----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 10:48
AM
Subject: Re: IML: 1965 Seat
Upholstery{purple}
The Upholstery labor is outrageously
high.
A man I hired to repair an electrical
problem under the dash of my 1965 LeBaron finished the electrical work,
took a lunch break, forgot to wake his brain up & slid back behind the
steering wheel to put the dash face on & ripped a section of the
pearlessent white leather edge of my back rest with the key ring he had
clipped on his belt after getting out for lunch. He was still in place
working unaware of the damage he had just caused when I walked up & saw
it.........use your imagination for my remarks to which he said, "well I sure
had a lot of trouble sliding back in here".
We removed the seat & back rest as a
unit & headed for Visalia's best upholstery shop.
$125.00 to remove both the seat leather
& backrest leather, remove the center section of the front skirt (skirt is
entirely leather) & replace it with a piece of white pearlessent vinyl
& use that leather to replace the torn section of back rest
leather.
The above price included new high density
foam in the seat & back, replacing/repairing seat springs &
additional spring coverage to support the new foam.............final price
$125.00. Also, we found no vinyl anywhere on the seat or back
rest.
I priced 2 hides before starting
just incase, white pearlessent = $210.00/hide.
Bill McPheeters, Visalia, Ca
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 10:57
PM
Subject: IML: 1965 Seat
Upholstery{purple}
Thad;
If I were you I would check around a number of
different upholstery shops in your area and see about an estimate. If your
original seats are intact enough for an upholsterer to make a pattern it
will cost you a lot less in labour. In my opinion $900 a seat is too much
money from a mail order outfit considering that all he is doing is
sewing the covers together. Since he is not supplying the materials,
padding, or installing the covers on the seat frames you are only getting
half the job done for that amount of money.
One thing to remember is that your seats are
not totally covered with leather, only the faces. The outside back, and
possibly the front skirt, are covered in vinyl. Leather is normally sold by
the hide and the average hide makes up over twenty square yards in area. It
is likely that one hide will be more then enough for both seats, the
armrests, and even to replace the vinyl. In case you are wondering the
average hide retails for around $4-$500 depending on how many square
feet it encompasses.
I figure that for both seats you would also
need about $150 or more of padding material as well.
When you go for estimates ask them how much the
job would cost if they supply the leather or if you supply the leather,
get them to include the padding in both. The labour should not
be any more then $600 a seat, and you already know what a hide should
cost. One way to shorten your search is to get in touch with your local old
car guys and find out whom they would recommend. More often then not
they will recommend the best upholterer with the most reasonable
price.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
Needing A Left Side Taillight Bezel and other
trim parts.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002
9:59 PM
Subject: IML: 1965 Purple Leather
Interior Kits./heater core
Thanks for the replies, wow, ouch,ugh! Not
necessary in that order! If it is 900.00 a seat I guess it is time to
break out my Grandfather's ol' upholstry Singer and teach myself how to
use it! I hope that the leads for the heater core (1965 with air) are a
little less expensive. PS If I do learn how to use my Grandfather's
machine I will let you guys know! Thanks Thad
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