ckabee1

The leather seats in my 928 are dry and starting to crack. Several applications of leatherique later, and they are still dry. I followed the directions closely.

I looked on their website today, and it suggests to buff the leather with wet 400grit wet/dry sand paper.

Before I try this, I want to get some suggestions or alternatives by those who have tried this before. What is the best method for opening the pores on my dry leather to absorb the conditioner? I do not want to redye at this time...

Thanks in advance.

gmblack3

Chris, After your applications of RO, are you letting the car sit out in the hot sun with the windows up? IMO this is the key for getting the leatherique system to work.

Here are some pics from a 1987 928S4 that I detailed last year. It had about 90k miles.

Interior before:



After applying the RO to the seats:



I then let the car sit out in the sun for a full day.

The car sat inside while I detailed it for the next 3 days, then I applied the PC and removed it with a warm damp towel:





I was just looking at the website and the only time I can see to use sandpaper is when you are re-dying or filling the cracks on the leather. If you can post the link, that would be great.

ckabee1

http://leatherique.com/faq.htm

look under Why isn’t the Rejuvenator Oil absorbing?

I let it sit for 2 days with a space heater inside the car. Inside temp was about 90 during that time

ckabee1

GM, how did those seats feel when you were finished? Mine still have a hard, crunchy feel,

I also put plastic bags over the seats, along with the heater, to get that steam room effect.

Marine Blue

Agree with GM, leatherique works best in hot temps sitting for a couple of days. It will open the pores and soften the leather.

If you're leather feels really dry to the touch it is possible they were spray painted with a colorant. Look to see if there are any traces of overspray near the metal trim/plastic on the seats, this might give it away.

gmblack3

They felt very nice and soft. IMO the leather quality is very high in these cars.

Look into what Marine Blue says.

Did you try and email or call George of Leatherique?

TOGWT

In order to use leather care products correctly and to obtain the maximum cleaning and protection results it is essential to be able to recognize the various types of pigmented leather and any protective finish applied

The keys to leather care are; keeping leather (a) hydrated (b) clean, as dirt / grit and subsequent friction cause the finish to wear. A leather protection product is essential as it will protect the surface finish and makes dirt easier to clean off.

Compare automobile upholstery [finished pigmented leather] to a vehicles paint surface with a clear coat;
1. A base material (metal) with a colour coat of water-based polymer paint
[Leather hide pigmented with a water-based polymer resin]

2. A water-based polymer clear coat to provide protection
[Water-based polyethylene clear coating to provide protection]

3. Paint doesn’t need oils to feed it (whatever Zymol says) nor does leather; neither is a living thing.
[Leather was removed from a dead animal, it’s then fat-liquored to preserve its oils and then sealed, and it doesn’t need oils or creams to feed or condition it, even if they could permeate the various coverings]

4. Conditioning – leather doesn’t require conditioning per se, it just requires moisture replacement (hydration) the best way to do this is with a water-based leather care product.

Protection is an essential element in leather care; inhibiting abrasive dirt / grit, brought in from the outside via the A/C system and stains from being absorbed. It’s primary purpose is to act as a barrier between the leather surface and any soils that may settle on it, making maintenance cleaning easier, and also providing protection from ultra violet radiation (UVR) especially a Roadster’s upholstery.

See also - Basic Leather care - http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ther-care.html

ckabee1

Thanks for the responses.

I can't tell, but it looks like the seat bolsters have been painted at some point (or the color is fading and wearing. It has a speckled look). Whatever the case, the oil is just not obsorbing. I have been putting the conditioner on, when warm weather permits, since July. Some improvement, but not close to safisfactory.

I am going to email leatherique and see what they say. The only alternative may be strip the old color off, recondition, then redye. I have read where folks have used thinner to remove the outer surface; I want to find out more about the wet sanding procedure.

Whatever I find out and if it works, I will post here for others.

Thanks again.

TOGWT

Surface fissure (cracks) – this often appears to be dirt (especially on light colored leather) but is actually micro cracks in the polyurethane covering or the pigmentation. Micro cracking needs restoration not cleaning and is often caused by the use of incorrect products; use of an oil-based leather conditioner and a combination of oils, dirt and friction cause most problems on leather upholstery.

It would seem that the polyurethane covering has been compromised and may need to be replaced. Once the protective covering is removed the pigmentation (dye colouring) may need to be refreshed.

Leatherequi supples a good range of quality dyes, Leather Magic (leather dye) maybe less expensive–
US- http://www.leathermagic.com/Pages/recolorkits.htm
U.K. - Leathermagicuk.com

ckabee1

Does that mean that the leatherique rejuvenator oil can be harmfull, as it is an oil base?

Marine Blue

Leather damage is caused by the dirt and sand which accumulates in the natural cracks of leather over time. The oil can come from skin contact, dirty hands or creams/lotions used on the skin. It can also come from food like fries etc.

Some conditioners require precleaning while others perform as cleaners and conditioners so I wouldn't be concerned about Leatherique causing additional harm.

ckabee1

^^what I thought, but just wanted to make sure.

Supposed to be warm this weekend, so I'll apply Friday night and let is sit for a while.

detailjohn

If you really want the top quality leather conditioner go to a local Jaguar dealership and purchase Hide Food from the parts department. It's made by Connolly Leather, and gives a new meaning to leather conditioner. It also needs to be applied in the sun and let sit for a few hours, but the results are amazing.


John

TOGWT

In order to use leather care products correctly and to obtain the maximum cleaning and protection results it is essential to be able to recognize the various types of pigmented leather and any protective finish applied

Connolly Leather Ltd:
Connolly Hide Care is a traditional lanolin based product that was recommended by Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus and Rolls Royce as these vehicles were upholstered with oil-based pigmented leather hides. Connolly Leather Limited ceased trading in 2002, but their leather care and renovation products can still be obtained from Leather Care - http://www.leathercare-renovations.co.uk/extra.html

Connolly Leather article - http://www.leathercaredirect.com/hist.html

Water-based pigmentation is now used on leather upholstery; so leather doesn’t require oil-based conditioning, it just requires moisture replacement (hydration) the best way to do this is with a water-based leather care product.

As the materials and production methods that are used on automobiles change; we need to adapt to them and adjust products used and their application methodologies to keep pace with them

TOGWT

Repeated flexing and stretching of the pigmented leather or the acrylic polythene causes the surface coating to wear and crack causing the pigmented leather colouring to become visible, so what appears to be a cracking of the leather surface is in actuality fissure of the pigmentation running in a pattered direction.

Having lost the protection of its covering the exposed hide allows dirt and dust to settle into the cracks making them more visible. If you use a product that contains oils or waxes on cracked leather it may affect the pigments adhesion to the leather, making make further restoration very difficult or impossible.