Bolster Wear – unreliable evidence?

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isobars

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Location
Portugal, Belgium + Lancashire
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300SD'79, E300TD '95, 300TDT '82, 280CE '84, 250L '84, 300SEL LPG '91, 300D '80, 300CE '91, 300E '89
Hi All,

I’m just about to go for the 300/24 sportline I’ve been looking at.


The wear to the bolster is high (I think) for a vehicle with 90 k miles, but probably means nothing more than the driver was either large, or elderly, or clumsy, or short, or overweight – elementary, my Dear Watson, or ‘clockedvidence’?
FSH.
bol.jpg

Did Sportline bolsters give sooner than usual because of the extra firmness, perhaps? The other side looks fine, as you'd expect.

me 009.JPG

Does anyone have an idea of restoration cost for one of these?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Happy New Year.

Cheers,

Paul
 
The drivers seat on my 2002 W210 (bought at 131,00 miles 18 months ago) has similar wear to the seat in your picture.

I have thoroughly checked the mileage and history of my car and accept that the former owner was indeed large, careless..

As you suspect, maybe these seats just don't wear as well as expected.

I would definitely check and verify the mileage and history of your intended purchase to be on the safe side though.
 
It's not common to see that much wear on a 90k mile car IMHO. Doesn't neccessarily mean something's amiss, but I'd check the car more thoroughly than usual. What's the wear like on the pedal rubbers, steering wheel, gear shifter etc?

My old 2.5-16 had similar seat bolsters to those in that sportline and they were like new @ 100k. Very little wear on my 124 300TE seats either at nearly 200k (but they're not leather mind)

Does depend upon the type of driver/use the car has had, but generally you'd associate wear like that with a higher-mileage example.

You could get the leather re-connolised by a specialist if you want it looking a bit better :)

Will
 
Im large and clumsy but my bolsters dont have anywheres near as much wear as that 2001 W210 113k so far.





Lynall
 
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I fall (stumble) into two or three of those categories myself. I hope that no one takes them as derogatory, sorry!

Was Sportline Leather softer on a firmer base?
 
Over the years I've noticed that bolster wear like this is often associated with shorter drivers. The simple fact that the seat if further forward, means there is less space between the seat and the steering wheel and the bolster is not partially sheilded by the B pillar. Result = more brushing against it when getting in and out.
 
Modern houses are packed together and have narrow driveways and garages. This can also account for high wear as people have to squeeze into their car.
 
Thats not sportline trim, its standard leather. Sportline options in a C124 were AFAIK a check cloth trim, gear lever badge and smaller wheel. The E500 got different bolsters in leather. There are however myriad combinations, the basic package was the suspension with various trim and badges being offered. Of geek interest, in the period brochure I've got, a car is shown with the sportline badges on the wings (which have been debated on here).

Regarding bolster wear, mine is on 89k and has scuffs not a million miles away from the pic, not quite as bad, but a car used for short journeys without regular leather care will wear. Also as leather is a natural material, quality will vary which may account from differences in wear.

Looks like there are no holes so a repair should be easy, there are various kits available and its been discussed on here from time to time.

As stated by others, on its own its not a deal breaker, look for other signs of abuse to controls, interior etc.

Check everything works and look for water in the footwells under the mats (common problem due to blocked drains but an easy fix and a good haggle point).

Good luck

Ade
 
You'd expect wear on a low mileage but old in years car as it has probably had many short journeys with lots of in and out of the seat.
 
Denim studs can do a huge amount of damage if your not careful
 
I've never seen that colour interior before. It must be rather rare or even designo.

You can get that reconalised and it'll look like new.
 
It's Brazil Brown, 263.

Incidentally, does anyone know what Imapla Metallic defaults to on the DVLA colour chart for the V5?

Cheers,

Paul
 
I had one of mine replaced by a local coachtrimmer a couple of years ago for about £100. It looked somewhat better than yours and the car had done 175k. The repair (panel replaced) was excellent, although of course you can tell that the leather is brand new.

This sort of wear is why I am happy to have got into the habit of driving the seat right back before getting out, a habit imposed on me by a dodgy back. And that's one of the reasons why I continue to prefer manual seat adjustment, which is much faster and easier than electrical; on my Coupé the electric seat with no memory is the worst option of all.
 
Over the years I've noticed that bolster wear like this is often associated with shorter drivers. The simple fact that the seat if further forward, means there is less space between the seat and the steering wheel and the bolster is not partially sheilded by the B pillar. Result = more brushing against it when getting in and out.


Deffo agree and exactly what my w203 had (previous short driver).:eek:
 
Thats not bad wear at all.. That can be redone easily at home with some leatherique..
 
Thanks for the input, everyone.

Cheers,

Paul
 

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