New Leather for an Old Car
Article and Photography by
Bradley Badali
The leather upholstery on my 1973 280SE 4.5 has been bad since the day I bought the car, but I recently replaced it, doing much of the basic work myself, and I am very happy with the results.
But before I tell you how I replaced the upholstery, let me explain briefly how I got the car in the first place. Looking to buy another classic Mercedes – I already owned a 1961 220Sb – I purchased the 280SE in the spring of 1997. We had moved into a house with a two-car garage, so why not add a second car to fill it? My wife said I could get another car if she could get a new dog to replace the one that had died recently. My first Auto Trader prospect was disappointing, so I passed it up. Meanwhile, my wife had already picked the dog she wanted. Given her purchase, I was committed to finding a car.
I looked again at Auto Trader and discovered a 280SE for sale in Syracuse, approximately 50 miles away. The description was brief, but the car looked nice in the picture. I took my 4-year-old son Ben with me to inspect the car. When we got there, the car was backed into the driveway, so I couldn’t see the numbers on the trunk. I noticed that the leather on the seats was in rough shape, but the body appeared to be rust-free.
The key was in the ignition, so I asked the owner if I could start it. When I turned the key, instead of the familiar sound of a 6-cylinder, I heard the rumble of a V-8. I walked to the back of the car, saw the 4.5 on the trunk lid, and could not stop grinning. After looking it over and taking a short spin around the block, I wanted the car even with the bad-looking seats. Ben said, “Daddy, this is the car for you.” I made an offer, and at the end of the week the car was mine.
After owning the car for 13 years, moving around the world, retiring from the military, building a house, and settling down in what I hope will be my home for life, I decided it was time to refinish those seats. By this time, the 37-year-old Cognac 250 leather would crumble when touched.
My first step was to get estimates from local upholstery shops. Although the shops could not duplicate the look or color exactly, and the price would be high, they did claim they could make seat covers that would look nice. They suggested I could save money if seat kits were available.
Consequently, I began searching for seat kits that matched the material, color, and construction as closely as possible. After checking out four or five sources, I discussed the project with Premiere Custom Upholstery in Butler, Pennsylvania. A family business with an outstanding reputation in the area, Premiere had put the soft top on my 230SL last fall and did an outstanding job. The shop recommended GAHH seat kits because of their fit and quality of materials. I found the leather in the kits to be top quality, the pleats and perforations in the leather sewn in the same dimensions, the pleats stuffed with jute, and the appearance nearly identical to the originals. Using the kits was definitely less expensive than having the upholstery made from scratch.
While this still promised to be an expensive project, at least I was sure the seats would look original in the car. I would say the color match is better than 90 percent. The speckle pattern varies a bit, but it matches well without having to redo the door panels.
When I began the installation, I removed the seats by myself in approximately one hour. The rear bench just lifts out. The rear seat back has two nuts in the trunk. With the nuts removed, the top pulls forward slightly, then down, and slips right out.
The front seats are more complicated. There are two sliders, one for height and one for front to back. Slide the seat back, then raise it to its full height. A spring under each seat must be unhooked before removing the four bolts or the track will bind. I used a hook to pull and release it from the front. Slide the seat forward and up the entire way, then remove the rear bolts with a 10mm socket. Carefully slide the seat back and remove the front bolts with a 10mm wrench. The passenger seat on my car has a plug connector for the seat-belt buzzer. Disconnect any plugs before cautiously lifting the seat out through the front door. I removed the trim covers from the seats and the spring before taking them to the shop.
While the seats were out of the car, I removed the snap-in carpets, thoroughly vacuumed the interior, and checked the floor, which showed no evidence of rust. I polished the trim pieces from the sides of the seats.
With the seats in the shop, Premiere disassembled each piece and cleaned and painted the frames and springs as needed. Everything looked great. I had an NOS horsehair pad for the driver’s seat, and the others were still in good condition. They added cotton padding to firm up each seat as needed. Some shops use foam because it’s cheaper, but it tends to deteriorate quicker over time. I recommend using the best-quality materials possible for a better, longer-lasting product.
With the seats reassembled and ready for installation, I corralled Ed, who works at the shop, to help reinstall them. This was very important. With such high-quality work just completed, I didn’t want to damage the seats while putting them back in the car. We installed the rear seat back first, then the front seats in reverse of their removal. Hooking the spring is a bit difficult, but I guided it from underneath while Ed pulled the rope. I wore thick leather gloves in case the spring should snap back.
With everything in place, the last steps were to stand back and enjoy the view, then sit in each seat position and admire the work. Next year no one will be asking, “When are you going to fix those seats?”
I would like to dedicate this story to our dog, Honey. She didn’t outlive the car that was part of the bargain that brought her to us – she passed away in January 2010 at the age of 14. We miss her very much.
Captions
Top: The car was just too nice to have a ratty interior. Left: The old leather fell apart when you touched it. Clearly it had to be replaced. Below: The new interior was worth every penny.
Right, from top: I did all the work I could, including removing the seats, leaving the upholstery on so that the upholsterer could see how the covering was installed. I made sure to clean and vacuum everything. The quality of the GAHH seat kits was excellent. Premiere Custom Upholstery in Pennsylvania did all the work on the seats, using correct horsehair and cotton padding for cushions, instead of the cheaper foam. After I installed the newly done seats, I just stood back and admired the results.