Nurburger

I have a set of heated hardback's that I'm planning on installing in the turbo (when I can finally decide on whether to paint the backs or not). They're in really nice condition, although the leather was far from 'supple' - especially on the center perforated section.

I tried a couple of applications of Leatherique & Lexol products with disappointing results and then came across an article regarding organic coconut oil being used to soften saddles & harnesses. Went and bought a jar from the local Whole Foods and tried it out on a few sacrificial leather items to see what happened. Impressed with the results, I decided to give it a try. All you do is place the seat / leather piece in the sun for a while to get hot & rub in the solid oil - I scooped it on to a micro-fiber cloth & schmeared all over each seat, then repeated. After bringing the seats back inside, I sprayed them down with the Leatherique conditioner (Lexol would work too) & wiped dry with clean micro-fibers to remove any excess oil and faint coconut smell.

The immediate difference was pretty amazing, but even better after a few weeks; both seats are much more supple.

NOTE: I only tried the oil on my BLACK seats & I would guess that you may see some slight color shift on lighter colors, so TEST a hidden area before applying on a noticeable area...!

Here's the stuff:

https://store.nutiva.com/coconut-oil...FQOd7Qod0FgAOg

ilko

I think I actually have some of that stuff at home... My wife cooks with coconut oil and that brand looks very familiar. I'll give it a shot, thanks for the heads up!

Randy V

Interesting.

I've tried Leatherique after hearing it recommended but I too was not impressed with the results, even after wrapping the seats in plastic and parking in the summer sun for a few days.

Benton

Very interesting. What color is the oil? My wife's E36 seats are... crisp. But they're a dove gray-like color.

Magdaddy

thanks for the coconut oil tip Nick, I definately gotta try that. I'm also disappointed with repeated Lexol applications on my black HB's.

Anyway, regarding the above quote...really, you can't decide if you want to paint the backs Arena Red also,..... really?

Nurburger

It's clear, though as mentioned above I think that it may darken the leather slightly if it's a lighter color. There was no difference on black, though I tried it on a thick tan leather belt & it did darken a little. My concern would be than any areas with more wear / thinner leather may be an issue.

Also forgot to mention that after the success with the hardbacks, I used it on my Recaro A8's that were already quite soft; they new feel like a pair of women's gloves.

b5audia4

How much of the jar did you have to use on the seats?

I too noticed that for Leatherique to work, you have to do many many applications.

Nurburger

I think AR backs look superb on abcar's cashmere seats but against black, I'm just not sure. Trust me; any other color is a no brainer to me. Also been considering painting them the same gray as my wheel centers.... Perhaps I should just paint them AR to start & change it if I don't like it.

Not much - maybe 1/4 of the jar on 2 sets of seats & test pieces. I think using the micro-fiber to apply allows a more efficient & even distribution.

IXLR8

I have some Leatherique left, but as others have mentioned, I too was disappointed with the product. My seats are mint to start off with, so I didn't expect them to look any better, but I was hoping that the Leatherique would at least soften up the leather.

Nurburger

Well, slather your mint seats with some coconut oil & you'll have some nice soft mint seats too. Happy days.

H.H.Chinn

Interesting! I will try some on mine.

ble2011

My seats are looking a bit tired. Did the application of coconut oil help in the appearance of the seats?

Benton

Just a random thought: can the coconut oil spoil?

NickyP

I have used Neatsfoot oil on leather in the past. It's the stuff thats used to soften baseball gloves and saddles. Its inexpensive if you buy it at a tack store (nothing else in a tack store is cheap...ask me how I know). I've used it for years to soften old hard leather, and it works well. Like the coconut oil I'd imagine it would darker a lighter shade leather. My 73 it came to me with some original leather straps in the rear parcel deck; really cool to see those in tact. They were very inflexible after lots of heat and sun exposure. I pretty much soaked them in Neatsfoot oil and it really did the trick. 7 years later and they are still very nice. I reapply it every once in a while.

TravisB

I think that only happens if you put the lime in it..