Deep Cleaning Leather???

[Nightshadow]

Guys, I just bought a used Cadillac and the gearshift knob should be tan leather but is now a cracked, grimy dark color... is there a way to clean or restore this?

If not, where can I get a replacement that I can easily replace myself without taking apart the console area?

Thanks!

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

www.leatherique.com

That stuff is amazing. There are several other members on here that also swear by it. It took the 20 year old, dried up and hard leather seats in my Fleetwood and made them feel brand new. Of course it took several treatments (each of which take a few hours to soak in) but it was DEFINITELY worth it.

[[NortHStaR]]

I use standard autozone leather cleaner FIRST, then I coat the leather in NEATSFOOT COMPOUND dont buff it in, roll the windows down leave the car for about an hour, then go back and buff all the excess in.

Always works good for me on my seats and dash etc. and also the neatsfoot makes the leather very supple and soft

Have Fun!

[Scraped Knuckles]

There was a professional leather restoration shop that was in the paper a few months ago. They mentioned steam cleaning the leather before fixing cracks, rips and discoloring. But most leather craftsman and motorcycle shops will tell you just use saddle soap.

[submariner409]

A host of naysayers will diss "saddle soap", but the stuff is full of soluble oils and lanolin. It will clean and preserve the finest leather work on this planet, its inexpensive, and lasts from year to year. True Neats Foot oil is a thing of the past, but the modern substitutes seem to be pretty much OK. As posted, wipe it on, let it soak, air it out, and buff clean. A stack of el-cheapo microfiber towels from Dollar General, Auto Zone, or similar junk dealers will do just fine as a cleanup rag.

The best bet for a cracked, dirty shift knob in stitched leather is a new one from a dealer or ebay.

I think your 1995 shift knob is retained by either a through-pin or spring E-clip.