leather seat care
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: leather seat care (shade)
I realy like the Gliptone two-part system: a cleaner and a conditioner. The conditioner leaves the leather very suple and a slight aroma of "new leather". This product is sold by MAD.
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville Arkansas
Re: leather seat care (65Z01)
Go slow using any type of cleaner. Test it in a non seen area. Mine looked pretty good and I used some leather conditioner (I believe it was Mcguires) on them and it found every single crack and accelerated the wear.
Loren :nono:
Loren :nono:
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,236
Likes: 355
From: Albuquerque, NM
Re: leather seat care (92Coupe)
I've used Lexol and Zymol, and both seem to be very good. A couple other tips: Keep leather out of the sun. If you don't keep the car in a garage or it's outside at work, a car cover, tinted windows, or even a sun shield can help.
Another thing I think is very important is the way you get in and out of the car. Wear on the seat bolsters is caused by sliding over them when getting in and out. Depending on your athletic ability, it may or may not be difficult to avoid sliding over the bolsters. I'm in the habit of putting some of my weight on the console cover and door sill and partially lifting myself in and out. If you do slide over the seat bolsters, blue jeans are particularly tough on the leather. The seats in my '92 are almost perfect and the car has over 102,000 miles, so they can last if you take care of them.
Another thing I think is very important is the way you get in and out of the car. Wear on the seat bolsters is caused by sliding over them when getting in and out. Depending on your athletic ability, it may or may not be difficult to avoid sliding over the bolsters. I'm in the habit of putting some of my weight on the console cover and door sill and partially lifting myself in and out. If you do slide over the seat bolsters, blue jeans are particularly tough on the leather. The seats in my '92 are almost perfect and the car has over 102,000 miles, so they can last if you take care of them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,047
Likes: 0
Re: leather seat care (shade)
Gotta get back to basics.. skip all the McGuire's and Zymol crap and go to a real leather shop. If it's an authentic store, they'll have "Saddle Soap" Lather that stuff up, apply it with a brisk scrubbing motion on a moist sponge.. wait a little while and gently rub it off with a soft towel.. I'll tell you what, on my '93, it makes the leathers turn out smooth to the touch and feeling like silk. None of the others will do that!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 11,259
Likes: 6
From: dfw TX
Moderatrix
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: leather seat care (shade)
Personally I use Zaino leather cleaner and conditioner. I't s the BEST, better for me than macguier's even! I also use a slightly stiff bristled brush (like a saddle brush) to clean it with, it gets that dirt that's ground in. Then clean it with a WHITE towel, you'll be shocked how much dirt comes out!
BTW, I used to use saddle soap on my saddle and bridels,personally I'm not sure about using it on seat leather. Saddles and Bridles and thick stiff leather and saddlesoap is very thick. I would think it would leave a resedue, doesn't it?
BTW, I used to use saddle soap on my saddle and bridels,personally I'm not sure about using it on seat leather. Saddles and Bridles and thick stiff leather and saddlesoap is very thick. I would think it would leave a resedue, doesn't it?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 5,381
Likes: 0
From: Pineville, Louisiana
Re: leather seat care (thrills)
BTW, I used to use saddle soap on my saddle and bridels,personally I'm not sure about using it on seat leather. Saddles and Bridles and thick stiff leather and saddlesoap is very thick. I would think it would leave a resedue, doesn't it?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 10,230
Likes: 885
From: Alexandria, Virginia, USA VA
Re: leather seat care (CowboyNVette)
does anybody make a kit to just recover the bolster "ears" on the sport seats. I heard ecklers did but no one I contacted knew about them.
my seats look great "except" the drivers bolster which takes a beating. I try to drive with sweat pants on which makes the "slide" into the seat much easier and doesn't hurt the leather. getting into the car is like making love, sometimes it's tough to get in but it feels great once your are there!!!
my seats look great "except" the drivers bolster which takes a beating. I try to drive with sweat pants on which makes the "slide" into the seat much easier and doesn't hurt the leather. getting into the car is like making love, sometimes it's tough to get in but it feels great once your are there!!!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 11,259
Likes: 6
From: dfw TX
Moderatrix
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: leather seat care (Rkreigh)
I thought about trying this stuff http://www.leatherique.com but never got around to it. I posted when I found the site and a few people said they'd used it and it works well. Others said for the price you can just get it repaired by a local leather specialist.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 12,832
Likes: 209
From: Canton GA
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In VI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'10-'11-'12
Re: leather seat care (shade)
I'm a Lexol user myself. Their two step cleaner/coinditioner was recommended to me by a leather upholsterer that has half of the business recovering Vette seats! He was at the dealership the day I picked up my Vette. He commented on how well the seats have held up for 96K miles. Anyway, the important thing is to get the cleaner off... if it stays on too long, it will dry the leather out. This goes without saying... but Don't Ever Use Armorall or any silicone based "conditioners" on leather!!! Kiss it buh-bye if you do! :seeya
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,680
Likes: 752
From: NEwhere Ohio
Re: leather seat care (shade)
Go to AUtozone. Buy some cheap fuzzy looking seat covers (I bought black ones that are called synthetic fur, look like sheepskin) for $10.
That is your best line of defense. Else, the sun and everything is going to fade and destroy your roadsters seats.
That is your best line of defense. Else, the sun and everything is going to fade and destroy your roadsters seats.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 702
Likes: 0
From: York PA
Re: leather seat care (shade)
I had the same question. I wrote to Sal Zaino. The Z10 contains no silicon and leaves no residue. It can also be used on the vinyl. I just order a bottle of Z9 cleaner and Z10 conditioner (thanks Ram Air Tony). The Z10 also leaves a satin finish so there should be no glare on the windshield. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,049
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Re: leather seat care (HTRK-1)
On my t/a I just used Emerald Series, I think it's a turtle wax brand. Looks great when you put it on and it's cheap and easy. I guess I'm a slacker though. :rolleyes:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 3
From: Encino CA
Re: leather seat care (BlackbirdZ07)
I have had the car since 1995 and the leather still looks pristine using regular car with typical products. However, ditto on the bolster area. As BlackbirdZ07 noted, the rubbing that can happen when getting in and out of the car kills the bolsters--not only for Vettes but for any car. I anticipated this happening to the Vette based on my experiences with a wide variety of other cars. Therefore, from day one of owning the Vette I developed exit and entry maneuvers designed to avoid the rubbing (what we do for our cars :D ) To start with, I keep the seat further back so that the bolster area is not as prominently placed. Then I sort of turn and "fall" into the car mostly avoiding the bolster. When getting out, I try not to support on the console as it seems easy to warp the console door. So I sort of grab the sill with my left hand and push up and out of the seat (am I nuts or what :confused: These maneuvers have helped the bolster looks as good as the day I bought the car.
I imagine if someone does not actually make a bolster protecter, a clever person should be able to come up with something that does not look obnoxious. I wonder if that clear plastic stuff that is used to protect the paint behind the wheel wells would work?
I imagine if someone does not actually make a bolster protecter, a clever person should be able to come up with something that does not look obnoxious. I wonder if that clear plastic stuff that is used to protect the paint behind the wheel wells would work?
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Tuscaloosa AL
I want something to put that leather smell (ahhhhh) back into my car...
Anyone know a product that will do this? I knew a guy that used to rebuild cars, and he had some product that he sprayed on the leather, and it re-introducted the smell into the car. Lost touch with him, however.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
