First off, I am not a huge fan of the tan interior and have been contemplating painting all of the tan plastics black for several years now. However, given the collector / restorative nature of the FD nowadays I feel morally obligated not to paint it knowing that it will probably be needed someday to completely restore a tan interior FD. It may be possible to reverse it all back to completely tan but may ruin the surface of plastics in the process.

All of the plastics are at least 9/10 and some 10/10, trim clips don't even have any rust on them.

Is the tan interior actually in demand since so many have been put into the garbage or painted black throughout the years that this is now morally wrong?

 

FWIW, every JDM RX-7 has a black interior. I don't get why they used all these silly interior colors for the US export models.
I always hated my FC's blue interior, so I would see a black interior as a plus.

Rather than painting it yourself, I suggest you get it professionally done, as any color coating on interior parts needs to be both cold and heat resistant as well as flexible.

 

So what you're saying is that tan is more rare. Silver with red interior is one of my favorite color combos for an FD. Rare as hell, too.

Living in the California heat, it's nice not burning my legs when I sit on my tan seats as well.

 

Leather seats have no place in a sports car IMO!

 

lol what the..?

 

For the most part you are right. But quite a few JDM variants had red interior: red carpet, red seats, some red trim, eg Bathurst X - shown below:





Spirit Type B/C also had red carpet, red leather front seats / red vinyl rear seats, but with black trim and grey textured trim on the centre console, hood and door trim.

 

If you're really concerned on future value, that's only really going to apply for a car that "correct" is factor—i.e.: not modified otherwise. Just like with bolt on mods, a lot of us used to save all the stock stuff to supposedly replace back for sale, but then at some point its too far gone to stock it out.

If you really think it'll ever happen, I'd suggest sourcing new/used black replacement parts and saving the tan stuff. It'll stay nicer anyway, the tan only looks decent when its pristine, otherwise looks sort of grubby.

 

Make the car the way you want it, I don't know how many people are glad they kept their interior in pristine condition in the color they hate.

 

Like these guys said for future just save your originals and replace, especially if the cars close to stock. I’m not a fan of my tan interior but the cars stock with bolt ons I look past it and when it’s dusk and the headlights are on it don’t matter lol. I’m sure everyone has totes of parts just taking up space, I know I do lol.

 

I think a well maintained tan interior looks good, especially with some car colors like black.

And consider how trends, styles and tastes change. Not so many years ago everyone was pulling the stock stereos and giving them away. Same for stock wheels.

OP…If it’s in good shape I’d leave it. If it’s not I’d spend the money to get it there.

 

i might consider buying the tan interior if the price is reasonable, my car has black/tan interior and I will probably never find a replacement for it in the future.

is your seat upholster in good condition? I'm looking for one that is in better condition than mine, and is your whole interior tan or only seats and carpet? mine is only seats and carpet so I might "upgrade" to full tan.

send me pictures and your price for each item and or the whole interior.

 

I do have black/tan currently. I don't have much concern for retaining value in my own car, but comments like this is where my concern came from originally from.

With so many painted / trashed over the years the remaining tan interiors actually available for the regular FD owners (i.e. not collectors where FD is sitting in showroom) is shrinking. Taking yet another one away from future community didn't seem responsible. Looks like I'll start searching for black parts. The doors are my biggest concern as their price has skyrocketed so those may be the only ones that get converted through upholstery. Everything else currently tan should be able to come from any JDM.

Unfortunately, nothing is for sale right now I don't want to drive around a car with no interior. I did it in my Integra in my 20's but i'm too old for that now ( was also a black / tan car )

 

DO NOT paint Tan.....scuffs & scratches will show
Source black replacements....will take some time , fast becoming rare.
Save good Tan, someone will need in future

 

We could possibly work out a like for like swap on your current black parts

 

I painted my tan pieces black with SEM black landu paint and it looks even better than my other FD with OE black interior. I scuffed everything and did it right and its been holding up great. I did a test piece and gave i a durability test and couldnt get any tan to show through even scratching my fingernail on it.

 

Think the silver/red and BB/red are my favorites.

OP... Do what you want for how you want it to be. Planning on being able to sell later for big dollars is not as attractive right now as it may seem. If you wait through the fall, I think prices may moderate notably and getting today's high dollar prices will be in the rear view mirror.

 

I think the tan and red interiors look bad because of the cheap plastic and the poor transition from black to colored interior pieces.

To me, its like the black cheap plastic says "yes, we spent our money elsewhere" and the tan and red cheap plastic says "I hope we can fool you into not noticing we spent our money elsewhere..."


Although I agree the interior of all FDs is a dark place (the color never extended to celing, etc).

Full black interior with red afrermarket seats and red carpet looks good to me and brightens it some when looking into the interior.

To brighten the interior while inside the car, I might be into A-pillar trim, headliner, B-pillar trim above greenhouse and hatch trim being recovered in really thin hazel nut color leather along with a red or brown carpet (depending on seats) to lighten the interior.
This along with colored front seats and colored rear seats (just because the rear seats look so much less cheap than usdm sea of black plastic rear).

 

+1

 

I kinda like the tan interior. Really brightens up the interior.

 

I like my tan interior, just like so many Ferrari and Porsche owners like their tan interior.

 

I think the 93 tan looks great on MB or black FDs. The tan roof liner brightens things up a lot. I’m in the minority, I know.

Pm me if you decide to change to black. I’ll buy any of your 9/10 or 10/10 tan stuff. I need to get better b pillar panels, seatbelts and interior push clips.