Refinishing leather interior. Clearcoat?

[offthahorseceo]

Ive pulled out the door panels, seats and center console from my 1989 Cadillac Allanté and am now in the process of refinishing the leather.

I have plenty of leather magic dye and am familiar with the process but i have a couple of questions id like to ask the detailing experts

1) Leather Magic claims that as long as the surface is properly prepped, the dye will not wear out for a VERY long time. I however am not so optimistic. This car is a convertible (sun and wind) and pretty low (friction from constant enter exit which im told is more taxing in a low car).It also doesnt have the best weather seals (water). It never gets soaked but every once in a while a few drops of water will get in. It also gets driven almost every day and is NEVER garaged (dont have one). I am enjoying this project but i would not want to do it again. The debate comes in that once i use a clear coat I will no longer be sitting on leather, but on clearcoat. I will no longer be cleaning or conditioning leather, but clearcoat. If i also understand correctly, leather is not as soft when it has a topcoat on it. Is the difference in softness or loss of "real leatherness" worth the reduced durability?

2) I had ordered Rejuvinator Oil and Prestine Clean from leatherique a while back. It didnt make much of a difference due to the dye being old and the seats apparently having had a clearcoat layer. Now i have the old finish off of the seats and am dealing with much softer leather now. I also have access to the backside of the leather, which i understand will soak up the rejuvinator oil better. Would it be wise to give the leather a dose of rejuvinator oil before dying it?

[Flash Gordon]

Would it be wise to give the leather a dose of rejuvinator oil before dying it?

No. Wipe the seats clean with alcohol, then dye

[judyb]

Adding rejuvenator oil may cause problems with adhesion.
If you have removed the old finish on the leather (unnecessary with modern refinishing systems) you will almost certainly need to replace a finish to make any recolour long lasting.
The product you have used is a bonded product which has finish in the product but this will never be as robust as a separate coating of clear coat.
Most auto leather has a clear coat finish so this is what you will have been sitting on anyway and if quality products are used they should feel no different. It depends to a certain extent on whether the pigments used are acrylic based or polyurethane and how much you have to apply to get good results.
Usually with bonded products (those that contain finish) you have to add several coats to get the colour as the pigment content will be reduced and not as effective.
Once finished protect and then clean on a regular basis to preserve the top coat as long as possible - do not use conditioners which will only attract more dirt.

Hope this helps
Judyb

[Flash Gordon]

Hi Judy,

Good to see you posting