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New seat leathers

Started by irvine, 30 May 2018, 05:32 AM

irvine

Hey everyone me again, wondering if it's possible to buy new seat leathers?
My rear seat back has gone hard and cracked badly, the drivers seat would also need replaced.

What I'm thinking, is the leather simply just pulled on over the seat and could I do it myself?

Thank,
Neil.

TJ 450

They are available on eBay from a few places, but GAHH in the US is the one a fair few people have used. It's by no means an easy job to fit, although it could be done at home. Best option is to take the seats and leather (or MB-Tex) kit to a trimmer to fit an save a lot of swearing.

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

rumb

World Upholstery.  http://worlduph.com/mercedes_benz/

back seats are fairly easy to apply, the fronts a lot more work.

'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

irvine

Legends....

Thanks guys.
Neil.

Balfour

Quote from: rumb on 30 May 2018, 06:52 AM
World Upholstery.  http://worlduph.com/mercedes_benz/

back seats are fairly easy to apply, the fronts a lot more work.

Has anyone here used these guys? Is the quality decent & what sort of prices are their kit?

ptashek

Quote from: Balfour on 02 October 2018, 06:41 AM
Quote from: rumb on 30 May 2018, 06:52 AM
World Upholstery.  http://worlduph.com/mercedes_benz/

back seats are fairly easy to apply, the fronts a lot more work.

Has anyone here used these guys? Is the quality decent & what sort of prices are their kit?

Yes, I've used them for a full MB-tex kit. Quality is OK, but GAHH are considered better.

Some of the stitching was subpar, but they have addressed it at their own expense, so customer service is good.

It's good enough for what I needed it to do, and didn't cost an arm and a leg.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

Randys01

On the matter of replacement leather for the W116..irrespective of who is selling it....I've noticed all the samples are near matt finish yet the original had a slight but unmistakable sheen. Most people want to pass this off as age/patina/years of leather wax bla bla but that is nonsense. Comparing some leather in my car which has not seen the light of day for 40 years ...eg inside rear arm rest...and looking at brochures of the trim when new, it is unquestionably an egg yolk gloss finish.
Given that all the merchants supply much the same stuff  ie matt., I am curious as to how seat repairs actually finish up. The colour has to be right..the pebble finish has to be right..the sheen has to be right.  Nothing would look daggier than a matt panel inserted into a gloss seat cushion.

I have many samples [ inc UHP..and have given this topic considerable research but I have hit the wall. What's on offer simply doesn't match...never did.
Unless you change the whole interior over $$$$ it's going to look manky. Even then, there was a beaut 116 for sale recently which had obviously been retrimmed. ....yep..matt leather.  It' ain't right.

floyd111

Back in the day of the W116, leather factories all over the developing countries were still using -now- illegal chemicals to die the leather. Means that certain colors or sheens are no longer possible, or simply way more costly.

rumb

There is a long post on M-100.cc about leather.  There was some place to buy whole hides made correctly that were very expensive if you really wanted the correct color/sheen/pattern.  A Stan says, it's the chemical process used now.
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

daantjie

These guys do the real deal leather but not cheap of course and they just to the leather no stitching of the whole unit:
www.hydesleather.com
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

UTn_boy

Neil.  What the others suggest will work and do well for "getting along".  The leather made today is Vat dyed  and then coated with a layer of PVC in the same color.  Hence the dull/flat/dead look to it.  This new type of leather cannot be treated or conditioned because noting will penetrate the top layer of PVC.  If you want leather that looks, good, feels good, smells good, and resembles the original, then you have choices.  Yes, it'll be more costly, but only by an extra $400-$500 per hide.  A W115 requires only 2-3 hides since the seats are the only parts on the inside covered with leather. 

RUMB mentioned a post on the M-100 group about leather.  I happen to be intimately familiar with that post, as I created it.  Do have a look at it.  It'll give you insight on the physical differences, and you'll get to see in the pictures what the correct leather looks like.  :)  And do keep up abreast of what you decide to do, and post pictures!  :) 

http://www.m-100.co/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8518
1966 250se coupe`,black/dark green leather
1970 600 midnight blue/parchment leather
1971 300sel 6.3,papyrus white/dark red leather
1975 450se, pine green metallic/green leather
1973 300sel 4.5,silver blue metallic/blue leather
1979 450sel 516 red/bamboo

irvine

Thanks for the new info.

Neil.