I am currently in the process of building a classic mini with a Honda Vtec engine. I needed 5 leather hides for the interior and the supplier was doing an offer which meant I have a voucher for two free ones. The mini interior is a dark purple colour so that leather would never suit my blue MR2 so i have been through their range and narrowed it down to two colours, Tan or dark brown both of which are similar to the Porsche colours below.
The car is blue with white wheels and red calipers. I have two options then
Tan seats, door cards and gear gaiter with dark blue seatbelts and matching dark blue stitching on the seats etc.
Dark brown seats, door cards and gear gaiter with silver seatbelts and a matching silver stitching on the seats etc.
Which way would you go? any other ideas of colour that would go well with the paint and wheel combo? with both options all the surrounding plastic and carpet etc will remain black.
(https://i.ibb.co/DDHLdnb3/tan.png) (https://ibb.co/DDHLdnb3)
(https://i.ibb.co/2YKKxtht/brown-seats.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2YKKxtht)
Colors are very personal, so pick what you like. The light tan is very close to the OEM tan leather, which was available (depending on market) with white, silver, electric green mica, and black exterior colors in 2000-2002 and white, electric green mica, or Paradise Blue exteriors in 2003-2005.
Quote from: Beachbum957 on August 14, 2025, 12:50Colors are very personal, so pick what you like. The light tan is very close to the OEM tan leather, which was available (depending on market) with white, silver, electric green mica, and black exterior colors in 2000-2002 and white, electric green mica, or Paradise Blue exteriors in 2003-2005.
Yeah am i right in thinking that when colours like that were offered it was just the seat centres and the outers were still black?
@Craigjm I would choose the tan leather, the picture you show of the Porsche tan interior is matched with black elsewhere and goes well together to my eyes.
Top picture tan for me 8)
I vote tan..
Tan. Reminds me of the shade used by alfa
Quote from: Craigjm on August 14, 2025, 12:56Yeah am i right in thinking that when colours like that were offered it was just the seat centres and the outers were still black?
The factory tan leather was completely tan, at least in the US. (Seat base shown). The center section was perforated leather, and the bolsters just regular leather. Other markets may have been different. Our 2003 came with the tan leather, and we replaced the seats with Celica seats in black cloth!
(https://i.ibb.co/0VhvjFGd/Seat-Base-Small.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0VhvjFGd)
Quote from: Beachbum957 on August 15, 2025, 11:20The factory tan leather was completely tan, at least in the US. (Seat base shown). The center section was perforated leather, and the bolsters just regular leather. Other markets may have been different. Our 2003 came with the tan leather, and we replaced the seats with Celica seats in black cloth!
(https://i.ibb.co/0VhvjFGd/Seat-Base-Small.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0VhvjFGd)
Thanks. My understanding is that in the uk it was black or red cloth and upgrade to black or red leather. Then on top of that there were a range of optional colours that were really specced that were black bolsters and coloured centre.
The tan I have in mind is a bit more brown than that and more Matt that looks quite shiny. I don't want them to look like standard seats so that may sway the decision towards the brown!
Done. I have enough of the blue thread left over to do the steering wheel in black leather now too.
(https://i.ibb.co/kgCL2ss3/IMG-0548.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kgCL2ss3)
Those look great particularly with the lagoon blue metallic paintwork. ;D
Yeah it's a little darker in real life but the blue stitching and the blue seatbelts with it work well with the blue paint
Nice to see a light colour interior on an mr2
Top job!
Amazing how phone cameras are crap at capturing colour on the standard settings. Here is a more representative colour of what they actually look like
(https://i.ibb.co/k2hDPq5T/IMG-0560.jpg) (https://ibb.co/k2hDPq5T)
Yep.
White balance makes a world of difference. The second shot more appealing.