Euro fabric seats

twistinglane

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A current for sale post got me wondering about just what the range of original fabrics were used in Euro coupes.
https://www.e9coupe.com/forum/threads/1973-3-0-csi-seats.28040/#post-218056
I've moved some content I posted in the for sale thread over here as it generic and will also a number of fabric upholstery photos I was able to locate.

I went to Realoem to see if it could help sort out fabric types and specifically looked up CSIs. This didn't help that much. There are separate pages for fabric at center of seat and side of cushion cloth. The parts numbers shown are the same on early (72) and late (75) CSI pages. No start and stop dates shown. I didn't check other models.

For seat center cloth some is designed nylonflock cord (cordoroy). And some has no description of the cloth.
For side of cushion cloth, some is described as vellours and some has no description.
There seems to be no overlap between parts numbers for center of seat and side of cushion. So presumably each seat was made from two fabric types.
This is often seen with a cordoroy centre and a velour surrounding.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=7031-EUR-12-1973-E9-BMW-30CSi&diagId=51_3557

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=7031-EUR-12-1973-E9-BMW-30CSi&diagId=51_3558
 
Some fabric seat photos I've collected.
Earlier model E9s.

I don't know whether all of these cars would be original fabric or body color.
Photo resolution here is about as good as the originals - not always very good.
 

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Some more photos... Later cars
 

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More for the collection?

Corduroy - as displayed by BMW? Suspect this example is from ~late '72 - '73.


(There appears to be a whitish wire to the right of the exterior mirror. Anomalous weather stripping? Improvidently placed emergency brake cable? Wayward albino earthworm? E9 clothesline?)
cs3.jpg



img_8192-jpg.15429


cs2.jpg



cs1.jpg
 
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Twistinglane (name?), all the photos you posted, and Lloyd's from the Museum coupe are invariably depicting the "Nylonflock" / Cord center panels and the plain velour surround. This was not just for CSi's but also for CS Euro/ROW cars as leather was an (rare) option for those, as opposed to US cars where all had leather. I recently posted ( https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/b...ilable-from-bmw-but-looking-for-velour.27615/) photos of the black Nylonflock that has just recently made available by BMW with PN 51921822083. It is *exactly* as the original.

On that same post I asked about sources for the matching black velour as I have not been able to find one that is as dark (true, deep black) as the original and as short in nap (as true velour should be). Well, I just found out this week that BMW also has reissued this black velour and should be available for ordering in March. PN is 51921822085.

Are you searching for material or just cataloging what was used in different cars?
 
Unless you are going concourse, is there justification for the cost of the velour and cord from BMW?
 
Thanks for the good info Luis. I'm not shopping currently, just trying to understand the materials.

As you pointed out all the pictures here are cord/velour combos. The link to the FS ad in my first post doesn't have cord and looks like it is all of one material. We were trying to figure out if it is original. Also I've seen some finer wale cord. And was wondering if more than type of cord was used?
Paul
 
Unless you are going concourse, is there justification for the cost of the velour and cord from BMW?
Bob I thought the cost was exceedingly reasonable at around $80/linear meter and it’s around 64 inches wide. I expect that 1 yard could do both front seats but I purchased more than that.

Far greater than the fabric cost will be that of recovering and refurbishing the seats to look exactly like the factory did in ‘73, and I have the right guy for that who did my E3. In addition by using the factory materials I can keep the original fabric on my rear seats which after 45 years still look new.
 
Thanks for the good info Luis. I'm not shopping currently, just trying to understand the materials.

As you pointed out all the pictures here are cord/velour combos. The link to the FS ad in my first post doesn't have cord and looks like it is all of one material. We were trying to figure out if it is original. Also I've seen some finer wale cord. And was wondering if more than type of cord was used?
Paul

Paul,

The seats in the FS are most definitely not covered in original material. Not for an E9 or E3, at least...
 
Luis, original quote was 160-170 dollars per linear meter, No? That's what I was referring to. I now see ECS has it for 87 dollars but the velvet is coming in at 173 dollars. I assume the Lebaron Bonney black mohair did not cut the mustard for you as replacement for the black velvet?

I can tell you my car was originally from the south and exposed to the sun..........my seats I swore were a navy blue until I took them apart. Hopefully the dyes used now are improved.
 
well the seats in the brochure don't have a couple of things (in addition to the tucks / folds at the top) - headrests, seatback panel w/ chrome trim ... but most importantly, no seat release knob to tilt them forward. not sure why you say early brochure as the text has 3.0cs within it.
 
well the seats in the brochure don't have a couple of things (in addition to the tucks / folds at the top) - headrests, seatback panel w/ chrome trim ... but most importantly, no seat release knob to tilt them forward. not sure why you say early brochure as the text has 3.0cs within it.

2800 seats have the tilt forward lever in front the hinge near the seat rail.
 
only very early 2800cs seats had the release know at the bottom. this was gone before mid 1970. but those seats had the panel back and the chrome cap trim as well as the tucks / folds at the top ... as well as headrests.
 
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