VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Upholstery - Interiors & Glass Hamilton Coach --OMG

After years of wanting, my 29 Imperial Landau, Hamilton Coach, kits came today; Seats, Kick Panels, Headliner, Top and Convertible. I may not eat for a month(s) but here they are and my I say Holy Cow!!!!
I could not even check the shipping list to see if it all came. Basically nothing has a number or name on it, and the instructions are difficult. The second word I read I knew I was in trouble.. “windlace”. My car had no interior so I had nothing to copy, I have no prior knowledge of upholstery language, and the instructions are limited providing only the barest guidance for an ignorant like me…OMG. Windlace, what the heck is a windlace (looked this up on Google) and which one of several is “the” windlace.
Steam now blown, and having read all the Hamilton Coach posts here in VCCA, does anyone have something the can send, or a good book to recommend, that will help me through this final frontier?

i share your hostile feelings toward the Hampton instructions and lack of labeling. i used their kit for my 31 cabriolet and thank god most of the original interior was still present. talk about manufactured confusion. if there are any 29 chevy 4 door sedans in your neck of the woods, studying it may help a good bit. i wouldn't trust the job to a neighborhood upholstry shop unless they've done a bunch of old chevys. good luck,mike

Thanks Mike. My wife and I will be doing this install. I do not have local 29s to look at so I am looking at all the pictures I can find on Yahoo and Google. Those pictures are not good for this detail work, so I am hoping some VCCAs have some helpful pictures.

i do not have a 29 but have installed several hampton interiors as you said the instructions are not exact an may refer to several differant years . first up do not cut anything as all the pieces are cut to fit may need a little trim be sure first the next is do not get carried away with stuffing seat parts as you may not have enough material to cover it on a couple i had to have a person to sit on the seat to get enough to grab on. one i requested they add a few inches of material and the reply was they make by a pattern and do not vary from it . once i thought i had caught them in a mistake but it trned out as my mistake . hope this helps

:( So Hampton coach STILL hasn't improved their instructions! I bought a complete interior kit 3 or 4 years ago from them (still not installed) and it was woefully short on instructions. I am one of the lucky ones though in that my car, a '38 2dr sedan, still had all it's original upholstery. My car has bucket seats and there were absolutely no instructions on covering them. After a couple of phone calls, they did send me some basic hand-drawn instructions. The burlap in my kit was about 10" narrower than the original and when I called them about that, they said that is what they use and they never had any complaints from customers about it. I bought all new burlap the right size at my wife's local fabric store. In any case, you have my sympathies on installing your kit. Just keep talking with other VCCA members who have your model car and I am sure they can help you through it. Good Luck!! Beamer

You should consider purchasing a reprint of a booklet entitled "Fisher Body Service Manual All Closed Body GM Cars 1926-1932"
which is available for $20.00 plus shipping from www.faxonautoliterature.com
I find it helpful for all GM interiors of that period.
The manual is actually a guide for fit and finish on the body structure in and around the wooden frame of the auto but it does go in to details that are helpful for interior headlining, door panels, seats (welt and windlass: actually that sounds like a law firm but it is just referring to the "rope-like" edge that finishes off seat covers, door trim and the like).
Your best bet ( which you already know) is to search out a "correct" 1929 near where you live...and take lots of photos and measurements.

I have one and like MikeyBoy said it is a valuable tool for working on the Fisher body cars of that era.

Took a look at that link (faxonautoliterature.com/) but couldn't make a connecton, are they still in business?
Denny G

Denny, Give them a call a 1-800-458-2734 or you could always snail mail them at:
Faxon Auto Literature
3901 Carter Ave.
Riverside, CA. 92501
Fax # 951-786-4166

Here is a good Link: www.faxonautolit.com

I got my Fisher body manual from Faxon, as well as other literature and have always found them reliable. Beamer

I purchaced a complete upholstry kit for my '41 5 pass. Special Deluxe Coupe from Hampton Coach. When I bought the car there was not a "stich" of upholstry in the car except the ragged front seat. I made a cover for the front seat to hold me over until I could upholster the car. A friend ( the one that helped me restore to car} and I installed the upholstry kit. I will agree that the instructions were not the best but we installed the kit without any difficulty and it fit and looks great.
Contact Gene Schneider. He has a wealth of information and may be able to helpe you especially with terms or desciptions.
Good luck JIM JAR41

When a vendor is that slow to adjust the very needed instructions for correct use/installations, the VCCA (may be) should ask the management at HC to be more accurate when selling the items.

