MB Tex vs Leather

[Cole]

Hello Pagodafiles,

I have a '69 280SL with the original upholstery (MB Tex). It's in surprisingly good condition for being about fifty years old. There's cracking and fading in the dash, but the seats and door panels have no tears, etc., and are quite good.
I'm considering having the car repainted and that brings the question of replacing the original interior or not. Depending on one's taste, it may look odd to have new paint and old interior. Or not. Also, if the interior is changed, there's the choice of MB Tex or leather. As mentioned, the original MB Tex has held up exceptionally well, probably better than leather would have. (?)
I've been leaning more toward the MB Tex mainly for maintenance and durability, but I've been told that the vinyl material available these days isn't as good as it was fifty years ago. Do you agree with that?
I'd like to get your opinion on these few points:
1. Replace the original MB Tex so it's consistent with the new paint or keep it original?
2. If I replace the interior, go with MB Tex or leather?
3. Do you recommend a particular brand of vinyl that would be as good as that from '60s - early '70s?

Thanks!
Cole
 

[doitwright]

When I bought me car in 06 it had leather but I was in the mindset of doing an inexpensive cosmetic refurbishment. I figured with MB Tex or vinyl, I could work with a material that would be more forgiving from an installation standpoint (which it is), and that would allow me to do it myself. After getting more involved in the car, I found myself going down the rabbit hole of refurbishing just “one more thing”. Before you realize it you reach a point of no return. Yes, vinyl, or MB Tex as everyone prefers to call it, will keep its original appearance longer than leather, but in my opinion, when given the choice between the two, with everything else in the car you will ultimately invest in, leather is the way to go. Once you make that decision, you have to decide the kind of leather you will use. Most people with newer or more recent leather interiors will use an aniline dyed leather where the color is through the leather. This is not what Mercedes originally used in these cars. Mercedes used leather from a now defunct company called Rosser which provided a vegetable dyed leather where the color is only on the outer surface. When comparing the two types, there is a distinct difference in the suppleness and texture of the leather. Most of the popular interior suppliers including German Auto Tops, GAHH and Heritage can provide what they call Old-Timer leather which is about as close as you will find to the original leather used by Mercedes. Once you search these forums, you will find that much has been discussed about the Leather vs. MB Tex options.

[lowpad]

I tend to agree with Frank: you're spending a lot of money on the car, why not go all the way with high-quality leather seats?  But I guess I'm a traditionalist and like to keep things original to the extent that I can.  My 1966 230SL came with Tex seats and when I bought it -- they looked very much like the seats on the 1967 230SL that sold recently for an impressive price on BaT.  Not being able to find seat covers that replicated the appearance of the early W113 Tex seats, I decided to rebuild my seats with new lower springs and new pads under the existing covers.  The result was impressive and the seats look nearly new again -- and also have the benefit of matching the patina of the rest of the car (something that might be a problem if you replace just the seat covers).  Do you have an experienced upholsterer that you can consult?  It's really important to work with someone who has W113 experience, especially if you go the rebuilding route.  You might also look through the cars that have sold on BaT -- they can give you some good examples of the various alternatives of leather vs tex. 

Good luck!

[john.mancini]

Hi Cole,

If your original seats and door panels are "quite good", with no rips or tears, DO NOT replace them. Have your dash re-done with matching MB Tex. Anything original to your car, that is worth keeping, and in good enough condition to keep, KEEP.
Even with a new paint job, good, original interiors can be detailed to look "as new".

That being said, "original" is always my preference. Your preference may be different. But we can all agree that the emphasis on originality is an important factor when it comes to today's collector car values.

[lowpad]

Is there a good source of original (and early) MB Tex?  I've never been able to find the smooth finish vinyl, just the later version with the more animal-type grain.

[GM]

German Auto Tops has both types - 3XX (smoother) and P3XX (more grain)
https://www.germanautotops.com/mercedes-mb-tex-vinyl-1968-72

[Cole]

Hi and thanks for all your great feedback.

I do really like leather upholstery, but I believe it requires more care and just won't last as long as MB-Tex. Do you agree?
I talked with John at German Auto Tops here in LA about getting good quality vinyl for the MB-Tex approach and he said that it was hard to find. But that doesn't mean it's impossible.
So..... I'm still interested in finding the best sources for it; The sources that German Auto Tops and GAHH use may be the best out there. Do you folks think that's the case or do you know of better (or the best) sources for excellent quality vinyl?
John, you made a very good point about keeping it original except for the cracked dash top. I'm lucky to have the original upholstery (except for the top of the dash) in such good condition, so that may well be the best solution for me.
But I'm still interested in knowing where the best vinyl can be found that's comparable to that of fifty years ago.

Thanks!
Cole

[mrfatboy]

As a point of reference I bought new MB Tex seat covers (from GAT) to replace my originals.   I also bought extra to replace the old dash.

The new MB Tex is nice but nowhere as durable as the original. As far as I know, GAT, Gahh, World, etc sell the same stuff.

[Peter h]

I also left the MB Tex. Only the dashboard was also torn and reupholstered with perfectly fitting leather.
If it's good you should leave it and just reupholster the seats so that you don't sit on the floor.
Peter
MB Tex is a little to strong to reupholstered the dashboard.

[RobSirg]

Here's my AU$0.02

I've have had my Pagoda's re-upholstered in Leather and MB Tex.

MB Tex is more durable and less inclined to be stained from the dyes in your clothes (especially blue jeans on parchment leather)

I found the finish on the dash pieces to be better when done in MB Tex. My upholster said MB Tex has more "give" and they are able to stretch it over the dash pieces better than they can with leather.

So I guess I am sitting in the MB Tex camp.

It definitely pays to get samples - as I could not believe the colour & texture variance between the different suppliers.

[mrfatboy]

I found reupholstering my dash with MB Tex was one of the more easier tasks of restoring a pagoda 😀

[Cole]

Very helpful info, Guys.

To RobSirg, did you get your vinyl there in Australia? Do you know how yours compares to sources here in the U.S., etc? At this point, I've decided to keep/refurbish my original vinyl seats, but would like to help to locate the best quality vinyl out there for us all to use.

Thanks.

[RobSirg]

Hi Cole,

We tend to purchase our parts from Germany or the USA. There are no local suppliers for us ( that l know of).

I actually sourced the MB Tex ( and leather) from German Auto Tops who is one of the suppliers recommended by the group. Very good service!

Rob