Leather vs cloth vs ?

Body, Paint, Interior and Trim questions and answers

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SIB
Fast Driver
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby SIB » Fri Jun 11, 2010 3:44 pm

Luv the leather look. It's v slippery on track days...find I'm hanging onto the steering wheel for support...but small price to pay for the look and feel off the track.
1991 LE#162 WP 1.17.700; SMPS 1.12.112

Backmarker

Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby Backmarker » Fri Jun 11, 2010 4:09 pm

I have a BRG NA with the leather interior. I love the way it looks, and it fits with the car nicely, but yes, not much chop on a track day. Combine it with the wooden steering wheel and it's far from ideal.
Swapping in a seat and wheel would be a good option, but i'd prefer a carbon bodied track day car. Lightyear, did you want to donate?

nick viner
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby nick viner » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:04 pm

leather too.

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Rocky
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby Rocky » Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:26 pm

Leather looks good, smells lovely and is nice to sit on when the car is parked (but not in the sun)
Cloth looks OK, smells synthetic when new, but is great to sit on when driving.
A mate has leather in his Mazda 6 but it is stiff, shiny and uncomfortable. I like the expensive 'soft-feel' stuff that you don't slide about on.
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davekmoore
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby davekmoore » Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:01 pm

Leather. Easier for an old bloke to fall into in what at least appears to be a fairly controlled way.
UK since return: Standard NC2 (horrid), C200K, ND2 BBR, NC2 BBR200 (loved it), NC BBR300 (better than BARMY), V-Special, turbo NB8B (my 84th car)

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MX5CHIC
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby MX5CHIC » Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:15 pm

I swapped my NB8A cloth seats for Red Leather NC seats - no more back pain on long drives, and as I discovered when some #@*hole threw a McDonalds thick shake cup on my drivers seat ...... so easy to clean :roll:

deviant
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby deviant » Thu Jun 17, 2010 12:30 pm

davekmoore wrote:Leather. Easier for an old bloke to fall into in what at least appears to be a fairly controlled way.


:lol:

Personally I dont like leather unless it is very high end stuff. You should try the Nappa leather in a BMW, so so soft and smells lovely. By christ its bloody expensive though!! It feels like a very expensive pair of leather gloves or wallet.
I find the leather in my NA8 LE to be far to hot and does not breathe at all, horrible stuff. I find the same in a lot of 'regular' cars that have been given leather. It is often not real leather or is poor quality, most of the time if you read the fine print only some sections of the seats are leather and the rest is some synthetic material.

In a track car cloth or alcantara are the only option. Alcantara is pretty useless in a road car though as it is a synthetic man made material that gets 'pilling' and eventually wears shiny. It is also ruined by sweat so if you have an alcantara covered steering wheel you need driving gloves all the time. It clings to your clothes and gloves though so it really helps you keep secure in the corners.

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XMX500
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby XMX500 » Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:37 pm

Love the look of leather but it is usually cold in winter and sticky & hot in summer .I am a fan of sheep skin covers and just had set fitted to my 5 .You lose some the great side support but I no longer get a numb bum, real cosy in this weather with the hardtop on. Support will inprove as they settle in. I have had a set on my Verada for 6 years and would not be with out them.
Keith.
Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria Member #1559
Evo Gold NB8A

jonejilly1987

Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby jonejilly1987 » Fri Jun 03, 2011 2:48 pm

I prefer leather because there are few reasons for that such as the fitting of leather is nice and looks good. Today leathers are in many quality and colors. Cloth is also good but it can't keep long time and also its cool to seat.

intailds
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby intailds » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:14 pm

i was looking at buying a car once, seats were leather it had seen siting in the sun whole day. I sat in it and it burn so hard my back and butt like i was jumping backwards and forwards because it was hard to get out with the side upholstery-in.

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davekmoore
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Re: Leather vs cloth vs ?

Postby davekmoore » Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:52 pm

intailds wrote:i was looking at buying a car once, seats were leather it had seen siting in the sun whole day. I sat in it and it burn so hard my back and butt like i was jumping backwards and forwards because it was hard to get out with the side upholstery-in.


Yup, black leather in summer sun means that when you park you at least throw the roof up for shade even if you don't bother latching it.
UK since return: Standard NC2 (horrid), C200K, ND2 BBR, NC2 BBR200 (loved it), NC BBR300 (better than BARMY), V-Special, turbo NB8B (my 84th car)


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