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1. 1 On January 11th, 2010, Elgin said:

   I have a question…can the inside ceiling be repaired if I get a rip in it??….I’m talking about the carpet-like material above my head when I sit in my car….Please inform me if this can be repaired…thx..

2. 2 On January 12th, 2010, Jon Latronica said:

   Mike,
   Checking if you recieved samples ok? Give me a call if you get time.
   Thanks
   Jon 267-228-5682 Leather Refinishing

3. 3 On January 21st, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

   It all depends on the size of the tear. If it’s larger then say 2″ then I would recommend you replace the material. Any larger and a repair won’t look right. I’ve repaired tears and they are probably the most difficult to repair, you always seem to end up with a crevice like area due to the fact of the headliner material being stretched. Cuts just don’t mend well.
   Now one thing I will tell you with a repair on a headliner…it is a temporary fix… so if you rub the area it will rub off, like cleaning ect. But being it is on the headliner there won’t be a lot of traffic like a seat and if you careful a repair can last a while.
   For a repair like I’m talking about a professional like myself should be able to handle this with ease. If replacement is needed a local upholstery shop should be able to take care of that for you.
   Hope this helps out and let me know if there’s anything else

   Talk to ya soon,
   Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

4. 4 On January 21st, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

   Jon
   I sure did and thank you for a great product. I look forward to doing more business with you in the future!
   The dyes are great! They finish out just like I wanted.

   Talk to you soon,
   Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

5. 5 On January 23rd, 2010, Drugs verslaving said:

   I liked reading this. I will post this on digg. I am sure you will get some thumbs up

6. 6 On January 23rd, 2010, Amsden said:

   I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I have enjoyed every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.

7. 7 On February 1st, 2010, Lois Mancell said:

   Thanks for the information

8. 8 On March 4th, 2010, Martin Peck said:

   I’ve been looking for a website just like this for a long time.  Thank you for taking the time to create and maintain this…never easy when you have so much to do.

9. 9 On March 4th, 2010, Bill Jenkins said:

   Great post. I’ve been looking for this exact information for a while now. Bookmarked!

10. 10 On March 5th, 2010, Manny said:

    Hi Mike, excellent tutorial, yes i did learn new tricks,
    Mike i`m in South Africa, here the climate is very harsh,
    to hot in summer, very often, we find lots of dashboards
    with cracks,included my own, i try-id all kind of products to fill the cracks, all when well up to the point of “finishing” and match the grain, please any advise on this matter?
    Thanks
    Manny

11. 11 On March 10th, 2010, Dent Masters said:

    I just saved your blog to my favorites! Just forwarded it to some of my friends. Thanks again for another great post. http://www.dentmasters.biz

12. 12 On March 10th, 2010, Natasha said:

    I was wondering, I have a 1995 vehicle, could you update my interior from cloth to leather??

13. 13 On March 10th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    I don’t but I kind send you to a place that can…http://www.katzkin.com/main.html …these guys have one of the best fitting aftermarket leather kits I’ve seen, they have a installer finder on there site that can help you find someone in your area to help you out.
    I hope this helps

    Talk to you soon,
    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy
    Automotive Interior Repair Professional

14. 14 On March 10th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Manny,
    Hey! Wow South Africa! I bet the climate is harsh… Well it’s great to hear from you!
    The grain is a very hard thing to achieve when it comes to repairs. At times you won’t always be able to match the grain perfectly. I have used the SEM Texture Coat with a matching grain pad and pressed it into the spray right as it flashes but not dry and been able to match pretty close if not perfect at times. Another way you might try is the wet grain method with the Wet Grain Slicker from Viper Products, I’m sure they could ship there. Getting your repair as smooth and level as possible and at least getting some sort of grain pattern to your repair without making it really standout usually will trick the eye enough to get a pretty good result and a happy customer.
    Have you used the Padded Dash Filler from Urethane Supply Company ? It works really well and is designed to be flexible to withstand the heat that dashes take. I use it all the time and the SEM Texture Coat works well with it. In fact I just finished a dash out of a 78 Monte Carlo, it had multiple cracks and a color change at that. I’m hoping to write an article on it soon. So check back soon and I’ll see if I can get it up there for you to see, got lots of pics too so that should help out a little more also.
    Well I wish you luck on your grain quest, it takes time and remember they can’t always be salvaged and brought back to the exact grain, it’s still a repair, not new…All we can do is try too hide it the best we can.
    If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to get back with me either here, email or even my forum…

    Talk to ya soon,
    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy
    Automotive Interior Repair Professional

15. 15 On March 18th, 2010, Raheem said:

    Hi, I just bought a 2002 Aurora and the interior needs work done. I wanted to know where I should go and about how much should I expect to pay?

