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PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2004 3:16 pm 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
i have been looking at several cars to buy recently, all a bit more up market from my mondeo. Most of them seem to come with leather seats. the one i have seen with cloth seats also have airbags built in to the side of the seat, and the dealers say that covers are a big no-no with that type of seat, incase you do have a prange and the airbag blows under the cover.

now i've had fake leather seat covers in my mondeo for the last 18 months or so and they make things a lot easier and quicker to clean.

my question is to anyone out there with 'real' leather seats. are they easy to maintain in a taxi / PHV or a pain? i know you can get the protective cream but does it work?


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 8:42 pm 
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Location: In the Merc
Having had both cloth and leather I would choose leather every time, not a dark colour though and must be smooth not dimpled. easy to keep clean, don't hold smells like cloth and once in a while a good clean with a damp cloth and saddle soap is all that's needed.

All of my company vehicles have leather some pale grey and some beige always look good much easier to keep looking clean than black, which attracts the dust and anything else lighter than it.

Regards

Eric


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 2:34 am 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
Eric the viking wrote:
Having had both cloth and leather I would choose leather every time, not a dark colour though and must be smooth not dimpled. easy to keep clean, don't hold smells like cloth and once in a while a good clean with a damp cloth and saddle soap is all that's needed.

All of my company vehicles have leather some pale grey and some beige always look good much easier to keep looking clean than black, which attracts the dust and anything else lighter than it.

Regards

Eric


thanks eric. i have been looking at S80's some with black leather but most seem to have beige or light grey, which i'd admit does look good, but i'd afraid to go out on a saturday with it ! but you have now put my mind at rest a little.

got any top tips on keeping it looking good? supermarkets dont seem to have much in the way of leather care products.
i was going to take a trip down to the local 'land of leather' show room to see what they had or even the local fetish shop to see what they use to keep leather looking nice and shiney (just for reserch purposes of course !! :wink: )


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 8:56 pm 
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Location: In the Merc
Stevo wrote:

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thanks eric. i have been looking at S80's some with black leather but most seem to have beige or light grey, which i'd admit does look good, but i'd afraid to go out on a saturday with it ! but you have now put my mind at rest a little.


Lovely motors they are ,I have a couple of owner driver who have them. One word of warning though, tiny boot space.

Quote:
got any top tips on keeping it looking good? supermarkets dont seem to have much in the way of leather care products.
i was going to take a trip down to the local 'land of leather' show room to see what they had or even the local fetish shop to see what they use to keep leather looking nice and shiney (just for reserch purposes of course !! )


Top tip do not spend too much on stuff, generally a wipe down will do, you will find over a period of time the light leather darkens slightly, that I am afraid is the grime getting in, my top top tip is only clean it off if you have the time to do it all else you will get straking which will make the colour look uneven and therefore dirty.

In other words if light leather is grubby alover it still looks good unless you try to clean the patches in which case it looks just that, patchy and dirty.

Have the confidence to allow it to wear evenly and it looks just as good as new. In MHO a lot less labour is involved here than with cloth.

Love mine, in reality I take a car off a driver once every 4 months and give the leather a good scrub rather than the superficial clean they give it. :D

Regards

Eric

Ps if someone pukes on it u dont have to wait for it to dry out after cleaning, like cloth before your on the road again, a real bonus at this time of the year :cry: :cry: :cry:


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 9:14 pm 
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Location: In the Merc
Any supplier that sell to the horse bigade are good for cleaning solutions where leather is involved or a mororcycle clothing supply shops such as motorcycle city all sell leather cleaning solutions. But don't let me prevent you from exploring your leather fetishes in the sex shops :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:34 am 
Eric the viking wrote:
Any supplier that sell to the horse bigade are good for cleaning solutions where leather is involved or a mororcycle clothing supply shops such as motorcycle city all sell leather cleaning solutions. But don't let me prevent you from exploring your leather fetishes in the sex shops :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:35 am 
steveo wrote:
Eric the viking wrote:
Having had both cloth and leather I would choose leather every time, not a dark colour though and must be smooth not dimpled. easy to keep clean, don't hold smells like cloth and once in a while a good clean with a damp cloth and saddle soap is all that's needed.

All of my company vehicles have leather some pale grey and some beige always look good much easier to keep looking clean than black, which attracts the dust and anything else lighter than it.

