Care for interior of car?

[mertenj]

I am unable to keep my recently acquired 97 300D in a covered packing area. I am concerned about maintaining the interior of the car and keeping it looking new free of cracks.

What can you recommend for cleaning and care of the leather Vinyl surfaces as well as the center console?

Would tinting the windows help prolong the life of the interior?

[MTI]

Regular glass already has a fairly high UV blocking, so tinting would only be a way of keeping the cabin cooler. Tint with a custom fitted silver front windshield will provide significantly lower temps.

303 Aerospace Protectant is widely regarded as the best protectant for vinyl, rubber and plastic, but not leather. As a semi-organic material, leather is better cared for like other leather goods, with oils and dressings.

The "wood" in most Mercedes cars of that era had thick polyurethane coatings to minimize splintering and shards in the case of an accident, it was a safety feature. Treat those as you would any other plastic surface.

Most vinyl cracking occurs when the material has aged/outgassed to the point where it loses flexibility. When there are temperature changes in the car, the dash will expand or contract and exploit the spots of inflexible covering material and cause a crack or fissure in the dash. In door panels, shrinkage away from a seam is another symptom.

[marlinspike]

Buy one of those windsheild sun blocker thingies. I got mine from my dealer for cheaper than the online places, and the MB sunblocker is a good one. I like Vinylex for vinyl and Lexol leather cleaner followed by conditioner for leather.
Richard