to suede or not to suede??

[manuyc]

Im restoring my 81 targa. I took dash off got cracked repaired and I was thinking of wrapping the dashboard with suede and also doing the top part of the door panel. plus give it a little class and add some black suede to the seat bolster only. any thoughts?
sorry I don't have any pics the interior is black and the exterior paint is platinum silver. my build thread is posted on this site.

[Stophos]

No reason not to if you don’t care about originality. As long as you don’t go 80’s on it it will be okay.

[DanielDudley]

What do they call that stuff ? Alacantra?

[hcoles]

There are a good number of hits on Google regarding Alcantara vs Suede.

[hcoles]

Why not leather? I'm not sure it costs that much more and might be easier to work with around all the corners.

[manuyc]

Originally Posted by Stophos

No reason not to if you don’t care about originality. As long as you don’t go 80’s on it it will be okay.

I do care about originality but just wanted to add some flare to car. I have seen leather wrapped dash and they seem to be a bit bulky IMO.but Im glad some chimed in on the tpic. i do not want to turn off people if one day i have to sell car.

[manuyc]

Originally Posted by hcoles

Why not leather? I'm not sure it costs that much more and might be easier to work with around all the corners.

I have seen some wrapped dashboards they seem to be a bit bulky. I love the way the singer cars look. not saying that my car will reach that status but they have some beautiful designs and wanted to go that route as far as interior. In a more subtle way.

[Helix8]

Careful not to use too thick of a material when recovering your dash as can make reinstalling the front windshield difficult.

[911tracker85]

I have been considering this. in part to reduce glare. my 85 911 is full leather and the leather dash does that.

got the dash out of the 78 930 conversion, just vinyl. I think it is classic 9 or some site that sells custom made leather dash covers. got a quote for $650 IIRC to do it for me.

but I have a long way to go before I had to decide on this.

good luck.

[Jack Stands]

Leather does have a tendency to shrink and warp the dash I’ve heard. Alacantra seems like a good alternative.

[Cairo94507]

I just think keeping Alcantra clean and dust free on a dash top is tough. Every time you clean your windshield you will have to be careful not to get anything on the dash. I would have the original redone by JustDashes or have it wrapped in leather with little to no padding if possible. I think Alcantra is OK for a car that is not driven but with use it looks bad.

[slow&rusty]

I just had the dash on one of my cars (not my 911) done in Alcantara and red deviated stitching and it came out fantastic. I am looking forward to installing it. I don't think keeping it clean will be an issue.

[wayner]

Here is a thread on the topic

In the end I decided to do dash and door tops (pics in thread)

Alcantera dash complete

[Chuck.H]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

I just had the dash on one of my cars (not my 911) done in Alcantara and red deviated stitching and it came out fantastic. I am looking forward to installing it. I don't think keeping it clean will be an issue.

I covered mine with Alcantara a few years ago - love the look, it's both retro and modern at the same time. As to keeping it clean, my biggest problem is a little mildew growth here in crazy humid north Florida, but it wipes clean with a cloth.

HTH,
Chuck.H
'89 M491 turbo-look Targa, 441k miles

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by manuyc

I do care about originality but just wanted to add some flare to car. I have seen leather wrapped dash and they seem to be a bit bulky IMO.but Im glad some chimed in on the tpic. i do not want to turn off people if one day i have to sell car.

If you like it, it is your car and do what you want. If you are looking at resale...to be honest, I would expect that most folks interested in paying top dollar for an old SC would want it to look as close to original as possible (retro/nostalgia, etc.). If I were buying, I would consider even well-done alcantra no better than seat covers or worn upholstery that needed ripped out and redone. In fact, I would count off even more than I would for worn parts...as I would be able to inspect them to determine if they could be repaired...and alcantra could cover up a lot. Personally, vinyl or leather seem the only reasonable alternatives for me.

[pdtweeks]

Alcantara is the way to go.......easy to work with and very durable.
Do a little research on the material....it can be cleaned with just about anything.

I used it in the area where gauges mount, A & B pillars, and door tops......it came out great.