist rivet that holds the two plastic side covers - I tried to drill them out with a cobalt drill but noting doing. Were your plastic covers in good shape? it seems as though these would be good candidates for 3 d printing! did you replace the ball which I think is 1" dia. What did you use for the tension band? looks like a simple rubber band but is it? Thx in advance

[Dr.Mabo]

Hi Richard,

sorry that I haven't answered your questions yet.

I was indeed able to drill out the twist rivets with a normal drill. At least I was able to drill off the heads so that I could remove the plastic covers. With a little patience, I was also mostly able to drill out the insert so that I could reattach the plastic covers with sheet metal screws afterwards.

I reused both the plastic covers and the steel ball inside, so they where in good condition.

Yes, the tension band is a simple rubber band. But I couldn't see the point of it. The tension band was also completely missing on some of the reels, so I left it out during assembly. I assumed that it merely prevents the small metal pan from rattling when it vibrates.

[richardACS]

Hi Richard,

sorry that I haven't answered your questions yet.

I was indeed able to drill out the twist rivets with a normal drill. At least I was able to drill off the heads so that I could remove the plastic covers. With a little patience, I was also mostly able to drill out the insert so that I could reattach the plastic covers with sheet metal screws afterwards.

I reused both the plastic covers and the steel ball inside, so they where in good condition.

Yes, the tension band is a simple rubber band. But I couldn't see the point of it. The tension band was also completely missing on some of the reels, so I left it out during assembly. I assumed that it merely prevents the small metal pan from rattling when it vibrates.

Thank you Doc, maybe my drill bits need a sharpen! - I presumed the rivets were hardened steel...

[Dr.Mabo]

Before I turn my attention to the front seats, I first have to practise a bit on the less challenging parts. The leather of the rear seat has suffered badly. Whatever has happened to it, the way it looks, you only want to sit on it is in work clothes.

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After a thorough clean, it makes a completely different impression.

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However, the real damage is now much more clearly visible. Pieces that have been torn out of the leather, as well as worn and frayed piping edges. This is where the liquid leather has to show what it can do again.

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[Dr.Mabo]

Time has also left its mark on the backrest. In addition to a heavily smudged surface, there is also various damage to the leather. Some tar stains or similar greasy marks could be removed with silicone remover. Numerous scratches that go deep into the leather require much more attention. On the one hand, the cleaning has shed light on the darkness, but has also highlighted the damage.

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[richardACS]

Lovely work doc to the seats and will be interested to see what methods you use to resurrect the material. I've got a Mk 1 Jaguar from 1958 (waiting in the wings) with some cracks, tears and splits along with heat shrinkage to the leather and will be looking at ways of feeding some suppleness back in with the thought I might have to unstitch and let in some panels using period leather but will then have to re dye to blend the colours...

[Dr.Mabo]

After all the damage to the leather and keader had been sealed or filled with liquid leather, I re-tinted the seat and backrest with Leder Fresh in several passes. Now the rear seat has a uniform color again. Wear and discoloration are no longer visible.

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If you look very closely at the deepest parts of the seams on the seat base, you can still see very slight dark shadows where the large stain of unknown origin was. It can also be seen at the edges of the keader that the tinting does not reach deep into the lowest edges. It is just a tint that is dabbed on with a sponge and not a sprayed finish. But I also consider this to be part of the patina.

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The repaired damage to the keader is not perfect, but I am satisfied. More practice will certainly have a positive effect. Nevertheless, after a few days' break I was unable to find all the repair areas again.

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If you want to see the before/after comparison, just scroll up a little.

[Fanfaniracing]

Looks perfect!

[WMU 211G]

Superb work there