50 Shades Of Saddle (The Mystery Of The 1965-1966 Saddle Interior)
03-11-2015, 09:52 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
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50 Shades Of Saddle (The Mystery Of The 1965-1966 Saddle Interior)
Whilst in the throes of restoring the '66 Milano/Maroon Coupe, therein lies the mystery of the Saddle Interior and it's shades and tones. I have the dash pads out and I decided to re-dye them. It seems as though there are so many variations of this color so I went with the "correct" dye from Corvette Central. Whereas the original colors of the dash pads have more of a "gold" look to them the "correct color dye" has a really flat tan look to it. Here are some photos of me spotting the pads with the dye (looks completely different to me) as does the other side dash pad so I'm willing to start from scratch without buying a pair of new pads for the simple pleasure of absolute balance.
There are also some interesting variations in this thread:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...aint-code.html
What gives, what's your experience, should I change to black ?
Ray
There are also some interesting variations in this thread:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...aint-code.html
What gives, what's your experience, should I change to black ?
Ray
Purists be damned!
03-11-2015, 10:57 PM
#3
Pro
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Nothing turns me off more than a tan interior. I am glad some like it but I would change the whole interior if I liked the car. I put it right up there with Daytona Blue exterior. Not real fond of that either. But thats just me.
03-12-2015, 05:42 AM
#5
Le Mans Master
My 66 came with a dark tan interior
03-12-2015, 06:39 PM
#6
Team Owner
My saddle interior, at least the dash, has a lot more gold in it than most. Notice that it doesn't match the seat belt color which I think is original. Different pictures look like a different color of the same car interior. I wouldn't have any other color with a Milano Maroon interior.
03-12-2015, 08:05 PM
#7
Safety Car
Well I will chime in since us saddle boys have to stick together. Mine is all original and I agree it has a gold look to it. My concern is the headliner. Mine is down and I'm determined to keep it because of the color variation.
03-12-2015, 08:21 PM
#8
Safety Car
The interesting thing about my car really is with the saddle interior. The original owner that I bought it from walked into the dealer and based his order off of saddle interior. He wanted Mosport Green with saddle, but that wasn't available in 66. They told him white, black or maroon so he ordered maroon with headrests. I would keep it saddle because EVERYONE has black! 
03-12-2015, 11:28 PM
#11
Le Mans Master
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Check out the variations in color of the two dash pads in my photos in the first post. The left side has a darker brown to it and the right side has more of a gold to it. The correct spray dye from Corvette America has a flat tan look to it. I sorta' like that goldish look ...
Ray
Ray
03-13-2015, 06:32 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
Ray, if it helps at all, take a look at the saddle interior on my '66 Milano Maroon coupe which I believe, is is the same color combination as your car.
The color changes depending on how the light hits it. For example, consider the following pictures taken of one of the seats just moments apart.
In this picture, the color of the seat is darken than...
...the very same seat taken from a slightly different angle. The same with your dash pads. The appearance will vary from different angles. I for one like the variety in color seen in a saddle interior. It's subtle, adds interest and really brightens up the interior which is important in a coupe. My '66 convertible has a black interior which is OK, especially with the top down, but I don't think I would ever want a coupe with a black interior. Way too dark for my tastes.
Ray you have a beautiful car with a handsome, striking color combination. I can't imagine you'd ever be happy with black. Once you get it sorted out I think you'll be glad you stayed with saddle. Good luck with your project.
Thomas
The color changes depending on how the light hits it. For example, consider the following pictures taken of one of the seats just moments apart.
In this picture, the color of the seat is darken than...
...the very same seat taken from a slightly different angle. The same with your dash pads. The appearance will vary from different angles. I for one like the variety in color seen in a saddle interior. It's subtle, adds interest and really brightens up the interior which is important in a coupe. My '66 convertible has a black interior which is OK, especially with the top down, but I don't think I would ever want a coupe with a black interior. Way too dark for my tastes.
Ray you have a beautiful car with a handsome, striking color combination. I can't imagine you'd ever be happy with black. Once you get it sorted out I think you'll be glad you stayed with saddle. Good luck with your project.
Thomas
03-15-2015, 03:03 PM
#14
Le Mans Master
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Thanks for all of the replies and especially the photos, it gives a pretty clear indication of how different the '65-'66 Saddle interiors can be. Some are gold, some are a flat tan, etc. I love that interior color, in all of its 50 shades. 
Ray
Ray