Regards

Eric


thanks eric. i have been looking at S80's some with black leather but most seem to have beige or light grey, which i'd admit does look good, but i'd afraid to go out on a saturday with it ! but you have now put my mind at rest a little.

got any top tips on keeping it looking good? supermarkets dont seem to have much in the way of leather care products.
i was going to take a trip down to the local 'land of leather' show room to see what they had or even the local fetish shop to see what they use to keep leather looking nice and shiney (just for reserch purposes of course !! :wink: )


QVC do a good one Steve, I used to have a leather sofa and I got some stuff from QVC it feeds the leather so it doesn't crack it leaves a good shine too.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 10:49 am 
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Nidge wrote:
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QVC do a good one Steve, I used to have a leather sofa and I got some stuff from QVC it feeds the leather so it doesn't crack it leaves a good shine too.


Thats the key to feed the leather rather that polish it, u don't want the punters sliding around every time u go round a corner now do u.

Maybe u do :wink:


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 3:06 pm 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
Eric the viking wrote:
Lovely motors they are ,I have a couple of owner driver who have them. One word of warning though, tiny boot space.


bigger than the mondeos though!

just need to pop down to the Volvo main dealer to pick up my flat cap and smoking pipe, then a trip to the hospital to get the part of my brain removed that reminds me to use the direction indicators and tells me what a motorbike is :lol: :lol: then i'll be a Volvo-driver!


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:24 pm 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
Eric the viking wrote:
Nidge wrote:
Quote:
QVC do a good one Steve, I used to have a leather sofa and I got some stuff from QVC it feeds the leather so it doesn't crack it leaves a good shine too.


Thats the key to feed the leather rather that polish it, u don't want the punters sliding around every time u go round a corner now do u.

Maybe u do :wink:


i've read on a couple of website that feeding and conditioning is what it is all about.

the leather needs to breath. beeswax and silcone polish looks good but seals the pores, and causes problems in the long run.

i think a total shampoo, rinse and re-condition every few months (or at every service) should do the job.

and i learnt all that without going anywhere near the westward bound shop or thier website :wink:


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 5:36 pm 
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Location: In the Merc
Stevo wrote:
Quote:
then a trip to the hospital to get the part of my brain removed that reminds me to use the direction indicators and tells me what a motorbike is then i'll be a Volvo-driver!


only a fellow bike rider would make this very very valid point, not just Volvo drivers, but all car drivers who do not drive a bike themselves. :roll:

I have those electric wing mirrors on all my vehicles, so when I am in traffic in London I can just flick a switch and the bikes can get past, they sure are a grateful bunch, always thank me for going to the trouble. :D

What bike do you drive then :?: :?:

Regards

Eric


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:26 pm 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
Eric the viking wrote:
What bike do you drive then :?: :?:


lol, im not a biker, but i know plenty of people who are :)


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 10:29 am 
This is what I got Steve.

Image


Bosun Leather Cleaner & Rejuvenator is a Trade Quality product that will clean all grime and stains from new and old leather. Plus the Rejuvenator will put back the softness and help maintain the orignal texture. Guaranteed results every time. (3277)
Features
Easy to use
Safe on all types and colours of leather
No sticky residue
Trade formula
Rejuvenate and Clean to maintain the value of your furniture.

£19.99


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 5:58 am 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
Eric the viking wrote:
Lovely motors they are ,I have a couple of owner driver who have them. One word of warning though, tiny boot space.


i see what you mean about the boot now eric, flat area is bigger than the mondeo but the opening is a bit tight for bulky things.


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:29 am 
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Location: Plymouth, i think, i'll just check the A to Z!
just a quick update with the S80.

i've had it for 7 weeks now and 6500 miles with no real problems. it not due a service for another 5000 miles, not even a minor fault to pick on over those miles. it had 61K on the clock when i bought it and it still drives like new.

i'm getting 37-40 mpg out of it around town, which is far better than the older mondeo i had and a lot better than what i was expecting, especially as it is a bigger, heavier car with a bigger CC engine that the ford. on a motorway run, i just set the cruise control, sit back and relax, and still get over 50mpg.

the only little problem i've have was with the door sill trim that runs the length of the sills under front and rear doors. as the sill is a fair bit wider than a normal car people (myself included) would kick it on the way out of the car, this was sometimes enough to pull the trim away from the bodywork and leave it dangling or dragging alone the floor until someone pointed it out. this pee'ed me off a bit on the first night out with it but i sorted that out the next day with a few little dabs of superglue.

the boot is massive and easily swallows 2 big cases plus hand luggage and still space left for their duty frees :D

its nice to drive, quiet, smooth and if you have the need to put your foot down it flys. best thing for me is the comfortable seats. i used to get back, arse and knee aches in the mondeo but not anymore :D :D

and to top all that, the passengers love it as well. i often get nice comments on what a smooth and quiet ride it is or on how comfortable and spacious it is front and rear. easily every other fare or so will ask me what type of car it is and they are always surprised to find out its a Volvo.


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