Dashboard Leather C4S

Anyone seen this type of distortion in the dashboard? Haven't tried anything yet to fix (e.g. Lexol or Leatherique). The dash is overall flat but the lines are almost like creases/depressions. I'm thinking worst case scenario have to pull the dash to replace or recover but am hoping there is a simpler solution.

interesting issue. Don't have any answers, but you might ask local upholstery shop advice, They might be able to shrink it with steam unit.

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I don't think Lexol will help because it doesn't really penetrate. Leatherique or Color Plus Soffener oils may help because they are left on for long periods of time, ideally when the interior is warm, and, given enough time, they will make the leather softer and more pliable. Another option would be to try applying steam directly to the leather as shown in this thread -> https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...re-filthy.html

I have a slightly different issue....I used a suction GPS mount, and it pulled some of the paint off of the leather. Any ideas as to how to "paint" those spots, without having it look unprofessional?

Yes, I seen this before. Remember, we're dealing with real skin here and depending on the batch at the time of installation, it can mean everything for longevity and how it ages when exposed to the elements. Basically, what you're seeing is stretch marks. Every seen a pregnant woman's belly? haha Same thing. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. Looks cool to me. But if you hate it, you'll have to replace it. I'm not sure steam press will work it out in the long run.

What model 996 do you have?, Reason I ask your leather seem a little thicker than normal. Is it original to car or has it been down after the fact. The gaps around the airbag area just look thicker than what I've seen before. Nutty is right about being a skin and natural, It is going to change over time. I guess I'd ask if the marks have always been there and if not, was there a change in environment to precipitate this. Out in the sun more, etc. Mike

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. Same here. I think it looks natural and still looks good

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+1 I wont mess with the leather stretching or anything like that. Try just with a good leather conditioner (the one from porsche works quite well) to keep it flexible and looking good and thats it

Thanks guys. I've actually been looking at Ebay for a replacement and have noticed, if I look close enough, all of them have some sort of "stretch marks" (haha), though not to the same degree as mine. So now I'm debating pulling the dash and replacing it with one that has less marks but not perfect. I didn't mind the work of pulling the dash since I thought while I was at it, I'd take care of a few upgrades (double din install and hvac relocation, clock spring replacement, DCT steering wheel upgrade, removal of an outdated motorola bluetooth system that has a separate speaker buried behind the dash somewhere, and tracking down a rattle). I think its original leather? Its a 2002 4S with the full leather (code AH). Maybe you're comparing to a leatherette dashboard? I agree, the leather (other than the stretch marks) is in great condition. Tinted windows probably helped. I might try some heat/steam on crease towards the side this weekend to see what happens out of curiosity.

I’ve used Leatherique and it appeared to have zero ability to penetrate the painted top coat of any pieces of my leather interior, dash included.

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Good intel. I assume you have the full leather 996? I've heard conflicting info on types of leather and whether they'd respond to conditioners. So far my understanding is if the car has the natural leather option OR is a "newer" Porsche (not sure what year threshold) it would respond to conditioners. Otherwise, just a UV protectant is all needed/useful.

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Yes my �99 has the full leather option in graphite grey. It is my understanding that the vast majority of leather automotive interiors are painted and not dyed, thus permanently sealing the leather. This seems to indicate that the marketing for most leather conditioners are 100% BS in terms of having any effect on the leather hide itself.

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It looks a bit thicker to me also. Is it possible that the original dash leather was damaged and a prior owner added a layer of leather over the original leather for just the dash section? The instrument pod and "glove box" (AKA airbag) look flawless. It seems like at least the dash pod would have wrinkles also if it was from sun exposure. Having old leather as a less solid foundation might also explain the wrinkles. Or maybe a previous owner just had the dash leather replaced and they didn't do a good job. There's nothing wrong with leaving it as is in my opinion, but if the OP is on a "fix or replace" mission, then he can be aggressive with remedies because there is no risk. I think steam is more likely to help. While I agree that penetrating oils don't get wicked up easily, I have seen them work with long exposure time and heat. Color-Plus Soffener is better than Leatherique in my experience. Even with absorption, I'm not that confident oils will fix the wrinkles, but seems worth a shot given what's required to replace the leather.

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Interesting...maybe the PO replaced the dash with a Natural leather, which is supposed to be better quality or maybe it was recovered at some point. The seats are different than original spec too (build codes state supple leather, but the seats are standard perforated). Also different parts of the skin could have been used for the main dash and the airbag cover which might explain the difference assuming the imperfections were there to begin with (aka on the cow ha).