Mach 1 Leather seats

[machXLR8]

I have an 04 Azure Bule Mach 1. I know from past experience with cars with leather seats that they have a tendency to crack or wrinkle and not look smooth anymore. First of all, does anyone know how the leather seats hold up on the MAch1 and also if you could recommend a leather seat care product!

[Sapperstang]

They will more than likely crease up just like any mustang leather seat. I recommend Lexol leather cleaner followed up by Lexol leather conditioner. Best to remove the seats to do this. That way you won't get that stuff all over everything else. I have always done mine every few months. My 03 GT had 35K and the seats still looked brand new without any creases using this procedure and product.

[JeffreyDJ]

I use the Meguires Leather Coniditoner/Cleaner in the bottle every few months. About every week or two I use the Meguires Leather wipes to wipe them down (and leave it over night).

Used the same procedure on my previous stang which I had almost four years, and the seats looked great even then. Do the same on my wifes explorer as well.

[substanger]

I'll have to remember that one! I'm 5'9 and weigh 190, but looked down at the left side of my 800 mile seat and saw wrinkles in it already. Thanks for the tip.

[GaPonyFarm]

I thought these seats had some kind of a coating on them that would make using leather care products useless, due to lack of penetration? Was I mistaken about this?

[Shaker Dan]

I don't believe you will be able to stop the wrinkles in the seats. That is what leather does. However, there is a leather tightner out there that should help. I am not sure what it is called. Someone else was talking about it. The conditioner and cleaner every other month and the wipes are what I use also. Makes them look great but I still have the wrinkles in the drivers seat on the left hand side. It is the way I sit.

[MikeMustangGT]

I also use Lexol, it is a good product.

[firebird1999us]

Below is something I posted in the Discussion and detailing forum a while back about how I care for leather seats in the Mach -- just thought I would share the knowledge with the rest of you detialing gurus:

I'm am extremely picky about the condition of my leather and have tried many of the same products I used on the leather in my firebird --- (Lexol, Tanner, Zymol, saddle soap, Meguiars one step leather care in the red bottle, Meguires wipes) however, the I got the softest, smoothest, longest lasting reults using "Meguiars 2-Step Gold Class Rich Leather Aloe Cleaner (blue stuff) and Conditioner (white stuff) -- I picked it up for roughly $18 and, considering I have about $150 of leather cleaning/conditioning stuff sitting around the house that I feel doesn't work for the Mach, it's a lot to say this stuff has been the best. (items G-11016 and G-11116 on the below link --copy and paste if it's not hypertext)

http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/product_list.cfm?store=meg&line=auto&catagory=4&subcatagory=2

It's easy to apply -- about ten minutes (I only use the cleaner once a month or depending on how much traffic the car sees)and the trick is to take some time about once a week/every two weeks and run the conditioner over the seats with a terry cloth applicator. Thus far my car has 11,500 miles on it and I have no cracks and virtually no signs that anybody has even ridden in the car since I bought it.

Also, I use those anti static dust swiffer mitts from the grocery store to get lint off of my dash and keep it looking new -- about $8 and a great investment if lint drives you nuts.

I have two interior pics of my car that are to large to post-- you guys can e-mail me at firebird1999us@yahoo.com if you want me to send them,

One more thing -- if you guys get this stuff make sure not to leave excess on the seats and buff it to a point that you feel your seat isn't drowning in it when you get done -- happy detailing!!!


chris

[firebird1999us]

also, I used the cleaner yesterday and it took what looked like the begining of a wrinkle out of my seat -- use to use lexol, but I didn't feel it lasted long enough on the seat.

[Ralph Greene]

What leather? You mean the "leatherette" seats right?

[2k4mk1]

Originally posted by Ralph Greene
What leather? You mean the "leatherette" seats right?

No its leather not leatherete.
I use 303 aerospace protectant for the leather rubber and vynil in my car protects against UV fade and doesnt make it all slick Walmart sells it.

[CANXLR8]

Ralph's post got me thinking...someone told me the front seats were leather, but the back aren't? Honestly...the car never did smell "leathery" when it was brand new....

I haven't done anything to the seats (yet) almost 23k miles and no wrinkles....

[Ralph Greene]

I'm not sure what the industry standard is for how much "leather" has to be there in order to call it leather. But I bet there is only a very minor amount in the fronts, and none in the rears. You know the "weave" is all vinyl. Maybe the light gray bar in seat backs is leather. Leatherette is more durable anyway.

So since my car never sits out, and seats are about 99% vinyl, I just use a damp cloth, and never get those wrinkles.

If seats were leather, like seats of past, or of more hi dollar cars, would use something. Even if seating surfaces only were leather, like my Limited Explorer, might use something. But my Explorer does get used, and it's only been wiped down with damp cloth, and those seats are perfect now after 3 years use.

I think there is something in some of these conditioner products, that is not good for whatever the synthetic is. MHO

[firebird1999us]

Several debates have been launched about this in the detailing section that a quick search will reveal -- the general consensus is that parts of the front are leather (not the back of them) and the back seat is leatherette just like in all mustangs with the leather option (in all cobra, gt, v6 models, etc...)

With regard to the seats not being leather, leather products (at least all that I have used) will work to condition and or clean them without any harm whatsoever. So truthfully the debate is moot with regard to how one can best clean them. In other words, the meguiars stuff I mentioned in my previous post (the long one above...along with lexol or tanners) will work fine if used as directed. :soapbox:

So there yo have it,

Chris

[atmachspeed]

I use the aforementioned Meguiars wipes once a week and the seats still look brand new. This is the only product I use and it seems to do the trick.

My driver seat is the only one that gets the abuse anyway. :THUMBSUP:

[351c.i.d]

I find it hard to believe that you guys have no wrinkles/creases in your seats, even after maintaining with lexol or a damp cloth. That just doesn't sound right to me. You guys don't even have them in your drivers seat on the left thigh area? The area that looks the crappiest from getting in and out of your car?

[firebird1999us]

Like I said -- my seats look just like they did when the car came of the assembly line ~12k miles ago. You just have to spend a little bit of time every week (like 5 to 10 minutes) wiping them down. I also used the "wipes" that atmachspeed used to begin with and they work great. I quit using them because they tended to dry out about two weeks after I opened the cannister.

Chris

[MAC[H]Z]

Originally posted by 351c.i.d
I find it hard to believe that you guys have no wrinkles/creases in your seats, even after maintaining with lexol or a damp cloth. That just doesn't sound right to me. You guys don't even have them in your drivers seat on the left thigh area? The area that looks the crappiest from getting in and out of your car?

I have them on the left and I clean and protect them atleast once a week.... No big deal it gives the leather character...

[Crazyboykc]

The leather seats in the Bullitt are terrible. They are starting to show wear after 2,000 miles. That's all our Bullitt has on it, sitting in the garage.