Interior Cloth Options?

[StuBeeDoo]

As it takes me ages to make any decision, I'm starting to think about what cloth to re-trim my Touring with - maybe later this year.
First - and most important - leather (including suede and alcantara) is not an option. I just don't like it. So it's got to be cloth.
I don't think E30 cloth is particularly good quality. Am I right?
What options are out there? I know the quality's no better than the E30 cloth, but I do like the colours and texture of Ford trim as in the Ghia's, RS's and Cosworth (is it what's called velour??). Can anyone think of any cars that have good quality plain grey cloth trim (preferably available in different shades of grey, including a silver grey)? What about other BMW's? Is the cloth any better than the E30 stuff? Patterns are out unless they are feint or discrete.
I've already decided on the colour(s) I want, it's just the choice of cloth I'm concerned with here.
TIA
Stuart.

[Alex]

e30 cloth was good in the day but what about getting it retrimmed in leather

[StuBeeDoo]

e30 cloth was good in the day but what about getting it retrimmed in leather

As my original post. I don't want leather.

[Alex]

ah rite i must read stuff properly next time lol

what about the cloth out of an e36 that might look good

[Chris-W]

Not very helpful, but I'd see what your trimmer has to offer rather than looking at the various manufacturers' cloths.

A velour always wears more quickly than a non cut-pile fabric (hence iS seats generally being in better nick).

[Chris-W]

Could always go for West of England cloth for that touch of class - and durability!

[maxfield]

I like the Evo Sport interior:

http://images.paultan.org/images/History_M3_E30_11.jpg

[1an]

I like the Evo Sport interior:

http://images.paultan.org/images/History_M3_E30_11.jpg

i would love that in my car.

[StuBeeDoo]

Not very helpful, but I'd see what your trimmer has to offer rather than looking at the various manufacturers' cloths.

A velour always wears more quickly than a non cut-pile fabric (hence iS seats generally being in better nick).

Could always go for West of England cloth for that touch of class - and durability!

Cheers Chris. BTW, got your PM re- rear seat. Cheers.

..... And thanks everyone else.

[StuBeeDoo]

A velour always wears more quickly than a non cut-pile fabric (hence iS seats generally being in better nick).

Chris you hero! You've just kick-started my memory.
When I had the Recaro's in my Orion re-trimmed, the bolsters were done in Pure New Wool Tweed. I always quite liked the look of that.

Only thing now is, I've started to have silly colour scheme ideas. Silver grey bolsters and headrests with Stewart (Stuart - get it?) tartan centres???

Like you say, though, I really need to talk to the trimmer (plus I need to source a pair of Sapphire Cosworth seats that are in need of some TLC).

[Chris-W]

Only thing now is, I've started to have silly colour scheme ideas. Silver grey bolsters and headrests with Stewart (Stuart) tartan centres???

It worked in 911's

[bloom_meister]

Only thing now is, I've started to have silly colour scheme ideas. Silver grey bolsters and headrests with Stewart (Stuart) tartan centres???

It worked in 911's

Low blow!

[oakey]

houndstooth-

[Cotty]

When I had the Recaro's in my Orion re-trimmed, the bolsters were done in Pure New Wool Tweed. I always quite liked the look of that.

When I had my 316 retrimmed it was done in a blue tweed and looked very good. Obviously not original but I wasn't going for an original look.

[Cotty]

Only thing now is, I've started to have silly colour scheme ideas. Silver grey bolsters and headrests with Stewart (Stuart - get it?) tartan centres???

Didn't early Vaxhauls have tartan steats, things like the Manta and Chevetts

[StuBeeDoo]

Only thing now is, I've started to have silly colour scheme ideas. Silver grey bolsters and headrests with Stewart (Stuart - get it?) tartan centres???

Didn't early Vaxhauls have tartan steats, things like the Manta and Chevetts

IIRC, my Belmont SRi did. It had Recaro copies (almost as good as the real thing - far better than BMW Sport seats).

[Alyman]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

[StuBeeDoo]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

Tell me more. Where do i get info??

[toby]

Did you fit those seats from that other model vehicle in the end Stu? (wrongness-meter at the ready here)

[StuBeeDoo]

Yes I did Toby. That's why I'm planning a re-trim. It looks a bit obvious where they came from at the moment.

[Alyman]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

Tell me more. Where do i get info??

I've dropped you a PM mate

[SCOTT325SE]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

Tell me more. Where do i get info??

I've dropped you a PM mate

Drop me a PM aswell too! Please, pretty please!

[StuBeeDoo]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

Tell me more. Where do i get info??

I've dropped you a PM mate

Cheers Dude. I can't get the links to work either. I'll e-mail them.
Thanks for your trouble.
Stuart.

[StuBeeDoo]

I've spent the day pricing-up various options, using BMW and Alpina cloth. Here's what I came-up with. Bear in mind that these figures don't include any labour as I haven't spoken to the upholsterers yet. The prices are rock-bottom too.

Front seats only......
Using BMW Silber fabrics as factory-fit. £428.60
This would require the rear seat to be repaired at a minimum additional cost of £69.09

Full re-trim (not including door cards).....
Using iS Silber plain fabric and Alpina Anthrazit with blue/green stripe for the centre panels. £378.05
Using iS Silber plain fabric and single diagonal stripe (as factory E30 6-cyl's) for the centre panels. £588.73
Using iS Silber plain fabric throughout (ie no patterned centre panels) £562.27

I've pretty much talked myself out of the Alpina fabric. The price is very attractive, but I think it could be too dark for my liking. I don't want to buy it just because it's cheap. (I could do the whole lot in the Alpina fabric for under £200, but it would be horrible!) So, unless the upholsterer can come up with any acceptable fabric options when I go to see him it's looking like I'll get the fronts done factory-stylee and the back seat repaired.

