Any hope left for my seats? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Pirrex · 03-06-2010, 03:13 AM

Appearently nobody has ever given any leather conditioner to my seats, and they look pretty bad now. Is there anything that can be done to these but to replace the cover? They aren't half as bad as they look in the pic though, as they look cracked, which they aren't.

eightsandaces · 03-06-2010, 03:28 AM

There are many good leather conditioners which can improve the condition from where you are now, although nothing is going to eradicate the wear. My Grandfathers were both shoemakers and my uncle who repaired shoes always used Lexol, based in his input it's what I've always used as well, however it's just a matter of personal preference. If you want them perfect, you might consider trying to find some from a wreck at LA dismantler's or on the bay, good luck.

PS I have that same interior with the same almost purple looking fade under the storage pockets on the door..

KevinH1990 · 03-06-2010, 06:27 AM

I had the driver's seat in my Infiniti G20 re-dyed for $100. They can also fill the cracks in the leather. The shop owner claimed that it should hold up for 3-4 years. That would be your lowest-cost option. You might ask a few high-end used car dealers who they use to re-condition the interiors on their trade ins.

GAHH makes replacement seat covers, but they are expensive. That would be your best quality, highest cost option.

Eightsandaces recommendation to look at dismantlers is also a possibility.

Good luck.

Lil bastard · 03-06-2010, 06:28 AM

Leatherique

Cheers!

Pirrex · 03-06-2010, 06:46 AM

So Lexol and Leatherique could really help? Which one should i try out? Appearently Lexol is cheaper because there are smaller bottles available. Are

these the way to go?

Oh, and getting "new" ones isn't really possible, as these cars are very rare over here, honestly never seen a 986 on the road here, and shipping seats from for example Germany is pretty expensive.

Perfectlap · 03-06-2010, 06:52 AM

is that metropol blue?
that might make dying a bit tricky. But that's what you need to mask the cracks.
Leatherique would definitely help although that product is meant for non-coated leather that you would see on 20 year or older cars. The boxster and 911 seats are coated but i still does a good job of cleaning. But for routine cleaning I prefer to use 1Z leather with a terry towel.

Pirrex · 03-06-2010, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

is that metropol blue?
that might make dying a bit tricky. But that's what you need to mask the cracks.
Leatherique would definitely help although that product is meant for non-coated leather that you would see on 20 year or older cars. The boxster and 911 seats are coated but i still does a good job of cleaning. But for routine cleaning I prefer to use 1Z leather with a terry towel.

****************ing hell man, i just realized my seats aren't black

Looks indeed like metropol blue, as it's very dark blue, but definitely not black when i compared it to my wallet

I should just order a bottle of Leatherique and see what happens?

RandallNeighbour · 03-06-2010, 08:50 AM

Yes. Order the leatherique in metropol blue and you'll be quite pleased for the price.

Perfectlap · 03-06-2010, 09:01 AM

WOW looks like the recession is hitting Leatherique...those prices are a lot lower than when I last ordered...

also take some woolite dark to the carpet and matts. use 1 part woolite to 3 parts water. if you can find a very soft brush that'll do wonders. but make sure its soft. I recently picked up a Bissel portable carpet cleaner at Costco for $60 did a good job.

and time for a new shifter!

derb · 03-06-2010, 09:34 AM

Leatherique.
My seats looked just like yours do and after re-dyeing with the Leatherique products they are back to looking black. You can still see the creases, etc. but they are a uniform color all over. Huge improvement. Can't find my side-by-side comparison picture of before and after right now. I'll keep looking.

Just don't spill the dye on your kitchen floor...

Regards,
mike

gschotland · 03-06-2010, 06:40 PM

+++1 on Leatherique. Best stuff out there. Been using it for years, as has my Dad on his E-Type Jag. Don't waste your time w/Lexol.

Franco · 03-07-2010, 10:51 AM

Hi,

Don't waist your time and money with Leatherique, I did and at first they looked beautiful after a few rides the dye tears in all the creases and looks worse than before.

The problem with their dye is that it can"t be adsorbed by the leather it's more of a top coat and doesn't resist the friction and stretching of a car seat., I brought this to Leatherique's attention and they reimbursed me no questions asked.

Do a search with Google pertaining to dye absorption and all will tell you that water based dye does not penetrate the leather as good as the old lacquer base dye.

Good Luck

d18mike · 03-07-2010, 11:32 AM

What puzzles me about leather cleaners/enhancers is that most (all?) modern leather seats are treated with a stain/spill/friction resistant coatings. And for that I'm grateful. I just don't understand how the leather moisturizers etc. can effectively penetrate that "skin" while any other liquid/lotion remains on the surface.

I've always felt better psychologically after having "treated" my seats but never really noticed an appreciable difference. I'm likely wrong, but a lot of times it feels more like hope in a bottle than an actual improvement.

seafeye · 03-07-2010, 03:30 PM

You could always try this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Boxster-97-98-99-00-01-02-seat-covers_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3efc9a03c8QQitem Z270525924296QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fA ccessories

Franco · 03-09-2010, 04:10 PM

Hi,

I was thinking of getting these,did anyone have any experience with this product

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pors...5fA ccessories

Thanks

Gougoushu · 03-10-2010, 03:55 AM

Unscrew the central armrest, which has matching color leather, then take it to a place that matches colors for interior latex paint. (Do you have Home Depot in Finland yet?) Have a quart of Hi-Gloss latex paint mixed. About $9 here. Because it's very dark, they might not get it right the first time, so check the color carefully and test some that you let dry fully. Have it re-done if necessary.

Then dab it on with a rag, and rub it into the leather. This gives it a thin, even coat. I've done this on many cars (including my Boxster Red interior). It works great! And the remaining paint can be used to touch up dings and damage on the dash, doors, and any other area covered with leather. You could even repaint that shifter knob -- I did mine, and it's looking and feeling great after and year and a half and 15,000 miles.