They should not exploit the near monopoly of this field, but really try to help customers to the best result. The kits are not cheap and HC is (or should be) the expert in this matter.

Something for the technical committee to follow up?

:vcca:

I picked up the 1926-1931 version of the Fisher Body Manual on EBay for under $20 delivered. It has a wealth of info. including interior as mentioned.

Solan has a very good point about making a formal request for improved instructions for the interior kits. For $3000+ dollars you ought to at least get instructions if not installation tools.

I agree for the price a little more detail would be nice.

Previous post regarding "Hampton Coach" have dwelled on the positive and the negative and I think we can all agree they add a lot to our hobby. Lets not forget they are a " for profit " company and any additional expenses will just be passed along to the end user.A step by step instruction sheet that anyone can follow without any experience and get professional results just isn't possible. Someone with talent and experience will have a much easier time installing their product than someone without either.Some people just learn faster than others.Others of us realize its not to be and seek out those who have the expertise to do the job."Hampton Coach" is a supplier of materials and not talent. While I realize its frustrating to spend a lot of money for an interior and then worry about ruining it,imagine having to start from scratch!

I have had nothing but good results from LeBaron Bonney/Hampton Coach. I agree with m006840 100%.

Maybe we have a failure to communicate. I did not want to start a discussion about expertise. Rather I posted my opinion about instructions, to inform others. The idea above that VCCA get involved is a great suggestion. We all hit this wall individually, but as a group we may all have exactly the same problem. As I write, it dawns on me that some may not have experienced what troubled me. When I reported the instructions are poor, I meant things like this:

“Roof: A. Tack burlap in place in roof opening. B. Install rear header seal. C. Lay padding over burlap. D. Lay topping material over padding; align seams of top with recess in edge of metal roof cap. E. Tack sides, rear edge, then pull tight to front to tack.”

Regards ”˜instruction sheet that anyone can follow without any experience’ this is the whole enchilada. Nothing about finishing the front or side edges, where the seal should be placed … along the edge or lapped over the convertible edge, and as mentioned before the parts are not marked (what is the Rear Header Seal … it can be one of several possible items). At $5,000 plus, these instructions should be more customer friendly.

I think the interior itself is great; the instructions could and should reflect that quality.

I know this will not be a popular suggestion but will give it anyway. If all of us VCCA members would take good notes and pictures during the installation of HC interior kits and then write an "how to do it" article for the G&D it would not take too much time to have excellent installation instructions. What ya'll think? Let "George do it"?

Chipper-I have just reviewed my Fisher Body service manual and find some very helpful instructions regarding both installation and nomenclature for various body parts. I think it would be very helpful to anyone installing an interior or doing other body repairs to purchase a service manual. As Hampton Coach makes kits that are duplicates of the originals I think the original instructions would be beneficial. The VCCA library also has manuals and bulletins that would be helpful.I made copies while attending an Anniversay Meet. Perhaps with the information they contain and some collaboration between Hampton Coach and a knowlegeable VCCA member or committee the information could be included with the kit when purchased.They do offer(or did) Fisher Body service manuals covering 34-49.Perhaps we just need to convince them to offer the earlier years or include it with their kits.Also included in their catalog are upholstery books which also would be helpful. Hampton Coach aka Lebarron Bonney is a supplier also of tools and materials and many other restoration products for Chevies and that "other " brand.

My reason for commenting about VCCA involved is:
I have helped some few to get the interior from HC. Quality, cutting etc. is very good, but the major comments coming from the buyers after some work and installation are following:

As long as HC is selling to many amateurs, normally with no or little experience, they should give the buyers better/more detailed written instructions and/or

having a better/faster support service where the buyers could ask and get directly replies.

My 2 cents for today.

