I think it is PU coated.

 

Can anyone confirm this?

 

It is after 1985! Hint!

 

Lexol, like any good conditioner, should be allowed to soak into the leather - overnight is best. The leather will look indeed streaky and blotchy (love that word) once it has soaked in: the reason? the Lexol has migrated dirt and other undesirable elements to the surface. Buffing with a microfibre cloth moistened with a bit more Lexol will remove the dirt and streaking and leave the leather soft and clean. If you simply apply the conditioner and immediately buff it away you have not allowed it to work - you are just treating the surface. And a conditioner that does NOT require a clean buffing is one that is not penetrating enough to clean the leather thoroughly. It goes without saying - but I will say it - that so-called conditioners with silicone in them should be avoided at all cost.

 

I leave it on overnight; makes difference.

 

The other thing that changed in the mid-80s is how leather was dyed. It switched from a lacquer based product to a (surprise!) polymer base. The lacquers required multiple layers and would easily wear off over time. They had less dense color too, so they were more porous. For that earlier stuff, use Leatherique. Is amazing stuff. For the later leathers... well, I've found it just doesn't matter as much. I've tried lots of things, but I think the really thin stuff does the best. I like the aroma of Zaino products. I've tried the Griot's stuff, but it does require quite a bit of buffing, and I'm not as fond of the smell. I've also got some Meguiars that I've had good results with.

 

Someone on the Rennslist 928 forum just found a thread on the Mercedes Benz forum discussing Nivea cream. But not the US based product; rather the German based product. Figures they would have different formulations.

The German based (blue tin) is available from Amazon.

Hey if it works for my grandma...

 

I've used the the Leatherique "Rejuvenator Oil" and "Prestine Clean" products on both of my XK convertibles with excellent results.

 

Maguiar's Gold Class foam is the best thing I've ever used on any of my cars.

 

Auto Glym

 

I use Aerospace 303 on all surfaces including leather. My detailer used it years ago and I have ever since. I spray it on the seats liberally, spread out with my bare hand so that they are nice and wet, then let them soak. After a while I go back and wipe them down. My previous bmw seats looked like new after my 6 years of ownership. I have treated the Jag seats a couple of times and it gives a nice satin supple finish.

 

Having done a course on leather restoration you maybe surprised that all these leather care products get nowhere near the leather in your car unless the leather is badly cracked.
What you think is leather is just a painted surface on a leather base. When you apply these leather care products they do not get passed the paint covering. At best all that is need is a good cleaner to keep the painted surface clean.
I am prepared to be shot down on this but it is a fact all leather be it car, house furniture of handbags is a painted finish on a leather base.

 

I am back to Lexol in a spray bottle, I like it more now than the Connolly's. Ease of use and consistent results are worth it. Lexol is the go to brand for many a marque and collector. It aint for nothing. Sure, there are other products, but there are also other cars beyond Jag. Crazy to thing!

 

Interesting . Is there a difference with vat dyed leather or is there a difference between leather finishes. When I had my old Ferrari seats redone they stripped them and resprayed them so I knew it was a paint process but others have used dyes (leatherique process) instead of paint or do you consider a dye just paint. They used a stripper to remove the finish and redyed . I also hear some leathers are more porous and absorb the dye where others are more closed cell and only take a painted type finish. Interesting topic.

 

All automotive leathers are colour-coated now, not vat-dyed. And the coating does permit conditioners to penetrate to some extent but the major effect and benefit of the conditioners is to keep the colour coat supple and without cracks. Of course, if you use a "conditioner" with silicone in it you have effectively destroyed any possibility of conditioning. You can quite easily test whether the conditioner has penetrated the leather - just leave it with time to be absorbed (hours, not minutes); if it has been absorbed then it will bring dirt to the surface of the leather - Lexol is very good at this, as is Leatherique (but on modern Jaguar leather I have found Lexol to be better). And yes, it is quite possible to recolour leather on which the colour coat has been worn away (typically on the driver's side seat bolster. Both Leatherique and Color Plus (as well as other companies) make excellent products for this. These are not "paints"; they replicate the colour coat used on Jaguar leather, and are water-based polymer coatings. I have used there on numerous restorations, always with "as new" results. Don't forget to use a good conditioner on the dashboard if your car has leather there! and use sunshades when the car is parked.
Leather and wood + sun = damage!

 

You guys are going to think this is insane, but here's something my father taught me years ago. After you apply your conditioner, wrap the seats in Saran wrap for 24 hours, then remove and wipe off the leather surface with a slightly dampened clean towel. This process prevents the conditioning product from drying before it is absorbed, which intensifies the conditioning properties several fold. The results are outstanding. The downside is that anyone seeing you do this will think you have gone completely bonkers.

 

This has been the standard process from some of my old Ferrari guys. They said they got it from leatherique and used it to strip and redye their seats and to condition them . They would remove the seats and after the process was done put a large garbage over the seat and leave it in a warm temperature room for 24 hrs.

 

I use the same method. I sponge it on, then buff with a towel. The Lexol will leave a shine to the leather, I come back after sponging and buff well. If I do not buff it does leave a sticky shine.

 

Derek: the "stickiness" is dirt and salts brought to the surface of the leather; a bit more Lexol (or simply a bit of water) on a cloth used to buff the leather will remove the dirt and also remove any excess shine. The amount of dirt on and in the leather can be very disturbing!

 

For what it's worth...Jaguar says Autoglym