What to use on our seats?

[mustangman66]

What do you guys use to keep your leather seats looking new? My driver side is showing some wear and lines are forming. I use Lexol on my wifes 06 GT but the leather seems different and has more of a shine to it than my GT500. I tried a little on the back of my seat and it made it kind of shiny which I don't want. Anyone used the Ford recommended "Motorcraft deluxe leather care kit"?

[Canadian Bacon]

What do you guys use to keep your leather seats looking new? My driver side is showing some wear and lines are forming. I use Lexol on my wifes 06 GT but the leather seems different and has more of a shine to it than my GT500. I tried a little on the back of my seat and it made it kind of shiny which I don't want. Anyone used the Ford recommended "Motorcraft deluxe leather care kit"?

 

I use the Zaino leather conditioner and protectant. Does not leave it shiny and smells great. I have not tried the Motorcraft kit.

[03 DSG Snake]

Aren't the seats Vinyl?

[texaggie]

I used the "Shelby Custom Interior" upgrade. :happy feet: Just had it installed last friday. It is almost all tightened up. It was one of my better decisions. The OEM leather was already cracking and wearing out. (I'm not sure it is real leather either, but it says it is on the window sticker.) The look and feel are amazingly superior to factory.

 

As for when I still had the OEM interior, I used Meguiars.

[thewheelman]

I like Armor All Leather cleaner and conditioner. Works good, just makes things awfully slick.......

[Red Snake]

Try this.

http://www.303products.com/shop303/index.cfm/category/65/303-aerospace-protectant.cfm

[BIKEBOY]

After years of selling auto parts for Toyota, Mazda, Jaguar, and lots of aftermarket locations.....Go get yourself some 'HIDEFOOD"!

 

Jag dealers all sell it. It is for English leather, and works better than anything else.....period! You can also use it at home on the sofa!

 

Bikeboy

[GT500Tow]

Only leather in your car is. Steering wheel and shift boot. That's why you can buy new seat covers for 350...When i did my interior. I payed about 1000 for leather hides only.

[GT500Tow]

Only leather in your car is. Steering wheel and shift boot. That's why you can buy new seat covers for 350...When i did my interior. I payed about 1000 for leather hides only.

 

 

The way you can tell is pinch it, real leather is thicker and always has a backing to keep it from stretching. Vinyl is real thin.

[thewheelman]

I believe the seating surfaces are "real" leather also. The bolsters--on the seat back and bottom, backs of front seats, etc. are vinyl, but seating surfaces, steering wheel cover and shifter boot are leather.

[oldlugs]

After years of selling auto parts for Toyota, Mazda, Jaguar, and lots of aftermarket locations.....Go get yourself some 'HIDEFOOD"!

 

Jag dealers all sell it. It is for English leather, and works better than anything else.....period! You can also use it at home on the sofa!

 

Bikeboy

HIDEFOOD is great stuff; used it years ago.

With your user name of "bikeboy", I thought you'd be suggesting Brooks ProofHide... It's another very good leather preservative.

(sold at better bike shops)

[jerseygator]

Adams is GREAT stuff! www.adamspolishes.com

 

Start with cleaner.

 

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-131-adams-16-oz-leather-interior-cleaner.aspx

 

Then use conditioner

 

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-66-adams-leather-conditioner.aspx

[GT500Tow]

I wish i could say yes its leather. But its not. Here's some pics of when i did my seats. Look at the sides of the stock covers. See how thin it is. Also i had to disassemble the originals seat covers completely for patterns for the new covers. You can see my new patterns laid out ready to sew in pic 3. That were made with the original seat cover patterns. I still have all the stock covers in pieces and they are vinyl. I was pissed. They also say made in Mexico. Only place i found leather was, shift boot, i just guessed the steering wheel is by the way it looks and feels. The console lid, arm rest, seats front and back. Are all vinyl.

[formervettowner]

What do you guys use to keep your leather seats looking new? My driver side is showing some wear and lines are forming. I use Lexol on my wifes 06 GT but the leather seems different and has more of a shine to it than my GT500. I tried a little on the back of my seat and it made it kind of shiny which I don't want. Anyone used the Ford recommended "Motorcraft deluxe leather care kit"?

 

lexol

[thewheelman]

I really don't want to belabor a point and I've never taken my seats apart, but the sales brochures refer to the interior as "leather trimmed seating" and my dealer's build sheet refers to the seating option as "no grain mini perf leather" and when I questioned my upholstery guy about the wear lines on my driver's seat bolsters he said something to the effect of, "Yeah, black leather in a convertible....who'd ever dream that would wear?" and suggested lexol leather conditioner. I think a high grade vinyl might actually hold up better, especially in verts, but apparently Ford put in some form of leather......

[BIKEBOY]

I believe the seating surfaces are "real" leather also. The bolsters--on the seat back and bottom, backs of front seats, etc. are vinyl, but seating surfaces, steering wheel cover and shifter boot are leather.

 

I`ll just say this about that....I for one have ALWAYS believed when the brochure, window sticker, and order guide tells you that your seating is `leather`, this means to me that the `seating``area better be leather!! I do not expect any other portion of the seat to be leather, because that is NOT how it`s described, so they can get away with that.....However, the seating surface, had better be leather.

