Leather or Vinyl for Interior

Can anyone share any info on the pros and cons of going with leather vs Vinyl in a lead sled. Trying to decide. Leather looks nicer in my opinion but not sure about the durability.

 

Big $$$ per hide...I chose Sunbrella matl, which the party-boat folks use. Good
UV protection against fading and long wearing quality is reported at least.

 

High quality Vinyl such as Naugahyde is really durable and cleans up really well. It would have been the preferred choice especially in a custom. Leather was supplied by factory for roadsters and it a good choice but you can dump a hot fudge sunday on a Vinyl interior and it'll wipe right off of it. Go vinyl.

 

It's hard to beat the feel and look of leather but the extra cost may be a budget killer and there are some damned nice vinyl materials out there now.

That said I hate riding in my son's 2000 GMC with leather seats because he has put some kind of leather conditioner on them that makes them so slick you can't stay in one place on the seat.

 

Many people don't know this (some do) but a leather interior in a production car, even most high end cars, are not 100% leather. Heavy wear areas are usually done in very high grade vinyl. Sometimes it's the bolsters, other times it's the sides but it's very rare to find a leather interior car that is all leather.

With that said, go with what JJ mentioned and that's a high grade vinyl. The only difference you'll notice is that besides the smell of leather is that vinyl tends to be cooler in cold temperatures and warmer in hot temperatures. And if it's the smell you want... go buy an air freshener!

 

A yard of vinyl is approximately 15 sq ft, $18. 15 sq ft of quality leather is $108. There are ultra leathers in the $38 range, They hold up real well. Todays vinyls are stronger while still being softer and more leather like than in the past.

 

I went with vinyl for my 27 interior, even though I have leather in my daily driver and like it. My reasoning was, I abuse my roadster and get caught in the rain pretty often. I know if I get water on the leather interior of my daily it leaves a mark, so I didn't want that. The upholsterer used a premium grade marine type vinyl and it hasn't shown a mark in two years.

Don

 

Vinyl all they way! Leather is for luxury cars. Leather needs too much attention.

 

I would go with Naugahyde, which is what I have in My 41' ragtop, but I've also seen a new product called "pleather". Looks like leather, soft but a synthetic. Anyone ever heard of it?

 

I haven't heard the word pleather since High School in the 1970s when leather jackets were a big thing. Some guys had "pleather" jackets and they usually got teased for it.

 

I wanted leather. The upholstery guy had two barstools and asked me wich one was leather and wich was vinyl. I couldn't tell the difference. So went with the vinyl.

 

Yeah,that's what the wagon is done with and a lot less expensive than Leather. HRP

 

Real old school would be vinyl tuck and roll with a new leather baseball mitt under the seat. It will feel good, clean up nice and smell exactly the same!

 

This sounds crazy but it certainly will work.

 

Leather will impress the hell out of everyone you tell - most others wont really care, so long as it looks good............... plus leather is a bit 'gold-chain'.
Just sayin' - cause you asked.

 

Naugahyde is a brand name for vinyl it's like calling body filler Bondo.

 

Price them both and it won't take you long to choose which you want.

 

I've had both. Vinyl from now on.


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And alot of the new leather is coated with a layer so you treat it the same as vinyl, not with a leather cleaner.

 

Does anybody remember seeing those OWLS made out of Naugahyde, part of a advertising campain. I think it was part of the Uniroyal Company. Must of worked. There is both good and there is cheap vinyl. Then there is good leather and there is cheap leather. My suggestion is get price quotes and samples. Twit and pull the samples and scrape them with a screwdriver and see which one you like the best. Remember. The sweetness of a good deal is long forgotten after the bitterness of low Quality remains.

 

That pleather or PL astic leather has come a very long way.
Back in the 70s-80s you could spot that crap from outer space.

Today there is some that is the same as it was,
There's some that looks like leather but once you touch it you can tell,
Then there's some that will fool the fucking cow.


Most OEM auto manufacturers use splits, and so do most furniture manufacturers.
Splits are leather but absolutely junk and I'd rather have vinyl than a split. They emboss a surface and pattern onto the surface of the split. Ever notice how the surface will crack, split, and flake and leave a suede type surface in high traffic/abuse areas? That's the embossment coming off and the surface of the split aka suede.

The top grain leather is the good stuff.
This also isn't perfect, it has pores from the hair folicols, it has scars where the cow may have cut itself, it has wrinkles too.

 

I suggest Ultra Leather, looks and feels like leather but is not. Then go to the upholstery shop and get some leather remnants or cuttings put them under the seat and that will provide you with the nice leather smell.

 

Naugahyde is actually the hide of the endangered Nauga. You should be wary of sellers of illegal Naugahyde.

Since the Nauga is endangered the sale of their hides is black market and just plain environmentally unfriendly

 

Whoa, not so fast! I had a pleather coat in kindergarten in 1973 and I thought I was hot stuff (still am BTW)

 

When it's time to do the interior in my 49, I am going leather! Not new but with a fine, soft patina. I look in the "free" section of craigslist regularly and there are always leather couches. Often, it's high end stuff w/ pet damage but a lot of good ,free leather that's soft, nice stuff and I think you can dye it. I figure 6-8 big couches of similar color should be enough to do the seats, door panels, etc. and the price is right!

 

I just pulled two middle buckets (vinyl) from an Olds minivan at Crazy Rays that was used as a taxi . no smoking, no food. bottom brackets unbolted and left me the sliders underneath, 19" wide after I pull the folding armrests, seats fold forward and back. $30 a piece. Should fit the '29.

 

A lot of couches are made with a relatively cheap grade of upholstery leather called bonded leather.

Most of it is thinner than it should be for a durable auto interior job and as a result it stretches and gets loose, it is also easy to damage the surface of it.

Cheap is ok, but in the end that's what you get.

 

I have Ultra Leather in my 49 Cadillac. it was pricey but looks & feels good. The only problem I had was after 6 years & 30K miles it has worn through The top of the vinyl on the edge of the seat side where I slide in. The flaw is 2" long. I did not expect this on this expensive material.

 

I too used Ultraleather and am disappointed. I loved the way it feels and works. It has been in the car two years and looks great except the drivers seat and it is wearing badly. At 62 dollars a yard ai would have expected more.

John L

 

If you want an interior to age with character, then leather is the way to go . If you want an interior to to look as perfect as the day it was done , until the seams split, then vinyl is the choice. Again if cost is a major factor , vinyl is a good choice and a durable material.Both will hold up well ,depending on care and maintenance .All above IMO.