black interior

I've owned my car for over a year now, an '80 targa with black interior. The more I look around, the more I notice that Porsche owners have an affection for black interiors and a lot of them change out their other colors for black. Am I missing something? When I was growing up, I remember all of the gearheads telling me to avoid cars that had black interior, especially black vinyl or leather. I live in Hawaii(sunny most of the time) and use my car as a daily driver. The black interior, along with the wimpy A/C, make it a real sweatbox in stop and go traffic. The black interior was what almost prevented me from buying the car. I am planning on swapping my interior after my wedding this summer and I have some extra cash.

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'80 Targa

I am planning on swapping my tan interior for black one of these days.
I think it looks good...is pretty common and is easy to match. Just my thoughts... I know it gets hotter to sit on.

Just my opinion, but to me nothing looks better in a Porsche than a black interior. I have a black interior and intend to keep it that way (yea, I'm in Hawaii and I have no A/C!!). Hey are you in PCA Hawaii and were you at the last food drive run? Hey let me know when you're swapping out all that stuff...I may need a few items from you.

Leland,
isn't swapping out an interior quite expensive? You need carpet, seats, panels, dashboard...right?

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Jeff
1976 911S

Nice seats can be had for $600-1000.
new carpet is about $250 I need a new dash anyway $300 and door pockets are around $200 a pair for fiberglass. I can buy bulk high grade leather by the yard and recover my knee pads, quarter panels, rear tray, door jambs and maybe even the door panels. I'd let an upholstery shop do the jump seats and maybe the door panels.
All in all not too bad. After the motor is back and running, the interior is my next project.

The "Classic Grau" leather seats from the 993s aren't that bad either. Still I agree with the others that black leather seats are ideal for 911s. Also I like the black part leather part cloth Porsche script seats.

Yeah, the "Classic Grau" leather seats aren't too shabby (better than blue, I think) but to me, nothing beats the "Classic Schwarz" interior, although the part leather part cloth is really nice.

Leland,
You're just throwing money at your SC, aren't ya? Once you're broke you'd have to sell your SC and there would be one less to dominate the world! The world domination SCs would lose their leader! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

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Jeff
1976 911S

I have black leather seats and I live in Phoenix, Arizona. They aren't the coolest feeling, but they sure are the coolest looking.

The thing about black on black in Phoenix is that when people are eyeballing my car, I don't know if they think I'm nuts or if the look is one of admiration.

Maybe they're just wondering who is the good looking guy driving the P-car?

I agree with you radcon. I grew up driving my sisters 72 bug convertible. In the summer she had to keep 4 beach towels in the back seat. The reason was that if she parked the car in the sun and ran into the store for 20 minutes, when she came out she couldn't sit in the seats. They would be so hot they would burn her legs if she had shorts on. So she would have to put a towel down on the seat. It was the same thing with the dash. She left an empty cassette tape holder on the black dash one day. When she got back to the car the thing was literally half melted. I kid you not when I say you could have fried an egg on either the seats or the dash. Having learned from this, when I went shopping for my 83sc cab and my current turbo cab, I held out for tan leather. I think it looks classy and it stays cool. I do think black also looks nice, but on a cab or a targa, give me the tan.

Luke
88 turbo cab

Radcon,
I lived in Hawaii for many years and understand your concern with black interior, especially with a Targa. I used to drive a Chevy 4x4, black on black over there and the interior was hot, too hot. Other cars and trucks I had over there had tan or blue interiors did not get as hot as the black interior. Even in the hot Aiea summer days.

Here in So. Cal., my Targa is black on black. And it gets hot, sometimes too hot in traffic. Especiallly with the top off and the sun blaring on the black leather seats. Last summer I went with Sheepskins and this greatly improved the heat as it applies to the seat.

I recently redid my entire interior, didn't color change, but everything is new. The cost was about $1,800, and that's with me providing the labor.

I'd suggest the black interior for your P-car just because it looks great. I would also suggest you get a pair of sheepskins for the hotter months. Best of luck!
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Paul
78SC Targa

I think a lot of the decision to go with black has to do with the fact that 74-89 cars have lots of black trim. With the bumper trim, smile, bellows and (for a lot of us) targa top, your car is already &black on the exterior, so a black interior makes sense - especially if you've got a metallic paint color. I've never been a fan of the other shades, but I do like the black interior with matching piping.

Emanuel

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Emanuel Brown
1983 911 SC Targa
http://home.att.net/~epbrown01/91183.jpg

I have never noticed a particular affection for black interiors on any of the porsches I have seen????

True many have black, but not in numbers that make me turn my head.

many black interiors, probably more then other colors...but that is the case with most cars...