 

Does this mean then, that the IUP pkg. was a scam??? And is the dash covering vinyl too???

[mustangman66]

Looks like the Motorcraft leather care kit Ford recommends is discontinued. Leather or not I went ahead and used the Lexol I had and it didn't leave it shiny like I thought it might. The key is to buff off the excess to keep the matte look. It did make the color maybe a tad darker but it looks good still. May look into Zaino Z9 and Z10 for next time. .Thanks for everyones suggestions. I think I love cleaning my car as much as I love driving it. :D

[vipereatr]

I have a German Luger with original 1941 leather holster that I inherited from my father-in-law. (He found it in a bush in Italy during WWII). The product that restored the leather to a "like new" surface is Blackrock Leather 'N' Rich. I wouldn't use anything else now.

[jcthorne]

There are many ways to define what is 'leather' and Ford's definition is on the very fringe of reality. Its a vinyl coated and fabric backed bonded leather. All that really means is that there is SOME natural cow hide product in the material. The surface is indeed vinyl and the overall material is very thin like most man made upholstry materials. It is NOT what most of us would think of a cowhide leather. Oh, and that is only the front seating surfaces. All the rest and the entire back seat, dash, arm rests etc is straight man made materials.

[BIKEBOY]

There are many ways to define what is 'leather' and Ford's definition is on the very fringe of reality. Its a vinyl coated and fabric backed bonded leather. All that really means is that there is SOME natural cow hide product in the material. The surface is indeed vinyl and the overall material is very thin like most man made upholstry materials. It is NOT what most of us would think of a cowhide leather. Oh, and that is only the front seating surfaces. All the rest and the entire back seat, dash, arm rests etc is straight man made materials.

CHEESE!! <_<

[jsarkis]

I use Aerospace 303 to clean and for the UV protection fairly often. Twice a year I use Lexol leather conditioner.

[BIKEBOY]

There are many ways to define what is 'leather' and Ford's definition is on the very fringe of reality. Its a vinyl coated and fabric backed bonded leather. All that really means is that there is SOME natural cow hide product in the material. The surface is indeed vinyl and the overall material is very thin like most man made upholstry materials. It is NOT what most of us would think of a cowhide leather. Oh, and that is only the front seating surfaces. All the rest and the entire back seat, dash, arm rests etc is straight man made materials.

 

 

 

UNREAL?...........First they tell me I'm gonna need a new clutch and flywheel long before it should ever be necessary...Now this? My car has vinyl seats???? X#@&*!!xX I shoulda just gone for the base Focus.

 

 

 

 

I'm kidding.

[Imatk]

Don't get too upset guys... almost ALL automotive leather is like our Shelby leather.

 

As to it being just vinyl, I'm not certain what the differences are but the front seat covering is very different from a "GT" "Leather" seat.

 

The GT seat is all vinyl and the feel and look is quite different to the Shelby.

 

The rear seats in our Shelbys are exactly the same as the GT material though. But the front's are not.

 

Automotive leather is all treated with a coating and in many instances it is mixed with vinyl and the reason is because it simply lasts longer.

 

You'll find "real" leather that's uncoated on the exotics like Ferrari and the like, but you'll be hard pressed to find anything like that material outside of that range.

 

I use Leathermasters on the seats and they still look brand new.

 

I use the "strong" cleaner every month or so to clean and then follow that up with the Leather Vital and then protection cream.

 

Leathertique is supposed to be quite good too, but I haven't used that.

 

P.S.

A good habit to get into is if you go for a long drive to spray down the seat with water and wipe with a soft cloth when you get back. Get a little spray bottle for a buck at walmart and just sprtiz the seats and wipe them down. That helps keep the dirt and sweat down to a minimum and that is what wears the leather more than anything.

[BIKEBOY]

A few posts back I teased about the `vinyl` in my GT500 saddle.

 

Oddly, in 2008 I special ordered a brand new BMW 135i coupe. Specifically ordered it with what BMW calls `Leatherette`. Black , of course, as the car is bright red.....oh, and with NO PADDLES!!! Off topic for a second, I have , among many, a motto that I live by, and that is...`Just Say NO To Paddle Shifters`! Got it with a manual gearbox, of course! Lol...

 

OK

 

I ordered the car with leatherette for primarily two reasons. 1) I have a small mut that is my best buddy, and he can ride with me in it, without fear of ruining the seats, 2) I am aware of the upkeep of leather, as we are all talikng about here! Soooooooo... of course I tease about this topic, as I would probably rather it be ``fake`` anyway! Still looks good IMHO, and I will still use the HideFood, as I mentioned as well in another earlier post on this thread. There!

[Imatk]

This thread cracks me up.

 

I've been working w/ leather and vinyls for over 20 years and some of the responses here just kill me.

 

Thanks for the laughs.

 

Could you share your opinion on the seats?

 

I'm sure we'd like to hear from someone with your experience.

[GT500Tow]

I'm no expert. But if you iron this material it will melt. I can tell you that from experience. The leather i bought. You can iron it all day long and it never melts. So call it what you want. When i get in my car. You will notice a strong smell of real leather. Ford must have raised some synthetic cows.......

[thewheelman]

[BIKEBOY]

 

Wheelman.......Don't hurt the synthetic cow!!!!!!!