Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/02/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This became a do it yourself project......my mechanic wanted $85 to do the labor... I'm pretty handy, so I took on the job myself. Note that I will have a good 5 hours ino this repair, so the $85 was a fair cost of his time. For all of you interested in the replacement of body skin ( Leather? Vulcanite? Whatever?) My experience from Leitz today: Body skin replacement IS available. Labor adds about $80 to the skin cost. There is a die cut for M3 and another for M6... I do not know what other bodies. Buy directly from Leitz. M3= $50 including back door skin..... Specific configurations of M3 have different hole patterns.... M6= $40 including back door skin..... I wonder why it is less...??? The old Vulcanite from my M3 crystalized and was crumbling from the body. My body is in the shop for an overhaul, so I am working on the body shell without any mechanicals. I removed the Vulcanite with care using a putty knife. This took a good 2 hours using a lot of care not to gouge the body or myself. I removed the old "glue" with acetone... in an open, outdoor area. Alcohol, water and paint remover had littel to no effect. Acetone seems to be the best solvent that I have found. The glue dissolves pretty readily, leaving a really smooth body. The paint or whatever makes an M3 interior black does not dissolve in acetone. The new skin comes with a peel and stick backing...... ... more to come when I get the skin and try to align it to the body...... Thank You Frank Filippone red735i@worldnet.att.net