Are the door cards/panels leather? Meaning the lip rail that runs length wise of the window? I'm trying to buy the right product to gloss up that & the center steering wheel console/air bag cover as well as the dash, they feel rubber/plastic to my touch.

I spot tested the door lip with Meguiar's : Natural Shine Protectant & it looks awesome I just want to ensure that I'm not doing something that could do long term damage it if it is leather.

This forum's awesome, I inherited this Jaguar & plan on making it as perfect as it can be!!!

 

A photo may be helpful in determining what you are referring to.

Thanks,
B

 

If it's the strip of trim at the base of the window down to about half way through the wood trim that's the same shade as the top of the dash, it's vinyl. No worries mate, use the Meguiar's. But, not on the seats, ok?

 

yes sir I've read enough here to know to look for gliptone or connolly

is the dash leather or vinyl sorry for the simple ?'s but this is my first premium car lol

 

Hello there,
Just for your edification and education re XJ8 interiors ;o]
In a standard XJ8, the only parts that are leather are the seat facings, centre console, centre console arm rest and door armrests.
The rest is a form of vinyl or plastic including the dash top.
Conolly hide food is a waste of time on modern leathers which are manufactured and treated differently than leathers of old.
Most of the vinyl treatments are **** and make them far too glossy
and cheap looking.
Choose a product that gives it a nice low expensive looking sheen.

The Meguiars product is OK
For the leather work, you either use Gliptone (my favourite) or Leatherique.
Wiping the whole interior over with a damp cloth rinsed in a very mild soapy solution first will remove most of the grime and dirt.
Then you can get serious with leather cleaning and rejuvenation and cleaning the vinyl surfaces.....minimum is always best and doesn't cause a build up on the surfaces.
Enjoy your new aquisition ;o)

 

Wrong, on a xj8 and xjr the only leather parts are the seats facing, pocket on the back of the front seat, steering wheel and trunk pull strap. That's all, no console or other parts
VDP and S/C vdp add the following parts
Console and console lid, rear console extension, hand brake gaiter, door armrest, door pocket and the seats are full leather

 

I like Meguiars for trim etc. I'm kind of old school with leather, my father & uncle whom always had exotic cars preferred saddle soap to clean & mink oil to condition.

I have a hybrid routine, warm water & saddle soap wipe down then Gliptone conditioner to finish.

My associates are raving about Chemical Guys products, which I haven't tried as of yet.

I have a coupon to get this for a really low price I may give it a test run.

 

Some people might hate me for syaing this; but I actually use Armor-All on the seats. I know, I know, it's a cheap product; to be honest, it actually works very well. It's not oily, there's no high gloss shine, it works really well. Not to mention I also used Armor-All leather restorer; it worked amazing as well! My seats were turning black because they've never been deep cleaned, but now they look like new! See for yourself: ( Didn't take before pictures. )






As far as the Vinyl goes, I have a Vinyl/Multi interior cleaner that I had from when my parents bought their cars. It's high quality, but I use it only on the Vinyl.

 

Looks good ! I'm from the "if it works for you, then do it" school here lol.

 

+1 on Gliptone and Leatherique and first cleaning your leather with a damp cloth and allowing it to dry.

I like the Gliptone conditioner and find it very effective at softening leather. It does have a strong aroma that you may or may not love, so try it on your fingers before you do your entire car interior. The Gliptone cleaner is similar to most other cleaner brands and I personally find it effective only on surface dirt.

My favorite products overall are from Leatherique, their Rejuvinator Oil (conditioner) and Prestine Clean. You use the products in the opposite order of other conditioners/cleaners. Start with a liberal application of Rejuvinator Oil, preferably on a warm or hot day. Shut all the doors and windows allow the interior heat to soak the oil into the leather for a few hours, checking every 30 or 45 minutes and applying more oil to any dry spots that appear. The oil will penetrate the leather, but will simultaneously float imbedded dirt and contaminants to the surface. If it's been a while since you deep cleaned your leather, you may be surprised and horrified at what floats up (especially on the steering wheel).

After three or four hours and repeated applications to dry spots, use the Prestine Clean on a soft cloth to clean away all the released dirt and excess oil. Allow to dry overnight. Follow up with repeated applications of Rejuvinator as needed to achieve the desired softness.

Leatherique products do not have a strong odor, and the Rejuvinator does not darken light-colored leather as some conditioners do.

Cheers,

Don

 

Indeed ....well there are different models around the world our side the Userfay
Mine being an ROW Sovereign 4.0 litre has all the leather bits I mentioned ;o)
You guys in the States get pov models ;o)=)

 

Body oil stains in leather are a very common problem and can totally destroy the appearance and desirability of leather furniture, jackets, handbags, steering wheels or other leather articles. Leather is an absorbent material and is highly sensitive to body oils. These oils are transferred into the leather by direct contact with skin or hair either by humans or animals.

just so you know your cars interior is supposes to be flat tone ..any form of shininess is body oils or lotions that may have transferred over on the surface after repeated usage

Leather furniture requires a bit of special attention. Harsh cleaners may damage or discolor leather, so not just any type of cleaning agent will do:

As Simple as Soap and Water

A mild hand or dish soap serves as a general cleaner for leather furniture. A squirt or two of soap in a bowl of warm water, mixed together, cleans away basic dirt and dust.



Vacuum the furniture first to remove loose debris; then dip a soft white cloth into the soapy water, wringing out most of the water so the cloth is damp. Wipe down all the leather this way; then wipe it again with a damp soap-free white cloth. Buff it dry immediately afterwards with yet another white, soft cloth.

For a heavily soiled area, apply a drop or two of the gentle soap directly onto the damp cloth; then rub the soapy cloth over the stain. Wipe the leather again with a damp cloth; then buff dry.