E3 Seat Rebuild/Refresh Process Guide

[Paulaner]

Hello - this is a follow on discussion from my last post about E3 seat disassembly. Over the last week great progress has been made on the front driver seat rebuild and refresh. I am about half way through the project and wanted to share an update on what has been done thus far, a review on my Newark Auto (formerly World Upholstery) seat cover kit, and a full step by step process guide on seat disassembly, and rebuild. The step by step guide linked below will be updated and replaced with a full version following that will include the seat back at a later date.

E3 Seat Rebuild Step by Step Process Guide

Newark Auto Review:
My order was placed mid-August 2025 only a couple months after WU was acquired by Newark. Newark does not list the E3 seat for sale on their website. Has to reach out via email engage and purchase.
*Sales and Customer Service: A
Worked with Heather, a former WU employee. Very easy to deal with, responsive, and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend dealing with her
*Materials: A
Feels high quality, thick, sturdy vinyl, piping, and innards
*Construction and Fitment: A+
Top notch, the new seat cover fit like a glove, tight, cut perfectly to size, and has sturdy hand sewn seams
*Color and Finish Matching: B+
Maybe it just needs to be broken in or oiled some, but the Newark color and finish is more matte than the original. The original has a semi gloss, shiny finish to it. This is prevalent even in other areas of the car with far less wear like the seat back pockets.
*Pattern Matching: B
As you can see the Newark Auto pattern is not as deeply pressed into the vinyl as the original. The chevrons are there but too faint. Unsure as to why, but my thoughts are that their press was not set to a deep enough spec when pressing the vinyl on this run. @Dick Steinkamp - you used WU, what was your pattern like?
*Shipping: B+ 6 weeks from order

Pic 1 shows the before, original 1972 seat condition
Pic 2 and 3 show the seat bottom after the rebuild
Pic 4 shows the original vinyl patterning
Pic 5 shows the Newark Auto patterning

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

The embossed pattern on the vinyl that you got from Newark does not seem to be the same as the original pattern. On mine the patterns were identical. I wonder if they used the wrong die on yours? On mine, the replacement material was about the same sheen as the original. I bought mine when the company was still World.

On mine, the front seat covers and rear headrest covers are from World. The front headrests, rear seats, and door panels are original...

 

[E3_UK]

The embossed pattern on the vinyl that you got from Newark does not seem to be the same as the original pattern. On mine the patterns were identical. I wonder if they used the wrong die on yours? On mine, the replacement material was about the same sheen as the original. I bought mine when the company was still World.

On mine, the front seat covers and rear headrest covers are from World. The front headrests, rear seats, and door panels are original...

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Absolutely stunning interior. Far nicer than the blue velour on mine.
Q. Did all Bavarias come with vinyl or was it an option ?. It seems to me to be a step up from the velour trim on my UK car.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Absolutely stunning interior. Far nicer than the blue velour on mine.
Q. Did all Bavarias come with vinyl or was it an option ?. It seems to me to be a step up from the velour trim on my UK car.

Thanks. BTW, I no longer own this car.

I believe the velour was an upgrade to the vinyl. The velour would certainly be more comfortable in all seasons. At least through the 72 model year, the Bavaria was marketed as "big motor in the no frills base model".

 

[E3_UK]

Thanks. BTW, I no longer own this car.

I believe the velour was an upgrade to the vinyl. The velour would certainly be more comfortable in all seasons. At least through the 72 model year, the Bavaria was marketed as "big motor in the no frills base model".

I still think that the vinyl is more aesthetically pleasing though, especially in that colour, albeit very uncomfortable in extreme hot or cold temperatures.

 

[Paulaner]

I have emailed Heather from Newark to see what might have happened here. I was pleased at first but now that I realized the color and embossed pattern are wrong it'll throw off the entire look of my interior. At least my arse won't get jabbed by the old horse hair pad

 

[StephenZ]

Interesting...I'm about to order a bunch of the Gobi E3 embossed vinyl and try my hand at making new seat covers, but I'm not thrilled about the original pattern if it's that 'faded' looking. Definitely looks like it wasn't pressed all the way. They've been really great dealing with by email, though, and I think I'll have a sample of the embossed sent to me first. Looks really nice and clean, though!
EDIT: They did send me a pic of their vinyl and it looks closer to original.

 

[Paulaner]

@StephenZ - I'll keep you posted on how. Newark responds. Hoping they simply grabbed the wrong blue vinyl off the rack and due to its nature it doesn't accept the embossment as well at the proper vinyl material.

I ordered mine just around the time the WU acquisition completed. To be fair, I'm chalking it up to the ownership changes and loss in tribal knowledge with these products. Newark still doesn't show the E3 upholstery kit for sale on their site.

 

[HB Chris]

I think part of the problem is that today's vinyl does not match what was produced in the 70s. And most of what we see is Mercedes vinyl including leather and carpet. I had to search many samples to get a blue leather for my coupe that was as close as I could find.

 

[Paulaner]

Update - I have been in contact with Newark over the last couple of days to sort out the chevron embossing and color discrepancies with my front seat kit.
CEO, Lucas Phillips, reached out via phone call to discuss. Sounds like he personally did the due diligence, and found that there were some quality control checks that were missed during the manufacturing process. The chevron patterning is applied to the vinyl by an outsourced partner they use. Once the pattern is applied, it is shipped back to Newark for the vertical pleating/indentations and cover construction. He was apologetic, and committed to making changes to their quality controls before shipping out orders.

They are going to be sending a replacement seat kit. Will have a further update and supplementary review to come. I am pleased as to how this is all shaking out. In 2026 it can be tough to find good customer service like this.

Regarding the marineblue color and finish match... apparently what I received is as close to the original that is available on the market today. Was told that the matte finish should wear in and over time and garner a more semi-gloss sheen like the original.

 

[JMinPDX]

That's great. A little customer service goes a long way. Sounds like Newark Auto should be added to the preferred list of venders. (if they're not already)
What's the old saying? "Don't buy vinyl embossed on Monday or Friday"

 

[StephenZ]

Good to hear! Yeah, I've been impressed with how quick they've responded to communication with me. Good sign. A shame it's so surprising to have good customer service experiences these days...