[SCOTT325SE]

Stuart, do you have any of the pics of the Alpina fabric you could PM me please? I tried Alpenis site aswell and links wouldnt work for me and I couldnt find the trim pattern.

Many thanks

Scott

[CustomX]

iS grey tartan is good, very hard wearing and neutral but with character.

Houndstooth is also very nice.

How about half leather?

[StuBeeDoo]

iS grey tartan is good, very hard wearing and neutral but with character.
Houndstooth is also very nice.
How about half leather?

The iS tartan had crossed my mind, but I'm not a lover of bold patterns. Houndstooth isn't an option because I don't think it will look right in a face-lift car - but that's just MHO. Half-leather?? That's a possibility, but I need to speak to the upholsterer first to see how much he wants to relieve me of. I'm not really a leather fan, but if it's not too much more than cloth (doubtful, that!), I'd consider it.

Things have just moved on slightly. I just scored a pair of SapphCos seats that need a refurb. The options may well change once I've actually seen them. Currently, I'm thinking that I'll get the Silber rear seat set repaired (it's only one panel) and have the fronts done in colours/pattern/cloth that's similar enough to the rear seats to be barely noticable - if that's possible. If it's going to cost - say - £400 to get the fronts done, I may as well spend the extra on the proper BMW cloths to match the rear. It's not that I can't afford it, I just don't like spending!

[StuBeeDoo]

Getting back on topic
I've seen the upholsterer this evening and he'll repair the rear seat base, re-cover 2x RHR's to match and fully re-cover my SaffCos Recaro's for £400.
So for £900 I get a new factory (unless you look closely...) -looking Recaro interior.
I think I'll go for it!

(Puts on pessimists hat....) You watch, when I order the cloth, it'll be NLA

[StuBeeDoo]

The decision's been made.
Diagonal striped Silber cloth (normal E30 6-cylinder pattern) for the centre panels with plain Silber iS cloth for the bolsters, headrests, etc.
Hopefully this will look "factory".

[Gene_Genie]

Here are my Standard 320i seats. Is this the cloth you mean? If so, it should look wonderful on recaro's:




Having said this, my seat bolsters are like a velour-ish kind of material, so it may not be. Just posted to help out if i could, the whole seats and interiors thing is 'Right up my 'Strasse'.

Stu, what are the differences between the Ford Cosworth fitment recaro's and the BMW ones? Is it just a mildly altered shape or is it the front leg support pad that moves forwards and backwards (Dead techinical term that is eh !).

[StuBeeDoo]

Yes, that's the one! Only difference with mine will be that they will have woven cloth bolsters rather than your velour (it's harder wearing wearing plus it's £30/mtr cheaper - result!). There are very few E30's with the proper fitment Recaro's in - probably because they were such a costly option when new. The only ones I've seen have all been in "Anthrazit" cloth (other than Chris's which are black leather, but IIRC they started life in Anthrazit).

Re the differences in the seats..... When you say "BMW ones" are you meaning the Sports seats or the factory-fitted proper Recaro's?
The only differences I've found so far in the proper Recaro's is that the bases are vehicle-specific. The backrests all appear to be the same. The reclining mechs. are different in that the Ford spec. ones have handwheel adjustment and the BMW ones have levers.
The E30 spec. Recaro seat bases are fitted with the same design mounts as the standard seats so that they fit to standard runners.

The Sports seats are different to the Recaro's in that.....
The diaphragm in the base isn't so stiff.
The backrest isn't solid - it has a diaphragm in (not so supportive).
The bolster and cushion foams aren't so dense.
There may be some other minor differences, but either they haven't made themselves obvious to me or I've forgotten them.

[Gene_Genie]

well i've learned something else new. I didn;t know there was a BMW Sports seat AND a Recaro - i thought they were one and the same. I mean the difference in the actual Recaro seats - i used to pull trailers out of Recaro and deliver them all over Europe and i have many times, been idly walking through the factory, tea-in-hand, looking for something to fill 3 bored hours while they load my wagon. I didn't think there would be that much difference in the seats, i thought it was more down to rails and runners, but then i suppose that's more true for bucket seats, not factory supply ones. The most interesting part of the fatory was the injection moulding foam section (Jaguar seats were done here). I got friendly with a lot of the staff and got some really good practical demonstrations (Just more bloody work for them but a lesson for me watching), to the cheeky questions i was forever asking.

Do the Sierra seat bases fit in the aperture of the E30 then? It will be great conversion if they do, as there are LOADS of Sierra Cosworth breakers selling seats right now and no-one wants the cloth ones, they all want leather.

[StuBeeDoo]

Do the Sierra seat bases fit in the aperture of the E30 then?

Yes they do. See here And here And here
They are the same width across the bolsters as the RST ones.

[StuBeeDoo]

well i've learned something else new. I didn;t know there was a BMW Sports seat AND a Recaro - i thought they were one and the same.

Common misconception! Loads of people wrongly refer to the BMW Sports seats as "Recaro's". It's a bit like calling an Electrolux vacuum cleaner a Hoover.
The BMW ones are actually no better than a poor imitation.

[Yaninnya]

Alpina are flogging the remaining stock they have of the cloth used in E34s and the like. Cheap too, about 20 quid per running metre iirc.

Can you dropp me a PM as well?
Cheers,
Jan