Get sample from as many places as possible as they all have slightly different colors even for the same name. I am also looking at interiors and got samples from OSJI, BAS and Aldridge. The Aldridge sample material looks very good and slightly different colors from the others. See photo.
Jay
Your seat bottom may not be salvageable but I think it would be worth having a good upholsterer take a look to make sure. You can’t beat the original material.
There is also a good YouTube video by Chuck Hadley of Monocoque Metalworks on how to bring back the leather on these seats. He recommends Leder Oel. I’ve used it on my dads ‘66 seats and it works wonders.
I agree regarding the “original materials” wholeheartedly! I just had the original radio put back in… yes… to the original speakers, much to others disgruntlement! Ha!
I have ordered more interior samples for color, as well as the “Leder Oel” to try!!!
Thank you ALL so much for continued suggestions!
I bought some of the Leovit leather oil after watching Chucks video to try on my original seats which were very dry and in need of conditioning. Spend about two weeks applying and letting it soak. Results were amazing, very soft and supple but with the original sheen. Highly recommended.
Jay
Jay, was there any lingering odor?
Hi Harvey,
It’s hard to say from the picture. The Pile of original Flock Pile carpet is quite short and has the feeling of a fresh Crew hair cut.
Brent
Would you give a little more info on which of Chuck Hadley’s Youtube videos, you mention, showing him using the leather oil on seats, please?
I cannot seem to find it. I saw episode on the red 61 mentioning keeping the original seats, with only replacing the one bottom.
Thank you kindly!
Hi Harvey,
A product we use is Liquid Leather’s Leather Conditioner, which also restores the New Leather smell.
Brent
OT a bit.
Hi EP,
Undoubtedly you must like the Fern Grey Colour to have an E Type of that colour, but there are many that don’t. To my eye, all the Jaguar colours, even those that have their detractors, look good when its a good paint job. Some look more ordinary than others when the paint finish is not looked after, but by and large, they all look good.
One of Bill’s S3 OTS cars (waiting for restoration), now Signal Red was originally Fern Grey. We did a spray out sample and in our opinion its a good looking colour. The fact that its not all that common has appeal as well.
He has a factory hardtop for this car and he is toying with the idea of painting it a slightly lighter, or darker shade of the same colour, rather than the typical Black or matching Body colour.
With the S3 production, although not chiseled in stone, the common belief is that cars with body coloured hard tops had the hard top as part of the original order specification and was supplied fitted from the factory, whilst cars with Black hard tops were most likely supplied afterwards by the dealer.
Some colours of OTS cars look good with the hard top the same as the body, whilst some not so good (to my eye). Red, BRG, Silver, Dark Blue and Gun Metal Grey, all look good with the Hard Top colour body colour. Colours such as Pale Primrose and Fern Grey, not so good (to my eye).
Having said that I like all the Jaguar Colours, there is one Trim Colour that only its mother could love (in my opinion), that being Olive. Bill also has a Green Sands S3 OTS and the original Trim Colour was Olive, but had subsequently been dyed Black. His plan for that car is to keep the original paint colour, have it trimmed in Suede Green and call it Olive, so that it matches the Heritage Certificate. A bit like having any dark green paint colour you like and call it BRG.
Brent
No there was no odor. It’s quite watery but you just brush it on with the brush that’s attached to the lid of the pot. I then covered it with a bin bag and left it a day before applying another coat. I used about 1/3 of container over two weeks and seat was very supple by then.
If your seats are original I would highly recommend trying it.
From Chuck’s video he mentioned that this was originally recommended by a saddlery and gave some good reasons why it was recommended. One of them was that is does not degrade the stitching.
Jay
No odor for me either. I used about one bottle per seat but they were extremely dry.
I’ll look for the video.
He may have taken the video down because I cannot find it. But you just liberally apply the leovet product and keep it up until you’re happy. I did it over a period of several weeks. I took care not to get it on the moquette on the back of the seat. The stitching on the seat got covered and it wasn’t a problem. If the seats are dry they will take a lot.
My intended application is the leather seats on my 86 Porsche 928, which are a little stiff. I purchased some Leatherique years ago and it left quite a chemical odor. I’m pretty senstive to odors.
Here is the youtube video of Chucks’ application of Leovit leather oil to old seats. It’s in Episode 3 starting at 3:56.
Excellent! Thank you so much. The oil looks to have helped the black leather seat! It will be interesting to see how it works and if it darkens this original tan leather even more than the aging process.
I did not notice any darkening when I used it. My seats are black but it would have been noticeable. I think you can see from Chuck’s video, the color is not really affected and it does not get that fake shine that many products leave.
Jay
Agree it does not affect the color. And no odor.
Re: the Fern Grey color…
Parents had first purchased a ‘69 white 2+2, and did not keep long, which they traded for this ‘73 Roadster. Why? I am not clear, as I was young , but recall going into dealership on it with parents, only to leave riding in front passenger seat alongside my mom, in the Roadster, seat belt across us both, top down, wind in hair, all of us giddy with this new ride…
Back to the color… it was the ONLY XKE dealership had, and dealer really wanted it gone as it was during the ‘70s gas crunch, with this V12 in showroom. Dad loved green, any green,( a BRG XJ6 from same dealer, would join family later), so Fern Grey, it was. Upon arriving home, Dad called dealer to say thanks, again, only to learn dealer had sold the ‘69 2+2 that very afternoon to a guy who upon leaving, took the loop-de-loop exit ramp too fast, wrapping car around telephone pole! He was ok, few injuries, but nothing hurt worse than his loss of car, and bank account, I’m certain.
All that back story to say, I was not a fan of the Fern Grey, at the outset, but I quickly recognized its uniqueness, which made me grow to love it! Would not change it for anything! And she still sports the original paint!