obenauf time!
 

Had my 83SC for a couple of weeks now. Always thought my sport seats were vinyl bc of how stiff they felt.
Brought it to an upholstery place last week to see how much it would cost it would cost to get it done in leather and much to my surprise they told me that I already had leather =) Feeling stupid and happy at the same time I left and immediately started using the forum to find out how to save my seats
I do have a couple of seams that have separated but since they are right on the seams I think they can be fixed. But first its Obenauf time
Picked up a 16 oz and a little tub of the HD too.
Looking forward to giving them both shot this week since the weather is beautiful and should stay this way.
Only problem is I m going to miss driving the car as I want to do both seats at the same time to speed things up.

There have been rave reviews on this product so I m quite optimistic

Looking forward to doing the same. 83 SC, too! Let us know how it turns out. Thanks!

Leatherique stuff is great. Specifically for auto leather car.

Todd

Leatherique can't hold a candle to Obenauf for softening stiff leather! Tried Leatherique
multiple times, no joy. Obenauf softened my cardboard seats after a couple of treatments. Great stuff!

I've used it on my seats. And a steering wheel. And a pair of old Tony Lamas. This stuff is amazing! You'll love the results.

Wow! Just finished applying a coat onto my drivers side seat. Some patches were drinking up the oil so fast I probably ended 3-4 coats.
I had spent the weekend cleaning and using Lexol conditioners, baking in the sun and constantly reapplying on my passenger seat but it really didn't seem to be any difference at all
I was applying and massaging it into the leather hoping after one coat there would be somewhat of a change but there wasn't. Knew it would take several coats bc my leather was like cardboard

Only used the Lexol bc I had brought it without hearing about Leatherique or
Sucked it up and drive across the border to Cabelas to pick up the Obenauf and so far glad I did
It was already dusk when I started the application tonight so I only did one. I know it said to apply at 75degrees. Looking forward to the sun tomorrow and applying another coat
Looking good!

I purchased a set of 964 leather seats for my '74. The seats were in good shape but felt a bit stiff. I bought a 16oz jar of Obenauf leather Oil after reading about it on this forum.

Since the car is getting various things done, I had several weeks to apply the oil.

I painted on the Obenauf with the applicator but after completely soaking the seats, I simply started hand massaging it into the seats. Then I let it sit for a couple of days until is all soaked up (it took 2-3 days to soak in). Then I re-applied several more times and let sit. After about 2 weeks, I wiped it all dry and admired how soft the seats became.

BUT, the real magic was after sitting for a month after I had wiped dry. Since I've been working on the car, I really had not looked inside the car but after a month, I checked out the seats and they have become super soft and seem like they are brand new.

I used the entire 16 oz bottle on the two front seats. It also helped to recline the seats as much as possible to keep the oil from running off.

Good advice on reclining the seats Tidybuoy.
Glad to know it worked so well for you. I had painted it on with the applicator this morning again. Guess its a nice massage for the seats this afternoon =)

I refinished and dyed my 82 sport seats I'm putting in my 71. I used Obenauf over the winter in the basement where it was cool and it softened them considerably. It's now approaching 90 degrees and sunny in Missouri, so I pulled them out on the deck in the sun and smeared some more on there to let them soak it up in the heat. Holy cow, black leather and oil gets hot fast!!! I think I have minor burns on my hands from rubbing it in!! I'll report back on how much more this does to soften the leather.

Lexol and Leatherique are like a light cream...where Obaneauf is like an oil.

Don't know about Lexol, but Leatherique Leather Rejuvenator is an oil, just like Obenaufs, however it in no way can compare to Obenaufs. Also Leatherique is VERY expensive. I still have half a 16oz bottle of Leatherique left after getting very little result from it. Probably will be discarded unless I can find a use for it!
Perhaps the creamy Leatherique you refer to is Prestine Clean, it's cream color, but is just what it says it is, a cleaner, not a leather treatment.

I tried Obenaufs on my motorcycle jacket. Made it like new and got rid of stiffness from not wearing it in years. I would test it on light color leather before you go for it on your tan/cork interiors.

Used it on my Champagne Tan seats, no darkening of leather. Different story on some of my western boots, darkened some and not others, depending on type of leather. Do a test spot to find out.

My car has been sitting in the garage for months while I complete my engine work. As mentioned on my earlier post, the Obenhauf worked very well. However, I recently checked out the interior (two months after initial application), and I am positive it has continued to soften the leather. My seats, although good condition to begin with, seem better than new and are now very soft.

last week, my new jar of Obenauf came in the mail and I use the whole 16oz bottle on a leather couch. Wow! It is amazingly soft and feels really nice. I also bought the HD jar that is more like vasolene consistancy. I applied that on the couch today and it's looking really nice. Now it's time for another application on the car.

After the oil has been sucked in by the leather and allowed to dry for a day or two, I wiped thoroughly with a soft cloth and that had a polishing effect. I'm pretty sure I will never use anything else. :)

Connolly
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1436049805.jpg
^^^^^
This has always worked well for me.

I just did the black leather on my coupe. It sure smells good, I will give you a full update on softness in a week.

When I saw the title to this thread I thought that Obenauf was a beer......

Great tip, I'll try this on my back seats. Scott

I've been treating my seats now for about a month ( off and on). I tried everything else over the past couple years. Obenaufs is superior and has made a huge difference. If you can get the seats nice and hot with help from the sun, the stuff really soaks in and makes a bigger difference faster. My original leather was pretty stiff and is 75% back to supple. Really great product

I need to re finish one of my front seats but to make sure it all looks the same I'm going to do both. However I have a question...can I use this stuff and THEN do the leatherique refinish, or should I hold off until I do the seat refinish job?

