Seating questions

[hauser]

The perforated sections of a leather seat, should these be flat or should they be rounded? Some seats are pinched while others are not. It is my understanding that the MB tex type was pinched while leather was not.

[Garry]

I replaced my leather with leather the same as was fitted. I assumed it was as per the original, maybe someone will tell me different?
And I know, the gear lever is around the wrong way!!

[tuultyme]

Garry
Is your roping leather or something else?  Is that the 5 speed shifter?
Nice interior!

[66andBlue]

... It is my understanding that the MB tex type was pinched while leather was not. ...

Hauser, what do you mean with pinched?
I believe there is no difference. Below is a photo of the flutes as they were originally in my MB-Tex covers and the other one shows the leather flutes. They are just like Garry's.
I believe that the "flatness"' depends on how much additional padding material is stuffed between the cover and the (horse hair) seat cushion. Or most likely how heavy the driver is.  

[hauser]

Alfred, I am referring to new leather seat covers.

Here is an example of a pinched vs non pinched from World Upholstery.

http://www.worlduph.com/mb6.htm

A photo of Bob's former 230sl.

[Garry]

Hauser,
I think Wordluph are wrong, and they should be like Bob's, Alfred's and mine.

Thanks Bruce, I actually started with a large leather hide out of UK that could do the seats, rear hatch and dash rather than buy the pre made seats available and the upholsterer then tried to match the pattern of what was there, and no, that is a photo pre gearbox change but I am using the same gear lever, same position only shorter shift motion/throw. Still waiting for the speedo cable and then have to get an engraver to correct the top of the gear nob.

[114015]

Hauser,
I think Wordluph are wrong, and they should be like Bob's, Alfred's and mine.

Gentlemen...,

No, they are not. Worldupholstery is correct.
The "not-pinched" or "pinched" pipes or flutes is a question of serial number and not of 'correct' versus 'incorrect'.

Enclosed are two pics from the Motoringinvestments homepage.
I know that car personally. The leather of the (approx.) June 1970 car is absolutely and utmost original and untouched. It shows the pinched leather piping.
Since the rucksack on one of the pics is mine I allowed myself to "place" the pics here.

Unfortunately, I don't exactly know which serial number this was changed during the 280 SL production run.
The (sequentially last) parts list 10202 for the 250/280 SL tells me that there was a change of the seat covers with serial 013416 ... I don't know whether that has to do with the pinched pipes or not but I assume so.
This numbering correlates with the attached pictures, since the silver 280 there has a later serial no.

250ies and 230ies always had non-pinched piping, as have the early 280ies.
I don't know exactly about the MB-Tex but this is/was the way correct for the leather.

Achim
(2 cars without pinching, one 114 with pinching)

[bogeyman]

I have 280SL #008014 in original tex and it is not pinched.  My #18286 in leather is pinched so it is between those numbers that the change occurred.