Restoring interior

[e36grant]

The interior on my e36 looks EXTREMELY worn. I've cleaned it all, but everything has a shiny worn appearance.

What's the best thing I can do to get the dash / steering wheel / etc looking better?

[fiveayam]

I would try a good vinyl/leather cleaner to remove the shine-not a quick detailer. I use 1Z Cockpit for my interior, but there are other (and probably better) products out there. While 1Z Cockpit is an all-purpose cleaner and protectant, they also make a vinyl/leather cleaner and a separate vinyl/leather protectant (which I'm soon to pick up). While an AP cleaner is fine for everyday, the "protectant" qualities in it will leave a light gloss on the surface; so definitely spring for two products-one to clean, one to protect. That way you can better clean away the surface contaminants that are causing the shine without applying a glossy "protectant" layer at the same time.

For items like the steering wheel, the shine is probably coming from (1)wear/tear on the leather, which would smooth out the surface and make it more reflective, and (2) oils and grease from your skin absorbing into the leather. A good thorough cleaning of the surface should remove much of the oily skin secretions.

As for the dash, there could be layers of product (like armorall) that are causing the extreme shine, and/or it could be due to the length of time the surface has been exposed to the sun, effectively bleaching it. For example; when I replaced the rear speakers on my e36, I noticed that the fabric on the rear deck was a lot darker under the lip of the speaker grills than it was elsewhere. Unless you want to replace or re-dye the material, there isn't much you can do to reverse the effect. Hopefully cleaning the dash will diminish the shine that you're experiencing.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr225/fiveayam/IMG_0233.jpg

If, after cleaning, the surfaces still have too much shine or gloss, you could use a very fine grit sandpaper or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (same thing) to buff the surface. Since this destroys the material, I would only do this if there was a safety concern (ie: the glare from the reflective dash was imparing your ability to see).

Whatever you decide to do, post some before and after pix. I'm due for an interior cleaning myself, and I'd like to see how your project turns out.

Finally, here are some links to sites specializing in auto detailing:
www.autogeek.net
www.chemicalguys.com
www.griotsgarage.com