[911968]

Hi all,



Here is a quick before and after shot of the interior of my 92 Coupe from when I purchased it a year ago to now.



The steering wheel and knob were cleaned, wet-sanded and re-dyed with a Leatherique kit (DIY), the centre console lid replaced (plastic hinges broken), Meguiars Plastic X on the instrument cluster and clock while the wheel was off, new carpets and mats and a general cleanup.



The leather skins (full leather front and back) were from Autoberry.com and installed locally. At the same time, new foam was inserted as the old foam was cactus.



I also removed the aftermarket old school Pioneer head unit (I wish the previous owner had the original Blaupunkt) and replaced it with a modern-day but classic looking Blaupunkt unit which looks quite at home given it is the same brand as that originally fitted in Australia.



If you want any more details let me know!



Nick <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[kzem1]

Very nice!

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[biosurfer1]

How did you like the Leatherique kit?

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[Rap]

Looks sharp. How come you didn't fix the wheel? Lol

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[911968]

Leatherique kit was good! I don't have anything to compare it to but overall happy with it!



Rap - What do you mean about the wheel? This is the wheel delivered to the first batch of 968s in Australia in 1992/1993. Airbags for some reason didn't come here until 1994. I'd love to know why! Porsche Australia were looking into it for me a few months ago as it seems like we were the only market this applied to!

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[Scott Collins]

Time: October, 1991. Place: Porsche Factory Parts Bin, Stuttgart, Germany

Situation: two Porsche engineers realize they ordered too many steering wheels for the past 8 years. How can they save their bacon, or should we say bratwurst before they are discovered and sent to work at VW?



Rolf, "Stephan!! Ve got beeg troble!"

Stephan, "Rolf! I no dat! Schi$e! Hmmm, vat are ve going ta do vit deez auld tings?"



-they pause to sip some apple vodka-



Rolf, "Vait! I hav eet! Sen dem don unda!"

Stephan and Rolf sing, "Ein Prosit, ein prosit,....."







Nick - BTW, the job you did on your car is FANTASTIC! Well done! It's interesting that they changed the orientation of just about everything for RHD, but they did not change the ashtray. Still opens right to left. Actually makes more sense that way so it must be wrong for everyone else, come to think of it.

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[gbarrier]

How did you handle the carpet?

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[Bulti]

Now that's what I call improvement! Well done mate!

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[DaveN]

Scott - the Ein Prosit was a very funny ending to a good tale.

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[968Syncro]

Wow, looks great, must be a real pleasure to drive this way.



Question about: "..a modern-day but classic looking Blaupunkt unit "



I am due for a replacement, can you please send a model number? Thanks!

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[911968]

Classic Scott! I had a good laugh - and you're probably spot on!



It reminds me of an episode of the English comedy series 'Fawlty Towers' where Basil Fawlty has German guests and keeps saying to his staff "don't mention ze war". "Rolf" and "Stephan" would have been going to production meetings saying "don't mention ze steering wheels"!



Roland - the head unit I went for was the Toronto 420 BT. Link is here: http://www.blaupunkt.com/us/nc/products/...ngle/4033/



It looks quite at home - and still has the modern functionality of inbuilt bluetooth for phone calls and audio streaming - amongst other mod cons without the bling!

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[BeBe]

Did you install the seat covers yourself? If so, was it difficult?

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[911968]

[quote name='BeBe' timestamp='1391794902' post='154935']

Did you install the seat covers yourself? If so, was it difficult?

[/quote]



Hi BeBe,



The thought crossed my mind however looking at many DIY threads I found that there were often areas where the skins weren't evenly stretched to cover the seats or sagging etc. I didnt wan't to risk it so I gave it to a local German upholstery guy to do for me.



There are a few threads around - i think you need a staple gun, heat gun, large plastic bags for sliding them on and a few other bits and pieces.



I also needed the foam replaced so it was a no brainer to give it to a pro.



Regards,



Nick

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[flash]

just as a technical note, seat covers that look loose are most often due to one of the two following things:



1. the seat cushions themselves are compressed due to age and wear. a good indicator of this particular symptom would be the driver seat being looser than the passenger seat. for proper fitment, the foam cushions should be replaced.



2. leather covers are designed to be a tiny bit loose. they they need heat applied to shrink them. this amount is designed in, with anticipation of the sun shrinking them over time. so, while they might be loose when you finish them, they could also tighten up over time.

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[dry664]

Anyone had a go at doing the cushions/foam themselves or is it a job for a trimmer?

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[flash]

i've never seen anybody do a good job on that. cutting foam correctly, so it doesn't get lumpy, takes some skill, and the right tools.



that being said, i have seen a couple of jobs where some new foam was lain over the old foam. those weren't horrible, though the seat felt very different when sat upon. it was a LOT firmer. that may or may not be comfortable. it's pretty subjective.

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[dry664]

The leather on my seats is in pretty good condition. I think someone has used something abrasive in the past so could do with a reseal but no rips/tears and they dont need colour. Just the center cushions are very flat.



Seeing Nicks pictures above of new leather is making me think. Hmmm.

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[flash]

lol - welcome to the club



i'd have an upholstery guy look at it. the leather may be dried out beyond it's ability to be sewn. on the other hand, it may be fine, and just needs a layer of foam over the top (or even underneath) as a stop-gap

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[911968]

Here's a pic of her after the new full body re-spray too <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Bulti]

Very, very nice!

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