1957 Fairlane 500 Door Panels

[chapingo17]

I wanted see know if anyone has ordered door panels from SMS Auto Fabrics. I'm a little confuse as far as ordering the right door panels, they seem to have different codes vs Ford manufacture's. I was able to see On-line thru Jerry's Garage list of trim codes. Just want to order the right ones.

[oldave57]

I ordered door panels for my previous 1957 Fairlane 500 and they were absolutely perfect (match to color, workmanship).  I most recently ordered new seat covers for my present 1957 Skyliner and they were also a perfect match.  However, I do not know if SMS is still making the door panels, because at one time they indicated that door panels were unavailable due to lack of experienced operators (during Covid). 

The best way to confirm the fit would be to call SMS (and they are sometimes difficult to get through to) to confirm if they can still manufacture.  They will send you samples of the material to be used so you can verify a match after you give them your interior code from your Build code.  One other thing to be aware of is that SMS takes quite a while to complete an order.  My most recent order was over a year in delivery.

Good Luck,
Dave

[chapingo17]

Ok, great information. I did called them, but I got a lady that didn't know to much about my particular 57. I will try to call again see what happens.

[chapingo17]

Door panels are real expensive from SMS.

[abe_lugo]

I recently saw some panels for 2 door hardtop Fairlane, and they were in the 1500.00 range (just the door cards), I didnt see the rear as part of the set.

This is a link for them here.
https://smsautofabrics.com/products/1957-ford-fairlane-500-club-victoria-2-door-hardtop-door-panels?srsltid=AfmBOopw-Z128bLivAqcRH7bp2qWmPGpT-voPd4mMKiJnQbH8rfIj_Ga

Im making my own look-a likes to suit my custom taste, for a fraction of that price.
IN fact again- you can go to a local auto upholstery with pictures and they can make something simialr for much much cheaper.

[chapingo17]

I'm going to have to do that and take it to the local upholstery shop and see how much they charge.

[59meteor]

The people that I talked with, that has purchased new SMS door panels, said that they were perfect, and worth the cost and the long wait. I really wanted to buy a set from SMS,and although fairly costly, I considered them worth the expense, however, when they told me that it would be at least 6 months, and having heard stories from other customers, that it was often over a year, I went elsewhere. If I would have ordered them a year or so before my car was going to be essentially finished, I would have done so, but when I talked to SMS, my car was almost done, so that was strictly my own fault. I did buy a new headliner and windlace from SMS, and they did send me material samples of the 3 different fabrics that were used on 59 Niagara 300 seats, and the samples looked to be perfect matches for my originals. The problem was, SMS didn`t offer replacement seat covers, rather you have to purchase the raw material by the yard, and then find an upholstery shop willing to sew the different fabrics into actual seat covers. And although the SMS fabrics looked perfect, I just could not justify the cost of the materials and then even more to an upholstery guy to make and install the covers. The raw material alone would have been well over $1000., 5 years ago. Considering my 59 is a base model "hot rod" type of car, I just couldn`t justify the cost for 100% original seat covers for a non original car. So I had a local custom auto upholstery shop to make new F&R seat covers, the 2 door panels, and rear side panels that look quite similar in color and design to my old originals, for less than 1/2 of what just the seat covers made with the SMS material would have cost. Still, it pays to shop around, I had a quote for one area shop that specializes on builds in the 200-300,000 range , of $4000. just to do my 2 original seats, the guy that eventually did the job, did both seats, and the 4 panels for $1800., and I am totally satisfied with the job he did. Other than some heat embossed patterns on the factory door panels, the new custom door panels look identical in color and pattern, and unless somebody was a real expert on original base model 59 Ford interiors, I doubt that anybody else to tel the difference.