16. 16 On March 20th, 2010, Gregory Despain said:

    Hello! completed going through some of your posts, which I found entirely by mistake while doing a bit of online research for some of my projects. Please write lots more, since it’s rare that somebody has something appealing to say about this. Will be watching for more!

17. 17 On March 20th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Raheem,
    Great to hear from you…
    Go to your local car dealer and check with them to see if they have a recommendation for a person like myself in your area. Now as far as cost, that of course is going to depend on what all needs done. If you have any pictures you could send me I could give you a better idea

    Talk to ya soon,
    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy
    Automotive Interior Professional

18. 18 On March 23rd, 2010, Jason said:

    good articles

19. 19 On March 26th, 2010, Decorating Schools said:

    Wow good info, thank you. This is what i looking for.

20. 20 On March 26th, 2010, Touch Up System said:

    Nice site.

    The public needs to learn that their interior pieces (cig burns, worn bolsters, worn steering wheels) can be repaired for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

21. 21 On March 29th, 2010, Else Chatterjee said:

    This is my first time to visit your blog and I would say you share nice information. You definitely do research and write very well. Keep it up!

22. 22 On March 31st, 2010, Casey Gattshall said:

    I just wanted to know if you provide an eBook or something like that. Additionally do you have an RSS Feed? I want to subscribe to it so I can keep on receiving fresh info. Once again thank you so much for posting this info. Maintain the great work!

23. 23 On April 16th, 2010, Trish said:

    Please, how do I remove ball point pen ink from leather seat of a BMW?

24. 24 On April 19th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Trish,
    First try a little dawn dish soap and warm water with a Scotch Brite pad and scrub the area lightly. If this doesn’t break it then your gonna have to a little stronger. Take a Q-tip with a little nail polish remover and rub the ink spot, now this should cut it but it will take a little dye off too so be careful and not soak the area. Now if this doesn’t work then that means the ink has soaked into the leather and the only fix is to have the area dyed. Good luck with your ink spot and hope this helps.

25. 25 On April 28th, 2010, health insurance said:

    Any suggestions for cigarette burns? Is it a total redux kind of job?

26. 26 On May 16th, 2010, San Diego Auto Insurance said:

    I haven’t been able to find anything that will repair or fix cigarette burns. This is something that I have from previous owners in both my Lexus and Corvette. So any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

27. 27 On May 22nd, 2010, Brandi Finstad said:

    It’s nice site and nice content.

28. 28 On May 23rd, 2010, Taylor said:

    Can the plastic part around the window control be replaced. I also need new sun visors because they are broke. How much do you think it would cost on a 2002 Dodge Stratus 4 door?

29. 29 On May 24th, 2010, joe said:

    could you give me some ideas on where i can find good info on color mixing, i cannot leave town thanks joe

30. 30 On May 25th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Taylor,
    Sure they can be replaced, you can check your local dealer or even the junk yards. To remove them you should be able to take a small pry bar and pop them right out, then unplug the switches and then swap the switch’s out to the new ones. Just be careful not to poke a hole in the vinyl removing them, maybe wrap the pry bar with a towel. I think they come out from the rear of the switch panel, so that’s where you would pry first from. Well I hope this helps out.

