Half/Full Hide - what's the difference?

[MickC]

Looking through the clasifieds, you can often see 'half hide' or 'full hide' specified (usually in dealers ads).

Now I've see quite a few Chims here and there, and as far as I can see they all have what I would call full leather interiors - i.e. seats, headrests, dash top, trans tunnel, door armrests/pockets etc, with carpet on the upper door panels, floor and 'parcel shelf'.

So, what's the difference between full and half hide?

For an example if you don't know what I mean:
www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=13284&s=1
www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=16620&s=1

Cheers

Mick

[Corin Denton]

Half hide is just the seats, full hide is dash top etc as well.

[tvrbob]

For a while there was 3/4 hide. Everything except the centre unit.

[MickC]

Corin Denton said:

Half hide is just the seats, full hide is dash top etc as well.

Doh. Thanks.

So what's the alternative matieral for a dash top on a half hide then? Can't say I've ever noticed that.

[Corin Denton]

Vinyl, still hand stiched, looks fine and easier to maintain.

[rude girl]

On half hide, only the facing of the seats is hide - the back is vinyl.

[anonymous-user]

There is more grain on the vinyl than on the leather, which is an easy way to spot it.


Full leather is nicer

[MikeyT]

On a full leather interior, the door bits which are usually carpet, are leather.

Smells nice too.

[RichB]

Corin Denton said:

Vinyl, still hand stiched, looks fine and easier to maintain.

Can't say I've had any maintenance problems with my full hide! Rich...

[TheHobbit]

MikeyT said:

On a full leather interior, the door bits which are usually carpet, are leather. Smells nice too.

Unless the original buyer ordered "Wool Carpets" and then the door panels are carpet again, but the nice wool stuff. This is, according to the factory what mine is......

[Maca]

half hide is just from the left hand side of the cow...

[RichB]

That'll be the bit Damian Hurst didn't want!

[ajcerb]

Maca said:

half hide is just from the left hand side of the cow...

Perfect - thank you - put a smile on my face during a difficult day!

[the dodger]

I don't think this is all correct. AFAIK, half hide is seats and centre console. May also include door tops too. Full hide includes dash, door lower, and maybe bolsters. Never heard of door inserts being leather rather than carpet - may be a special order. Mine is full hide (extra £2k) but has crap (non-wool imho) carpet in the doors. Also, I'm not sure the backs of my seats are leather anyhow.

[squirrelz]

Well mine is half-leather and the only leather bits were the seat facings. I changed the gearstick gaitor for leather, as it was a bit tatty and the price difference between leather and vinyl was small.

[alex.mcintosh]

Door inserts can be either leather or vinyl - a no cost extra at order time...

[roobarb]

It depends on what colour/texture you have. My interior is dark blue half cow. You can't tell where Cow stops and PVC starts unless you really look closely. A freind of mine has a green interior and the PVC looks nothing like the leather and thus shite.

[anonymous-user]

Mines got wool aswell

[the dodger]

Half sheep, half cow then Lee? Is that SHOW interior?