Switched to climate-controlled after finding out my leather seats were cracking at 40% humidity

The local detailer here in Phoenix showed me a moisture meter reading on my '67 Impala and that one number made me finally shell out the extra $85 a month for a sealed unit, does anyone else trust those meters or just go by feel?

2 comments

2 Comments

valthomas4d ago

Wait, 40% humidity cracked your leather? That's wild to me. My buddy runs a shop in Tucson and he swears by those meters, says anything under 30% in the summer is basically a death sentence for hides, but 40% sounds like a pretty normal day there. If your Impala's dash is original vinyl too, that meter probably saved you from way worse than just seat cracks. I always went by the old knuckle test, you know, press your finger into the leather and see if it springs back, but now I'm second guessing every interior I've ever owned. That $85 a month is steep but honestly, replacing a full bench seat in a '67 is way more than that, so you might've made the smarter play.

jasonp713d ago

Man @valthomas is right, that knuckle test never caught my cracked dash before it was too late, so I feel your pain.