JMG2

I'm thinking of redoing my interior -- carpets, dash, and door panels are in very good shape, but the seats need new covers and foam. Was thinking of going with leather, but the car is originally vinyl. Does this decrease the value at all?

Pilot Dan

I don't think so.

Nowhere Man

Yes. If the car is all original and numbers matching

Pilot Dan

Well yes, if its a concourse car, but in general most would perceive leather seats as an upgrade on a car that will be driven IMO.

rtruman

upgrade that for sure,no

Nowhere Man

I guess I don't fall into most.

dplotkin

The smell of new leather in your C2 will hit you every time you open the door, makes it seem like a more expensive car, a Jag I dare say. Far better than the smell of vinyl. You will feel like a million bucks.

Unless you require the approval of others do what you want. You don't want to be on your death bed saying to yourself, I did without leather all those years to satisfy who...?

Dan

Fawndeuce

As mentioned, if it's an all original numbers matching car and originality is important to you, or, if it is and you think there's a possibility that you may sell it some day, go with vinyl.
If none of the above apply, go with leather if that's what's you prefer.



Paul

C2Jeff

OK, folks, how would you answer the question if I posed it thusly:

My car has a vinyl interior, which is how it was born. However, my car's original interior color was all bright blue and now it is bright blue and white. I could restore it to all bright blue and eliminate the white but if I did, I'd opt for leather. So, the original color would be restored but the original material would change from vinyl to leather. Which then is more important? Restoring it to the original color or to the original material? I'd rather have leather than vinyl because it feels better and gets character as it ages whereas vinyl always looks plasticky. I don't think I'd bother to restore my interior to the all-bright blue if it meant staying with vinyl. I might as well just keep the white vinyl and save the money in that case.

62Jeff

New leather seats are about $650 a set, plus installation. So worst case it seems we are talking about whether or not a $1200 reversable mod (covers plus install) will affect the value of the car

I say "only by $1200". So is that little of an impact worth not doing something you really want?

leif.anderson93

Jeff,

You just hit the nail on the head. If you want leather, put it in and enjoy it. If the next owner wants to take it back to vinyl that will be their choice and not a very expensive one. If and when my vinyl starts looking natty I will definitely put in leather.

rayvaflav

62Jeff has the best of both worlds. While he has opted to retain the vinyl seats for originality he sits on those vinyl seats while wearing a set of leather pants. This combination satisfies the purists, the Mods and the Rockers.

Ray

Fawndeuce

Knowing our Jeff as we do Ray, no question he would only fly commando when wearing his stylish slacks.
The OP could of course achieve the same result by getting the leather seats and foregoing the pants altogether, but as his car appears to be a roadster, this might prove to be a tad impractical in sunlight, especially with a black interior...




Paul

Mossy66

Back in about 2009 I put leather seats in our car. Now I have the dye cracking at the front of the driver seat. I apparently neglected conditioning the seats. They were purchased from Corvette America.

rtruman

Jeff I have all matching car if I was going to upgrade I get what I wanted ,I have vinyl and would get leather .I am thinking to going to leather any way its a personal choice for me .Heck with the person way down the line, The big items are correct that's all I care about .
and if I didn't have power brakes I would add that also. My neighbor
has the Bloomington Gold certified , red coup He has leather must of added it after certification.

C2Jeff

I agree, Rtruman. I've got the original tank sticker and Protecto Plate for my car so I know it didn't come with leather, but it also didn't have a hardtop, power steering, power brakes, or A/C, all of which I've added and all of which are removable by some future purist who wants only originality. So, to enjoy driving my car I think that it should be set up as I want it, not to a fixed, arbitrary standard.

vettsplit 63

I have black leather seat covers from Al Knoch that I am about to send to the upholstery shop to have installed on my 63 seat frames , and I just got my red leather seats back from Al Knoch completed for my 62. Man do they look good! And nobody will ever know it wasn't factory, err except for the few people who belong to Corvette Forum.

chevahaulic

Where does common sense start and end ? If you like leather ... go leather. Are you going to discount the car at sale time because it is upgraded ? Too many bankers, not enough owners.

C2Jeff

Does anyone make leather door panels and handbrake console? The plasticky finish of those pieces really bothers me.

vettsplit 63

Al Knoch. Bring money