:vcca:

Even some of the professional upholstery people that have installed these kits have said the same thing as well......"Hampton Coach should supply quality instructions with their kits so that it would be easier for the home restorer to install the kits."

Years ago, before Hampton Coach was bought out by LeBarron-Bonny, the original owners of the company did have a better, and more detailed set of instructions.

I felt nearly the same way when my kit arrived in 1985. I went into shock... ended up getting a professional to install it.

You can read a little bit more about it here .

At the Anniversary Meet at Downingtown PA in '81 the former owners presented a seminar on their products. At that time I was looking for a kit for my '48 Cabriolet. They were working on that kit then. One owner of an Aero sedan had used their kit and had his car on display and it was very impressive. The owners assured me that the kit for my car would be correct. So I waited perhaps six months and asked for samples of the blue interior. First, the blue leather didn't have the "feel" of the original. It was much thinner. And the rear carpet wasn't like the original; it was not as thick and much softer. A club member who had taken an upholstery class helped my do the seat cushions and I did the rest of the front seat. The door panels were great and didn't require directions since they fit perfectly. And when I had the top done I had the professional do the top well and the rear side panels. The directions with the kit were almost no directions and if the car had a headliner to do, I would have had a professional do it. Now, the leather shows a lot of wear but the car has been driven over 25000 miles. Apparently, the original leather had more depth with the blue dye and the kit leather is just on the surface like paint. I had the car judged at Santa Rosa in '86 and I got a second place trophy, but restorations have become so professional that now the car wouldn't even place and I quit having it judged after '92 and going through the chairs to get the preservation award.

Providing fairly expensive upholstery kits and NOT proving some kind of instructions with it, is just poor business practice. The vast majority of these kits are going to owners that plan on installing the kits and have had no experience in doing so.

I can understand not having detailed, appication specific instructions, but there should at least be general instructions. Any good technical writer (and there are probably LOTS of unemployed ones now) could be hired for a couple of weeks to watch and document the general installation of these kits and wite up a set of general instructions.

Not rocket science, just good business, after all, past customers should be your best salesman, or so it would seem to me.......

Hey Bill, I don't see what your problem is. Looks like Tab A goes in Slot B, held in place by Widget C and a maybe a couple of tacks.
I did my HC interior about 6 or 7 years ago and I recall several phone calls and faxes back and forth with them. They tried to be helpful but it seems a lot was left to the installer to figure out. Most pieces (like the door panels) and easy to figure out, but just where the windlace and trim pieces go and exactly how they fit is a challenge. I did not dispose of the original interior so I did a lot of checking and comparing the new to the old to figure out a lot of it.
I picked up a new skill during this...learned how to blind stitch fabric. Just what I always wanted to know! :)

If you have the only game in town,_________.

The other day I said I never had a problem with Hampton Coach products. Well, today I have. I ordered front and rear carpet for our 54 BelAir Sedan. The carpet is fine but there are no gromets for the dimmer switch hole or the gas pedal.

I called them and they do not carry them. In my case I have the old ones to use. I wanted new ones with the new carpet.

Also if you order carpet from them you will need to order the jute backing as it does not come with the carpet.

If you have old ones hang onto them.

the interior is all I have left to do. I glued a headliner in a 56 pickup and replaced the seat covers in my 85.... that's it for my upholstery experience. I'm reading stuff that has me concerned.

Having a decent instruction for interior installation would be very long and hard to put into writing,taking pics of the interior before and during disassembly would be the best thing to do and mark every part removed. I can understand wanting to do it your self but experience is what gets it done and looking good and most lack experience in interiors so its time for the professionals,even the professionals will have a hard time since most have not done vehicles as old as ours and the ones that do have the experience working on the old ones are too old to work or have been pushing up daisies for years now. Shop manuals should have been made with more inerior repair info but when they were printed they put enough info for warranty repairs not complete interior restorations,its just going to be trial and error on installing the interior kits unless you know someone who worked on these old vehicles back in the day. I have been doing interiors for 23 years and there are a bumnch of older vehicles I have never seen let alone repaired so sometimes its hard for me to work on them. Jeff

One thing I forgot to mention that the materials are not made the same now as when the cars were new so they are not going to have the same feel and wear so dont even think about getting the same quality as when the vehicles were new,I have seen the quality go down in the 23 years I have been in the interior buisness. Jeff

I ordered a new headliner kit, panel kit, seat kit, and trunk kit from Hampton Coach about a month ago for my 38 master coupe. It came a couple weeks ago, and (with the help of a friend) I just finished installing the seat kit. Given the length and interest in this thread, I thought I would write to give an up-to-date report on the actual facts about the Hampton Coach instructions, etc.

