Well, one of my buddies told me what not to do. After he had run his black sheepskin seat covers through the gentle cycle of a washing machine and a dose of baby shampoo, they came out a lot softer but was now an oblong shade of blotchy dark gray. He had thought that since they had been very expensive, the treated leather would be more waterproof. A custom interior shop later told him to gently hand wash everything in a special purpose sheepskin cleaner/conditioner and then carefully air dry them for the best results.
By the way - I had expected the 85 project would have some bent valves because of a timing belt issue but yesterday when I removed the intake and dropped the oil pan, there was lots of sludge and interior surface rust. The previous owner had drained the oil and removed the spark plugs so hopefully the moisture is from storage. Once I get the engine apart I will know a bit more - but this one may turn into a high mileage parts bin.
Rolled the dice but can’t win them all,
Michael
