Would swapping to cloth devalue my car

General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below

Moderator: martauto

User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 9:01 am

Need some advice.

I am restoring a 318 lux cab, the leather is pretty rough, stitching has gone and there are marks on it, also drivers seat reclining handle has broken off.

I have seen a cloth interior on ebay as pictured below. Do you guys think its a mistake to swap leather for cloth or will the cloth become more desirable as time goes by as they become rarer?

Lastly does anyone have pictures of what the door cards look like to match as I would need to find some.

Image
Top
SHAKEELE30
Boost Junkie
Posts: 3278
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: CROYDON

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:30 am

Tbh i would say no, as long as they are in good condition, but those are out of an 318is and in this case, i think it would de value it. Try to find a another cloth interior without the chequered pattern
Top
Speedtouch
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 14100
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Canterbury

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:32 am

You could always fit cloth seats and get the original leathers refurbed. Those look like 318is seats to me.
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:51 am

Oh, I didn't realise they were 318is seats, thought they were lux ones, damn it, hope I don't win them now as I have a bid in at £250!

edit: Did they make a 318is convertible? if not how can these be from one?
Top
pacerpete
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 18168
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Iver heath. South bucks.

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:05 am

ALL 318 convertibles and later 6 cylinder convertibles with cloth had IS check seats. 318 Door cars are straight vinyl. 6 cylinder convertibles with cloth , had cloth inserts in the door cards and cloth rear speaker covers.
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:17 am

Ok, so they are the correct seats for my car? and I would need black vinyl door cards?
Top
bss325i
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 24536
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: London/Surrey

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 12:01 pm

Yes they are correct for a 318i Cabrio.
http://www.bmrperformance.co.uk

BMW and MINI specialist - Gatwick
Top
DHFiS
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 2733
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: cambridge

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 9:16 pm

What are you planning for the rear seat?
Top
User avatar
aimlessrock
E30 Zone Squatter
E30 Zone Squatter
Posts: 1821
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: Manchester

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 9:37 pm

I had a tan leather interior in my cabby and its was shot, i went from leather to cloth (this exact same print as it happens) and I'm happy with it.

the leather on mine was in a very sorry state with most of the foam having also been damaged due to a leaky roof.

i was getting quotes of north of £1K to re trim the original leather seats. 8O
E30 320i Convertible (1989)
190 Mercedes (1988)

"there is nothing more expensive than a cheap E30"
Top
Mitchen
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2378
Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: London

Post Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:21 pm

I prefer cloth to leather tbh. The patterns are retro-tastic! :)
1990 320i Coupe SE

viewtopic.php?t=253048
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:55 am

DHFiS wrote:What are you planning for the rear seat?
The guy is selling the rear bench with them, I'm currently winning the auction at £188 and £60ish to collect them on a pallet.

Fingers crossed, they look mint.

Probably going to be hard to find the door cards and roof cover/lid.

Can you remove the leather part of the roof cover or do I need to find one and paint the metal part?
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:57 am

Also

What price should I go up to/what are they worth?
Top
pacerpete
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 18168
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Iver heath. South bucks.

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:21 am

The front seats are identical to E30 M3 seats. I just sold a pair for £350 to a nice man in Holland who had them collected . Like many E30 parts, really nice ones are very hard to find and retrimming is not an option.
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:25 am

Ok, thanks all, going to go for it and hope to get them.

If anyone comes across the door cards please let me know.
Top
Gert_8
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 11305
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: In your back passage faster than a rat up a drainpipe!

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 11:30 am

What was specified on your original build sheet?
Image
PONY, 2013 - "Anyway span 360 degrees hitting the kerb and giving the old man two fingers as I was spinning like Michael Schumacher would
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:38 pm

I don't know how to get that info but as the car seems 100% original I would guess the leather is.
Top
Gert_8
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 11305
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: In your back passage faster than a rat up a drainpipe!

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:48 pm

put your vin number in here and it will tell you...

http://bimmer.work/
Image
PONY, 2013 - "Anyway span 360 degrees hitting the kerb and giving the old man two fingers as I was spinning like Michael Schumacher would
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 1:30 pm

Thanks

Silber Leder. So I will be removing an original fit item, for now at least.
Top
DHFiS
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 2733
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: cambridge

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 6:21 pm

daboy3000 wrote:
DHFiS wrote:What are you planning for the rear seat?
The guy is selling the rear bench with them, I'm currently winning the auction at £188 and £60ish to collect them on a pallet.
I'm not sure but I don't think rear seats from a hard top will fit a cab.
Top
KW355
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 266
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:00 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post Tue Dec 01, 2015 6:39 pm

DHFiS wrote:
daboy3000 wrote:
DHFiS wrote:What are you planning for the rear seat?
The guy is selling the rear bench with them, I'm currently winning the auction at £188 and £60ish to collect them on a pallet.
I'm not sure but I don't think rear seats from a hard top will fit a cab.
The hard top rear seats are different to the convertible ones.

I believe the Convertible front seat rear access handles next to the side bolsters are lower than coupe ones, also the convertible seats have a removable reclining stop.
Top
User avatar
daboy3000
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 300
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:00 pm
Location: Croydon

Post Thu Dec 03, 2015 9:04 am

They were from a cab but unfortunately i set my limit at £350 plus delivery and they went for £360, wish I had gone to £400 now. oh well.

All I really need is a good condition rear bench back and a driver's seat in silber.

If anyone has them please get in touch.
Top

Return to “E30 BMW Chat”