My kits looked very much like the picture posted by Bill above. They came in two large boxes. All (or most) of the parts are labeled on the back with abbreviations that correspond to an abbreviations/terminology sheet that is included. The materials, while not being EXACT copies of the original in every case, are of high quality and well made. I'm not so certain that the colors are precisely like the originals because my original, while there and all complete, have obviously faded, etc., over the last 70 years.

Now the facts about the "instructions." For the 37-38 coupe, I received a xeroxed packet a pages containing a total of 19 pages. This includes a list of contents, some general information about protection of panels and use of adhesives, a list of abbreviations, instructions for blind nailing, headliner installation, windlace installation, and more general instructions specific to the years 1937 and 38. Of the 19 total pages, 6 are mostly hand-drawn illustrations showing installation of windlace, wireon, seat and back cushion, and button installation.

It would appear from previous posts that HC has perhaps tried to "beef up" their instructions a bit in recent years. Still, the descriptions are rather spartan, terse, and often enigmatic. Unfortunately, they sometimes contain internal contradictions (e.g., the verbal description about seat/back cushions doesn't correspond precisely with things shown in the illustrations). I also noticed that some of their installation techniques obviously do not mirror exactly the original installation techniques. Some of this is due to oversight, but some is certainly due to the fact that it would be almost impossible to accomplish at home the same techniques used in the factory.

The biggest complaint for the do-it-yourselfer would certainly be that the instructions are very bare-bones, without much explication or illustration of specific steps. E.g.: INSTALL COVERING ON SEAT FRAME A.Parts of seat frame may be padded by gluing thin foam or cotton on areas to be covered with material. B. Center seat frame and upholstery on ends and tack or staple in place. C. Tack small covered filler panels on inside lower ends of frame near curved corner.

That's it!! If you're lucky enough as I was to have the old materials at hand and to have disassembled them yourself, you will probably be ok. Even then, you will need to read, re-read, re-think each step time and again to make sure it will all work.

The seat is now finished and it came out pretty nice, even nicer that I had anticipated. I believe that the headliner and windlace installation will be more difficult, both because the instructions aren't that great and also because I removed these pieces from the car last summer, and although I took some pictures, I'm not sure I'll remember all the details of the way everything was put together.

My friend and I commented that perhaps I should volunteer to re-write, or at least supplement the instructions for installation as I go along; then propose to HC that they remunerate me for this service by offering me a discount or some sort of deal for further purchases from their catalogue. I'm half-tempted to try that, but I'm not sure I've got the time or am that eager to do what would amount to a fairly large and time-consuming job for what I'm sure would be a rather small recompense.

At any rate, I thought the group would be interested in hearing a recent update on this issue. Bottom line is that, if you've got some handyman ability, patience, AND your old pieces, you can do this yourself. In fact, it was a pretty darned big job just to do the seat (and to get the buttons correct, etc.). I would imagine that to hire a professional upholsterer would have run hundreds of dollars, maybe even more. And while a professional probably would have done it a bit better, I am pretty satisfied with the way it came out.

One final update on price. The total for the headliner, panel, seat, and trunk kits ran about $2200. With that size order, they offered free shipping (which probably would have run another $50-100).

I hope this report is helpful to someone out there, who is contemplating ordering and installing a Hampton Coach interior.

Yours,

Jim

An article for G&D would be very helpful to many VCCA members regarding your HC upholstery experience.

