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Waterproofing Leather

coolrain

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I know there are products that say they can waterproof leather... anyone have any experience with any of them? May be a factor if they only have the dark vinyl
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Felix808

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Bee's wax or the marketed brand Sno Seal
 

Mountain Goat

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Bee's wax or the marketed brand Sno Seal
Don't put these things on upholstery. Boots, yes, upholstery, no. They have a sticky "hand" that will catch lint and grime and will also allow the leather to stretch and get softer - if they penetrate the finish at all.

Car leather is all fully finished (with the exception of something like those rugged brown King Ranch leather seats you see on F series trucks) and will have some type of waterproof treatment already applied, often vinyl or urethane based. So when you sit on leather seats in a modern car? You're actually sitting on vinyl anyway.

Regardless of what you do, vinyl will outlast your leather interior. I had to fully strip and refinish the leather interior on my BMW after 17 years and many parts were completely worn through / suncracked from previous owners parking outdoors with no window tint or car cover. A reasonably thick and well-made vinyl such as I suspect the Bronco will get should hopefully last 25 years or more. I've often seen 40+ year old Benzes with original MB-tex "fake leather" still intact and looking new, provided the foam underneath hasn't dried out and collapsed.
 
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coolrain

coolrain

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Don't put these things on upholstery. Boots, yes, upholstery, no. They have a sticky "hand" that will catch lint and grime and will also allow the leather to stretch and get softer - if they penetrate the finish at all.

Car leather is all fully finished (with the exception of something like those rugged brown King Ranch leather seats you see on F series trucks) and will have some type of waterproof treatment already applied, often vinyl or urethane based. So when you sit on leather seats in a modern car? You're actually sitting on vinyl anyway.

Regardless of what you do, vinyl will outlast your leather interior. I had to fully strip and refinish the leather interior on my BMW after 17 years and many parts were completely worn through / suncracked from previous owners parking outdoors with no window tint or car cover. A reasonably thick and well-made vinyl such as I suspect the Bronco will get should hopefully last 25 years or more. I've often seen 40+ year old Benzes with original MB-tex "fake leather" still intact and looking new, provided the foam underneath hasn't dried out and collapsed.
I just hope they have light colors
 

Mountain Goat

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I just hope they have light colors
A beige or dove gray or off-white vinyl would be amazing. I'm not a fan of dark interiors (they get too hot), especially for vehicles that will spend a lot of time in the sun. But if that's the only way to get the wash-out interior, I'd probably live with it.
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