Painted Seats .. Now what do I use to make sure they stay nice.

[pc100porsche]

I bought some really nice Sportseats in Marine Blue.
There was some normal rubbing on one bolster, however it was suggested to me that recoloring / refreshing both whole seats would bring about a nicer result than achievable by just doing one panel, so I had both refinished professionally.
I want to make sure that I use the right products to keep the leather nice and supple.

It has been suggested to me by a wrench that I did the wrong thing in recoloring the seats and that they will "crack" as a result of having been professionally refinished.

Any input appreciated as to what I should use to keep the seats looking nice and have I done the wrong thing here ?

[Bob Kontak]

They were not "sprayed/painted", they were dyed.

Why are you using these terms?

The seats were dyed originally. You re-dyed them with the service from a professional.

This is correct, yes?

If you painted them, was it Krylon or Rustoleum? You picking up the difference?

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

If you painted them, was it Krylon or Rustoleum?

Now, now, Bob, maybe someone painted them with PPG acrylic urethane!

To the OP: for painted surfaces, I've been using 3M Finesse-It II finishing compound, followed by McGuires Hi-tech Yellow Wax, for more than 20 years with great results, but no mater what you use on painted seats, I would think the finish would crack all to hell the first time a pair of buttocks plopped down on them!

[mreid]

You might as well use the best.

Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products

[pc100porsche]

Geez Bob ...... Whoa ! -- can I please borrow your fire extinguisher to put out the flames !
I changed the wording ..... am I forgiven ?
I was getting a little concerned as neither the guy who refinished them nor the upholstery shop they are at seemed to come up with any "definite" means of keeping them good. I got told not to touch them with any conditioning products for 6 months.
My wrench made the comment re the cracking, so, I dunno .... I sure hope he is wrong
They look damn nice right now.
The companies website uses the term "refinishing" no-where does it say redying... (but it definitely doesn't say painting either) .....
This is the 911 I have in Australia .. maybe local terminology is a little different.
Thanks Mark, for the product suggestion .... we should catch-up next time I'm in San Antonio.

[Ayles]

I have had good results with lexol leather conditioner and cleaner.

[nineball]

whatsnew

love mine.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by pc100porsche

Geez Bob ...... Whoa ! -- can I please borrow your fire extinguisher to put out the flames !

You misunder-take me.

Seems like you had a genuine pro job done. There may be a chance the wrench mentally pictured the work differently given the spray reference. Hey, I have never been to Australia and you do not reference you are from a foreign country............(Bwa-ha-ha-ha) I have no friends, BTW. Even my Mom says I am a big Richard.

OK - Give it the six months. Then use the conditioner of your choosing.

Lexol is fine but is not a deep conditioner. Leatherique is upscale. They do have deep conditioners which get a thumbs up. I use Color-Plus out of Pennsylvania. They have a product called Soffener that is as good as Leatherique's offerings.

I am thinking if you sniff around in Australia, you can find something more than adequate to keep you seats supple. I doubt you will have any issues with color across time.

[HawgRyder]

If they are real leather (not Naugahide) then I would use Dubbin...the same as I use for my motorcycle jacket and chaps.
Keeps leather supple (flexible) and does not smell.
There are newer things...but I find the old fashioned stuff is usually good...and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Bob

[yellowperil]

When I had my seats redone, they were spray dyed using air brush type gun. Looked like new and stayed that way. They were blue also. Then my car got t-boned and sold but the seats stayed like new. FWIW

[yellowperil]

[WPOZZZ]

[pc100porsche]

The re-dyed Sports Seats are getting fitted.
They were apparently re-dyed using a water based dye (so Bob you are super correct it is dye ... my bad).
The upholstery shop fitting them can't understand why I am putting redyed 1988 Sports Seats into this 1988 Cabrio, rather than having the original 1988 seats reupholstered, as "Purchase/Ship 1988 Sports Seats Vs Re-upholster Existing 1988 Regular Seats" ran around the same $.
The upholsterer said to me as an analogy of cars/women "You can put makeup on an older dame, she might look a lot better, but she's still an old dame"
Maybe I'm stupid, but, I like keeping original non-reupholstered seats in my cars if I can, as I don't trust upholstery shops to replicate factory finish etc .... looking forward to trying out the "new to me" Sports Seats .. As these seats came out of a LHD car stateside, and they are now being fitted into a RHD car in Australia .... The old drivers seat will now become the passenger seat and the ex low use passenger seat will now be the drivers seat (hopefully that change of useage, will grant some added longevity) ....
If I like them maybe I'll get some Sports Seats for my coupe stateside.

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by pc100porsche

The re-dyed Sports Seats are getting fitted.
They were apparently re-dyed using a water based dye (so Bob you are super correct it is dye ... my bad).
The upholstery shop fitting them can't understand why I am putting redyed 1988 Sports Seats into this 1988 Cabrio, rather than having the original 1988 seats reupholstered, as "Purchase/Ship 1988 Sports Seats Vs Re-upholster Existing 1988 Regular Seats" ran around the same $.
The upholsterer said to me as an analogy of cars/women "You can put makeup on an older dame, she might look a lot better, but she's still an old dame"
Maybe I'm stupid, but, I like keeping original non-reupholstered seats in my cars if I can, as I don't trust upholstery shops to replicate factory finish etc .... looking forward to trying out the "new to me" Sports Seats .. As these seats came out of a LHD car stateside, and they are now being fitted into a RHD car in Australia .... The old drivers seat will now become the passenger seat and the ex low use passenger seat will now be the drivers seat (hopefully that change of useage, will grant some added longevity) ....
If I like them maybe I'll get some Sports Seats for my coupe stateside.

You will love the sport seats as they are among the most comfortable ones I have ever sat in! However, when you swap sides, the electric controls are harder to access, and you will need to mount the seat belt receiver to the opposite side.

[Bill Douglas]

How do you say it in english - sports seats good. But it means you can't date fat chicks. So you go home lonely?

[pc100porsche]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

You will love the sport seats as they are among the most comfortable ones I have ever sat in! However, when you swap sides, the electric controls are harder to access, and you will need to mount the seat belt receiver to the opposite side.

Hi WPOZZZ --- yes I like the wider bolster.
I just left the seats in the original configuration .. ie the one that was on the Left in the US car is on the left in the car in Australia and the Right Hand seat in the US car is on the Right in the car in Australia ... but as the driver I'm now sitting in what was the passenger side ie the Right Hand Side ... electric controls are unchanged in application ie they are still on the outside of both the seats ... and the seat belt receivers stay on the inside ...so activation of everything remains unchanged ....maybe I'm missing something in your comment, am I missing something ?
ps ... I'll be in Honolulu 1st week of July (Moana Surfrider), may I ask what your favourite Steak place is in Honolulu ?

[pc100porsche]

Originally Posted by nineball

whatsnew

love mine.

Nineball, do you have a picture of this product fitted to your car seats ?

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by mreid

You might as well use the best.

Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products

Yup.

/thread right here. Lexol and the the rest of the off the shelf products are garbage in comparison.

[nineball]

Originally Posted by pc100porsche

Nineball, do you have a picture of this product fitted to your car seats ?

i don't think so but it looks exactly like the pics on that site.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by pc100porsche

........ so I had both refinished professionally.
I want to make sure that I use the right products to keep the leather nice and supple.
......

I would ask the 'professional' for a recommendation, and a list of compatible products for the finish they used.

Use anything else, and it will be an out for them if there is a problem.