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

At the 6 cylinder tour held in Rutland VT a few years ago a presentation was put on by a gentleman by the name of Petter Davidsen. He is in the upholstery business having worked for "Hampton Coach". Also working with him is a person who made many of the patterns for Hampton. Neither of them are close to retirement age yet probably have more experience and knowledge of the business than one could imagine, however I think it would be a lifetime task to write complete instructions for the thousands of patterns that Hampton has.They supply the materials that match the originals as best they can,but most original materials are long gone.I think the only way to develop better instructions would be for someone to write them as a kit is being installed.I believe the original owner started out by simply making a copy(pattern) of an interior as he was replacing one for a customer.He probably never envisioned that these interiors would one day be sold world wide.Especially by a company that specializes in the "other" brand.

I agree with most of the comments here. I installed the HC kit for my 32 Sport Coupe a few years ago.

I also found the instructions to be somewhat generic and was totally lost at times. As an example, I followed the seat instructions for a 4dr rather than a coupe. I was lucky in that most of my original seat fabric was still in place and prior to removing it I marked all the fabric end locations on the original wood frame. I just used the HC fabric supplied and forget the instructions.

That was also typical for most of the panels supplied with the kit.

I can not imagine HC suppling specific instructions for each kit it makes, but I agree that they ought to supply better ones considering the cost of the kits.

On there Web Site they may want to start a blog area where do-it-your-selfers can log on and post questions or get expert advice.

I don't think the VCCA should offer any help directly to HC. Instead we should contact them directly as a group.

I dont see how they could put more specific instructions since every year and model are different so they put in gemeric instructions to get you started,paying attention during disassembly is the key and if its apart for many years the memory fails so time for pics. For those who buy vehicles that someone else took apart mI feel for you and its time to look at complete vehicles at shows to see how everything goes or buy a parts car that is complete if possible as you know something always is lost.

"I don't think the VCCA should offer any help directly to HC".
I disagree with the above statement.Offering help as a "club" may not be a good use of our resources ,however as individuals there is a great amount of talent and especially knowledge amongst our members.Not only would it benefit HC but also our members (their customers) which I believe is part of the mission of VCCA.Simply informing them of concerns expressed in this post would be a help.Customer feedback is important to a manufacturer and as a group I feel it will have greater impact.

I have been following this thread with great interest. There is a reason why people make a living as automotive upulsterers. When you buy a gallon of paint is there specific detailed instructions on how to shoot the car? When you buy an engine rebuild kit are there specific instuctions on how to use it? My best friend is an upulsterer he never looks at the instructions and everything is perfect! He did serve an apprenticeship and does it for a living. My point is don't presume it is easy to do just bcause they sell you the kit. If you are spending $4,000 for a kit why not spend another $1,500 to have it installed right! If the pro does not need the instructions and it comes out perfect then why is there a problem.

Every man must know their limitations
John

I also have followed this thread and have a little different viewpoint. Yes, there definitely are reasons why people make a living as automotive upholsterers. I have used several over the years some were good and matched the original reasonably well. Others, well let me just say they might do excellent work on customs and boats but not old Chevys. Others I would not trust with my bar stools. I paid big $$ to have a top duplicated, even supplied the original top in fair condition as a pattern/example, gave explicit instructions, photos of another installed original top and the guy still did in HIS way. And then doubled his "estimate" in final cost. He came highly recommended by several knowledgeable old car people. Guess you are lucky to have a friend that does it right.

Another view is that many of us want to do as much of the restoration as possible. We either educate ourselves often assisted by formal schooling, ask questions of the professionals and consult with other restorers. If you look there are many places to find instructions on painting a car. Even more on engine rebuilding. Even a few on automotive upholstery. No there are not instructions on the fabric (similar to the paint can). or engine rebuild kit (contains standard parts similar in all engines). But the upholstery kit contains parts and pieces that are nearly impossible to determine where they are installed. I have heard of professionals that can't figure out where parts fit and guess wrong so additional fabric or parts need to be purchased. I have had it happen twice!

So it is good business to provide at least rudimentary installation instructions. If enough people have bad experiences with a supplier that supplier will be out of business.

When I was rebuilding my 31 sport coupe the interior was in bad shape do to the fire that it had gone through. I had some pictures of what was left and contacted a local "old timer" upholster. He came out to my house and told me how much fabric and lacing to order. I ordered all the material from HC. My guy went by my pictures and instructions and the car came out looking like a brand Chevy off the line. He also did my rumble seat and roof material. It was much easier for me to do it this way after reading all the stoies here on the chat site about HC instructions. I was lucky to find this guy with over fifty years of experience.

