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Pop quiz - leather or vinyl/leatherette/faux vinyl?
Hi all,
I have a question that I have been trying to find the answer to for quite a while now, but I haven't found any conclusive answer on the interwebz yet.
Opinions vary widely
Which parts of the standard "partial leather" 997 seats are actual leather, and which ones are vinyl?
I have added a picture to clarify:
- RED L: should be perforated leather?
- YELLOW V: should be vinyl?
- GREEN L/V?: no idea whether it is leather or vinyl?
The reason for asking is that the left side bolster of my driver's seat is creased/starting to crack, and so I have ordered Leatherique "Rejuvinator" and "Prestine Clean" to see if it does any good.
The Prestine Clean can be used on both real leather and vinyl, but the Rejuvinator oil should not be used on vinyl (as it will not be absorbed by the plastic).
Of course, without actually knowing which parts áre vinyl or leather, I have no idea where to use only Prestine Clean (vinyl) or both (leather).
If you could help me out that would be greatly appreciated!
I also have partial leather seats, so I'd be curious to know about this too. My guess is that the perforated centers are actually the faux leather pieces whereas the outside bolsters are real leather. I've seen other Porsches, namely GTS models, that have been advertised as having alcantara/leather seats, and those have always had alcantara centers with non-perforated leather bolsters. Likewise, newer factory fabric options seem to have the fabric inserts (like sportex or houndstooth) in the center with real leather on the side bolsters. I have no idea if Porsche follows a different layout with the standard partial leather seats. My intuition tells me no, but I'd love to get to the bottom of this!
I also have partial leather seats, so I'd be curious to know about this too. My guess is that the perforated centers are actually the faux leather pieces whereas the outside bolsters are real leather. I've seen other Porsches, namely GTS models, that have been advertised as having alcantara/leather seats, and those have always had alcantara centers with non-perforated leather bolsters. Likewise, newer factory fabric options seem to have the fabric inserts (like sportex or houndstooth) in the center with real leather on the side bolsters. I have no idea if Porsche follows a different layout with the standard partial leather seats. My intuition tells me no, but I'd love to get to the bottom of this!
From what I understood so far, it is exactly the other way around
The perforated centre parts are real leather, since that is where the driver is in direct contact with the seat.
Real leather breathes better, is more pleasant to the touch, and sticks less.
Is there a problem with putting cleaning / care products on any of those materials? When in doubt, historically I've just cleaned/conditioned whatever material it was with the leather care product. Doubt there would be an issue.
Is there a problem with putting cleaning / care products on any of those materials? When in doubt, historically I've just cleaned/conditioned whatever material it was with the leather care product. Doubt there would be an issue.
I read a post on an NSX forum, saying:
I contacted Leatherique and they advised to never put any conditioner or oils on "painted" leather and vinyl seats. Leatherique is made for leather that is dyed, can “breath,” and is not covered in a sealant such as urethane paint. The reason is that conditioner cannot get past the paint and soak into the leather. Therefore, the product just sits on top of the paint and collects dirt. The dirt then grinds into the paint and the paints quickly breaks down. The seats may look good for a short period of time since they are covered in oil, but they will begin to wear and collect dirt much quicker.
If anyone has a copy of the original Order Guide for the 997, or archived screenshots of the configurator, those may detail what areas are changed by selecting "full leather" or "sport seats in smooth leather" and thereby help identify which parts of the standard seats were leatherette to begin with.
If anyone has a copy of the original Order Guide for the 997, or archived screenshots of the configurator, those may detail what areas are changed by selecting "full leather" or "sport seats in smooth leather" and thereby help identify which parts of the standard seats were leatherette to begin with.
That sounds like a great idea, but I seem to have read that even in the original order guides/configurators Porsche was quite vague on where they used leatherette.
Which makes sense of course, because plastic seats in a P-car does not sound as good as "partial leather" seats
Zhaus, i actually tried leatherique on my 07 4S with the standard seats and to much dismay it didn't penetrate into the leather nor do anything for me. There is something odd about the 911 leather perhaps its treated with something or as you've noted has hybrid portions, but I've stayed with ether using sonus or zaino leather treatment on my 997. Leatherique works fabulous on BMW and VW leather but just doesn't do as well on the 911s.
When you use Leatherique, you apply the rejuvenator, let it soak in and then wipe it off. If you get it on vinyl, there is no negative issue as long as you wipe it off when you wipe the rest of the seat off. The rejuvenator will not harm viny or coated leather in my experience—it just doesn’t do much on those surfaces.
The Prestine Clean (I wish they were as good at spelling as they are at cleaning leather) helps wipe off the excess oil. It’s great on leather but there are much better products for cleaning and treating vinyl.
On a a side note, vinyl does respond well to an occasional wipe down with oil. Vinyl contains components of crude oil and it dries out and cracks over time, just like leather. I knew a man who had a late sixties Lincoln Continental with acres of vinyl. It was all soft to the touch and looked and felt like it was brand new. His secret was that he applied baby oil to the vinyl, let the car sit in the sun and then wiped off the excess. This is exactly the way you use Leatherique rejuvenator. I have used his technique on my classic cars for years and have never had a piece of vinyl crack or fail since.
Thanks for the tips guys, but now I still need to figure out which parts are leather and which are leatherette (in order not to waste any leatherique rejuvinator on the faux leather) ;-)
03-15-2018, 12:32 PM
Pop quiz - leather or vinyl/leatherette/faux vinyl?
