Is this question really technical? Maybe the Forum needs a "Body/Interior" section... Anyway, My 98 550 has "wrinkled/shrunken" leather in the rear brakelight assembly. I have read (e.g. here: https://www.colourlock.com/tip/vintage-cars/hardened-leathers-softener.html?___store=usa ) that shrunken leather cannot be restored to the proper dimensions. Does anyone have opinions or experience that might save me some money? Thanks, Robert
You will find praise for Leatherique on every car forum that discusses leather. You may as well try it. If it doesn't work to your satisfaction you're not out anything since you can use it in the rest of the leather. If you search for it using Duckduckgo as a search engine you'll find a 30% off coupon code from Autopia. I don't use Google so I don't know if the same deal shows in their search results. Hope it helps resolve the problem. It's great stuff.
I once talked to an old cobbler. He told me to mix water and isopropanol alcohol, half of each and then heat the leather and soak it with the mix. Wait a bit and then stretch and hold till dry. Disclaimer: Try it at your own risk. I have used this process to stretch my roof cover with great success but who knows how it will work for you.
If the leather hasn't pulled away completed yet, I'm curious if that will help "relax" the it in place.
This usually belongs in the detailing section. Once dried out, it is done...time to replace. Even if you could possibly get it back to the same dimensions, dried leather usually changes its appearance/finish, becoming much more rough and textured...
I have actually found a product that works pretty well. It takes time, and some patients but its better than most anything else out there for distressed leather. https://colorplus.com/products-page/color-plus/soffener-original-formula-leather-conditioner/ Ask for Joann. She is a sweetheart.
I used leatherique and while it made it softer.. it didn't let me stretch it much (Kevlar seats) so I'm planning on having the leather replaced this winter. Figure I'll do the carpeting then too. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
They have an amazing leather dye product as well; beginning with post #11. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/mondial/482046-some-tlc-my-qv.html
I pulled mine out and recovered with OEM Leather Cheap easy fix for me, looks perfect and not hard to do What color is yours?
that's encouraging! Where did you source the leather? My car is silver, black interior. What kind of glue did you use? How did you pre-treat the fiberglass?
Upholsterer told me the best glue to use for longevity is the glue for vinyl tops. Fiberglass, maybe rough up a bit. Maybe not necessary.
