When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The owner's manual covers all kinds of care and upkeep of interior and exterior. If it doesn't specifically say anything about the dashboard I would treat as usual. Pretty much all high-end manufacturers today treat their leather surfaces from the factory with UV products to help with longevity - it doesn't last forever, though.
My black 997 is 10 yrs old, sits out in the tropical sun/heat at work all day every day all year. I had the side and rear windows filmed (high UV blocking but almost invisible tint-wise) a couple years ago because the rear package shelf carpeting had faded from sand beige to off-white (I since covered it with a $99 carpet mat from Suncoast). The dash however is like new. I have always kept a sunshade in the windshield though, so that undoubtely has helped.
I'm thinking since the car in question is a cab, maybe the PO kept it parked in the sun with the top down a lot.
The condition of the leather seems fine. I don't think the problem is the leather but the structure of the dash. I have attached a photo. It shows that the dash is separating at the seam where the instrument pod joins with the main dash. According to the CarFax information the car has always been in Arizona, so heat could be factor if it was regularly parked in the sun. I keep all my cars in covered parking.
02-17-2015, 05:50 PM
