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Cloth or Leather?

sdriche

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for a TTA and struggle with the cloth vs leather decision. Is one more desirable than the other? The cloth are rarer but not sure if that makes them more or less desirable. Any thoughts would be appreciated. The cloth cars seem like they are priced lower which seems odd since there are only 125 +/- of them. Thanks in advance.
 
187 cloth / t-top in total and then 4 t-top cloth pilot cars (one of them being a convertible as it was sent to ASC to be converted mid 89).

The you have the 15 cloth/hardtop which is the one to get if you want a rare one.

Out of the 187 t-top / cloth 150 of them were used @ Indy for different duties.

As a preference to drive / own I would say cloth as leather either gets cold or really warm (and sweaty) ... are they worth more money or not well if a festival car with documentation and low mileage I would say yes that should be the case but prices are really up and down all the time.
 
I have a cloth 87 gta and a leather 89 tta both cars I have put many miles on daily driving and I don't have a preference at all as far as comfort. I park in the garage and my ac works well so a hot leather seat doesn't really happen much.
 
Jarred have to disagree with you for a change :-)

Just been out in my leather t-top (tops off as we have 80+ here in the UK) with shorts and short sleeved t-shirt and skin touching the leather makes for a nasty experience ... even my daughter riding in the front with me said the same ...
 
Jarred have to disagree with you for a change :-)

Just been out in my leather t-top (tops off as we have 80+ here in the UK) with shorts and short sleeved t-shirt and skin touching the leather makes for a nasty experience ... even my daughter riding in the front with me said the same ...

Perhaps im just not out in the sun enough here, and when it is sunny I guess I just don't mind it :) I need to move to Florida.....
 
Perhaps im just not out in the sun enough here, and when it is sunny I guess I just don't mind it :) I need to move to Florida.....
Speaking of sun, has your family considered any more about moving to TX? We are having our first full day of rain today for the first time in years it seems like, the lakes are all about 50-60% of capacity.
 
I just took the leather seats out of my new TTA and installed my tan Recaro cloth seats and they are much nicer to sit on during these hot summer days. I sat on the leather seats on Saturday morning before I swapped them out and almost scorched my arse. :o)
 
In retrospect, yes cloth is more desirable than leather now in 2013. Because it was less desirable in 1989. Think back in 1989, when these cars were being produced. Leather interiors were not the norm, so the leather option was more upscale then. Same theory for the hardtop/T top option. T tops were way more cool. If anyone could have forseen the future, then you would have ordered a cloth hardtop.

I do like my leather interior-I always have terrycloth cover on when driving, so it never gets that hot.
 
Having owned both, Cloth gets my vote. I agree with Kymmee, Leather back in 1989 was definitely a huge upgrade option for cars and makes the car very classy.... but as far as comfort and wear, I personally prefer the Cloth. They are also more rare and don't have to worry about replacing the cracked/worn leather.
 
Although not as much of a problem as leather, cloth can wear also from chronic rubbing. It doesn't crack and peel like the leather, the little fuzzies will rub off or get shorter as to expose the fabric below. I would think this is a much slower process compared to the leather.
 
I guess I'm just a leather guy. Love the look, the heat's never bothered me on any of my cars in the GA weather. My TTA project just got towed over here this weekend and comes with some nice cloth seats and totally worn leather seats. While I need to wait a while to totally complete the deal on the car with my buddy before I start moving parts around - one of the main objectives is finding some good leather seats even though I've already got nice cloth ones.
 
leather looks more exspensive and I haven't had any problems with mine. But cloth is rare so id get clot hard top if I could chose.

And a GNX instead of my GN lol .... maybe when I hit the lotto I can put a stage 2 in a GNX


as far as heat go's im putting this on all my fleet when I get a chance noticed a 30 degree drop in temp sitting in the sun all day

I think every collector car an dd should have this ... mine is only 70% on the front windsheld looks clear

3M Crystalline Tint Film got a deal on the 2500 hd 200 for the front

 
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I'm looking for a TTA and struggle with the cloth vs leather decision. Is one more desirable than the other? The cloth are rarer but not sure if that makes them more or less desirable. Any thoughts would be appreciated. The cloth cars seem like they are priced lower which seems odd since there are only 125 +/- of them. Thanks in advance.

My favorite combo is a Hardtop with cloth interior.
 
I like cloth, but I am biased. :)

Back when the cars first came out I thought a Leather Hardtop would be the best combo. I bought a Hardtop 89 GTA with cloth that held up really well. Many of my friends had leather GTAs and the leather interiors did not hold up very well. So I focused on Cloth interiors when I bought my TTAs.

Dave
 
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