Leather seats?

[yackee]

Some of you may remember that I bought a 1981 Fiat spider for $2,000 last winter. The mechanic is slowly getting the internals into shape. My wife wants me to spruce up the interior, and in particular she wants tan leather seats to replace the old naugahyde.

I wonder about leather in a convertible, with all the sun exposure, the possibility of getting wet. Do any of you have leather seats on your motorcycles, and if so what's the care routine, and how does it hold up to sun, rain etc? If leather works for a motorcycle, I would be comfortable with it in a convertible.

[Kev m]

Years ago I had a leather Corbin on my RK.

And I currently have brown leather in my 2016 JKUS (Wrangler) that spends a lot of time in the sun and on the beach with wet sandy kids getting in and out of it.

Over time leather will age/dry/crack a bit.

I tend  to use Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner. To be truthful I don't use it often, like once a year on the Jeep. My driver's seat now is starting to show a little bit of evidence that maybe I should use it a little more often. It's been what almost 7 years and 56k miles since I bought it new.

[twowheeladdict]

I have had and have a Corbin leather seat. Much more maintenance but I like it. Even vinyl seats will crack and need 303 protectant applied. My bikes are either ridden or are covered. They might be exposed to the sun at a restaurant and only because I bring the helmet in to absorb some AC.
Get your windows tinted, put the top up when parked, and if driving solo a lot get one of those cockpit tops that covers the passenger area, or cover the passenger seat with a towel when no one is sitting there.

Personally I hate leather seating in a car unless it is ventilated with the AC. Cloth never seams to feel as hot.

[Dilliw]

Honestly these days there are just too many good faux alternatives to not go that route especially with a convertible.  I would talk to a few trimmers and see what they think as your situation is not unique.

Somewhere in between bonded leather and closer to real leather is upcycled leather.

https://www.enduratex.com/leatherplus
 

[kingoffleece]

I'm all for leather.  feels better, looks better, and maintenance is not all that much.  3m leather cream with UV protection works a treat, as does 303.

[wirespokes]

The LM4 has a Corbin with leather panels. It has some sort of coating to make it weather-proof. I found that out because it appeared to have some damage in one spot, but in trying to fix it, more of the coating came off. At that point it took a bit of work to remove it all, but that's what it took to make it look good.

I prefer the look and feel of leather. The leather seats I've got have held up well.

[fotoguzzi]

I'm all for leather.  feels better, looks better, and maintenance is not all that much.  3m leather cream with UV protection works a treat, as does 303.

i agree, real leather all the way. Had in my convertibles and a few bikes. Love leather. My Corbin didn’t seem to mind getting wet.

[kingoffleece]

I always covered my Corbins-sold literately hundreds of my seat covers to pi**ed off Corbin owners who had their seats wrecked by rain and exposure.
But I know folks who never had any damage.  Who knows?  But Corbin owners were my number one customer by a HUGE country mile.

[lucky phil]

Some of you may remember that I bought a 1981 Fiat spider for $2,000 last winter. The mechanic is slowly getting the internals into shape. My wife wants me to spruce up the interior, and in particular she wants tan leather seats to replace the old naugahyde.

I wonder about leather in a convertible, with all the sun exposure, the possibility of getting wet. Do any of you have leather seats on your motorcycles, and if so what's the care routine, and how does it hold up to sun, rain etc? If leather works for a motorcycle, I would be comfortable with it in a convertible.

Modern automotive leather even on high end cars has a "plastic" surface coating these days for durability. If you go to an automotive trimmer thats what he should use. We have a world supplier for automotive leather here in Melbourne.
Go to the 50 second point. The guys pretty annoying, sorry.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov3Wb-GC_cY&ab_channel=AutoFetishDetail

Phil

[LowRyter]

I know on lots of cars, the leather really isn't or just a little.   I read somewhere that the "leather" in my '08 Corvette was like a thin veneer of leather encased in some type of plastic vinyl.  It supposedly is more durable than cheap actual leather.  OTOH, the thick plush leather that you might find in a high end Merc or Rolls, is another category. 

[Tom]

Like Kev M says Lexol.  Good stuff for leather. 

[guzziart]

I put a leather Corbin on my '12 Wee Strom five years ago.  I have done nothing to protect my Corbin from the elements and it looks as good today as it did when new.  IMHO, anything I put on a seat to protect it will just come off on the seat of my pants.

[kingoffleece]

I've worked on literately dozens of rain wrecked leather seats here in WNY.  Several have had bad mold under the cover.
I used a totally ruined Corbin for the Jackal seat we rebuilt.  The pan was perfect-the rest was rotted out.  I did use Sargent for part of this build-cover and backrest were made at my shop.  The new owner is quite pleased with the result, which was nice to hear.

[pressureangle]

My '85 LM1000 has a Corbin, was on it for unknown time before I bought it. I've only ever used Murphy's Oil Soap about every year or 3, and a good soak in Mink oil at the same time. Let it sit in the hot sun with the Mink Oil, it'll soak in making the leather waterproof. Though the black top color is worn off on some of the corners, it's generally in very fine shape and spent a lot of years outside uncovered in the Florida sun.

[guzziart]

If only the leather on my Sidi's  held up as well as the leather on my Corbin.  The Corbin which I have done nothing to, is fine.  The Sidi's I oiled regularly and they still cracked & got nasty lookin', they're the same age as the seat.  They're still water tight but probably for not much longer.