I have spent the better part of today reading all of the threads on leather/vinyl car care. I have found about 10 threads which purport to talk intelligently on what is leather and what is vinyl in the car.

The extremes of the posts are as follows:

1) VIEW ONE is there is very little leather: Perf section of seating surfaces (butt and back). There is a 100% agreement that this is leather. And aside from the steering wheel and the shift knob on the 2002, NOTHING ELSE IS LEATHER.

VS.

2) VIEW TWO is there is quite a bit of leather:
1. Perf section in door panels
2. Perf section of center armrest
3. Seating surfaces. Things your butt and back touch. Includes perf AND smooth bolsters.
4. Steering wheel
5. Shift Knob (2002 only)
6. Smooth padded section above arm-rests on doors (seems like leather to me?)


HELP: Which one is it? Does someone really know? Thanks.

Elton

 

I say view #2 without #6.

1) Definately the perforated section anywhere.
2) Places your hips tough, the innear sides.
3) Bolsters and up to where the shoulders touch.
4) Armrest for the shifter.
5) Shifter ring on knob, boot, and steering wheel cover.

The helmet hoop section is questionable and for sure anything behind the seat is vinyl. Also the elbow rest on the doors are vinyl.


I have wrinkles on the left bolster on the drivers seat and those don't look like vinyl wrinkles, definately leather.

 

Are the door handles leather as well? Just want to be sure.

Also, I noticed on Rick's website that they state that the stock shift boot is vinyl.

 

I was wondering the same thing. The side bolsters are definitely leather, as are the perforated sections on the seats. I don't think the top 1/4 of the seats are leather (around the headrest and down to the fist seam - if it is, it's the strangest/cheapest looking leather I have ever seen).

Definitely NOT the padded armrests on the doors.

 

Speaking of perforated parts being leather... I forgot to ask about the e-brake grip. It seems to look and feel the same as the leather grip on the '02 shift knob. Any ideas?

Oh, and one other thing. Is it ok to put vinyl treatment on leather and vice versa? I'm sure that I've mistakingly put the wrong treatment on different parts of the interior, due to this confusion about what's leather and what's vinyl.

 

if it is safe for leather then it will not damage vinyl, but not visa versa

 

That's what I figured. Thanks.

 

My dad is a leather expert...he has been dealing with it for over 40 years. I saw this thread while I was up in Redding visiting him. So I did my duty for S2000 owners everywhere and had him inspect my interior. Here's what he said:

Leather:

Seats, excluding the very back flat-panel where the pockets are
Perforated door insters
Steering wheel
Shift knob ('02)
Perforated center arm-rest (this surprised me, but he said vinyl can't be perforated because it is "stringy")

Not Leather:

Center console on '02
Shift boot
E-brake handle
Door handles
Everything else

Glad I could help.

 

Thanks Station!

 

That is what I thought, everything leather on the seats except for the back and exterior sides of the seat, anything that doesn't touch the driver.