Leather instead of plastic dash on VF Commodore?

[zero_tolerance]

I hate brown and beige.

I’d prefer something more tasteful.

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Sorry but that looks horrible. Good luck keeping it clean too

 

[HoldenCalaisV]

Sorry but that looks horrible. Good luck keeping it clean too

That photo was just to show what I'm talking about, I will end up getting black leather for my Calais-V.

I currently have an 4 year car, nearly hitting 5 years and it has black leather on the dash, side doors and bottom part of the dash aligned with the glove box. It hasn't shown any wear at all and looks basically brand new without any protection compared to my previous Holden which the dash began to fade in colour so i'm wondering where I can get my Calais dashboard wrapped with good quality leather.

 

[Forg]

Are you sure it's definitely leather, HoldenCalaisV, and not something synthetic made to look like leather but with better UV resistance?
Synthetic doesn't mean "bad", Alcantara is way longer-lived than suede for example (and was originally only used in high-end luxo cars).

 

[HoldenCalaisV]

Are you sure it's definitely leather, HoldenCalaisV, and not something synthetic made to look like leather but with better UV resistance?
Synthetic doesn't mean "bad", Alcantara is way longer-lived than suede for example (and was originally only used in high-end luxo cars).

I optioned for it and in the brochure it is listed as Nappa leather otherwise if i didn't pay extra it would've been a plastic dash and door panel's.

 

[Forg]

In that case, it's going to be leather, unless there's a process to plasticise Nappa leather for longevity reasons.
Can't answer the question regarding an automotive trimmer to ask your questions of though, sorry.
I would recommend using some quality-brand leather treatment for your current dash though, unless the car's been unloaded & replaced by the Calais of course.

 

[panhead]

In our severe climate putting leather under the front windscreen exposed to full sun is not a great idea.

Like any dashboard left in the sun if it’s not protected it will eventually suffer bigtime.

Mercedes along with other car manufacturers have been covering dashboards for years and seem to be getting away with it and if they weren’t they would have long since given up on it.

As an entry level covering they use Alcantara (polyester & polyurethane) for its suede look while being durable and stain resistance.

Nappa leather when used in higher end cars or as an optioned is soft and is sanded then coated or dyed to make it resistant against light and stains.

There are also non-leather materials used in some areas that simulate the look of leather.

I’ve have Nappa leather in my Mercs and BMW and they wear better than the pretend stuff in the Holdens but in saying that I also regularly treat them with conditioner and my cars don’t live in the sun.

The leather in my Beemer is as soft as and it has never shown any signs of wearing and it was our daily for a few years.

UV light is very high in Australia but it’s not the only hot country in the world and vehicles with these products are sold all over and they wouldn't be if they didn’t last.

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[panhead]

Sorry but that looks horrible. Good luck keeping it clean too

That’s a concept car and I thought everyone would pick up on my joke as the interior is horrid.

But I do like white interiors and I had an early VE Calais V with the Light Urban trim and anyone who had the early models will know that not only the seats, door trims and dash were white but so was the floor carpet and the lower parts of the door trims were covered with white Alcantara.

It was stunning but everyone would ask how did I keep it clean and the answer was easy, most of the materials weren’t leather and they had good cleaning properties and as long as I made sure to maintain it regularly and clean any marks off sooner rather than later and kept the kids in the boot it always looked good.

Some colours and materials require additional effort to keep them looking fantastic, just ask anyone with a black car.


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[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

In our severe climate putting leather under the front windscreen exposed to full sun is not a great idea.

But cows are exposed to full sun.....

 

[Forg]

But cows are exposed to full sun.....

Yeah, and look how bad they fade during Daylights Savingses!

 

[Holden17]

But cows are exposed to full sun.....

Yet they're made of meat ...and they never cook out in the sun, so the leather must be good