VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Upholstery - Interiors & Glass Hampton/LeBaron Boney Pricing

1936 Standard 2dr Town Sedan (headliner,Panel,Seat kit)

2002 price = $1980.00
2011 price = $3346.00

Does this seem to be an increase above what it should be? It sure does to me!...just sayin I'll be searching locally for it

No doubt a lot more money now than 2002!!

Two points....

1. That increase is within PENNIES of exactly plus 6% increase each year. 6% doesn't seem like all that much, til you multiply it out each year over 9 yrs!!

2. Lots of guys I know have found that a good, local upholstery shop can do a complete job for less. I'd think living in a major market area like you do, you'd be able to find a shop to do what you need.

Bill.

Type in 1936 chevrolet headliner and do a Yahoo search. Might come up with something.

Yep, The complete job on my '38 (headliner, door panels, seat, kick panels, seat side panels and package shelf) was under $500 locally.

Tiny,

Is it mohair (seat,panel)?

This thread reminded me of a discussion about Hampton Coach material and prices for an interior kit for a 48 Fleetline Aero a couple of years ago.......I looked back and found these prices.....

the kit for my 48 in 1996 was $1215
another member got a price of $2651 in 2001
then in 2008 a price of $4560
and in 2010 was $5000+

For them kinda prices, I keep a blanket on the front seat when I'm driving and take it off when I get where I'm goin'

How long ago and are they still in business? I have a 51 hardtop to do and at those kind of prices it would be worth the trip!

No, it's synthetic that closely mimics mohair but wears a lot better. I don't have pics specifically of the upholstery but the two pics below show bits of it.

Richard Smith upholstery in Ark City. He's a retired fire fighter. He's reasonable in price but pretty slow plus he doesn't have an indoor space to store vehicles. He took my stuff to his shop to cover it then came to my garage to put it all in.

Bill Hirsch sells top material for much less than LB, same material.

If price is a concern, there are many alternatives to fit your own budget. When I restored my '35 Studebaker, I was quoted $13,000.00 to replicate the interior. I could not afford this option so I decided to tackle the project myself. It took me 2 years to find the suppliers of the fabric to replicate the colors and textures. Yes, I purchased from Hampton Coach, Bill Hirsch, and others to find the exact or closest match to the textures,and colors for a '35 Studebaker. I also purchaseed an industrial sewing machine and learned how to sew and upholster cars through books and web information. The fabric costs alone was $2800.00. The total job including the sewing machine, thread, attachments required for the specal stitching cost roughly $3800.00. It took me 2-1/2 months of very long hours and weekends to replicate the interior using my old one for patterns. My Chevy interior will probably come from Hampton Coach regardless of the cost because I don't have anything to use for patterns. I know how much work goes into making one of these interiors. I also looked at alternative fabrics, they look fine if you are satisified with "close enough", but they do not have the look and feel of the upholstery the original car once had. I have seen some cars that have used these fabrics, If the owner is satisfied that is all that counts, he is paying for what he wants. For my particular taste, If I am spending $35,000.00 to resotre a car to its original state, I preferr quality over low cost. I will save some money doing it myself on some other part of the restoration. I feel it is our responsibility to accurately restore these cars to the best of our ability as to preserve the history and authenticity of the automobile, otherwise its just not the same.

Wow Tiny, you got a heck of a deal there. I suspect the gentleman does this because he enjoys the craft, not for profit. I think that material looks very authentic and if it is superior to the old type, why not.

Just called Hampton yesterday thinking I might proceed...they have raised their prices again....so...no Hampton interior for me

Hi, I just did the seats in 1949 Fleetline DeLuxe 4 door. I only had to do the seats, the back and the side bolsters were still good. I bought 5 yards of the 100% correct striped broadcloth from SMS in Oregon for $89.00 a yard, I took the seats out of the car and had them done locally for $200.00 labor. Total of $650.00 and 100% correct, it doesn't get any better!

Thanks for bringing this thread back to life...SMS you say..? I'll have to see what they've got , my seats are just now starting to fall apart...Kevin

What was the original color and fabric for 1938 master coupe? Were there any options. Grant SMS sounds like a good place.

Give SMS a call or email or letter with a small sample of your upholstery. SMS Auto Fabrics
350 South Redwood St.
Canby, OR 97013 (Map)

Phone: (503) 263-3535
Fax: (503) 263-3525
Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00 PST
.

I'm about to do the same thing.
I've priced out all the big name suppliers , but will definitely be having the work done local.
I'm also waiting for some samples from SMS .
I'll have to order to right amount of fabric and have my local guy cut and install all the panels.
The kits available are too much $ for me . They are very nice and complete, but I can do a nice job here at a local shop, and believe it or not, in the end , I'll have a nicely appointed 31chev.
Stanman

Just ordered:March 2012

Interior Kit for 48 Fleetline Aerosedan,including,new assist straps,robe rails,recovered arm rest,trunk kit and S&H $4988.00

Hey Bruce,

For that money, you could buy three brand new Aeros and have enought money left over to run them for a year..........back in 1948 that is.

Times change

Glad to see you finally broke down and took the plunge

Yes Ken way pass due,the fabrics although not exact I have convinced myself they are close enough

So, those new foot scrappers made the rest of it look that bad? Be sure to take and post pics as you go along. Best of luck!

Ruscar,I am so busy it should take a lot of time and because I still have seat covering and can drive I will not start installation untill fall...can't wait to se the materials though..Thanks