[phoenixpnr]

What is special to the Leather interior cars?
Obviously the seat material and stitch pattern.
Is the cut pile carpet like the later pile or thicker?
Mesh rear package tray with sound deadener underneath.
The sail panels are an embossed vinyl like the door panels, one of mine is trash.

Anything else different then a normal SJ interior?
Thanks

By the way anyone have any sail panels around?

[428ho4spd]

Yes, the carpet is cut pile like what Cadillac used and is very thick. It was also used on the lower rear area of the bucket seat bottoms instead of vinyl and also on lower portion of door panels. '69 leather cars came with courtesy lamps in the door panels. Nothing different on the package tray, mesh was for cars factory installed rear speakers and all had sound deadener. Yes, molded vinyl sail panels were also part of the leather interior option.

Please tell us more about your car and post some photos!

[Keith Vrabec]

Converting a car from vinyl or redoing original seats?

[phoenixpnr]

Pics would be lame at best! Right now it is a shell on a rotisserie.
For those that haven't seen this car for sale or other questions on the forum,
I am now restoring a 69 SJ GP 428 HO auto, still waiting for PHS, but Gold ext with Tan top and Gold Leather interior. Well optioned with Tilt, AM/FM, PW seat, Rally gauges, PW, PL, remote mirror, cruise control, Rally IIs and a couple of others.
Great all original car from original purchasing family, but rough. I have since found many great parts to repair / restore the body back to excellent condition. The leather seats are as you would expect, BAD!
I am contemplating a couple of options in original stitch, vinyl, faux leather and leather. Ultimately I want to achieve the look and feel of the original HO GP.


How many other leather interior GPs are out there? I have inquired about the sail panels to several people and they all have said the they have never had a leather interior car.

[Keith Vrabec]

A good trimmer can cut the original seats apart and use them as a pattern to redo them. The faux leather looks and feels good but wears much better than real leather. Wouldn't recommend vinyl. The "earmuffs" are quite hard to find but you can just have regular sail panels trimmed in leather to start. Searching for them will be an ordeal but ya never know....

DON"T THROW AWAY THE PATTERNS IF YOU CUT THE OLD SEATS APART. I'll buy them when you're done.

Grant may know production, I would expect leather cars in 69-70 are about 10% of production.

[phoenixpnr]

I have seen in the past on other threads that you and others, kinda cataloged the where abouts and color combos of other HO cars. In your memory, did any of those have leather interiors? I figured that it would be somewhat more common in the HO cars due to the fact that many were loaded to the gills anyway.

[428ho4spd]

I agree with Keith on the production, about 10% of all '69 & '70 GP's came with leather. I've owned three HO cars with leather in the past and have seen others. It was an expensive upgrade, more than the HO engine itself. I've also had a '69 Model J 400 with leather, but that was a fairly loaded car. I would imagine that most HO cars were special ordered and its probable that a larger percentage of them had leather interior by the numbers.

[71GP76TA]

Here's a pic of a saddle leather interior '69 SJ.

[Keith Vrabec]

Love that 69 leather...

[phoenixpnr]

Great pic, looks like Verdoro is it?
Did they do leather in 70?
That color interior looks like alot like mine, is there a major difference between saddle and gold? My dash and console look down right tan, but the seats and door panels have that particular shade that I've seen in the gold interior cars.

[Keith Vrabec]

70 leather not nearly as neat as 69. Has a unique button that is about impossible to find as well.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by phoenixpnr

Great pic, looks like Verdoro is it?
Did they do leather in 70?
That color interior looks like alot like mine, is there a major difference between saddle and gold? My dash and console look down right tan, but the seats and door panels have that particular shade that I've seen in the gold interior cars.

Yes, Verdoro Green

[phoenixpnr]

Looks like a great car!!

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by phoenixpnr

Looks like a great car!!

Thanks! Its going up for sale in the spring..... I'm running out of room here...

[phoenixpnr]

Unfortunately sometimes, we can't keep them all!

[Ron Landis]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

Here's a pic of a saddle leather interior '69 SJ.

I believe I have a pair of the door handle "cups" that appear to be missing in yours. Can't tell for certain...but I have them if you need them. Correct color even, I believe. I had a '69 428 "SJ" auto and a '69 400 "J" Model four speed w/air. Love those cars. Ron

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by Ron Landis

I believe I have a pair of the door handle "cups" that appear to be missing in yours. Can't tell for certain...but I have them if you need them. Correct color even, I believe. I had a '69 428 "SJ" auto and a '69 400 "J" Model four speed w/air. Love those cars. Ron

The cups are there.... I'm just a lousy photographer...

[428ho4spd]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

Thanks! Its going up for sale in the spring..... I'm running out of room here...

Hmmm... tempting!

[428ho4spd]

Originally Posted by Ron Landis

I believe I have a pair of the door handle "cups" that appear to be missing in yours. Can't tell for certain...but I have them if you need them. Correct color even, I believe. I had a '69 428 "SJ" auto and a '69 400 "J" Model four speed w/air. Love those cars. Ron

Ron, you might be thinking of the later built 69's that had a flat finger guard cover over the back of the cup. I read somewhere that this early "open" design was changed due to customer complaints. Of course this was all changed for '70 to '72 GP's which had a new full cup design and the release handle above in the door panel.

Here's a photo of a late type cup with the finger guard...

[428ho4spd]

more photos of '69 leather...