How to make matte leather shiny?

If you were to visit a leath goods supplier, you would find the best grades are most often a matte finish. The rear seats may have had a sheen originally, but that is not a good thing imo.. Meaning, although tanneries have methods to coat or polish the stuff, the point of leather should never be in the direction of duplicating vinyl, which is clearly a less flexible, imitative, substitute material. Everything oxidizes, and so will a matte finish, in a few years.

You're 90% of the way along, that if the rear seats were done now and matched the front. you would have an award winning interior.

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Originally Posted by 62S-R-S

You're 90% of the way along, that if the rear seats were done now and matched the front. you would have an award winning interior.

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That's a silly statement.

Someone else mentioned the troubling trend going on: If enough people believe the emporer has clothes then it must be true.
The new matte finish is nothing like original in vinyl or leather. Pretending it is to make oneself feel better is delusion.

I've tried the shoe polish before and if not mistaken in 110 degree heat my white shirts were no longer white after prolonged seating.


Interiors are truly the biggest challenge currently with restoring these cars to their proper representation.

+ 1 Frank, he's been on point lately :D

Most(!) interior restorers have had years and years of clueless customers and not been challenged or picked apart thus leaving them in their old comfort zones (from back when over stuffed matte finish and wrong grain was OK). Putting foam into seat cushion springs does not give the right feeling nor foam inserts in flutes.

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Originally Posted by jesseandersson

+ 1 Frank, he's been on point lately :D

Most(!) interior restorers have had years and years of clueless customers and not been challenged or picked apart thus leaving them in their old comfort zones (from back when over stuffed matte finish and wrong grain was OK). Putting foam into seat cushion springs does not give the right feeling nor foam inserts in flutes.

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It does feel like I have pointed out the Emperor has no clothes. I did a search and found no other threads about this problem, I am glad to have started a conversation and maybe we can turn this ship around.
I would go to the LA trade and Lit show and tour the shops and wonder why people who obsess over date codes and hardware markings which nobody can see look on at matt interiors with approval??? when it is so obviously wrong, right there in your face for all people who have a clue to see.
The foam used by these big name shop is another fault if you actually want to drive your car.
Besides what you mentioned foam does not breath and you sweat a lot on it in warmer climates.
The right stuff is readily available from Germany.

Me too I can spot a redone interior and seats in a second and its because the leather usually used for is matt.
No matter how many people are accepting it, it looks odd and never right. It also never will be "award winning" or the judges proclaiming it are not knowing their business.

The problem might stem from english cars where matt leather seems to be accepted, maybe even used when those cars were new (im no specialist).

The best would be to redo it in the correct material, you pay twice but for the sake of originality and peace of mind, its priceless. Or...you simply live with and forget the issue.
Maybe color spraying is a possibility, ive seen results which are quite nice. Ask a leather restoring specialist.

This is getting really interesting!!!

Popcorn, anyone?

Attachment 418779

upper: 46 year old lower b pillar material
lower: best matching 72/73 leatherette (matte),

background: residue pieces of correct 72/73 leather

The solution is to have some custom vinyl or leather made. I did this on one of my 356's. Expensive but the only way to go.

Given the dominant use of black vinyl on the 9 series cars i am surprised nobody has done this on a large scale yet. Eric, are you listening?

Some good reasoning is being made and it has merit, but be aware that the product can suffer with hides 'preferred' by auto manufacturers. One, they are on the thin side for ease of labor stitching and fitment. But it gets worse for other reasons :

A lot of processing takes place with too many sealants and coatings. For ex; water won't permeate but in fact untreated leather will dry within minutes if allowed, without stain. Now, ice cream and ketchup is a bigger burden, and to protect from that the leather is miles from where it was before so much nonsense was done to it. Fine for passenger cars, but for your pride and joy?

Leather should be supple first and foremost, otherwise what is the point of using it? Plenty of vinyl exists today that will reflect light, moisture, have grain that resembles the real thing. Mercedes Benz and their seats in the 70's (M-Tex) were great.

If cured coated leather replicates what the factory offered Fritz and Frank make a case that you should go that route.

At the same time, compare what other markets offer with regard to the quality mentioned...like the garment industry, HD, saddle bag, horsetack, etc.)

A +
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Pretty good
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I HOPE no one views this as a personal attack on the wonderful trimmers we have available to us. This is simply part of the authenticity process and is LONG overdue.

I believe black vinyl is the most urgent need since most cars came with it.
I will gladly take on sourcing if no one else will.