M6 Interior Color Opinions

[1SGDHORN]

I currently own a 1987 M6 that is Zinnoberrot Red (138) with Natur (0200) interior. My question is, did the M6 or 635 cars in Cinnabar ever come with an all black interior? My M6 of course has the light and darker trimmed leather interior but, a parts car I am looking at has an interior with tan door panels, glove box, driver's knee bolster, rear parcel shelf and speakers, tan center pillar trim, rear seat side panels, etc.... But has black front and rear seats, black shifter surround and leather boot, black center console, etc...

I'd like to mix and match trim pieces and I am torn. I like the leather of the M car but, I like the darker tan of the donor car. Then I am wondering how an all black interior on a red car would look. Originality not being a consideration and not wanting to sacrifice a M interior. My plan all along has been to re-dye all my leather and could always go a darker tan or even all black. Did the M cars come with an all black interior?

Pics welcome

[dcains]

I've seen M635's with all sorts of color combinations (interior and exterior) we never got here in the US. While some may slam you for wanting something not original, IMO it's your car and your choice. My 635 was originally Diamond Black with a Lotus White interior, but now the interior is black and I think it looks far better.

[ShapeShifter]

Leave it stock...

[1SGDHORN]

I'm thinking of "saving" the original M6 leather interior and swapping in the pieces from the donor car. What made me think about going with a darker brown/camel/tan was seeing a newer Ferrari (red of course) with a nice deep rich tan interior. To me this darker tan looked nicer than the original lighter Nutria. Or re-dying all the donor car interior black and having an all black interior. Just tossing around ideas.

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Several pictures of an all black interior. And black would be easier, in my opinion to dye and "paint" all the plastic bits.

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Maybe leave it stock would be easier but, if I'm dying everything go with a darker color like Lama???

Finding true representations of tan interiors isn't easy I am finding out.

[OBwan]

My understanding is the M6 came with three interior choices, tan. grey or white. My Black 87 has the lotus white, which I can't stand, so I am also thinking of a color change. I will probably go to 394 Silver Grey. Have you thought out the redye? I'm thinking the door panels and the headliner will give me fits. The upper door panels have the two piece leather with the dash color on the top and the interior color under it. I've read in a few places about removing and installing the headliner with mixed results. Half tempted to do it in the car. 542762

[1SGDHORN]

Very good point. I never gave the headliner a thought. I'd remove the door panels and re-dye them. I no longer have the original brown leather dash so I would dye the tops of the door panels black to match the black dash.

[Layne]

Is this a Canadian market car? If any US model came with nutria, it would be news to me.

I have an M635 that is cinnabar with nutria. I've searched extensively and it is RARE. You should definitely not change it.

[1SGDHORN]

The car it is a 1987 US spec M6.

Build sheet says exterior is Zinnoberrot (138) and the interior is Natur (0200) so calling it Nutria was a mistake on my part.

The only "all leather" interior colors listed for 1987 are Lotusweiss (199), Natur (200), and Silber (201)

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So is this still a rare color combination or is that a combination only in the Euro M635s?

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http://www.e-24.ru/eng/theory/colors/1987-02/

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ShapeShifter is probably right..... Leaving it stock would not deter from the cars value, especially a more rare M series. All too often ones own personal taste is not that of another. At least with staying with the factory color it was what came out of the factory.

[SharkInfested]

I have an 88 M in Cinnabar and Natur. Looks great as an original, but my 85 635 again Cinn, but with black interior looks stunning! Very cool feel/sporty look to it. I'm big on leaving things original, but the buffalo color interior is on my wish list. To me, it's the coolest color BMW made for the E24s with black a close second. I agree with you about a deeper tan (like the Ferrari you mentioned). Keep us in the loop on your choice and good luck!

[Layne]

Oh well that changes things, Natur is not rare at all. Personally I find it the least appealing of all interior colors, so I wouldn't think twice about changing it to black unless it's in very good condition. Changing would probably improve the value of the car.

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The only "all leather" interior colors listed for 1987 are Lotusweiss (199), Natur (200), and Silber (201)

You're right that black wasn't available in 87, but it was starting in 5/88, so plenty of US M6's have a black interior. '87 is the least valuable M6 anyway, so I seriously doubt it matters, provided you change everything to match. The parts car you described is someone's custom mash up of parts. Anyone could look up the VIN and see that it was originally Natur, but if it looks OEM and they like it, it won't effect the value.

[1SGDHORN]

I agree that the buffalo has to be the nicest interior BMW put in these cars hands down. And I think the 1987 is the best year of the NA model M cars (excluding Euro models), no airbag. I had to think of some reason to defend the old girl...

The M Registry lists that NA spec M cars came with Nappa leather and the color link above shows that the only colors in Nappa leather are the 0199, Lotusweiss, 0200 Natur and 0201 Silber. Other markets seem to have had many more options as far as interior colors and materials and I'm sure many have made their way to North America.

I agree with Layne, I doubt a clean well executed color change to all black would deter from the cars value.

The only thing that would "scare" me about the all black color change would be the headliner. I have read that it isn't the easiest to remove and replace so it is tight and looks nice and wonder how dying it in place would work? One way to find out right?

Pictures below are of the donor car I just bought and it's previous owners interior "vision". Not an M but still has lots of parts that I can use, especially the dash as my leather one cracked and was recovered by a shop in brown leather by the previous owner and both he and I agree that it just wasn't well executed.

[1SGDHORN]

I've taken the rear seats out of my M6 and was able to see a portion of the leather that has not been exposed to the sun and I can almost say for certain that when I re-dye the leather it won't be the stock 0200 Natur color. I'll keep it brown but, it will be a different brown. Even unfaded the original color is not very flattering. In my opinion.