Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The Car Thread ... !

I have to say that-despite it being sort of a "low end" material, I've come to really like the microfiber in my mom's Buick.

It's soft and cool, plus seems to hold up really well. It's also dark colored, but doesn't seem to spot that badly.
 
I've never had an issue with leather wear and tear. Cloth in my experience seems to wear more often. Though, regardless of opinion, I feel wear and tear factors have improved over the last 10 years let alone in the last 20. I've seen the original premium vinyl in Mercs from the 1960s and 1970s in perfect condition because the owners took care of the car. I've also seen the opposite to that care.

But I will agree on light vs dark interiors. I do fancy a white or cream interior. I saw it when I first got my GL. It as another one, in the same color and sporting champagne leather. It was gorgeous, but let's be serious, it would have been a pain in the ass to keep clean. Red on white/cream is beautiful in BMWs and rare. My only issue with leather has always been the way it attracts dirt/grime. Something you need to clean often to keep it in tip top shape.

I've never liked alcantara. It looks tacky, IMO. I don't mind it on a sports steering wheel like the GT3, but for interiors? I'll say this. The material reminds me of the seat material I saw in the late 80s and very very very early 90s in Japanese cars. It was a synthetic cloth kind of like suede but not as expensive. Strange material and it would shine at certain angles. The new stuff looks like a lint magnet.
 
Well, my exhaust is going to require a little work, I figured it would need _some_, but it's a touch more than I expected. No biggie really, the complexity depends on if I want to just get it installed vs. doing a little more fabrication now, to facilitate future modifications (basically welding two sections vs. adding a slip fit extension).

At any rate, scheduled for Monday :cool:
[doublepost=1472314201][/doublepost]
Zenithal said:
I've never liked alcantara. It looks tacky, IMO. I don't mind it on a sports steering wheel like the GT3, but for interiors?
Click to expand...

I don't think it looks tacky so much (even when it's not executed well), but I would agree that it's a tricky material to use since it generally conflicts with the other textures in the car. Use to little and it stands out too much, use too much and well, it's just too much.

I +love+ the utility of it, how it feels, the grip (in seating, it's like velcro ... I had Alcantara Sparco seats in a car), and like @daneoni mentioned, it's really terrific for mitigating the effects of extreme hot and cold.
 
The only problem with alcantara (as per owners on forums) is that if you live in areas where it gets hot and you become sweaty, it ruins the alcantara. We all know how a new leather steering wheel looks and feels, over time it just degrades. I can't imagine what would happen to alcantara especially if you're paying a premium for it. I love alcantara, but would not get it in a daily driver, only weekend cars.
 
Anyone here deal with sticky dashboards/buttons in their car? Found out about this product (that's apparently well-used by Maserati and Ferrari dealers) called 'Sticky Melting Solution,' which is basically the only product out there that's specifically formulated to restore plastics to near their original look and feel. Every single freaking piece of rubberized plastic (I hate that material) in our Quattroporte either feels melted or looks AND feels melted, so I went around researching for methods.

Of course, I settled upon getting 'Sticky Melting Solution' and am waiting for that to ship. HOWEVER, in the meantime, I decided to research possible DIY products that could work just as well as 'Sticky Melting Solution,' and I believe I have found it: 'Resolve' carpet stain remover. The important thing is that the stickiness gets removed, yet the matte finish isn't degraded to a point where the plastic isn't recognizable anymore. The problem with some DIY methods is that they strip the finish down completely and leave a shiny surface. I don't want our matte buttons and panels to be shiny, as it will ruin the look of our car. Now, NO solution makes things 100% perfect, but some are better than others.

I've found that 'Resolve' is the best DIY solution, especially since it only requires one cheap bottle and a soft cloth. In the end, 'Sticky Melting Solution' is probably the way to go, but it's not incredibly cheap and it's also gonna take a long time to ship all the way from Singapore!