The VCCA magazine should consider enlisting the aid of a volunteer experienced upholster and perhaps in a series of articles, several photos,and listings of tricks of the trade we might create a few neophyte amateur antique auto upholsters within the club membership.
In the Feb 2009 SKINNED KNUCKLES Magazine there is a pretty good article on how to rebuild a back seat. It looks like in following magazines SKINNED KNUCKLES will be having an article on how to cover the seat and maybe even another article on headlining.
You can also rent How to Do It DVD's from SmartFlix ( on the Internet). I rented a few and I am teaching myself rudimentary upholstery (and to think ...a few months ago I couldn't even spell apollstirree!)For every mistake I make I learn not to repeat it the "next time". One stitch at a time...

MikeyBoy has some good suggestions. As I said in my post earlier, a blog on the HC site or even posted help here would benefit our fellow members that choose to do it themselves. Many of us that completed our cars would help if anyone posted a specific question.

In my opinion, many of the members located in remote parts of the country can not find or easily get to an "old timer" that knows these cars. A lot of us located on the East or West coast can find upholstry guys to peform the work but it's going to cost you dearly when most of these guys charge by "time and material". I can't see paying labor costs while the experienced guy tries to figure out the job if the car has no interior left in it.

if anyone is stuck with one of these kits, send me a message and i can walk you through it. ive never bought a kit, i make my own, but all are the same in general when it comes to installing it. so im here to help if anyone needs it

Part of the fun of owning an old car is being able to work on it yourself.It sounds like most of the posters have the extra cash to just send it out and have a pro do it.I bought my car to enjoy driving it and also work on it myself.If these instructions are this bad, the company must be notified.I do have the money to go to a professional but I would get more satisfaction doing it myself!!!!Of course with good instructions.

[quoteIf these instructions are this bad, the company must be notified] [/quote]

Hampton Coach has been notified many times over the years but apparently they have no desire to make a detailed set of instructions for their existing and future customers.

i'm in agreement with the junkyard dog. hampton has no intentions of improving their instructions(which suck) and phone calls to their tech advisors are unproductive. mike

The problem with companies like that is they have people who just know how to make the product and not install it,there are probably only a couple people in the whole company who are upholsterers and unfortunately are not the one who answers the phone on the tech line.

Years and years ago Hampton Coach had a lot of tech. expertise and they were more willing to help with questions regarding upholstery installation and etc. At that time they also had a lot more authentic upholstery materials as well. Unfortunately, Hampton Coach was bought out by the Ford dudes and.....well.....the rest is history.

I been in the Upholstery trade for almost 25 years and have been watching it die for the last few years,nobody wants to do it and it takes the shops around here a long time to find someone who will. Most of the old timers are retired or dead and hardly any of the younger crowd wants to learn so whoever they have making the kits are most likely there just for a paycheck now. As for the authentic materials,they have been used up and due to maufacturing cost are probably not being made anymore so if anyone wants 100 percent originality you better forget about it and use whats close. If there is not enough demand I see alot of material not being reproduced now so I dont know what is going to happen but its not like it used to be and get used to it since its never going back to the way it was years ago.

I'm a little hesitant now about purchasing a new interior kit.

If you buy a kit just take your time and take plenty of pics before you tear it apart,they are not just for anyone to install and takes some knowledge of interiors and mechanical ability to do it right. If someone has a vehicle that was purchased apart go to plenty of shows and take pics of original cars if possible and look them over closely to see where everything goes,one would think that a company that makes the kits would have a few that actually know how to install them but it would be hard to describe over the phone or put down in writing.

This subject has been discussed at length and I believe the concensus is Hampton makes an excellent product but fails to make it easy for a Do-it-yourselfer. They have at various times installed kits in their shop and have had some excellent upholsters working for them.Perhaps one of the reasons for the limited instructions is associated with $$$$$$. Developing and maintaining instructions for all of their kits would be cost prohibitive and we would all then be discussing the higher cost of their kits. I have said it before and it deserves repeating-upholstery is a trade that requires talent and training. Sherwin-Williams sells artist paints but I don't expect them to instruct me to become Rembrandt.Paint by number- maybe??

