Seats recovered

Limey57 · 2016-12-18 15:39

The covers on my seats were in reasonable condition but weren't the style I wanted:

Replacement covers from LeBarron Bonay were good, but way out of my price league and quotes over here to replicate them were also really expensive. Asking around I heard about someone setting up in the auto trimming business working from home. I fancied something different to the original but in similar colours, I explained what I was after and $500 later, here's the result:

OK, not original and probably not to everyone's taste but she's done a great job and it's a LOT better than what I had! Just got to try and remember where I put the screws now and I'll get it fastened in place. They are also in the same style as my door cards, again, not original, but in the style of the original:

Ford Blue blood · 2016-12-18 15:59

Most excellent!

lalessi1 · 2016-12-18 16:03

Gotta love your shop! Great job on the seats.

hiball3985 · 2016-12-18 17:15

Looks good.. Thats on my next years project list..

RICH MUISE · 2016-12-18 19:20

Those look great Gary...a vast improvement over what was there and probably 1/4 of what it would cost in my area. Seems like everybody needs to make a 100K annually anymore or they don't want to bother.

terry_208 · 2016-12-18 21:10

Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2016-12-18 19:20
Those look great Gary...a vast improvement over what was there and probably 1/4 of what it would cost in my area. Seems like everybody needs to make a 100K annually anymore or they don't want to bother.

I got a quote for the interior of my sedan and was shocked, for just the labor $5k-$7k.

By the way very nice looking!

Limey57 · 2016-12-19 02:49

I also got a nasty shock when I shopped around for quotes, a lot of the professional places wanted around $2K just to do the bench seat! My wife offered to have a go but we'd have needed to buy an industrial/heavy duty sewing machine first, we then heard about a woman setting up on her own working from home (that's her house in the picture of my seats, a real petrol-head family, her daily driver is a '32 Ford street rod!) and for the price she charged I couldn't have purchased a sewing machine and the material. I was fortunate that the foam and everything was good (fairly new) on my seats so she just had to do the covers.

djfordmanjack · 2016-12-19 04:30

The new bench seat cover looks great.Do you sitll have the old b/w covers? If so I'd be interested in purchasing them.

Marc · 2016-12-19 06:52

That looks great! Not looking forward to doing mine. The seat springs are broken in several places too which will just add to the cost.

gasman826 · 2016-12-19 07:33

Interior estimates can be shocking but there are things we can do to help. Do the dirty stuff. Remove the front seat and get the original cover off (and save it for patterns). Remove the old pad and ticking. Inspect for broken springs, frame breaks and/or rust out. Check for broken springs. Replace or repair broken springs (yes, repair). Media blast and paint the frame and springs. Tick and pad the seat. Ticking, pad and adhesive are available at common fabric stores. Once padding is glued in place, contour it like doing body work with grinder and/or electric knife. Less expensive, universal covers can be a temporary solution to seat covering needs. Armed with hog rings and drapery steamer, cheapo covers can be pulled on and stretched into place for a non-stock, better than rat hole seat recover job. Door and quarter panels are flat and a good, entry level starting point.

Limey57 · 2016-12-19 09:16

Quote from: djfordmanjack on 2016-12-19 04:30
The new bench seat cover looks great.Do you sitll have the old b/w covers? If so I'd be interested in purchasing them.

No, the trimmer took them apart & used them as patterns then binned them. They really weren't good, once she'd measured them she even found that they were different side to side!

Limey57 · 2016-12-19 09:28

Quote from: gasman826 on 2016-12-19 07:33
Interior estimates can be shocking but there are things we can do to help. Do the dirty stuff. Remove the front seat and get the original cover off (and save it for patterns). Remove the old pad and ticking. Inspect for broken springs, frame breaks and/or rust out. Check for broken springs. Replace or repair broken springs (yes, repair). Media blast and paint the frame and springs. Tick and pad the seat. Ticking, pad and adhesive are available at common fabric stores. Once padding is glued in place, contour it like doing body work with grinder and/or electric knife. Less expensive, universal covers can be a temporary solution to seat covering needs. Armed with hog rings and drapery steamer, cheapo covers can be pulled on and stretched into place for a non-stock, better than rat hole seat recover job. Door and quarter panels are flat and a good, entry level starting point.

Too true. Some folks don't understand that a craftsman charges for all the work he does, even stripping things down.

djfordmanjack · 2016-12-19 10:25

It's a bit said to hear they got binned. I think they were old JC Whitney covers. would have been good enough for a daily driver car.
I also have the same problem as not being able to spend several thousands of $ on upholstry. I inqired the original silver thread cloth and og grain vinyl from SMS and everything is available, but adding the material cost and the cost for the actual sewingwork, foam and everything kills it. I think I will have to come up with a home grown cheaper solution as well.

Marc · 2016-12-20 06:43

I'm pretty sure there are older threads on here from folks who have gotten interior products from automotiveinteriors.com with good results. However shipping to Europe or Australia would probably make it more worthwhile for folks there to just go to a local upholsterer if you're not concerned with originality.

Jeff Norwell · 2016-12-20 18:57

Beautiful!!!!!!!

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Seats recovered