2002S2K

I have to look at this again, but I believe everything that is perforated is leather, the spots that are not perforated are not leather.

I will check and get back to you .

Ks320

I don't care about the smell much. I used Meguire's (not gold class) for about 2 months and rarely drive the car. I find myself having to recondition the seats everytime I drive the car top down (the leather feels hard and dry after a 1 hr drive!)

My bottle of lexol is on its way ... see how that goes.

00CivicSi

Actually, for the seats, I believe all of the surfaces that you touch when seated are leather. That includes the perferated portions, as well as the insides of the bolsters. However, the outsides of the bolsters and the back of the seats is all vinyl. (You can notice a difference in look and feel if you look closely where the insides and outsides of the bolsters are sewn together.)

The steering wheel is wrapped in leather, as is the band around the shift knob.

I believe the shift boot changed from vinyl to leather starting in '04.

The perferated portions of the door inserts I believe are leather, although the padded part of the arm rest is vinyl.

The perferated portion of the tunnel (driver's right elbow) is leather.

The tunnel cover is debatable. On '04+ it's pretty convincing faux leather if it's vinyl. I thought I read somewhere that this was also changed from '03 to '04 to leather, but I could be wrong.

P.S. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. However, keep in mind that some things have changed over the years.
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My S has sat in the garage quite a bit since I got it, so I haven't cleaned the interior too much. But here is the rule of thumb that I've used...

Vinyl cleaners may not be safe on leather, so I do not put them on any surface that could be leather. However, leather cleaners shouldn't hurt vinyl, so why not clean the entire seat with a leather cleaner (as with anything else that may or may not be leather).
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I purchased the Townsends products a few months ago... I purchased several products to try, but primarily my intent was to pick up the Cleaner for Finished Leather and the Conditioner/Protector for Finished Leather.

I tried them on my g/f's leather wrapped steering wheel of here 6yo Si (similar to the wheel in the '04+ S2000). Of course, her wheel hadn't been cleaned in ~ 6 years other than a light wipe with a damp cloth. It was gross. I thought the finish had been worn through in spots behind the wheel. Turns out it was "gunk."

The Townsend's cleaner took all the crap off. I was completely amazed... The protectant made it look brand new. Completely changed the look of her wheel.

The Townsend products have a pleasant smell to them. However, I'm interested in trying the Zaino just because I like the new leather smell (makes the car smell new). My S still smells brand new inside, which is why I'm a bit hesitant to completely clean /protect all the leather in it with Townsends. I'm sure I'll break down here shortly.

dolebludger

I protect my leather seats by first wiping some 303 on them. This stuff (which many of us use on vinyl, tops, and tires) is also labeled for leather. It soaks in, and gives UV ray protection against drying. Then I use a commercial leather conditioner. For what it's worth, I'm currently using Zymol.

Thanks,
Richard

MitchSF

I use the fingernail test to check for real leather. I learned this on a Porsche forum, years ago.

Stab the material with your fingernail. If the 'dent' returns immediately, it's vinyl. If it take longer, it's leather. This seems to work well.

Mitch

2002S2K

Richard,

I would be very leary of using 303 on your leather, I once used it on my top and the results made me double think its leather use. As a rule of thumb, if it is for rubber, plastic or vinyl, do not use it on your leather...

JDMish

Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner works real well. It'll prevent leather from cracking, maybe wrinkling.

animeS2K

Not fond of Lexol myself - it smells like... buttered popcorn or something...

I've yet to use the Townsend products, but have both Zaino and Sonus leather products and they seem to do an okay job. I found the Zaino to actually smell more solvent-like than new leather, but maybe it's just my nose.

superjimbo

Since this thread got brought back up let me give an update. I went with Zaino Z9 Cleaner and Zaino Z10 Leather in a bottle. I've been very happy with both products. Application is very easy and my favorite part is the smell. I'd definitely recommend this product if you're not ready to spend the big $$ on townsend.

superjimbo

Since this thread got brought back up let me give an update. I went with Zaino Z9 Cleaner and Zaino Z10 Leather in a bottle. I've been very happy with both products. Application is very easy and my favorite part is the smell. I'd definitely recommend this product if you're not ready to spend the big $$ on townsend.