I posted this video on my secondary YouTube channel - it's a demonstration of 'Resolve' on the sticky rubber feet of my computer's subwoofer. It really did a good job, and I'd say that about 90-95% of the matte finish remained in the end. And, with a quick polishing with my t-shirt, I was able to minimize any streaks/marks/shiny parts. If you don't finish the plastics off nicely, it may look like someone sloppily smeared Armor-All all over them.

 
iLog.Genius said:
The only problem with alcantara (as per owners on forums) is that if you live in areas where it gets hot and you become sweaty, it ruins the alcantara. We all know how a new leather steering wheel looks and feels, over time it just degrades. I can't imagine what would happen to alcantara especially if you're paying a premium for it. I love alcantara, but would not get it in a daily driver, only weekend cars.
Click to expand...
In most cases, "degraded" steering wheels are covered in dead skin cells. I noticed it first on my wife's car a few months after we got it. I thought it was strange to see the leather wheel in such poor condition considering the age until I used an interior cleaning solution with a terry towel and it came back to life. It fills in the natural grain and then pits itself, so you're left thinking the wheel has been ruined.
 
The creme interior in our Maserati is incredible: it's bright and blinding, and the slightest touch by a shoe or something and you have a dark scuff on it. Simple dust/dirt in the air accumulating on it seems to get it dirty, and there are slight discolored areas that I don't know how to clean. Tried this leather cleaner that worked well on our Landcruiser, but it just seemed to spread the dirt around in the Mas. Maybe I'll try warm & soapy water on a rag. This matte leather (it's called Frau) looks great, but it's SO hard to deal with. It also sucks how easily it becomes worn.
 
I need to clean/maintain the Lexus interior as well since its beige leather almost everwhere. Although everyone who's sat in the car loves the seats its still not dirty but the summer weather has truly reminded me of the downsides of leather.

I'm thinking of getting Lexol's cleaning sets but open to other recommendations?
 
Alphazoid said:
I need to clean/maintain the Lexus interior as well since its beige leather almost everwhere. Although everyone who's sat in the car loves the seats its still not dirty but the summer weather has truly reminded me of the downsides of leather.

I'm thinking of getting Lexol's cleaning sets but open to other recommendations?
Click to expand...

Lexol is a "go to" for car interiors (for good reason, it's a solid product), there are great products from Meguiar's (what I'm currently using), one of the new[er] product lines getting great feedback is from TriNova.

For new cars, where you don't need some kind of major deep cleaning, just a simple two-step, 1) Cleaner, 2) Conditioner - the latter is important for keeping leather supple, preventing cracking, drying, and premature wear. I do my interiors like 6 times or so a year, not every wash.

[edit]

To clarify :) When I say "do my interior", I mean, a full on cleaner/conditioner treatment, I vacuum, wipe down / use Meguiar's interior quick detailer, etc., most washes.

FWIW, I do pretty regular exterior quick detail wipe downs too, just kind of whenever I notice some haze, dust, fingerprints (if there's any kind of actual dirt/grime, it's a full on wash).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PowerMac G4 MDD and Alphazoid
Yeah i need to stock up on leather cleaners, car cleaners, wax and emergency tools like jumper cables. I'd pay to have the car detailed but a) i don't trust most valet people and b) they charge an arm and leg.
 
Alphazoid said:
Yeah i need to stock up on leather cleaners, car cleaners, wax and emergency tools like jumper cables. I'd pay to have the car detailed but a) i don't trust most valet people and b) they charge an arm and leg.
Click to expand...

If you have time on your hands and your cars paint is in good shape (not completely neglected), I would take the time and do the detailing on your own. I picked up a Meguiars DA and over two months figured out how to use it properly and/or effectively. All it cost me was a bit of time and saved me some money. Granted it's nowhere as good as a professional detailer, but it's good enough to get most of the imperfections out and now the car shines.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Alphazoid
Zenithal said:
I've never liked alcantara. It looks tacky, IMO. I don't mind it on a sports steering wheel like the GT3, but for interiors? I'll say this. The material reminds me of the seat material I saw in the late 80s and very very very early 90s in Japanese cars. It was a synthetic cloth kind of like suede but not as expensive. Strange material and it would shine at certain angles. The new stuff looks like a lint magnet.
Click to expand...

