Seat kits

merdad

merdad

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Hi,
Thinking of buying seat kits for a friend, I would like to know from those who experienced buying from World Upholstery vs GAHH. Which would you recommend?
I did read some of the previous posts, and seems GAHH has a better leather material.
If you were to choose, which one would you choose?
Thanks
 
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I purchased my front and rear seats covers for my e9 from World Upholstery many years ago and they still look new.

GAHH is suppose to have better quality but they cost a lot more.

Richard
 
sorry for diving into this - perhaps too deep ... i am an architect and interior designer in the hospitality industry. there are 2 things to consider about leather quality - to me the first is the feel, which is directly related to the 2nd - the finish. without getting too technical, less expensive leather has more of a plastic feel (a bit harder / less flexible). that finish will look great for a long time. a softer / more buttery / natural feel is generally a more premium leather. these leathers often have a less durable finish ... but not always. some of the beeswax finishes become what is often called a 'worn' / 'Ralph Lauren' distressed finish. others develop a 'patina' which darkens in areas / you will notice a bit of sheen - this is my favorite. all of this is over generalized - you will hear the terms full grain, top grain and full top grain. full grain is the best. top grain means that the top layer has been removed as this is short for topped grain - the full grain was removed and sold for higher costs ... and full top grain is a misnomer - its the top grain. the texture you see is generally manually created. the next thing that makes a difference is the size of the animal. we have all seen nappa leather - this is a glove leather (very soft), these are very small hides (think calf, not cow) - can be 15 to 25 sf / hide. big animals are generally 50 to 60 sf / hide.

now for the note of caution - most residential leathers are not good for the automotive / aviation industry as the wax finishes will not hold up to Ultra Violet light. there is a huge difference in cost of leather - wholesale cost of leather can be as low as $3.50 / sf and can be as high as $15 / sf

i have looked at GAHH + World leather samples - there is a huge difference in quality and in this case you are getting what you are paying for as the labor is basically the same ... its the cost of materials that is the difference. it takes about 3 hides to do 4 seats. look at it in simple / rounded math for materials. use 50 sf hides, so at $4/sf - that is $600 for 4 seats. if you are using $8/sf materials, that is $1200. if you figure that labor might be $500 (+/- 100) ... add overhead / profit and you get the final cost.
 
rsporsche said:
sorry for diving into this - perhaps too deep ... i am an architect and interior designer in the hospitality industry. there are 2 things to consider about leather quality - to me the first is the feel, which is directly related to the 2nd - the finish. without getting too technical, less expensive leather has more of a plastic feel (a bit harder / less flexible). that finish will look great for a long time. a softer / more buttery / natural feel is generally a more premium leather. these leathers often have a less durable finish ... but not always. some of the beeswax finishes become what is often called a 'worn' / 'Ralph Lauren' distressed finish. others develop a 'patina' which darkens in areas / you will notice a bit of sheen - this is my favorite. all of this is over generalized - you will hear the terms full grain, top grain and full top grain. full grain is the best. top grain means that the top layer has been removed as this is short for topped grain - the full grain was removed and sold for higher costs ... and full top grain is a misnomer - its the top grain. the texture you see is generally manually created. the next thing that makes a difference is the size of the animal. we have all seen nappa leather - this is a glove leather (very soft), these are very small hides (think calf, not cow) - can be 15 to 25 sf / hide. big animals are generally 50 to 60 sf / hide.

now for the note of caution - most residential leathers are not good for the automotive / aviation industry as the wax finishes will not hold up to Ultra Violet light. there is a huge difference in cost of leather - wholesale cost of leather can be as low as $3.50 / sf and can be as high as $15 / sf

i have looked at GAHH + World leather samples - there is a huge difference in quality and in this case you are getting what you are paying for as the labor is basically the same ... its the cost of materials that is the difference. it takes about 3 hides to do 4 seats. look at it in simple / rounded math for materials. use 50 sf hides, so at $4/sf - that is $600 for 4 seats. if you are using $8/sf materials, that is $1200. if you figure that labor might be $500 (+/- 100) ... add overhead / profit and you get the final cost.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your great input. GAHH now has a 30% sale. That turn up to about $4000 for a the set in leather. Not bad. This is the picture they show for black leather. What do you think of the grain?
 

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i agree with Chris, looks like a late 80's / early 90's BMW. but i will add the following caveat. sample pieces come from the edges of the hide where there is generally more texture. ask for a pic of the leather hide ... of if they have smoother hides for the vintage seats.
 
Agreed, I thought the grain was not right. But, that’s the only one they show for e9. I have to ask for sample.
Thanks
 
When I was looking at leather I went to a local upholstry shop and went through the GAHH books. They had specific sample pages for e9's, but as I recall there were many other textures for different makes (Porsche, Mercedes, etc) which had different colors and leather grain patterns. If you are not able to find what you are looking for in the BMW/e9 section you may find it in a sample for another manufacturer.
 
boonies said:
When I was looking at leather I went to a local upholstry shop and went through the GAHH books. They had specific sample pages for e9's, but as I recall there were many other textures for different makes (Porsche, Mercedes, etc) which had different colors and leather grain patterns. If you are not able to find what you are looking for in the BMW/e9 section you may find it in a sample for another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Yes, correct. I did a search for black leather on their site. Lots came up with more acceptable textures for other makes. As I recall e9 leather were more of a smooth surface, right?
Thanks
 
Question for those of you in Europe, does anyone make a kit there?
I asked Cabrio, whom I bought my carpet set, and they don’t offer it, even though the owners wife has an e9.
 
so Barney, why did you leave the map pockets off and the perimeter welt? the door panels look very nice though.
 
BarneyT said:
I used this guy, he was very knowledgeable sent three or four samples. Overall, I think they did a good job…
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I agree with Barney. I've used Steve several times and he really tries to please. If you are looking for top of the line, period current leather, use @rsporsche calculations to come up with the most expensive option and you might be satisfied.
 
Another question for the experts
Did 1968 2800cs come with basket weave seat inserts, or herringbone?
World upholstery told him that 68-70 came with basket weave.
True?
Thanks
 
rsporsche said:
so Barney, why did you leave the map pockets off and the perimeter welt? the door panels look very nice though.
Click to expand...
Scott, to me the map pocket look like it was just added / stuck on, and I was kicking it all the time getting in and out of the car so I decided to delete it… I was used to the slick look anyway from the 2002s I have …the rear welt strip was binding on the frame, the door card needs to be cut down a 1/4” on back edge …by the time I got to installing the door cards I was down to one arm, (I had rotators cuff surgery, two weeks ago today ) so I just pulled the Welt strip off and let it go until the next time I take the door cards off…
 
merdad said:
Another question for the experts
Did 1968 2800cs come with basket weave seat inserts, or herringbone?
World upholstery told him that 68-70 came with basket weave.
True?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Great question? I have only seen one or two vinyl 2800CS seats, 99% in the US were leather and they are smooth. Are they suggesting they would emboss leather?
 
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