PorKen

I just installed a black suede Momo Mod 78 steering wheel.



I have a bit of buyers remorse, and I'm not quite comfortable with the suede (versus leather).

I like the size/better control of the wheel. But the suede gives me pause.

But my hesitation has given me the idea of covering my (cracked) pod and possibly the console with matching black suede to match.

Any problems with using suede?

Would it look cool, or f'ugly?
~thread~start~

Joe F

Porken,

I have had a suede wheel in my '83 S for over a year now. I like it. Particularly how it feels while driving.

Here is a photo. (I hope)

Cheers and Merry Christmas

JF
'88 S4 A/T Black/Cashmere (Her Driver)
'83 Euro S 5sp Pewter/Black (My project)

PorKen

JoeF - that wheel was my first choice!

How does the suede wear over time?

Joe F

It seems to be doing fine so far, no wear spots that you can see. I

think the suede dash and pod would look great and have less glare and reflection on the windshield than the leather or vinyl, but I can't figure out how to integrate it with the rest of the interior. Pretty soon I can see having to do the console, doors and windshield pillars with the same material and that could get to be a bit much. Maybe a person could do it, but I would have to think about how it might look.

I got this wheel because it has about a 2 inch dish which allows the seat back to be raked down a bit for more headroom. Here is a better photo.

JF

Nicole

Suede looks way cool, but it has one big disadvantage: It catches and retains dust and will drive you nuts trying to keep it clean, if you use it on pod or dash.

In the 80ies, Renault invented a suede llike coating for their dash boards. and people loved it when the cars were new. But after a few months, they realized it caught every piece of lint AND held on to it very well. Eventually, Renalult went back to conventional leatherette type finish on the dashes.

A compromise might be nubuk or Alcantara fabric. Both seem a little easier to go over - I have a nice chair from Italy in my living room that is covered with dark blue Alcantara. I can use a vacuum, lint brush, or a damp cloth to clean it, and it comes out nicely. It shows the direction of the streaks, ust like suede, but without the worry of staining or fading.

The downside: The material is as expensive as suede and I have heard the production is not the most envrionmentally friendly. Unfortunately, I did not know until after I had already orederd the chair...

Good luck, and Happy Holidays!

Beth

I agree Nicole - the first thing I thought of was dust and how would you clean it. I think it could become a nightmare.

PorKen

Nubuck is what I was thinking of, I guess. The nap on the steering wheel is pretty short, but shorter still would be better.

I'll have to get me one of these here to clean it:

PorKen

If Alcantara® is good enough for the Maybach, it might be good enough for my car...

"...alcantara is used to give the roof pillar linings, the sun visors and roof lining a surface which is pleasant to the touch..."

Click for larger image

It sounds great for car interiors, it's a fancy blend of leather and microfiber, and it's stretchy!

Dennis Wilson

I put a black suede gearshift cover on a few years ago. Besides the dust, it has started to fade due to the sun. Redying shouldn't be too difficult though.

Dennis

Nathan Valles

My 97 850 R Volvo has leather seats with the center seat and back sections made of Alcantara. All I can say is that Alcantara seems to be a great material. The leather portion of the side bolsters are showing more wear than the Alcantara portions of the bolsters at this point. I don't see any fading and it cleans up nicely too.

Nicole

Birkenstock = Birth Control Shoes

Normy

Hey, wait a sec- I have a pair of Birkenstocks.

And no kids...

N?

Mark

Dang Ken....How'd u get that much legroom in the back of your shark?!?!?!

epbrown01

I've thought about some sort of insert as well. It seems that since so many dashes split, it would be simpler to cut out the damaged section and fit suede (or alcantara, which I still haven't seen personally) in it's place. The contrasting materials would make it look more like a design choice than a repair ("I meant to do that - looks cool, right?"). Maybe carbon-fiber, or is that two reflective?

Emanuel

PorKen

Mark - you like that! I had to put in an additional torque tube...

...

I was wrong, Alcantara is made by Poly, Ester, Ure, and Thane.

Face: 68% Polyester
32% Polyurethane
Lining: 100% Polyester