Leather seat photos wanted

[steve91tt]

I am considering redoing the seats in my 1973 240Z in leather. I have been looking at both the MSA and classic Datsun leather kits but I have been unable to find much on the forum from folks that have used either kit.

Anyone have any experience with leather in a Z?

[jackboxxx]

Ive done both, bought the seat kit from MSA and installed it myself, and have also had an upholstry shop do the seats from the ground up.

Though the MSA kits are ok, and looked pretty decent, they dont compare
to having the seats done professionally, .. every seam is tight, the support is great and you can choose your exact material, or materials...but it will cost more to go this route.

I attached a picture to this but it was really bright outside today and you cant really appreciate the quality of the work from the photo.. my upholstry guy re-did the black on the frame of the seat, cleaned the plastic protectors between the seat and the adjustors..rebuilt the webbing, and foam..and gave me like 10 books to look though to pick the texture i liked best..

[steve91tt]

Those seats are beautiful! Do you have photos of the msa seats to compare?

[Mike B]

A friend of mine installed the MSA leather seats (with new seat foam also from MSA). He didn't like how they turned out so he had a set custom made. He said the bolsters on the MSA seats weren't even side to side, the seams didn't line up properly, the gap between the bottoms and back was uneven, and the stitching wasn't even on the pleats on the back. The upholstery shop also charged him extra to put the MSA covers on since the new foam padding didn't fit without cutting and splicing the foam backs. They were too narrow as received.

The first picture is the MSA seats and the second is the custom set he had made.

-Mike

[Inf]

Originally Posted by Mike B

...

The first picture is the MSA seats and the second is the custom set he had made...

Great comparison photos. It's like night and day.

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by Mike B

The first picture is the MSA seats and the second is the custom set he had made.

Wow! Big difference. thanks for sharing.

[d240zx2]

Datsun Restore. I got covers, pads, webbing. Did the job in my living room. It looks great, sits great. No complaints and would do it again if needed.

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by d240zx2

Datsun Restore. I got covers, pads, webbing. Did the job in my living room. It looks great, sits great. No complaints and would do it again if needed.

Sound like a great option. Do you have any photos?

[oldhemi]

I recently bought a MSA vinyl cover off of eBay. It was just the seat back piece for $25. The damn thing was not even close in the seams! I sent it back. Here is a link to some pics of that cover compared to my original seat and what I think is a 74.5 - 76 seat:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1497187...7623632720534/

I know that the 260Z seat has different pattern (vertical vs. horizontal) than the 240's. I posted this to show the quality of these seat covers - maybe the 240's are mo'betta. But, c'mon this thing is in left field!

I am now more than ever intent on saving my originals after seeing MSA seats. My passenger seat is real nice. My drivers seat needs a bottom but the seat back is very salvageable by an upholsterer. And, I do have the unknown seat that I could use very nicely.

Those independently made seats sure look good. Are they leather or vinyl? How much are we talking for this work? Hmmm, didn't all 240's have the 4 ventilation buttons?

[Bonzi Lon]

These are not leather but would look good in Steve's color of car.

Long story short, my car was to be bronze/copper (this is 1980) with an interior to match. The seats were done by a lady that did household furniture. I asked her if they could be made with more cushion around the sides and headreast, no problem, make the pattern bigger in that area.

They came back in 2 weeks and $400 lighter in the checkbook. They are fantastic. Stitch work is great, even has cloth covered piping. The sit is unbeleivable, softer than any recliner. However, as you can see, they don't go with a blue car. Right now I am using the seats out of #110, no cushion left at all. Stock ride height but my eyes are lowered 3 inches.

My options are many, but the ideal would be: Sell these seats to someone that could use the color. Get a set of 73 seats, must be reclineable, with bad covers and have that lady make me a new set like the old ones she did in off white leather, maybe blue piping, or a blue 240Z stitched in the headrest.

Bonzi Lon

[Bonzi Lon]

Double post, sorry Arne, please delete.

Bonzi Lon

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by Bonzi Lon

These are not leather but would look good in Steve's color of car.

Bonzi, sounds like we are in similar situations. I am changing the seats in my car because I am switching the exterior from brown to 901 silver and switching the interior from butternut to black. I was targeting leather over vinyl because I was hoping that leather would be more comfortable in the summer months.

I did a 1991 300z last year in black leather. It turned out great and I got to have fun playing with listing wire and hog rings. Unfortunately the company that made the 300z seat skins does not make a 240z kit so I am looking for alternatives.

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by oldhemi

I recently bought a MSA vinyl cover off of eBay. It was just the seat back piece for $25. The damn thing was not even close in the seams! I sent it back.

You are right those MSA's don't look to be of as good a quality as the factory originals.

[oldhemi]

Steve, like you, I did not not find a lot of "bad" info posted about certain covers. I have no axe to grind with MSA. But, when a retailer does not show a picture of items on their web site, you gotta wonder....

