Stock/OEM Seat covers?

[bluex]

Katzkin are super nice though. Worth every penny of you've ever seen/sat on them in person...

 

[Horns]

Katzkin are super nice though. Worth every penny of you've ever seen/sat on them in person...

And even at $1k, Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure Sewlow said in a thread a few months ago that the average for a shop to redo just the seats is around $2k - $3k.

 

[bluex]

I just want to know how the hell the arm rest comes off the 95+ buckets so I can put some more padding in mine....

But I also would def be interested in a katzkin buy...

 

[sewlow]

Just re-read the following. A bit of a rant. Apologies. It's been a !@#$ day!

All those Co.'s listed have way greater buying power, when it comes to buying the raw materials, than I do, in my little one-man shop. Same as a group buy. Greater quantity, better price. That's why my jobs cost more.
But, if the job is anything other than a stock recover, it's custom, all the way. One of a kind. I never repeat a design, so you'll never see another like it.
My cost on 'average' automotive leather runs about $10/sq. ft. I can get you leather that costs up to $28/sq. ft., or more if you want. Most people don't!
It takes 18/sq. ft. of leather to make one linear yard of fabric. (36"X54").
To do a set of Yukon buckets, figure around 2.5 -3 yards of fabric (or Vinyl) per seat. I'd order 6. To be safe.
That's equal to 108 sq. ft. of leather. At $10/sq. ft., that's $1080.00!
Plus some foam (1/2"), some glue, a few supplies, & taxes. Getting close to $1300.00!
And I haven't turned a wrench yet.
From the moment I start to take the seats out, to the time they're getting bolted back in. 30 hours.
If there's a console involved, add 10 hours for recovering & re & re.
My shop rate is $65/hr. $50/hr for club members or GMT400 members. Repeat customer's always get the good price!
So, labour would be $2600.00 or $2000.00, depending on what I said about the 'member' thing.
Total cost would be $3900.00 or $3300.00.
Seriously though. If I can actually make those numbers, I'm patting myself on the back!
Depending on a customer's attitude, those totals can be somewhat flexible.
Usually I'll shock them with those costs, first. The give a 'good guy' deal, so they're in the $2800.00 - $3200.00 range.
I'd rather be working for a bit less, than not at all!

Now the aftermarket guys are buying in huge quantity. What costs me $10/sq. ft., costs them maybe $4.00
They cut everything out by a computer controled laser. Whole seat covers at a time outa one hide, all at once! In minutes! Mind you, that ain't a cheap machine by any means! But even still, the manual labour to do that is minimal.
I lay out, then cut out, each and every piece by hand.
They have close-to-minimum-wage labourers sewing them up.
I get paid the same, whether I'm cutting, sewing or assembling.
With their end product, you have a choice in color &/or pattern, but only within the parameters of the choices they offer.
I have an imagination. That's limitless.
I cannot even to begin to compete with what they do. Certainly not price-wise. And I don't want to.
Nothing wrong with the products. A little bit cookie-cutter maybe, but there are alternatives.

 

[ChrisAU]

Sooo you can send me stock replacement covers for my drivers seat bottom and armrest? ha j/k

 

[sewlow]

Are ya ina hurry? I CAN do that, but I need the covers as a pattern. Is the truck your DD or a toy?

 

[ChrisAU]

Are ya ina hurry? I CAN do that, but I need the covers as a pattern. Is the truck your DD or a toy?

Its a DD. If its possible I'll go pull a cover off a junkyard truck and send it to ya to go by. The armrest bothers me more than the seat really.

 

[sewlow]

Chris, that'd work!
As much as I'd like to say that I could get on it right away, I can't.
I've been putting in 18 hr. days in the last little while. This could go on for the next couple of months! Today started @ 6:30 am. I'm still in my shop, now. Installing a conv. top on a '58 Fairlane 500, & it's been fighting me all the way. This is in someone else's shop. Worked on that till 3:30 pm. till my hands wouldn't do it no more. Now I'm in my shop doing a complete interior in a '60 T-Bird. And there is more work being booked almost daily.
If I get a chance, in the next little bit, I will remove one of the armrests in my '98. That way I can give you & Paul #2 (& anyone else) a complete rundown on how to do this.
I will be re-doing the interior of my '98 this winter. I am going to do a thread on this. It will include everything. As complete as I can make it. It will include removal, tear down, lay-out, cut out, sewing, & new cover install on the frames, along with sound deadening, new carpets, & headliner. Plus more. Stereo stuff, etc.
As it is right now, though, that is gonna be a couple of months down the road. Gotta build up some cash reserve so I can play! (Which I did too much of, this summer!)

 

[89-Z71]

www.leatherseats.com does nice work. I got my leather for my 93 Camaro from there, $800 front and back. Very high quality stuff too. If you don't see your setup listed, it might be worth making a call directly to them. I was lucky my GMT400 has a bench seat. Stock vinyl upholstry was only $200 from www.LMCtruck.com

 

[ChrisAU]

Chris, that'd work!
As much as I'd like to say that I could get on it right away, I can't.
I've been putting in 18 hr. days in the last little while. This could go on for the next couple of months! Today started @ 6:30 am. I'm still in my shop, now. Installing a conv. top on a '58 Fairlane 500, & it's been fighting me all the way. This is in someone else's shop. Worked on that till 3:30 pm. till my hands wouldn't do it no more. Now I'm in my shop doing a complete interior in a '60 T-Bird. And there is more work being booked almost daily.
If I get a chance, in the next little bit, I will remove one of the armrests in my '98. That way I can give you & Paul #2 (& anyone else) a complete rundown on how to do this.
I will be re-doing the interior of my '98 this winter. I am going to do a thread on this. It will include everything. As complete as I can make it. It will include removal, tear down, lay-out, cut out, sewing, & new cover install on the frames, along with sound deadening, new carpets, & headliner. Plus more. Stereo stuff, etc.
As it is right now, though, that is gonna be a couple of months down the road. Gotta build up some cash reserve so I can play! (Which I did too much of, this summer!)

If you cold just do an arm-rest cover I'd be one of your happiest customers! ha no hurry!