New Member 1970 E9 2800CS

E9_COUP_70

E9_COUP_70

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Hi everyone, new member here. Looking forward to some great E9 threads. My history... Dad bought her off the lot in dec 1970 for $6,998.00 USD. #603 of the assembly line. I have the original window sticker and manual. License plate of BMW 603 to match. Drove it daily, challenging all that would play. Great memories in this car from my childhood. One time my 16yr old 6'2" body crammed in the back from CA to AZ and back. He moved to Hawaii and gifted her to me in 2012 (death by rust would have been next). I had the entire suspension rebuilt as well as much of the engine that needed replacement. Drive her occasionally now cause if some hits me its over. She always runs strong and is super fun. Will never sell her as I hope to gift to her one of my kids and keep the legacy going. Because of this car I have been a BMW owner my whole life. E38's, F90 and F11. Question... the pigskin has gone on the front seats. Looking for real replacement not simulated. Having a hard time finding source. Any help finding local source in the Sacramenta CA area would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.
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Which dealer sold the coupe? My 70 2800 sedan was sold by Vasek Polak in April 1970, blue plate 037 BMW. We believe the dealers knew which DMV had the BMW plates as A plates were in NorCal and B plates were in SoCal. The other theory was that the BMW ACA told their members where to get them. Would love to know which is correct. Welcome to the madness.

I am not aware of anyone who has the pigskin leather, you can see the hair follicles in the leather.

Chris
 
so i presume its VIN is 2270603 or is it 2280603?

i don't think anybody sells leather that really matches the original 'open pore' saddle tan. other than custom, there are 3 companies that make kits - GAHH is arguably the best, then there is Newarkauto.com and cabrio.de in Germany.
 
@e9Leveque suggested you look at my thread, but some clarification may help. I had my entire interior redone by Coupe King in LA, which meant I had to drive it all down there. Their work is beautiful. They sent me many samples of leather, but none were quite right. I eventually found what we wanted online, and I had six hides drop-shipped to them. There may be folks in the Sacramento area that do good work too, especially if it is just seats (my project included everything including kick panels, door cards, console parts, ashtrays, etc.). They also custom perforated the leather for the seat panels.

Bottom line is that you can probably find a special leather for your seats, and either send them to CK, or find a local shop to do the work. Having done 3 cars using kits, with fair to mixed results, I would not use a kit on a coupe, but that’s just my personal preference. Others have apparently had good results with them, but I think the choices of leather are somewhat limited
 
rsporsche said:
so i presume its VIN is 2270603 or is it 2280603?

i don't think anybody sells leather that really matches the original 'open pore' saddle tan. other than custom, there are 3 companies that make kits - GAHH is arguably the best, then there is Newarkauto.com and cabrio.de in Germany.
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I'm working with Newarkauto on my door panels (ashtray delete) and they have been very helpful.
 
please keep in mind that disassembly of these seats is NOT for the faint of heart. its a PITA ... and getting a kit to fit right takes experience. i know Coupeking or somebody really knowledgeable with coupe seats, is not going to be inexpensive - you will be doing all 4 seats plus the 3 rear armrests.

we have some California upholsterers listed in the FAQ - top sources

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rsporsche said:
please keep in mind that disassembly of these seats is NOT for the faint of heart. its a PITA ... and getting a kit to fit right takes experience. i know Coupeking or somebody really knowledgeable with coupe seats, is not going to be inexpensive - you will be doing all 4 seats plus the 3 rear armrests.

we have some California upholsterers listed in the FAQ - top sources

View attachment 225257
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Yep! About $3k in leather, plus labor… well into 5 figures. And then there is the collateral damage caused by new stuff making everything else look shabby…inevitable scope creep!
 
yup, the average hide is 500 bucks - about 45 to 50 sf with an average of 10 to 12 sf wholesale cost ... very dependent on the quality of the leather. also remember, the skinny parts of the hide are not that usable (for anything). so there is an average of 15 to 20% waste in a hide. seats + arm rests take about 4 hides. if you do do door / side panels ... you are in the 5 to 6 hide territory. if you buy kits - you are in the $4500 range
 
rsporsche said:
please keep in mind that disassembly of these seats is NOT for the faint of heart. its a PITA ... and getting a kit to fit right takes experience. i know Coupeking or somebody really knowledgeable with coupe seats, is not going to be inexpensive - you will be doing all 4 seats plus the 3 rear armrests.

we have some California upholsterers listed in the FAQ - top sources

View attachment 225257
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Nice thank you for the detailed information. She does not have to be show ready, just respectable. I will make some calls on these recommendation
 
hard to say from looking at a picture of material not installed. the one thing i can bet on is, the quality of the leather is going to leave a lot to be desired. so here's the first question, what do you do about the non-matching center + side arm rests? what do you do about the non-matching seat back? the covers are perforated - no CS ever had perforated leather seats. these are inexpensive, and there is a reason for it. one thing i can tell you is that leather that is being sold at 4.50 / sf on a retail site comes from China. my guess is that it is 'spray painted' leather, not dyed. it may or may not survive under exposure to u/v light.
 
If you want to save some cash, then order a kit from GAAH. many folks have had good results with that approach. It may not be the material you really want, and the installation will depend on you, but the cost is reasonable. I'd study some vids on upholstery first. so you know what you are getting into. I suspect, if you want to recreate the original pigskin look, you will need professional help, and expect a cost of $10K + But, it will be perfect...
 
Dlc said:
I'd say you get what you pay for. Nice quality European leather costs more for the hides than this whole kit.
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Yep. I got a great deal on my hides, and they cost $2500. And that was just bulk leather. The shop then had to cut sew and fit that tot he seats, and other components.

Based on my experience, a DIY vinyl seat upholstery job can be done for about $500-$800 as long as you do all the work yourself. The same thing in leather is about $2K for a super cheap kit, and again lots of work with hog rings and contact cement. Once you go to higher quality leather you are looking at at least $2500 in material plus whatever it costs to do the work. If its a DIY kit then probably $3.5K-$5.5K, if you have it professionally done it will likely go over $10K Having done seats myself, and also seen professional quality work, I absolutely agree that you get what you pay for. My 635 seats were a semi custom kit (I sent the old covers to a guy that sewed new covers in leather, using the old ones as a pattern). The results were OK, but CLEARLY not pro quality...ANd that was my third run at redoing an interior...
 
Well, all I can add here, and this is in Canada, but a few years ago, I wanted my trashed rear seats re-upolstered in Marineblau leather. Reputable shop in Vancouver ordered and brought in correct product from Germany ( this was before Covid and all the supply chain madness) and after installation, Total coast was $3200. YRMV, but having an experienced, professional to manage cutting, stuffing, minimizing wrinkles and puckers, PLUS adding a guarantee the adhesive will hold....is worth a lot to me. Good luck with your project!
 
bluecoupe30! said:
Well, all I can add here, and this is in Canada, but a few years ago, I wanted my trashed rear seats re-upolstered in Marineblau leather. Reputable shop in Vancouver ordered and brought in correct product from Germany ( this was before Covid and all the supply chain madness) and after installation, Total coast was $3200. YRMV, but having an experienced, professional to manage cutting, stuffing, minimizing wrinkles and puckers, PLUS adding a guarantee the adhesive will hold....is worth a lot to me. Good luck with your project!
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Sounds about right... add 20% today for inflation and tariffs, and for 4 seats you would be right around $10K...
 
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