Leather or Vinyl for Interior

Two words..........Bed Bugs ! (or is that one word ?)

Don

 

Vynil will last longer for the most part.some you can't tell the difference.Pick the right grain and quality. Here is my own.

 

I just got my rear seat from Wise Guys - they covered it using the vinyl we sent them. Some stuff called Gran Reserva - looks and feels like leather, wears better and costs less than Ultraleather. I'm in the process of having the entire interior done in the stuff! It even looks like suede on the inside.

 

I bought a 50 sq ft and a 51 sq ft hide for my truck -$220 on Evil-bay.Thats less than half what the interior shop quoated and they told me it was top grain when they covered my seat. It should last a long time if well cared for.

 

Thanks for all of the great advice, The money isn't a big factor in the decision because of the opportunity I have to barter with a subcontractor of mine for either one. I am more concerned with what will work best. I have heard that marine vinyl like that used in power boats is the best, others say leather. I will look into the Naugahyde you all talk about. Sounds like a few of you have bad experience with UltraLeather. Bed bugs, that was funny.

 

Anyone know some good suppliers of either or both?

 

I remember reading about a custom (OT) VW Rabbit a few years ago. The owner had the seats done up with good vinyl and the headliner done with matching leather. He stated that unless he told people, everyone thought the whole car was done in leather because of the smell of the leather.

Doc

 

I did naugahyde in my first RPU. 50+ years later it's still in the car, and will be used as is for the restoration. I did leather in my Current RPU, and the wear areas look like crap after 5 years.

 

They should make cows with a leather smell instead of the pine trees to hang from the rear view mirror for the 99 percent, haha...

 

vinyl lasts longer, is easier to clean and is cheaper. Not a tough choice in my book.

 

LOL. I looked but did not find anything.

John L

 

My grand parents had a genuine naugahide couch in the early 70s
That mother fucking thing was the worst couch I've ever sat on.
It cracked , stuck to you, made you sweat

 

When your sweet mama slides her bottom into that soft leather seat, and takes a deep breath she'll say (come on baby light my fire)!!!!!

 

Must'a been some of those Rat-Naugas! The herd is declining in numbers.

 

vinal is final

 

On what planet does vinyl last longer than leather? I've had a lot of luxury liners from the '60s and '70 with leather and vinyl interiors, including a '58 Star Chief, and I'll tell you right now that the leather ages but the vinyl just falls apart at some point.

And OEMs don't use vinyl on the heavy-use areas, they use it on every surface EXCEPT the face of the seats.

The biggest difference is that you sweat more with vinyl and it'll crack or split when it's really cold out and you plop down into it.

I looked at buying a '54 merc years ago that had a leather front seat and vinyl back seat. The front seat just looked...better. More deluxe. "Classier" (although I hate that word).

Anyone who says vinyl is better than leather has only had one or two of each or had some really crappy leather.
Yes, vinyl cleans easy and it costs a lot less than leather. But leather is a lot nicer to sit on on a really hot or really cold day. Krylon 32 is right: leather just feels better. (Be careful, though - it can absorb...odors...from...bodily secretions. I'm just sayin...)

Ever had a leather coat? Ever had a vinyl coat? Which one looks and feels better after a few years of wear?? There's your answer right there!

 

They were called NAUGA's or NAUGA MONSTERS and they were an indangered species back in the 60's since so many were being hunted down for their hyde.
I have one that rides in the back seat, the chicks really dig them, they are so cute

 

I drive Lincolns for my daily drivers, always have, just like my dad and grandpa. Pretty much all of them have had leather interiors since the beginning of time. I like leather and it smells nice but it just doesn't wear as well as vinyl. Ever looked at the driver's seat on an original old car with a leather interior? Not pretty.

 

Both leather and vinyl come in various grades. You get what you pay for. The cheaper grades of either do not wear well. Lot of new car leathers are crap. My son's '08 Suburban driver's seats are already starting to crack. On the other hand I've had top of the line vinyl in my "A" for 45 years and it look and feels like the day I put it in.

As far as my preference, I never considered leather in a rod especially one in the '30's. To me it belongs with the bling and billet crowd. I'm also not into tweed cloth like you see in so many cars. I'm a vinyl man. I'd only consider leather is I was going a resto route and the car that originally had leather or if I was tricking out a land yacht like a '56 Caddy or a 60's Imperial.

 

Vinyl is okay...

But all the pics of vinyl that is supposed to be indistinguishable from leather ... well, that vinyl looks like vinyl to me. The way it stretches and moves really tells the tale. The "hand" of the fabric is different.

I know some vinyls are pretty nice. I wouldn't turn my nose up at it entirely. But if I was paying for an interior, I would pay a few hundred extra to get leather, at least on the surfaces I would touch. It just feels better.

Yes, leather will crack ... eventually. My DD vehicle came with leather surfaces. It's almost 14 years old, with over 160k miles. The leather seats are showing some creases, but not a crack to be seen. I have never done a thing to that leather. No special maintenance whatsoever. The vinyl on the sides and rear of the seats looks okay too, but it has stretched a little, and has rubbed through where it came in contact with a plastic panel. This is a GM car - nothing exotic. (Which might be a plus in terms of durability and a minus in terms of feel.)

Just my 2 cents.

 

Howdy....
I've been doing interior work for fifty plus years...have used leather but only at customer request. Most if not all the leather out there today will not even close to stand up to a pair of blue jean pockets rubbing it...
There is a vinyl that I use called Rave pattern...really soft and subdued colors and it works really good...this interior gets tons of use...still going strong...

 

All depends on your bank balance and car. If i had laid out big bucks on building a sled it would have to be leather. If it was a $5K car built for shits and giggles i'd go vinyl. If it were my car it would get blanklets, never had the money for an interior

 

vinyl. especially in the back seat. mom has a way of seeing things, you know.

 

On the '34, lookin' real good, the firewall treatment finishes out the job well.

 

My '58 t-bird has an original rear black LEATHER seat from a '60 t-bird.
It is still pretty respectable-looking for as old as it is; only problem is the original foam underneath is as crispy as cracker crumbs.

The front seats in my car are original buckets from a '71 Javelin (vinyl) and the seat areas have the stitching torn loose from the vinyl.

I'm still undecided as to what I should do with either ones; front or back!