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I think the interiors of these Sportsters are most attractive. Looks like yours will clean up nicely.

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Wow I thought I knew every inch of this car but I completely overlooked that sticker!

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So if I read the paint scheme right the top was Packard Ivory and the body Polaris Blue?

Hi Bryce S.

Checking Mr. Neal's book Packard 1951-1954, page 280, yours defines:

Paint Scheme TC
Code No. BF-2616, Upper - Packard Ivory
Code No. BF-2903, Lower - Polaris Blue

Trim Code 976-A
Ivory genuine leather and blue nylon

Nice combinations, especially that someone sprung for the additional cost of genuine leather rather than vinyl.

Steve

P.S: Now, if we can just locate a good, rust-free '54 club sedan body to work with!

That's great. Thanks for the help! Does anyone know some tips on how to get these spots out of the seat?

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Looks like you've got a mixture of some stains and some mildew (the darker round spots). For the stains I'd try some prepared leather cleaner first, there are many on the market - I've used Lexol's cleaner and found it to be OK though mild household cleaners might be just as good. But you've really got to kill the mildew and for that you're going to need something aggressive like Chlorox which if allowed to remain long in the leather fibre won't be kind to it. I'd start on the mildew with some Chlorox diluted significantly to where it is just barely effective; just dab it as lightly as possible, wait a few minutes, and wipe it off followed by several thorough rinses and wipes with clear water.

When clean, for a leather softener and treatment I think that Connolly's Hide Food (yes, it is still available) is the best product, head and shoulders above anything else.

http://www.autogeek.net/conhid.html?gclid=CIHlr6m8wscCFcQUHwodiU8Nrg

A brush is better for cleaning leather than a rag, because the bristles get in the texture of the leather. Start with mild cleaners first. Some ivory Soap to clean off the dirt, and you can then use white vinnegar with water to kill mold if that's what the spots are. I really like that interior and color combo!
-edit. I would use vinegar before trying bleach. Smells better and is not so hard on the leather. Apply the conditioner or neatsfoot oil after You're sure there is no more mold/mildew.

Good point Tobs about the brush instead of a cloth, plus it helps find uses for old toothbrushes! I've no experience with the effectiveness of vinegar (acetic acid) on mildew - have you used it successfully?

Another good product to consider is Eastman Leather's leather cleaner and their leather "food"to condition the leather. Available through History Preservation Associates in Cherry Hill NJ. historypreservation.com I use it on my old A2 jackets, works great.

Just spoke to my GF who designs infants and childrens clothing- use diluted vinegar and water and do not leave on for any length of time. She says bleach in any dilution will effect the leather and the tanning process.She also just added sunlight as a first step and also a combination of milk and water 1:2 as mildew cleaner.

My sense would be to start with Ivory liquid and distilled water using a brush. The NYS Museum used that as a first step on any fabric or leather they would attempt cleaning when I was there as a visiting curator back in early 90's. Then try the other concoctions. Try in inconspicuous area first.

Do not use Simple Green. Hope this is of some help, good luck with it. Looking forward to seeing your results.

PS Forgot to mention my favorite cleaner Allback Organic Linseed soap available from Viking Sales in Victor NY. This is a very gentle cleaner that can be used in dilution. solventfreepaint.com

Hi Dave,
I had to fight some mildew issues with my porsche when I got it, and used 25% vinegar concentrate which we can buy in the supermarkets here, and then mixed it 1:1 with water. Wash everything in the car with that, because there are mold/mildew spores even where you can't see them. The acidity of the vinegar is a natural killer for the mold. A tooth brush might be a little small for that job I used a brush that had bristles about as long as a tooth brush, but the surface area about the size of a credit card.
Also after the mold is gone, you can decide if you want to use a natural leather food, or a synthetic one. They say the synthetic leather food/conservers are less prone to catching mold again.