I don't like new leather in classic cars
Discussion
I'm facing a dilemma, Posting the pictures of the seat belts yesterday has really brought it to home to me. The leather on the seats of my XK150 is getting weaker, I've had parts of patched up by the leather conservancy centre, who did a great job, but other areas are cracking. If I keep the car then I think I'm finally going to have to have the seats redone, probably switching to period style buckets rather than the normal XK bench line front seats.
The problem is that I hate new looking leather in classic cars.
I like my classic interiors to look at least a little lived in.
Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
The problem is that I hate new looking leather in classic cars.
I like my classic interiors to look at least a little lived in.
Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
drmark said:
Thanks, I wonder whether he'll talk to me, my car is a little new fangled for his taste, 1958 is post 1955 
a8hex said:
drmark said:
Thanks, I wonder whether he'll talk to me, my car is a little new fangled for his taste, 1958 is post 1955 Take it for a drive to gliptones and get their view on it. They can do amazing work on worn and cracked leather. http://www.liquidleather.com/contact-us.html
tog said:
a8hex said:
drmark said:
Thanks, I wonder whether he'll talk to me, my car is a little new fangled for his taste, 1958 is post 1955 
lowdrag said:
Saddle soap dear boy, saddle soap. Works wonders but wears your arms out. You need to leave it a few days to soak in too.
I've tried Gliptone on my TVR and it doesn't really do much, I was pretty dissapointed after using the cleaner and then the conditioner. My seats are pretty cracked, not that I mind that much, but the driver's seat could do with something to sort out the cracks and restore the colour a bit. Reading the reviews, this stuff looks quite good:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saddle-Leather-Conditionin...
Just ordered a tub for £6.79.
Yertis said:
a8hex said:
I like my classic interiors to look at least a little lived in.
Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
Using the car quite a lot springs to mind.Has anyone found a solution to this problem?
but others have offered to use it quite a lot for me, to save me the time and effort.The leather seats in my X300 are now 18 years and still look new, which looks quite right and proper in that car, I'd hate them to look old.
But in the XK I want them to look aged, have a bit of character. But not be warn out or cracked.
Glyptone I've used in the past.
The last serious work on the leather was done by The Leather Conservation Centre who are based at Northampton University. They do all sorts of leather renovation work for museums and stately homes as well as cars. They were renovating an 18th century carriage when I dropped my car off. They were able to repair various of the splits in the leather by bonding some meshing into the rear to act as a scaffold to hold things together. They were also able to repair the whole in the passengers seat that you traditionally get in XK150s when you have rear passengers pushing the seat down onto the handbrake while climbing in and out.
The problem now is that I don't know of any easy way to mend leather, the ads that show a before and after are a little misleading. As Tony say, you need a lot of elbow grease. But the leather is tending to break when elbow grease is applied, all along the edges of the little cracks small pieces come away.
I'm sure I could take the seats back to the guys up in Northampton (or others) and get it patched up again.
But I'm clearly an unkind master.
Trackdaying the car is not gentle on the leather and I should probably have fitted some cheap bucket seats into the car for those few play days I've enjoyed. You live and learn.
Edited by a8hex on Thursday 7th November 14:07
vixen1700 said:
I've tried Gliptone on my TVR and it doesn't really do much, I was pretty dissapointed after using the cleaner and then the conditioner.
There's a whole lot more to leather restoration the cleaning and conditioning. With the scuff repair and colouring and sealant you could if you so desired make totally knackered old seats look new, or anywhere in between.If you take a look at their website it shows some really good results of what can be achieved.
ps, I don't work for them or have any connection other than a very impressed customer.
3200gt said:
There's a whole lot more to leather restoration the cleaning and conditioning. With the scuff repair and colouring and sealant you could if you so desired make totally knackered old seats look new, or anywhere in between.
If you take a look at their website it shows some really good results of what can be achieved.
ps, I don't work for them or have any connection other than a very impressed customer.
I can well imagine. If you take a look at their website it shows some really good results of what can be achieved.
ps, I don't work for them or have any connection other than a very impressed customer.
Maybe I was hoping for something a little more noticable after an hour on each seat with the little brush and cloth.
I'll give the saddle soap a go and give it some more elbow grease.
a8hex said:
The problem is that I hate new looking leather in classic cars.
Get whoever is going to do the retrim to age the hides before using them.I know someone that bought some hides and put them in a cleaned out cement mixer with a load of stones and put it slow mix for half a day...before taking car and hides to the trimmers.
Instant patina
aeropilot said:
a8hex said:
The problem is that I hate new looking leather in classic cars.
Get whoever is going to do the retrim to age the hides before using them.I know someone that bought some hides and put them in a cleaned out cement mixer with a load of stones and put it slow mix for half a day...before taking car and hides to the trimmers.
Instant patina
If it's cracking in the leather that's the problem, companies like 'The Furniture Clinic' can fill the cracks and re-paint the leather. They did a great job on mine as below, but if you want new leather, it's going to look 'new' by it's very nature.
Replacing old leather with new 'distressed' leather doesn't seem to make any sense.
Old leather:-
Refurbished old leather:-
Paul
Paul
Replacing old leather with new 'distressed' leather doesn't seem to make any sense.
Old leather:-
Refurbished old leather:-
Paul
Paul
The Surveyor said:
If it's cracking in the leather that's the problem, companies like 'The Furniture Clinic' can fill the cracks and re-paint the leather. They did a great job on mine as below, but if you want new leather, it's going to look 'new' by it's very nature.
Thanks Paul,This is essentially what they did last time, with similar results. Only now a few years down the line, it needs doing again. My leather was in a worse state than yours, and is even more cracked now. But my attempts to improve things didn't
I don't think Jaguar used the best quality leather back in period, and I guess there is only so much you can do.
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