I notice that Porsches actually have crazy colors...the red/brick/burgandy color is really popular in the 993 and boxsters...and I think it looks pretty good

Tan in red cars seem also VERY prevelant...

I think grey is probably the best color...allowing for a cool color and not all the heat...was this ever offered from the factory for older cars?

Mine of course is s dark Chocolate...which I am growing to like

You can't go wrong with black...besides the heat problems...it is a color that no one ill take offense to...

Plus try finding a dash in chocolate brown...black is the easiest color to find parts in...so...I am sure it is popular for people fixing their interiors...

I'll probably keep my brown...except for black RS panels...

I think black looks best in the 70's early 911's. The ones with the woven looking dash face...definately black..

All other years I think you have to look at your exterior and take that into consideration.

Red and tan look great...
Silver and tan/grey
White and black/tan...etc...

I always thought one of the neat things about german cars, especially Porsche, was the leather interiors in colors other than black and tan.
Especially going back to the 356's. Red (lobster?) leather in a silver car is a true classic.
My 73E was originally the red and someone sprayed everything black, aaaarrrrrgh.


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1973 911E
1987 944S

Nutmeg Brown Metallic on Cashmere.

Feels rich!

G/F thinks its rich. Girls at the office like it.

Case in point: Rear-ended one night. Come to work the following day after the doctor, the first question the girls at work ask "Is your car OK?"

Sheesh, "Yeah I am OK thanks for asking!"

Time to update the pics on my link below.

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Nick Hromyak
'85 Carrera 7 & 9 Fuchs
Havin' Fun in Sacramento

I agree that black is a pretty safe "neutral" color for Porsches. For one thing it allows you to change your body color without having to worry if the interior will still match. The black also blends in well with all the rubber trim on the SC's and Carreras, because if you have too much of a contrast between the interior, body, and trim it can really make the car look busy and cluttered. I really like the looks of the tan or gray. It adds a really classy, luxurious look to the interior, where the black definitely is in keeping with a sporty look. I will probably go with gray when I redo my interior. I plan on doing most of the interior work myself once I acquire sufficient funds and can finish convincing myself to change out an interior that is still in okay condition.

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'80 Targa

My friend's 1991 3.3 Turbo has an original interior that is ... Barney's purple!. No kidding. The body color is turquoise. This color combination is love it or hate it.

I didn't catch what color your car is, but you can't go wrong with black or tan.
I changed the interior of my SC (Coupe) from "live leather" (read baseball glove tan/orange) to black. Open the door and you are in a cave. Everything is black, it's like there is no color. Had the seats done in black and red to help out. My last 911 (Targa) was black with tan interior, very nice. Cool in summer warm in winter. Sheepskins will help out 100% until you decide what to do.

I had some of the same concerns when I was looking to buy my 911. A coworker had black seats in his targa. Goinig to lunch and getting sticky sweaty in Seattle weather I thought was impossible.
. . .I form yet another opinion . .. or two:

Appearance:
Black, I found, gives the 911’s a stark cavernous look.
Black is passable in targas (only looks good if the roof is out)

Function:
Black is terrible in targas when the skys are clear. Day = fry, Night = freeze.
Someone mentioned using sheepskins . . .?. . . in a Porsche? I think ones butt would be a sliding in the corners. Or is it difficult to turn the car that hard when using a matching fuzzy steering wheel cover?

Leather has it over cloth for durability except for in Targas and convertibles. When I was looking for sport seats I found a lot of seat out of targas had shrunken leather. . . .In Hawaii; inevitably the top will be left off when a rain shower passes by.

Aside:
Even though I have a coupe in a mild climate, I went to great extents to find the original Berber cloth for my Sport seats. It’s really great to have the extra breathabiliy.


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'81 Platinum Metalic SC Coupe

[This message has been edited by island911 (edited 05-13-2001).]

From a restoration point of view, it's much simpler to go with black. The seats can be redyed much easier, and also wear and tear show up a lot less on them. Even black duct tape (gasp), can cover rips in seats quite effectively, and don't show unless you're looking closely. Black leather doesn't show up the dirt and grime that tan and brown can show. A dirty tan interior always looks worse than a dirty black interior...

-Wayne

There was a 2001 turbo at Hershey for sale. Black exterior with a green/blue leather interior. Definitely one of the most unique combinations I have seen.

I agree with Wayne that black interior shows wear and tear less. The only thing that makes my GTI with black leather look bad is the golden retriever that I sometimes take for a ride. It takes hours to vacuum up the hair! He won't fit in the 911, though.

Mark H
1970 911E coupe

Agreed! The fellow I bought my black interiored SC from had a big dog, and I simply gave up on the carpet and recarpeted the entire thing. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get rid of the hair!

-Wayne