I'm curious as a previous owner spent $400 to replace the two front seats. The guy I bought the vehicle from stated that they were real leather...not MBtex seats that they replaced.

I'm fairly familiar with MB Tex, and whether or not the new seats were actually leather or not played no part in my decision to buy.

The front seat material feels much much different than the rear mbtex seats...less rubbery, more leather like, but still a little plastic-y. They also feel more leather like than the rear mbtex on my wife's 2005 MB. But I can't tell for certain.

I suspect that the seats may be from a w124 or a later w123. The driver side has what appears to be an electical line/plug attached to the bottom. It's unplugged as the car was originally unequipped with power seats. Not sure what the plug is for, as the seats have all the necessary adjustment levers/wheel.

I read on this forum that the finger test, poke the seat and look for leather cracks/etc, is a way to distinguish leather from tex. Based on this test I'd say leather...very tough, hard, leather. I also read that leather seats don't typically have the pleats running the length of the seat bottom. Is this always true?

Attached is a picture. Let me know what you think, or anyway to really be certain. The vehicle is a 1982 300td.

Attached Thumbnails

 

They look like W123 seats. What do they smell like? Do the perforations look the same as a known MB-tex seat?

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Looks like brand new MBTEX

Here is a pic of the leather seat from my 85 wagon.



Has the 6 pleats just like your's. Your's are just in much better shape!! Also, the side pieces, on either side of the pleated section, seem much more firm than MB-Tex seats.

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

No, the preforations don't look like the MB-tex in the back seat. They're pretty much odorless.

Nice. This is very helpful. Thanks.

The seats in my CD look just like that, I believe the plug you are referring to is for the seat belt buzzer, mine has a wire, no plug that I can easily find. I did unplug it on one of my previous 123's.

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83 SD

84 CD

He's right- seatbelt buzzer plug. That buzzing noise is really annoying so the PO probably unplugged it. I don't blame him...

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Andrew

1989 Volvo 745- 202K

Well, I'm just gonna have to plug it back in then...the lights are on buzzer is so pathetic sounding that it makes me smile everytime I hear it...

I'm going to guess Germany.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

Could be leather, could be tex. If they are 124 or 201 seats, they're tex, in a 123 I don't know how to tell from a photo.

If you can get feel/see inside of the seat sides from the bottom you should be able to tell if it's hide or vinyl/tex.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

They look like tex to me.

Tom W

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I think you should swap interios with mine so yourswill look a little more
"broken in"!!!

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If it ain't broke take it apart and find out why.

1983 300SD, 4 speed
1994 C280
1987 300TD wagon
1996 HD Road King

Ride in Peace Eric Peterson, Harley of Macon

Thought I'd let you know that I found a small scuff/tear on the backside of the seat today. I was actually searching for the plug for the seatbelt warning. The backside of the seat covering was definitely hide/leather/suede material, so I guess that answers the question.

I was actually surprised that leather was put on the backside of the seat as well.

What seats or seat bottoms will fit the W123? I have heard the W126 ones will fit. Anything else that these might have come from?

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY