• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

Best leather conditioner

daniels740

Member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Location
South Florida
Hey all,

I wanted to ask what your favorite leather conditioners are. I want to protect my 740's new (to me) rear seat skins from drying and splitting from the Florida sun whenever I'm out. I'm looking for something I can get from Walmart, Advance Auto, or Autozone for under $20.

Thanks in advance and happy holidays.
 
I don't know if it is the best leather conditioner, however, Lexol is a good leather conditioner and it fits your criteria. Under $20 and it is sold all over, including Walmart stores.
 
I like Lexol brand. It comes in two different bottles, an orange one and a brown one. One is leather cleaner and the other is leather conditioner. I’m sure they have a two in one as well. I think the last time I bought some was at an advanced auto or Napa or someplace similar, and it was less then 10 bucks for a 17 oz spray bottle.
 
44-88247-1.jpg
 
A cheap cardboard sun shade to cover the tops of the rear seats will also help.
 
I have always had great luck with Lexol and zymol, both great products. I always do the cleaner and the conditioner, makes old seats feel and smell good.
 
A little knowledge is very needed here.

Sometime in the early to mid eighties leather auto seat material changed from vat dyed leather to vinyl 'painted' leather. My '82 was actual dyed leather but most after were not.

Vinyl is porous and produces much the same affect as direct contact with natural leather.

While the leather paint has served very well over many years it is not natural leather. Leather conditioner will soak through the vinyl paint slowly but not like directly on natural leather. Application of a 'leather' treatment must take place over a longer period of time.

For real restoration of leather you are going to have to do some work. In restoring 38 year old seats I stripped the dye with alcohol, treated the leather with some like a quart of Leathereque's 'Rejuvenator', covered with black plastic garage bags resting in the sun for a few days.

You cannot believe what rose to the surface. All those years of sweat and salt.

Stripped:

20140815_201648.jpg~original


Painted with vinyl:

20140819_172942.jpg~original


For that reason, spray treatment will not soften hard, dried leather.

Leatherique https://leatherique-restoration-products.myshopify.com/ has products, information and support that will help with any real restoration efforts.

For spray-and-forget-it any of the above works just fine.
 
Last edited:
I used Lexol for a long time, but now I love Chemical Guys. They even have a new one that helps block UV. If the sun is your biggest concern go get your windows tinted, blocking out the sun is the best way to save the interior, plus you're car will be cooler inside.
 
^ I completely forgot about tinting. Anyone know around how much I would pay for to get the darkest legal tint on all windows (excluding windshield, of course)? Also, if anyone knows of a good tint shop around Broward County, Fla, I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks all.
 
^ I completely forgot about tinting. Anyone know around how much I would pay for to get the darkest legal tint on all windows (excluding windshield, of course)? Also, if anyone knows of a good tint shop around Broward County, Fla, I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks all.

I paid $280 at a reputable local shop here (whose work I knew) two years ago for my 91 245 with darkest legal all round including a contoured windshield strip.
 
I'm going to go with the two-step Lexol, the cleaner and the conditioner after, letting them soak in as well, for now. If I am able to obtain nice front seat skins/ nice front seats, I MIGHT do a full leather clean/conditioning with Leatherique.

How much of that stuff would I need and how often would I need to repeat the clean/conditioning?
 
Last edited:
Start with a quart of the Leatherique rejuvenator. It does most of the work. Needs to be applied multiple times over an extended period for real results. A couple weeks in the case of cardboard like leather.

Don't need as much of the cleaner.

You need to apply it in heavy amounts just short of running and cover with a black plastic garage bag in a warm environment. It sorta gets like a thin wax when cold.

I have done two cars with their stuff and been very pleased. I think both looked better in person than the photos displayed.

1982 245

I bought this car new and the leather never was very soft. Rejuvenator probably brought it back 80%.

20140922_173323.jpg


1981 Bertone 262C

This car's new leather was glove soft and maybe got back 60% of original.

20151011_165012.jpg
 
Last edited:
Start with a quart of the Leatherique rejuvenator. It does most of the work. Needs to be applied multiple times over an extended period for real results. A couple weeks in the case of cardboard like leather.

Don't need as much of the cleaner.

You need to apply it in heavy amounts just short of running and cover with a black plastic garage bag in a warm environment. It sorta gets like a thin wax when cold.

I have done two cars with their stuff and been very pleased.

Pro-tip. I found myself having an odd allergic reaction to the cleaner - when I spoke to the folks at Leatherique they found it surprising and recommended using Ivory soap and warm water instead which I've used ever since. The conditioner is essential, but cleaner wise you don't need to shell out the $$$.

If you keep the windows up and park in the sun you can forgo the plastic bags but you definitely want the interior as warm as possible and leave it on for as long as possible (hours wise not days).

:wave:
 
Back
Top