leather interior

beany · 05-29-2003, 11:24 AM

I have a 1980 911 sc that has some tired leather. I need recc. on products to bring my old leather back to life. I need a good cleaning product along with something to resoften the leather.

Thanks

chuckr · 05-29-2003, 11:35 AM

I highly recommend Leatherique. www.leatherique.com also available from
www.goodspeedmotoring.com. If this is not available then the next best product is Neetsfoot Oil from Lexol, follow this with the Lexol conditioner and cleaner.Leatherique is a Florida product by the way !

scottb · 05-29-2003, 12:57 PM

Leatherique is excellent!

RickM · RickM's Garage

I think it's the Leatherique Rejuvinator that you want. (After a good cleaning)

MRM · 05-29-2003, 01:27 PM

Wash it with saddle soap. Then apply any of the high-end softener/conditioners on the market. You won't believe the difference.

If it is more than tired and you have scratches or fading, clean the leather carefully, wipe off any soap residue with a moist rag, let it dry completely and dye it with matching Kiwi liquid shoe polish. Use the kind that comes in the little bottle with the built-in applicator. Dry it with a hair dryer. Buff off any extra polish and hit it liberally with the softener/conditioner. It will look like new.

RickM · RickM's Garage

I've never had good luck with Shoe Polish. Actually, for dye I'd use ColorPlus. http://www.colorplus.com/

JonT · 05-29-2003, 01:36 PM

would it be worth buying some newer seats and redyeing them black? has anyone done this? how did it look? how much$$?

scottb · 05-29-2003, 02:06 PM

Leatherique uses a two-step process. The first step is the Rejuvinator Oil. It soaks into the pores of the leather, and forces out dirt and grime. I let mine sit in the sun for a day, and you wouldn't believe the gunk that came out on to the surface of the seats. The second step is Prestine Clean, which you use to wipe the gunk off the surface of the leather. It's amazing how great the seats look and feel after just one treatment!

Leatherique also makes dyes and a crack-filler, though I have no personal experience with them.

Not affilliated with the company, so consider this my $.02.

Emission · Emission's Garage

After months of thinking about it, I just bought some of the Leatherique products (I was a skeptic at first). They are not cheap, but they do seem to work quite well. In my experience, they also seem to go a long way. I'll admit they seem to work better than the Lexol I had used for years.

tiorio · 05-29-2003, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MRM
Wash it with saddle soap. Then apply any...

Please please PLEASE DO NOT USE SADDLE SOAP!

Here's the deal, saddle soap is soap and all but it has a very high acid content, which breaks down the stiff fibers in the leather and makes it 'more supple'. What's actually happening is that the leather is getting weaker, not really more 'supple'. It's breaking down so all though more pliable, it ain't better fo yo skins...

Use something that replenishes the oils to make it supple (as suggested) but use something pH balanced to clean. Lexol, Leatherique, etc. Saddle soap is old technology (by the way, no offense, it's just that what was 'top of the line' for leather has fallen to lanolin oils).

Other than that, do a search on leather and you'll find more than you ever wanted to know!

epbrown · 05-29-2003, 08:06 PM

I've used both Leatherique and Lexol on the Rolls with good results, and I'd recommend either. As far as re-dyeing seats - even a professional job never looks all that great to me; I think recovering is the way to go, and take better care of the new leather this time around.

Emanuel

Kurt B · 06-02-2003, 07:07 AM

If they aren't ripped, redye them black. If you're new getting replacements, get them black of course. If you're getting used seats that happen to be tan or something and you want to dye them black, use leatherique. i used leatherique black dye on my seats 2 years ago and they are still black.

Just be sure to sand the leather before you apply the stuff or it will rub off in 6 or 7 months in the places where the seats tend to tear. Stuff really gets into your leather though if you apply it right and will last a long time. But of course, it's better if you have actual factory/shop black leather--still, the leatherique is good. I imagine the dye they sell is ideal for redyeing old seats the same color and would look spectacular. It's always harder to change the color of anything whether it's paint or leather.