Having just recently completed my interior I have been pondering the dashboard and whether or not to go back to leather as originally delivered. My car had the full leather package and the dashboard and centre console are the only two places I left out, intentionally. I have read about how the leather warped and shrunk within the first few years on the early cars, and predictably a previous owner removed mine at some stage. What is left is the actually very nice tight vinyl skin. Mine is crack-free and perfect as is.

Owners who have recovered their dash (and console), how well have they held up? I'm particularly interested in owners who have the Classic9 kits fitted. Is the modern stuff (leather and adhesive) far superior to the original? Or does UV warp it easily just the same?

My windscreen (original) has virtually no tint and the summers here get very hot indeed. I don't want to have leather fitted only to prove inferior to the vinyl I have exposed now, in terms of strength to withstand UV. The only real reason I'm even debating this is because I'm an absolute fiend when it comes to originality!

On a side note: Before owning a 928 I wasn't even aware that any Porsches of this period had leather dashboards. I thought they were always vinyl. Most of the 911s were fitted with more vinyl than leather.

 

Today's leather and adhesive wont allow it to pull as easily but it still will if you don't use leather conditioner and also a windshield reflector https://www.heatshieldstore.com/car-...sche-928-coupe

If you take care of it it can last a really long time...

 

If your car came originally with leather you might want to stick to that as all the trim inside is actually a different SKU for the leather dash etc. My personal experience with the aftermarket leather in hot weather has been a disaster and would not repeat it. I personally don’t think aftermarket has the same leather grades or glues factories use… my wife’s 2012 958 shows zero impact to its leather (full leather package) and same on my 2013 Range Rover. The leather on my dashboard and QP died in less than 2 years in the hot environment… and there were multiple areas where corners were cut - my experience from a 2007 install.

Porsche did offer lots of leather packages for their cars of that vintage but mostly relegated to the European market (cooler weather).

 

I had the dash and binnacle on my GT recovered by Classic 9 in Michigan. The former owner, Rob Budd posts here. Not cheap but a superior job. Of course my GT rarely (never) sits in the sun.

 

For what its worth, based on my one 928 with a leather dash, it is the factory foam underlayment that causes the problem. Its shrinking and swelling is just too much for the leather.

https://newhillgarage.com/2022/05/03...-repair-again/

 

I am currently in the process of recovering the dashboard, center console, and instrument pod in my '85 928S. The car's dash and center console came factory covered in leather. At Classic9 Leather's recommendation, I ordered their vinyl kits with french seams and it looks just as good as leather. You can watch the complete playlist on my YouTube channel:

 

Classic 9 do not offer a leather dash. Only a Vinyl cover for $150.

I recently had this done by my local leather shop, deviated stitching and French seams. Its tricky and really requires someone with years of leather experience.

I'm confident that it will hold up very well.

 

Just curious, what makes you say that? Their website offers a Leather dash cover for an additional $200, and you can send your dash in for them to install the cover.

I did just that a few years ago (back when it was still Rob Budd's shop), and am very happy with the quality and workmanship, and I have no concerns about longevity. The only issue is that the graining of the leather is a bit different from factory, and doesn't quite match the original console and glove box door. My OCD says to recover the glove box door and center console so they all match the dash, but I haven't been able to bring myself to replace perfectly good factory work.

Has something changed where they are no longer offering leather?

To the OP, if your car was full leather to begin with, I would certainly recover your dash and other needed bits with leather. A full leather interior is something special, in my opinion. Note that pods did not come from the factory covered in leather, even with the full leather option (unless the exclusive option for leather pod covering was selected - I think this was an extremely rare selection).

 

How does the modern leather used by C9 match up with the original armrests and A pillars? It's good that you brought up grain, because that is a big one for me when it comes to matching everything as well as possible.

I have decided I will go back to full leather, and in this case the dash and center console will match but where the corners of the dash meet the doors/armrest and handle is my question. My local upholstery workshop (who recently did the rest of my interior) have ordered some samples from C9 for me to inspect first. I'm hoping the grain is almost identical aka sanded down flat so things are uniform. I really don't want to retrim perfectly good factory leather just for matching sake.

Also speaking of grain, when I had my seats redone I went with a very nice full grain leather, like the earliest cars came with. I can't recommend that enough, as such leather looks and feels far more premium.

You are also correct that the pods on the early cars were black vinyl and never trimmed in leather, unless specialty ordered like jpitman's white on white ex-Saudi prince 83'! That car even came with a leather horn pad. Crazy.

 

When I communicated directly with Classic9 and told them I wanted to recover my '85s Dashboard in replacement leather, they advised me to use their vinyl alternative instead. They said working with the leather is very difficult, and only an experienced upholsterer should install their leather offerings.