GREAT RESOURCES KEEP IT CLASSIC SITTING Don Sherman PRETTY
A great interior is the perfect finishing touch for any restoration
Those who’ve invested time, money and patience in a ground-up restora- tion deserve more than a pat on the back. The ultimate reward for a job well done isn’t a stunning exterior. It’s the satisfaction you and your friends will enjoy inside a painstak- ingly reupholstered car during long Sunday drives and club cruises.
Your first step is to find an ally you can trust. Asking fellow car club members for referrals is the best way to locate trimmers up to the task. Then discuss your project in detail while the old upholstery is intact to make sure your upholsterer understands your budget and inten- tions and has the expertise to fulfill your wishes.
Chances are the trimmer has suppli- ers for the materials you’ll need, but if not, contact the resources listed here. SMS, for example, claims to have the “world’s largest inventory of cloth and vinyl.” Owner Doug Pol- lock has been in the upholstery busi- ness for 35 years and has ties with three tanneries capable of matching the grade and grain of original- equipment leather. He can also make interior trim that doesn’t exist.
According to Pollock, the popularity of bringing old cars back from the
dead has consumed most of the N.O.S. materials. So the upholstery industry has, out of necessity, cre- ated ways to manufacture new cloth and vinyl to vintage specs. Be advised that special orders can cost a fortune — up to $3,000 in materials alone for a Cadillac Eldo- rado Biarritz. They can also take a year to produce, but practically any upholstery can be replicated.
Materials for more common res- torations — Corvettes, Model As, Mustangs — are readily available and surprisingly affordable. Corvette specialist Al Knoch, for example, sells 1967 Corvette leather seat covers for $629 per pair.
There’s more to this job than slip- ping on fresh seat skins, and you won’t help the effort by stripping off the old material, because your trimmer will use it as a pattern or for reference. Springs, seat frames, power adjusters and padding will all require inspection and probably some repair to obtain best results.
Once the job is done, however, you’re left with a car that’s just as brilliant on the inside as it is on the outside.
RESOURCES
Al Knoch Interiors 800-880-8080
alknochinteriors.com
Bill Hirsch Auto 800-828-2061
hirschauto.com
LeBaron Bonney 800-221-5408
lebaronbonney.com
Legendary Auto Interiors 800-363-8804
legendaryautointeriors.com
Original Auto Interiors 586-727-2486
originalauto.com
Sharp Automotive Upholstery 440-322-1954
sharpautoupholstery.com (note: this is a high-end restoration shop, not a source for materials)
SMS Auto Fabrics 503-263-3535
smsautofabrics.com
Year One 800-932-7663
yearone.com
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HAGERTY.COM
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