Leather Restoration

[Gregs300CD]

The black leather seats in my 1982 Coupe were basically perfect aside from being stiff and dry, so I thought I should try to recondition them before they ripped somewhere.

I first read what I could on-line about leather reconditioning, and decided to give Leatherique a try. I purchased a 16oz restoration kit, which included 16 oz bottles of Pristine Clean, Rejuvenating Oil, Prepping Agent, and Dye. Spots on the front seats had worn away to bare leather, so I had intended using the dye on those areas, but when I read the instructions and learned that the job of re-dying involved wet sanding, I chickened out and attempted a simple reconditioning using only the Rejuvenating Oil and Pristine Clean. The leather was a bit more pliable afterwards, but not yet as soft as I would like.

A couple of months after that, I purchased a 32oz set of just Pristine Clean and Rejuvenating Oil in order to attempt another simple reconditioning. I still wasn’t sold on wet sanding the leather, but in a flash of bravery, I got out the waterproof sandpaper and decided to work on some trouble spots. Pristine Clean seemed slipperier than the Prepping Agent, so I started wet sanding with 400 grit using it as lubricant. I soon found that if I sprayed the leather and sandpaper until wet, then just keep rubbing until it was almost dry, the old dye would simply ball up and rub off. It takes a lot of elbow grease (and finger pressure), but it was possible to rub off the dye without turning the leather into suede. I started on small parts, but after I saw how completely the old dye came off, I took off as much dye as I could. The black seats were now dark brown and soft. The leather underneath the old dye was much softer, and drank up the following Rejuvenating Oil a lot quicker and more completely. I then left the seats in the hot garage for two days covered in as much Rejuvenating Oil as I could soak into it, re-coating repeatedly.

I used up most of the Rejuvenating Oil, and all of the Pristine Clean. The seats felt softer and much more resilient, but after they dried for a day or two, I noticed that there was still a lot of dye in the creases that was making a stiff support underneath the top padding. So, I ordered another 32 ounce set or RO and PC and let the seats sit for another couple of days soaking in Rejuvenating Oil.

When the refills arrived, I continued wet sanding the dye from the creases and folds with 600 grit. When I was satisfied with it, I wiped it down with Pristine Clean, and applied another good coat of Rejuvenating Oil. I then covered the seats with plastic bags and let them bake in the hot garage for another two days, re-coating with oil numerous times.

I cleaned them once again with Pristine Clean, and let them dry. I then cleaned with the Prepping Agent, spraying and wiping down everything with clean terry cloth. Then, I let them dry overnight.

I started re-dying the seats the following morning. I found that the best way to apply the dye without streaks is to keep brushing until it becomes dull and dry. (After the leather dried, I buffed the seats with clean terry cloths to bring back the nice shine.) I gave it two coats of dye, being careful to get into all the seams and folds. The seats now look and feel new again! The difference is unbelievable. The seats look great, they are simply beautiful, but the softness of the leather is what surprises me most. They are now completely restored to their original texture.

Recapping the actual restoration, I used:
64 ounces of Rejuvenating Oil
64 ounces of Pristine Clean
32 ounces of Prepping Agent
16 ounces of Black Dye

The total spent was around $200.