Leather and basket weave

[UK280SL]

Apologies if I can find this elsewhere on the site but I have looked and couldn't find so...

I'm about to get my 1969 280SL re-trimmed in leather at great expense.  It has been done in the past and the seats are faded and incorrect, for instance they are not fluted which I understand they should be.

What I don't know is if the leather should have a basket weave pattern in it as well as the fluting or was this just on MB Tex?

Many thanks for your help.

Warren

[Jonny B]

On the seat bottom and the seat back, the side strip should be grained leather (also the side of the seat) the middle section should be basketweave. Not sure what you mean by "fluted". The middle section of the bottom and back should have four pleated sections. For your car the bottom of the seat should not be pinched (just love these terms). I will post a photo, just do not have it handy right now.
Now attached. The pattern is barely visible on these seats, (137K miles) but it is there. This is a 1970 280 SL, so the pleats and configuration at the seat edge would match what would be expected for your vehicle.

[JamesL]

Warren

You taking it to Kevin O'Keeffe? He did mine - leather and carpets (before I owned it). I 'll dig out the receipt and let you know how much it was way back when!

[69280sl]

Jonny B.
Curious why anyone calls the center sections "basket weave", I think perforated would be more accurate. My 280sl had the covers replaced with MB when that was available. The center sections are perforated and noticeably more heavily grained than the sides and back.

[UK280SL]

Many thanks to all for your posts.  I'm taking it to Molesey Coach Trimmers, a superb trimmer and quite close to me in Kent.

[Pawel66]

James, what can be seen on your pictures (especially upper part of the pleated area) is the pattern: rectangular punch trace and thin embossed lines between the corners of these rectangular "holes" or "traces" - correct? And this pattern was used for all leather finished Pagodas? Could we confirm this?

The reason I ask is that I have read in a couple of places (also Technical Manual, I think), that the MB changed this pattern in 1970, they did not press the thin lines, they just left the rectangular "holes". I also saw the pattern without the thin lines called "basket weave" in many upholstery catalogues for Mercedes 1970.

Any advise here would be of value!

[Naj ✝︎]

I don't know much about upholstry but I believe basket weave is actually a criss-cross pattern unique to MB tex and was used in later cars such W114 and W108s? 

Naj

[Jonny B]

The basket weave is indeed an embossed pattern. I have some samples from the mid 60's showing the texture. I will get some pictures posted later today or tomorrow. Kind of tough to get a photo to show the graining.

Okay, here is a snap of the leather basket weave graining pattern. This is from a brochure dated 9/65.

[69280sl]

thanks Jonny

Question now becomes, was this "basket weave" furnished with Pagodas?

Gus

[thelews]

The 230 SL and early 250 SL Tex was a basket weave pattern on the flutes.  I can't vouch for the leather.

[Pawel66]

Gentlemen, thank you - a major step forward. Thank you!

What about the leather?

I am familiar with the pattern shown on the picture from Jonny. Apparently it is a different pattern. My questin is: did they change it in 1970 into plain rectangular punch holes?

I see now that what they call in the catalogues "basket weave" today is not really what it was called when Pagodas were built.

[Jonny B]

I believe they just called it perforated leather. The middle four pleats for leather do have the perforation. I think there was only one style, the picture of the seats from my 280 SL is hard to see the remnants of the "basket weave" embossing. I did look at a 1969 salesman's catalog, that has samples of the embossed pattern, and it indicates only one type across the model lines.

[Pawel66]

Jonny, thank you, this is very likely that it was this way.

Here is a quote from Technical Manual:

"I'm trying to make the decision now with my 230 SL. Here is what I have figured out so far:

    The vinyl used in the 230SL is different than the vinyl in the 280SL. The 230SL version is no longer available. The 280SL version has a much coarser grain.
    The sellers of interiors usually do not know there is a difference - be careful what you buy!
    The same is true of leather.
    The 230SL used a basketweave insert; later models used a pinhole pattern. Make sure you see a sample of the insert as well."

I saw sort of a confirmation in upholster's catalogues - that's why I started havings doubts what to order...

[114015]

The 230SL used a basketweave insert; later models used a pinhole pattern. Make sure you see a sample of the insert as well."

No, that's not correct or let's say not accurate for the leather (I think that is what you are heading for).

While the Vinyl seats (MB-tex) are indeed different (as pointed out in the previous posts above), the leather is definitely not.
It always carried the basket weave pattern, earliest 230ies until latest 280ies,
which is of course not as "coarse" as on the vinyl seats.
However, with the years and (perhaps heavy) usage, the basket weave pattern "wears off" until nearly only the holes are visible. But in hidden areas (e.g. where seat cushion and seat back lie together the "untouched" basket weave pattern is certainly intact (virgin).

BTW, the today available pattern e.g. by GAHH is too strongly accentuated; it was less with the Originals like Jon Bernadi's car.

Good luck & keep us updated,

Achim

[Pawel66]

Achim,

Thanks, that's what I started getting at...