First off let the flames begin since my favorite color interior is maroon (gray is close second - was there ever a stock gray leather)?

My question is, was the maroon interior always that 2 tone look? Take a look at the picture below - thanks $100T2 for a pic of your old interior - the e-brake hand, shift boot, and door panels (in other pictures I've seen the steering wheel center) have an weird brownish color to them. However the the rest of the e-brake and other parts are maroon still.



Is this fading or discoloration? If so, how come I've never seen it with a gray or brown interior?

-Mike

 

sun fade mine was bad but i painted it up, check the pics on my garage section

 

yea thats sun fadding.
never seen a grey with leather but the brown with leather i have always thought looked good.

 

It's just the way it is. And I'm with you, after being a fan of the brown leather for years, I switched to the red leather a few years ago and now like that better. I see the unique fading of the all original first gens as a distinguishing feature that can't be imitated and I wouldn't want it any other way:







Ray

 

I honestly dont like leather,, you slide around too much.

 

Don't know what it is about maroon interior but it doesn't age well. You get the look you are talking about where the interior pieces just don't match with some looking brown. That is one of the reasons I prefer grey or brown. My last RX7 was grey and it looked amazing. Absolutely like new. I just got an RX7 with brown interior and it looks awesome. It does have some fade on the door locks and rear panel at the trunk, but otherwise just like the day it was sold.

Grey leather was available and looks awesome. I have had both leather and non-leather. My current 7 doesn't have leather. I like the fact it holds me better, but leather makes it alot easier to get in and out :-)

I saw a 1982 or so RX7 with maroon interior at the Mazda Meet in Ontario and the interior still looked great. Perhaps the discolouration problem is limited to 1983 to 1985.

Duane

 

TT, you need to slide around some more. leather is great. TZ, ; you need to respect your elders, we age and it's going to happen to you. There's really nothing prettier than a well kept red first gen interior,

Just my liberal opinion and opinionated opinion.

ray

 

Ray, a wise man once wrote me "whatever you are driving is best". Meaning we get used to what we are driving and think of it as the best. What you driving again ;-)

Duane

 

I finally found photographs of my GSL....yes photographs, well before the age of digital cameras....wow what a trip through memory lane going through a box of old photographs (high school & college photos, old girl friends, old cars, wedding photos, photos of my oldest when she was a baby....) CRAP! I'm getting old! :-)

Now I have to find a scanner!?!?!?!

-Mike

 

Any RED color fades in the sun. It's very susceptable to fading.
No it was not available. Grey Leather was not available on the 1st gens from the factory. You *might* have had either a set of FC seats or aftermarket leather seats.

 

Put on some leather pants and a coat and try to move lol.

My 83 gsl was maroon, faded BAAAD, everywhere.. had to repaint.

then my 84 se was brown fabric interior, fading between the windshield and window strip, and of course fading on the hatch plastic.

My current car 85 se has a brown leather interior, only fade spot is on plastic going over the rear tire area.

So yes Id also say that reds a fading snob. And when you repaint your car blue, people for some reason make fun of the superman car lol.

 

Let's see the girlfriend pictures too, although like TZ says, whatever you're driving now is best.

Ray

 

So once you re-dye/re-paint/replace the red interior, what is the best way to keep it from fading? Obviously, storing the car inside (which I will once I find the right car). Would tiniting the windows also help?

-Mike

 

I guess it's better to burn out than to fade away. If you pull out the little side panel behind the doors, you'll probably find that the little dog leg that has never seen the sun is still maroon. I assume the dash and console have the color molded in, because they don't seem to fade. Painting them to match is pretty tricky too. I tried several dark burgundy paint cans, but the color kept coming out cherry red. I eventually found that if I painted them black first, and then burgundy, the color came out pretty close.

 

Ray, I've got a well aged burgandy interior too. I don't care for burgandy, but I don't care that it's faded in the usual places.