All of this. I can't believe people actually like Alcantara. It feels and looks cheap. Doesn't matter if its McLaren or Porsche Alcantara. It's all junk.

Give me a proper full-leather interior. None of this PETA-friendly Alcantara non-sense.
[doublepost=1472436852][/doublepost]
iLog.Genius said:
That's why I don't really care for leather because you pay a premium and eventually it deteriorates no matter what (drivers seat). You can delay the aging and deterioration, but eventually it wears out. I'm a clean freak where I almost clean my car every weekend, treat the interior with leather care products but you just can't stop the wear/tear.
Click to expand...

Meh, not really. You just have to maintain it well. The (crappy) Dakota leather in my BMW is in great condition after all these years.

The worst leather I've seen has to be older Lexus and Volvo products. Almost always cracked and ripping apart.
 
Volvo leather is super needy, particularly their light tan color. You can spend a bundle on their leather care kit. Secret: the IKEA leather conditioning kit is the same product and ~1/5 of the price.

I should do my GF's S60 before soon before the weather changes.
 
You mean wiping the leather down with Armor-All isn't the right thing to do? :)

I like being able to slide in and out of my car.

(In all seriousness, for quick touch-ups I've been happy with Meguirs gold class leather cleaner spray).
 
  • Like
Reactions: A.Goldberg
AutoUnion39 said:
Meh, not really. You just have to maintain it well. The (crappy) Dakota leather in my BMW is in great condition after all these years.

The worst leather I've seen has to be older Lexus and Volvo products. Almost always cracked and ripping apart.
Click to expand...

Not mine. It's not terrible but you can clearly see the wear/tear on it. Perhaps your tolerance is different than mine, but for me and the way it is right now, I would be happy to get leatherette just for its durability and not have to worry about the wear/tear. Don't care about having leather in something like a 3er.
 
I have some nice leather cleaner (I need to remember the name), which I think the Range Rover dealer recommended, but it didn't seem to do much for our Maserati. The scuffs actually came off without the cleaner - just with a rag and warm water; but not even the cleaner could help the discoloration and embedded dirt (which are both extremely subtle).

Should I try soapy water? Perhaps hand soap or some natural soap would be best? This leather really is a pain. In fact, you should see where they put some of this leather - it's in places where it should NOT be (i.e. at the base of the b-pillars, where rear passengers' feet pass when they exit the car). *sigh* Even the door handles are leather-wrapped with the same fragile leather used on the seats. Ridiculous.
[doublepost=1472447105][/doublepost]Edit: Looks like Poltrona Frau (makers of the Maserati leather) recommend the 'Elisir di Lunga Vita Bottles Kit' for their leather. Probably best to take their word for it, but too bad that the kit is ~90 Euros.

(BTW, I took a trip to the famous Peterson Auto Museum this weekend. It was fantastic, but I was somewhat disappointed that they had no special Maseratis on display. The only had a single Maserati, and it was the 2016 QP. I found its design and dashboard to not be up to snuff, nor was it too inspired. They're really going for that new, trendy Toyota-type of dash shown here: http://www.2016toyotamodel.com/wp-c...-toyota-corolla-interior-dashboard-images.jpg.)
 
Last edited:
mscriv said:
Thanks everyone.

@determined09, the grill on the SE that we got definitely looks better than what they are offering on some of the other packages. It's a bummer that here in TX we are required to have a front license plate which somewhat detracts from the look.
Click to expand...


Sorry about the late response. I agree that it's bummer that we are required to have a license plate but the lately I've seen a few cars and SUVs without the front license plate for some strange reason. I am happy that my dealership put my front plate on.
 
Last edited:
Here I was, thinking Helen Keller had reincarnated in my body overnight.

Old Lexus and Volvo leather, assuming you mean 80s and most of the 90s for the latter, and most of the 90s for Lexus, I wouldn't call it leather. I've seen 1LS order sheets and while it does say leather, what I recall smelling and touching in those days was not what I'd consider leather. The material was hardly different than the cheap J Crew leather wallets everyone was sporting back in those days. The mid 90s were a strange time for many. It was easy to pull a bird with something incredibly stupid today. It was only the early 2000s when I began noticing what I'd call real leather. The Honda Accord EX in the 7th generation offered a leather interior option that was incredibly soft and supple, like leather. Softer, suppler and much more durable than the Dakota offered by BMW. It also carried a fat price tag. I believe the leather option was around $5,000. The E46 330CI either offered it as standard or as an upgrade. I remember seeing a few up close and I could tell it was real leather or something very close to the real stuff. Certain processing techniques and dyes alter the structure of leather.

Honestly, I'm trying hard to remember here, but I'd say the leather from the 1LS was more vinyl than leather. It even smelled of vinyl and not leather. BMW did real leather in their 7 series in the 80s and that leather is still oh-so-damn supple today and looks bloody gorgeous, especially their cream leathers. I saw an old sharknose 7 series a while back. Dark green with cream leather. Would kill to drive one now.
 
Last edited:
Zenithal said:
Here I was, thinking Helen Keller had reincarnated in my body overnight.

Old Lexus and Volvo leather, assuming you mean 80s and most of the 90s for the latter, and most of the 90s for Lexus, I wouldn't call it leather. I've seen 1LS order sheets and while it does say leather, what I recall smelling and touching in those days was not what I'd consider leather. The material was hardly different than the cheap J Crew leather wallets everyone was sporting back in those days. The mid 90s were a strange time for many. It was easy to pull a bird with something incredibly stupid today. It was only the early 2000s when I began noticing what I'd call real leather. The Honda Accord EX in the 7th generation offered a leather interior option that was incredibly soft and supple, like leather. Softer, suppler and much more durable than the Dakota offered by BMW. It also carried a fat price tag. I believe the leather option was around $5,000. The E46 330CI either offered it as standard or as an upgrade. I remember seeing a few up close and I could tell it was real leather or something very close to the real stuff. Certain processing techniques and dyes alter the structure of leather.

Honestly, I'm trying hard to remember here, but I'd say the leather from the 1LS was more vinyl than leather. It even smelled of vinyl and not leather. BMW did real leather in their 7 series in the 80s and that leather is still oh-so-damn supple today and looks bloody gorgeous, especially their cream leathers. I saw an old sharknose 7 series a while back. Dark green with cream leather. Would kill to drive one now.
Click to expand...

I never liked the Toyota leather from the mid 90's through the mid 2000's. Felt like hard, shiny plastic.

Ahh, you bring me back to my mom's old Volvo 240 Wagon. I remember the leathery smell. Nice, tough, shiny leather product. ;) You cannot deny Volvo makes some of the most comfortable seats in the world.

The #1 thing I remember of that car I remember are the headrests. I and some of my friends who had Volvo's in the family as small children remember the headrests as looking highly appetizing in terms of a chew toy.
upload_2016-8-30_2-40-8.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0388631
Those Volvos and later generations had comfortable seats. Very wide too. I never took to their headrests. From what I recall, they looked firm but if you pressed hard enough, the material gave in. Personally, they always reminded me of waffle fries.

I'm not sure what it is, but the 240 and later Volvo wagons were incredibly popular with female doctors in those days. I think it was a combination of great space, good ride, safety and that they were rather iconic. The SUV trend started in 1996 or so and stationwagons began dying out. SUVs are not cool now, but crossovers are. I hope we see a station wagon revival in the US. Who, for example, wouldn't want a 560 HP Audi RS6 Avant? That's the perfect family car, IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back