    Talk to ya soon,
    Mike – The Interior Guy

31. 31 On May 25th, 2010, Matt said:

    Hello Mike,
    Just wondering what is should I be using on my dashboard,and vinyl parts of my seats to keep them looking nice? What types of products should I stay away from? Also I have a couple of chunks taken out of the vinyl and foam on my door, is their any thing that I can use to fix this problem? Last thing I have some burn marks in the seat not the whole way through from the previous owner, can I repair that? All these repairs are for my 2001 Malibu. I have one question about my 06 explore, I have black marks on some of the plastic interior sides that is from my three boys hockey sticks. Then black hockey tape on the sticks is came off on to the plastic sides in the cargo area. I have scrubbed it with dish soap and hot water and even tried a magic eraser, but some of the marks are still there. Any suggestions?

    Thank you
    Matt Kramer

32. 32 On May 29th, 2010, Mary Burkhart said:

    Hi Mike-
    Great site to help people out. I just discovered a piece of lipstick that melted with the heat on my white leather seats in my Cadillac (it’s 2 inches long). Do you have any ideas on how to remove it? I’m afraid to touch it yet for fear of spreading it and making it worst. I appreciate your help and time if you have any ideas.

    Thank You!

33. 33 On June 28th, 2010, Corey said:

    Hello,

    1992 Chevy Cavalier. Daughter tore off the headliner exposing all the fiberglass underneath. I’ve decided to remove it entirely and recover it myself. I’m stuck however on getting the dome light out. The cover is removed and I’ve found two simple screws on either side of the bulb but they just turn and turn. What’s the trick?

    Thanks in advance!
    Corey

34. 34 On June 28th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Corey,
    Not really sure on this model of car, I usually don’t replace headliners much, but I think I know what the problem may be and that’s the screw threads are probably stripped a bit. If you can get a pair of needle nosed pliers or a flat screw driver wedged in behind them while you screw them out this might help. You may have to drill them out if not. But there should be only those couple of screws holding it up. Most either attach to the board itself or to the roof by either a couple of clips or screws like yours. Well I wish you luck on this I know things like that can be frustrating and a bit of a booger being above your head like that, feeling your pain.

    Talk to ya soon,
    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

35. 35 On July 2nd, 2010, Luis said:

    My 2001 BMW 330 CI interior cloth is starting to come off. I think the heat outside has something to do with it but simple glueing or taping does not work since the cloth is now wrinkled in different areas. I assume I should take it into a professional for repair? or are there any repair kits in auto shops to fix this.

    Thanks

36. 36 On July 5th, 2010, Joanna said:

    My husband put a tire in the back seat of our civic. We have tan leather seats. It left a huge tire print. How can I clean it?

37. 37 On July 6th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Joanna,
    Well unfortunately there’s not a cleaner that is going to take the imprint out. I have run across this before, in fact in a brand new Cadillac not to long ago. It left a nice tread mark right across the back seat. The tire was only in the car for over night but the damage was done.
    What has happened is the oils from the tire have penetrated the leather deep under the dye, which means that no cleaner will remove the imprint without removing the dye first. So the only way to remove the stain is to dye over the top of it. A professional like myself can do it for you for a minimal cost, this isn’t a big job. Or if your crafty you could probably do it also. Just send me some pictures to my email and if I can get the color right I’ll send you the supplies to get it done.
    Talk to you soon….

    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

38. 38 On July 9th, 2010, infinity downline said:

    great post. My headliner is falling down due to water damage (sunroof leaks) any advice?

39. 39 On July 13th, 2010, Evia Jun said:

    Hey, I am the first time on this website and am truly enthusiastic about so many great articles. I think its simply very good.

40. 40 On July 13th, 2010, Lasonya Corza said:

    Hello This is a great blog keep your good work and thank you for hvar in with me So nice to hear frome you.Thanks!

41. 41 On July 18th, 2010, Eric Green said:

    How do I repair my vinyl upholstery on the interior door panel of a BMW 335i 1996. The super glue is not working with the vinyl and cardboard. Thanks

42. 42 On July 19th, 2010, Mike-TIG said:

    Eric,
    Hey man great to hear from you! Well without a picture I really can’t give you much advice on the use of super glue on your door panel. Super Glue is not always a great fix for vinyl. I usually will only use it as a last resort, or on an edge that I know won’t mend well with a repair compound. If you can email me a picture of your door panel I’ll see what may be needed to repair it correctly.

    Talk to you soon,
    Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

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