seats

[homerun]

What is a fair price to get a bench seat recovered in cloth or vinyl

 

[sewlow]

My shop,
$250.00 gets you plain-jane serviceable. Inc's. Frame & tracks checked, lubed, weld if needed. Frame painted.
$375.00 = factory matched pattern, material as close to possible to orig. Same as above, for inclusions.
From there, full-blown custom, redesigned, reshaped, leather, embroidery, basebal stitching...How much ya got? Lol!

 

[Mean Green]

My shop,
$250.00 gets you plain-jane serviceable. Inc's. Frame & tracks checked, lubed, weld if needed. Frame painted.
$375.00 = factory matched pattern, material as close to possible to orig. Same as above, for inclusions.
From there, full-blown custom, redesigned, reshaped, leather, embroidery, basebal stitching...How much ya got? Lol!

This. It going to really vary depending on where you go, and how nice of finished product you want and what you want done!

 

[homerun]

Thanks

 

[1993GMCSierra]

sewlow, are you able to still get patterns that match the OE seats?

especially the pattern on the 1988-1994 trucks. If it will match and look factory, $375 isn't bad at all. I'm assuming that price excludes foam replacement, correct?

 

[sewlow]

sewlow, are you able to still get patterns that match the OE seats?

especially the pattern on the 1988-1994 trucks. If it will match and look factory, $375 isn't bad at all. I'm assuming that price excludes foam replacement, correct?

Lol! There are NO patterns, man! Not trying to be a smart a$$, but thats what I do. Make patterns. I either duplicate or create. A lot of what I create for custom stuff has been learned from duplicating factory designs.
I once did a complete interior in a '55 Olds Super 88 convertible from 2 photo-copied, then faxed, business card sized, black & white pix from an original 1955 magazine add.! After a 6 months of searching for interior pix of that car, that's all that was available.
The guys that design interiors for stuff like Caddy CTS-V's, Camaro's, & Mustangs have degrees from places like MIT. I like to take their styling ideas, a little from here, a bit from there, & mash it up to fit into a '59 Impala, or '37 Chevy, whatever. If it fits the theme of the vehicle, why not?
That stuff is totally custom. One-off. Never to be duplicated.
But, when it comes to duplicating factory stuff, the best compliment I ever had was, ""Wow! It looks like it's never been worked on! Just like the day I bought it!" Then I know I've done a good job.

For the foam. I repair what is there. And then I over build the what the factory installed. The weakest point of the original is apparent from where it failed, so I rebuild, first. Then I add reinforcement to prevent the foam from failing for at least the length of time that the cover will last. If your seat is original, then it's at least 15 years old, or up to 25. My stuff will last at least the minimum of that. I garuantee (sp?) my work for 1 year, no questions!

 

[TylerZ281500]

its funny that ive learned all that working at the shop im at not only doing custom interiors/upholstery but prototype work from GM, Chrysler and the like as well. i guess you could say we have a warranty but it hasnt been used. we make sure to go the extra mile in materials and craftsman ship where it withstand time for longer than factory did or was suppose to. even working on cars such as the imperial speedster, Richard Pettys personal cars, infamous Rolls Royces's it really opens your eyes to how word can spread around by taking care of a customer

 

[94Sierra4x4]

Sewlow.. do you do leather?

 

[sewlow]

its funny that ive learned all that working at the shop im at not only doing custom interiors/upholstery but prototype work from GM, Chrysler and the like as well. i guess you could say we have a warranty but it hasnt been used. we make sure to go the extra mile in materials and craftsman ship where it withstand time for longer than factory did or was suppose to. even working on cars such as the imperial speedster, Richard Pettys personal cars, infamous Rolls Royces's it really opens your eyes to how word can spread around by taking care of a customer

I don't advertise. I don't even have Biz. cards. Strictly word-of-mouth. Previous work I've done is what sells the next one.
If I wouldn't be happy with the finished product in my own vehicle, why should my customer be happy with it in his?
I try to complete an interior to such a standard, so that if another upholstery guy (or girl) with more experience than myself would look at it and say, "Good job", or "How'd you do that?"
I use techniques that I've learned, borrowed, or stolen from tailors, shoe makers, saddle makers, tent & awning makers, production workers, furniture manufacturers, steel fitters/fabricators/welders. I've even picked up stuff from home-sewers, & former students that have learned to think 'outside the box'. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Technique comes from experience.
There are no manuals to learn from. No computer diagnostic programs. Self-help or how-to books, sure. But, they're only one point of view, and they usually don't provide any real in depth knowledge. Pick out the good tricks & add them to the arsenal, but, the only way to really learn this is to actually do it. This trade is closer to pottery or painting. An artisan.

 

[sewlow]

Sewlow.. do you do leather?

Yes! One of my favourite materials to work with. What are you working on? What would you like to know?