Dreaded shrinkage - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

landrovered · 03-01-2010, 05:26 AM

The leather on my dash and the top of the drivers side door has shrinkage problems. I can only imagine what a PIA it will be to pull the dash top off. Any suggestions about repair options? I have searched the web for tips but everything I find seems to be related to older 911s, I have not found anything Boxster specific.

dallison · 03-01-2010, 07:08 AM

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/Leather_Upholstering.html

Boxtaboy · 03-01-2010, 09:24 AM

Has the car gone swimming in the pool lately?

landrovered · 03-01-2010, 09:35 AM

As cold as it has been it could have swimming pool p-p.

I have a feeling that it sat at the beach a lot with the top down though, it is from Charleston and there was a decent amount of beach sand in the frunk from folding chairs if I had to guess.

If I could get the leather pliable again I might be able to stretch it back out. Water will only make it shrink more, I am thinking of using some neatsfoot or lanolin oil just like on a saddle. At this point I can't really hurt it because I will likely have to replace it anyway.

I was thinking of using some of that adhesive backed 3M carbon fiber material. It would look nice but I am still pondering it.

yimmy149 · 03-01-2010, 12:38 PM

Would something like Lexol help? I haven't tried any of the oils before...

-james

landrovered · 03-01-2010, 12:47 PM

Lexol is mostly lanolin, that is what I was thinking of using.

Lil bastard · 03-01-2010, 02:09 PM

Leatherique !

Cheers!

ChrisZang · 03-02-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

Has the car gone swimming in the pool lately?

ROFL, I had the same thought

pk2 · 03-02-2010, 05:05 PM

Yes you can replace the leather. At this point no treatment is going to help unless it contains bovine stem cells.

I did it some time ago. Basically you have to remove the gauge pod and the dash. The gauge pod is really quite easy to remove and experiment with. You basically just peel the leather off the plastic and hard engineering foam body.

For ages they sold a contact cement that was great but full of VOC nasties. They can't sell it here any more but they might online or in your state. Forgot the name and don't know what they use now.

Basically you paint a good coat on the back of the leather and the surface of your dash, let the glue dry completely, and carefully stretch the hide over the dash. Sticks like 'ell. Worth doing some dry runs to find out where you need to stretch etc. I’d do the pod again but, shop for a junkyard dash, not real exspensive.

(Yes mine was parked a full year at the beach with the top down and most summers since (May-Oct.) ) UV's the killer.

Regards, PK