Its not a beer?

What was that I ingested the other night after all those whiskies then?:confused:

Wayner,

It explains why your belly is so soft and wrinkle free, particularly when you lie in the sun......wait, not that I'd know.

Do you have sun in Canada ? :)

I refinished my 81-84 manual sport seats using leatherique. This included a color change from grey and tan (replacement leather) to black. I used the obenauf after I finished and it has softened them up quite a bit.

I used this thread as a reference:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/204374-my-seat-dyeing-procedure.html

I guess you could use the obenauf as a substitute for the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil, but not sure.

Thanks, I think I'll just do the refinish before just to be on the safe side. I may get the Obenauf stuff anyway, we have a /04 MDX that might benefit from this stuff.

Yes, i would use the Obenauf to soften the leather, let the seats rest for a week or two,
then clean with Leatherique Prestine cleaner, then proceed with the finishing process.
In other words, just skip the using the Leatherique rejuvenator, as you will have already
rejuvenated your seats with Obenauf (as Obenauf is a MUCH better rejuvenator than Leatherique) . Works great, tried it on an old unused seat for a test and it came out perfect!

My 911 went to the Obenauf Spa today, will be there all week.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437201454.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437201476.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437201504.jpg

So my seats were untreaded for a long while and they took really well to the Obenauf's...... but where does it go? I feel like my cushions are soaked in oil now. How could they not be?

The stuff works nice and smells like a Wilson's leather store.

It just replaces the original oils and moisture that were in the leather before time and baking heat for many years "burned" and dried them out.

Well, now I can add Obenauf's oil to the frictionless Porsche slope I was already sliding down. Just ordered two containers. Shipping was more then the oil, but oh well, you guys sold me! SmileWavy

After the rave reviews here I bought a jar and have been slathering the stuff on for the last 4 days. When the last treatment is absorbed I add more but could be going into the foam as the poster above mentioned. The seats weren't bad but the drivers side had some big cracks in the side bolster. After 3 treatments the leather feels softer and more supple. I believe it was money well spent.

I got it for $59.00 a gallon on Amazon but it is no longer available there by the gallon ...guess with all the positive results the company doesnt need Amazon any more!!

Send a post pic of the above seats.

I am applying copious amounts of oil on and it is all disappearing.... it just seems like too much to all be going in the leather.

Did I mention it smells good?��

I tried Leatherique with limited success. It took the dye out of the seats each time I applied it, so I applied it only a few times. I still have tons of it left.
I just ordered Obenauf's and look forward to giving that a go.

Just to note: On my seats photo above, I used the HD Obenauf which is more like Vasolene. I previously used the oil about 2 months ago so this is in addition to the standard oil. The car has been in the garage for months as I am working on an engine/suspension project and so I have plenty of time for this to soak in. I haven't taken any update photos yet but now that it's been a couple of days, it's almost all soaked up.

I decided to add the HD stuff after I used it on my leather couch and it did wonders on the couch.

This stuff works! I've applied it twice to my drivers seat: noticed a difference after first application. Also did the steering wheel and shifter knob. I will continue to use this product!!

Thought I'd chime in and post some more pictures. I'm in the process of doing another treatment on my Targa.

When I bought my car the seats were hard as rock....to the point it was noted on the PPI. There aren't any cracks and it's been hard to justify putting new leather in when it still looks nice. ....especially since I just spent a good chunk of change on a top end rebuild!

I did my first treatment with the oil during the winter with some results. It was better than nothing and a great value at under $20. Since it's blazing hot in Texas I figured I'd give it another shot now.

I purchased a tub of the LP heavy duty stuff to try as well. On Monday I put a coat of the LP on both seats and let them sit (in the garage) for two days. When I went back out there on Wednesday there were some noticeable differences...but still not the end results I wanted. I applied a coat of oil to both seats on top of whatever LP was left and left it in the garage until this morning.

When I went back to the garage today they were better than before....but not good enough.

I decided to move the car out into the sun to really heat things up and see what happens.

I applied the LP pretty heavily to the warm leather and then brushed oil onto the areas I couldn't touch with my hands....black leather heats up quickly!

I'll repot back with some end result pictures but I'm going to go outside periodically today and apply more as needed. It's amazing how quickly this stuff soaks in.

Car baking in the sun with a sunshield covering the dash and towel covering the rear deck....those areas don't need the extra heat!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psy6ipanrx.jpg

How the seats look coated:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pszc8qnrvz.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psfvkradaz.jpg

Driver's side outer seat bolster after about 45 minutes. The area is almost dry and noticeably softer:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pshq6vozax.jpg

Took the top off to allow more sun/heat in. I noticed this stuff accumulates in the lower seat seams between the bolsters. I didn't apply enough to soak the foam but you want to be cognizant of this when applying. It's a waste of oil and likely an area where the foam will get wet if it sits too long.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psqcdjuqj1.jpg

I don't think the LP goo is the right stuff for this application, it's too thick and gooey.
I think it's more of a water proofing product. Just the oil should get the job done. Has worked wonders for me.

When it warms up it thins out quite a bit. I tested on a leather iPhone case first and was pleased with the results. The final finish was pretty soft.

My leather centers were seriously rock hard...that's where most of the LP stuff went. If it screws it up, oh well, new leather inserts will be the next step and I'll chalk it up to a lesson on the forum. The bolsters are already noticeably softer.

I'll report back when I wipe everything off.

Have some patience, let it sit like it is and check back in a week, or at least a few days.
I think you'll find things much softer.

Will do, thanks for the advice. Just put the car back in the garage and applied another coat of the oil. Per your experience and advice I'll move forward with that and save the LP for boots, bags and other leather stuff around the house.

Will report back and post pictures in about a week.