If you dont care much about original seats, you could go with cloth for the Houston heat. You could put totally different seats in there. Hybridz has a whole seat swap list thread going. One guy over there has some butterscotch color older Recaro LS seats in his. I never was overly fond of that color. But, does that interior look great with those seats! I would seriously consider tapping my retirement fund for those seats! That is, if I can get the rest of the car up to snuff.

[oldhemi]

Check these puppies out(scroll to post 133)
http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?.../page__st__120

[oldhemi]

I'm fooling with Firefox browser and thought I would figure out inserting images, so here's one of the afore-mentioned pictures(hopefully):

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by oldhemi

Check these puppies out(scroll to post 133)

Impressive! I love the look in a custom car but I am going for more of an "original look". I want the interior and exterior to look like it came that way from the factory in 1973. In other words, In a perfect world, I want to keep my seats looking basically the same but in black leather rather than brown vinyl.

[Arne]

So here's a question - if you are after the "original look", why switch to leather? I can see no advantages to leather over original or well-made vinyl replacements.

[cygnusx1]

80's vintage BMW 320i recaro seats in pleather fit the Z style very well. I have them in my 280Z. They are HARD to find, expensive, and require some bracket fab.




Here are my MSA covered 240Z seats that I just finished. I reused the old foam but added some carpet pad foam in the bolsters. Not as nice as the pro ones but...I did it myself.

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by Arne

So here's a question - if you are after the "original look", why switch to leather? I can see no advantages to leather over original or well-made vinyl replacements.

I had read on a couple of old threads that the vinyl in these cars is tough to deal with in the summer. If you are saying that the leather has no advantage over the vinyl reproductions then you just saved me a bunch of money!

[ZCurves]

Originally Posted by steve91tt

I had read on a couple of old threads that the vinyl in these cars is tough to deal with in the summer. If you are saying that the leather has no advantage over the vinyl reproductions then you just saved me a bunch of money!

Steve, the seats in these cars will roast your arse! After all, You do live in Houston, Texas !! (As do I) -I can hear the Ham sizzlin. I did the MSA leather as I PM'ed to you...I am confused by the appearance of some of the other seats done with a MSA Kit. My kit was fine, perhaps it is the 240 seat covers that don't have good quality control....I don't know.

In an earlier post (you'll need to search), I described getting the seat covers warm before you install. I found this essential in getting a good fit. It is inportant to also smooth out the wrinkles as you go, this will result in a proper fit. Whatever material is used, it will relax after it is installed and again when it is sat upon. I have reupholstered many seats- from a few VW's in highschool to the several Z I have had in the twenty five years since. It just takes some patience and good materials.

I'd say that your approach is the right one, getting advice from everyone on this list is going to help you make an informed decision. Whatever kit you end up with, make sure that you inspect it thouroughly before going any further.

After all, it is your Z and your $$$. If the seams are crappy and it has poor materials - send it back. If your are more comfortable using an Pro Upholsterer, then that is the route to go.

Since you live in the same city as myself, I will be happy to assist you with whatever kit you get - I would encourage new seat foams though -and Beer.

Finally, back in the 90's, I bought a set of real nice Sheepskins for my Z, cool in the summertime/warm in the winter. I loved them! Just a thought.

PM me if you need help.

[Arne]

Originally Posted by steve91tt

I had read on a couple of old threads that the vinyl in these cars is tough to deal with in the summer. If you are saying that the leather has no advantage over the vinyl reproductions then you just saved me a bunch of money!

Yes, the black vinyl is hot in the summer. (And cold in the winter, although I doubt that's much of an issue for you.) But my daily driver has black leather and I can't see that there is any significant difference. If the sun has been baking the seats, either black material is like sitting on a teflon-coated griddle. If I wanted to reduce this problem, I'd move to cloth, not leather. But that doesn't maintain the stock look.

I actually have less problem with sun-baked seats in the Z than I do in the BMW. Since the dash in my Z is uncracked, I never park the car in the sun without a sunshade in the windshield. That helps keep the direct sun off the dash (my primary concern), but also helps with the burning thighs problem as well.

[steve91tt]

Originally Posted by ZCurves

I bought a set of real nice Sheepskins for my Z, cool in the summertime/warm in the winter. I loved them! Just a thought.

Sheepskin! There's a thought. After all, sheep are made of leather.

I'm thinking I would have to install an 8-track, a chain link steering wheel hydraulic suspension, red metallic paint and white walls to complete the look. Probably more work than I'm looking to do.

[CoastGuardZ]

Originally Posted by cygnusx1

80's vintage BMW 320i recaro seats in pleather fit the Z style very well. I have them in my 280Z. They are HARD to find, expensive, and require some bracket fab.

Mmmmmm... me likey!!!

[steve91tt]

Purdy!