Interior Panels Rubber Coating

waumo1 · April 18, 2016

Most all automotive leather is "topcoated" (look it up) so it is not like the type of leather you would use to make jackets, etc and any treatment you apply really only stays on the surface. The leather is only used on the seating surfaces and some other "touch surfaces" the rest is vinyl to match. Sometimes it is very hard to tell the difference between topcoated leather and the matching vinyl.

For example, in my 2011 extended cab with leather seating surfaces, the rear seat appears to be all vinyl

Jeff5347 · April 18, 2016

Found a pretty detailed write up on leather and care. Like waumo1 stated there is usually a topcoat. Man, I'm glad i don't have leather seats. The door panels and center arm rest is my concern. For you guys with full leather this may be a enlightening read

http://www.detailingspot.com/?page_id=308

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danny951 · April 20, 2016

I have been using acdelco products because they are not too harsh. A little bit more expensive but products like armour all dry out plastic and vinyl.

Shu · April 20, 2016

OP, I've use the Meguires cleaner protectant on my truck a couple of times and never an issue. Same for our 11 Mustang GT, 11 Camaro, 09 G5, etc.

So what was under the color that rubbed off?

Thomcat · April 20, 2016

Found a pretty detailed write up on leather and care. Like waumo1 stated there is usually a topcoat. Man, I'm glad i don't have leather seats. The door panels and center arm rest is my concern. For you guys with full leather this may be a enlightening read

http://www.detailingspot.com/?page_id=308

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Properly protected with a wax cleaner such as Meguiars, "leather seating" is just fine and black will not show signs of aging or discoloration due to dye transfer from jeans that many grey or gold colors will. And the leather upgrade over base line cloth is typically accompanied by upgrades in the padding providing more comfortable seating and usually 8 or 12 way power assist so no buried levers or handles to monkey with while you are driving........and the smooth surface assists in entering and exiting the vehicle. In fact I prefer the cheaper bonded leather over real leather seating and definitely over cloth. I had in my Caddy and Chryslers....real skins (sometimes you can get a thin skin) will wrinkle collect dirt eventually dry out and crack but the bonded leather, properly maintained will not show wear.

And don't know of many base line vehicles under 100K that come standard in leather.....cloth just looks cheapo when compared to a contrast color/stitched leather interior.

jbradyr · April 20, 2016

Guess I lucked out with my interior. I upgraded the interior when I purchased my 2015 Sierra Z71 4x4. I had aftermarket leather installed and it seems to be a lot thicker than the factory spec leather. I have really enjoyed it so far.

EaZ8 · April 20, 2016

One thing I noticed on this... My wife makes leather journal holders. She gets real hides of leather ( black, tan, brown,ect)... I tried the vlr on her black leather and it dulled it right up and made it kinda tacky. She says that the "leather" in my truck is not "real" leather. Not really sure now. Seeing as she deals with leather I'm inclined to believe her. Maybe we have..."pleather"?

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she is right and wrong kinda..

GM paints their seats to get the finish they have.

here is a post from cadillac forums.

OK, as a profession I do mobile auto reconditioning. I mostly fix scratches, dings, dents and exterior work for used car dealers and private owners who have lease returns or want their cars looking good. However, I do some interior reconditioning as well, so I thought I'd share a few pointers.

As everyone knows the Escalade seat bottoms wear like no tomorrow! Instead of spending $200+ (EACH!) on a new seat bottom, I'd rather freshen it up a bit, much like I do on lease returns and used cars. You will need a $9 bottle of SEM SOAP and an $11 bottle of SEM 149B SHALE (#17203) Classic Coat leather paint. You can find these at most auto body supply shops. SEM has a list of their distributors on their website.

Lets get started! Here's what you need:

^^^ Notice the slight discoloration? ^^^

You will need to thoroughly clean the leather to be painted to get rid of any conditioner or grease left behind. Dab a little on a heavy duty Blue paper towel and use a spray bottle to spray the leather with water. Mask the area you don't want over-spray.

You will want to apply 3-4 light coats. You may want to go slightly heavier to fill in the "cracks", NOT THE CREASES! If you look closely at the seats, you will notice the black "dirty" spots are actually really small cracks. Those will be filled in.

And the other side.... (sorry no before pics, it was just as dirty/worn as the driver side)

Pics don't do any justice. The difference in person is night and day! Although the problem with the creases will not be solved, it will definitely make you happier to live with. The paint is amazing, the blending properties within the SEM paint are unbelievable. You will notice the paint is really not a paint, but more like a dye. It just disappears into the leather and blends perfectly. You will not have to paint the entire seat. Just don't lay the paint on thick, and you will be pleased!