How to distress / age leather interior?

we are putting together a roadster in a "pre war style" - very traditional. The interior will be a new dark brown leather from LeBaron Bonney...I don't want to start a discussion about fake patina but are there ways to make it look used and a little abused?
...yes I know a way to do it: just drive it for 30 years but I'm not sure if I am still alive then!
thank you for your "secrets"...

 

some steel wool used carefully in the right places...followed by some light oil based cleaner...or 5 minutes with my two boys in it...any of these will age your interior quickly.

 

why not just buy some old leather furnature and use the leather for your seats?

 

The hardest part of doing an authentic look will be drying out the leather sufficiently for the material to start to break down. I've heard easy off will strip leather of it's oils pretty easily but you would have to experiment with the time it's left on the material, etc. Also, sand paper, pumice stones, drag it thru a gravel alley, etc.

 

Somebody did a thread on this. Search it


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they actually make distressed leather.

 

Sand paper will age one, that is along the lines of what they do to make distressed leather.

A cat will also age one real quick, maybe a mouse or two for the proper odor.


Armorall the hell out of it and park it in the sun will age it as well.

 

Let my Daughter's dog on it

 

Get the hides soaking wet,
Drag it behind the car for a few miles, hang in the sun to dry, that out to do it lol.
If its not a top grain hide , you could easily ruin it.

 

media blast it? piss on it?

 

Lay the hides out on the shop floor, put on sum studded golf shoes and have @ it.


Sent from my pay phone in my bathroom.

 

cheap no sew roadster upholstery here is the thread about using the leather from an old sofa, it came out really nice.

 

Something like this can be distressing if applied properly;

 

@all:
thank you for the help so far!
I was also thinking about buying distressed leather, but LeBaron does not take "foreign" hides...and I really like the way they do it!
I will call you for the dogs and kids ;-)!!

 

Throw a couple of these in the car for a few hours

 

Them things always poke holes in the headliner

 

A friend of mine wanted to get a aged look to some material he used on some furniture he was covering 20 years ago.

He hung the hides on a cloths line and beat them with different chains and later on he used a double barrel shotgun with bird shot from a distance to cut the surface but not close enough to puncture the hides.

He then used a piece of screen wire to abrade the material and finished it off with some type of oil.

He patterned the look of a weathered leather jacket,,it looked pretty good when finished. HRP

 

Use the car a lot? You already knew that!

Stone washing, followed by hand stretching, twisting and running through an old clothes drier/press, a bit of sand paper and oil.

 

Best way to age it?

Wait...

 

Take my kids on a 5 day road trip.

 

That's what the stirrups prevent. Remember stirrups?

 

As quoted by my local bus operator " If you want anything, tested to destruction, instantly aged or f***** up just put it on the school bus route." Need I say more.

 

Bobbleed posted a thread on doing it for a project and just beat the **** out of it, maybe do a search for that for ideas. Buying an old leather couch would be a good way

 

Peter, you know who to get a hold of,I just think you are just trying to start somthin' he, he, he , Rick

 

I would try some leather oil soap and a scotch bright pad very gently.

 

Hi Rick,
yes I do...but they don't use LeBaron Bonney...will find a way!
how's your pick up roadster coming along? Ready for Bonneville next year?
Peter

 

Not only that, but you can buy "distressed" Naugahyde that looks better than a batch of old bomber jackets!

 

use the car ???

 

Chew on it.

 

Leather balm.
Applied heavily and rapidly and rubbed/burnished off with a clean rag it can give the look of heavy wear quickly.
The heavier the application and burnishing the more aged and worn it'll look.