Black Euro "Nylonflock" fabric now available from BMW. But looking for Velour...

Luis A.

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Hi guys,

As many of you know Euro coupes and E3s were primarily upholstered in fabric with leather being a relatively rare option. My 73 Golf coupe came to the US in 2001 and at that time the front seats were damaged by port personnel and thus the seats were reupholstered. They used a velour that is not truly black and looks deep purple in bright sunlight, plus is it too tall. The seats' inside panel material, the original, fabled, "nylonflock" or "cord", has not been available in black for decades (but there were remaining quantities of blue until a couple of years ago) so they used a type of corduroy to recreate that section of the seats. Not a very satisfactory copy of the original. Those seats have bothered since week 2 after I bought the car. The rear seats are original and gorgeous. I did not want to reupholster the whole car in leather. I adore the original velour interior and the rears are perfect so I searched and searched... but nothing came up.

Last year when I visited Munich with the BMWVCCA 100th anniversary trip, I enlisted the help of then president, the incredibly helpful and always-willing-to-help, Goetz Pfafflin, to put me in touch with someone high up at BMW Classic. Upon our return from the trip in September 2016 I sent an email to that individual making a plea for the fabric. Two months later I get an email from a Classic representative with a photo attachment of a shred of said "Nylonflock Schawrz" fabric asking me if that was the correct fabric. I replied that it was. I exercised restraint and over the next year I only emailed her asking for an update maybe 2 or 3 times. No reply every time. Finally last September she emails saying that it is done and it is available for ordering in the BMW parts system.

WOW!! Sure is. It is part number 51921822083. As has been previously discussed, all the hassles of ordering parts for Non-USA cars apply: prove you own it, copy of registration, etc.

The fabric is identical to the original. See photo below of: A) Fabric swatch (two different exposures; tough to photograph) placed on top of unfaded section of seat. B) Rear seat. Also tough to photograph. To the eye, both center and border sections look almost equally dark.
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Now here is a plea. I am still searching for the velour fabric for the outside border of the seat. Does anyone have a source for it? BMW does not have it, but there should be some black velour out there... I had a source identified in Germany, F. J. Dopper in Gummersbach (old member Gernstetter helped me with it), but they no longer have it. I am still collecting samples from several outfits in Germany and the US. The main challenge has been to find a velour that is a truly deep black. My 45 year old velour on the rear seats is still darker than all the samples I have received. Anyone...?
 

Koopman

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I did a section of the marina blah on a 2000cs that was faded with Rit dye. I used a sponge and worked in the color. I actually mixed a small amount to of black to make the blue darker. Came out the exact match of the original color. Lot less expensive and able to keep the original fabric. I love to im- provize.
Koopman
 

Arde

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OSHA discovered Nylon Flock factory workers got some strange lung disease. Leather over horsehair seat would be the more humane choice paradoxically.
 
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