This is a somewhat faulty analogy. Sherwin-Williams sells paint. Hampton Coach sells ready-to-install kits, not just the mohair material. Any other kit I buy has instructions. Hampton Coach did not offer one whit of information on how to sew the hardbacks on my '38 bucket seats. I called them a couple of times and they eventually sent me some basic hand-drawn instructions and a curved needle. I still didn't know what to use for thread as the original was almost like twine. I finally found something close at JoAnn Fabrics. It seems to me that a $3,000.00 kit (at the time) would have contained the proper thread. After all, it contained tacks, hog rings, hog ring pliers, and everything else needed to install it. In any case, despite its shortcomings and extremely limited instructions, I pretty much got the whole shebang in the kit; not just a few yards of mohair. Ergo, I did expect fairly comprehensive instructions for a DIY'er. On the other hand, when I buy a gallon of paint, that is all I expect to get. Beamer

I have to agree with Steve 100% My best friend Bill Reid is a semi-retired interior guy, he served an apprenticeship for five years. He has done some of the best restored cars in the country. I have watched him do several of them and even a few of mine. The labor was cheaper than the price of the kit. It is a trade that takes years to master, and a very special touch.
John

Hi Beamer,
You may have missed the "ARTIST" paint part as it was not house paint that I referred to. Point being it takes talent and training to become an expert. No amount of printed instruction is going to do that, only experience. The fact that Hampton produces a kit is an advantage for the professional and amateur alike. Without them we would have to start from scratch.

After reading all these posts I will be doing upholstery myself which is all there and will keep very detailed instructions for the next person doing 30 4dr sedan-I bought a very expensive top for a BMW which came with none-no instructions -said it should take 5 hrs.-took 2 wks but came out nice due to a lot of thought and attention

When I was restoring my 31 coupe I read this very thread and thought that Hampton kits were not the way to go. I talked to a local upholstrey guy and he came by my house, he looked at the car and gave me a list of how much mohair fabric to order and also the felt for the headliner. I did order every thing from Hampton, then had my local guy install it. The car cost a little more than the kit to have it installed but there was no fuse about instructions. The guy that did the job has about fifty years in the trade.

I just got my kit from Labaron bonney. I hope they send better instructions than Hampton Coach.I dont see anybody talking about them

The interior of my car is HC and I like the quality. I did NOT have the work done however. But after 10+ years the upholstery and quality looks great.

I did purchase and install a HC "card board" Trunk kit for my 41 coupe, {which does NOT come w/any instructions}.

After a few attempts at installing the kit I called HC. On the day I called HC this was the reply;
"Sorry Mike. We do not know how the Back panel attaches to the Side panels. We also do not know how the side and back panel's look or come together once they are installed. And we do not know the top from the bottom of your back panel."

So, with the help of Cal Bison’s photo’s and other VCCA members it was installed.

I guess the motto is, “They are not all what they claim to be.” Or, "No one knows it all." {Except Gene}

Now with a continual marketing mindset maybe HC presents VCCA with an opportunity. Maybe HC would allow a hot link to VCCA on their web site. And a by line, "If HC can't help you, join VCCA. We probably can."

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

"I just got my kit from Labaron Bonney. I hope they send better instructions than Hampton Coach. I don't see anybody talking about them"

They are the same company. Greetings from NH.

Here is a little tidbit that I came across when I looked at the HC web site. LeBarron Bonney owns Hampton Coach. If you go to HC web site and look at history at the bottom that is were I found this information. Seems like they have changed hands so many times that the owners are just in it for the money.

Hampton Coach was established in 1977 by Stanwood Brown, a prominent Hampton NH businessman and antique car hobbyist who had previously owned and operated an auto supply company and motorcycle dealership. Mr. Brown had purchased a vintage Chevrolet and was interested in restoring it to its original condition. While there were numerous body shops in the area that were capable of handling the exterior work on Mr. Browns Chevy, he had difficulty locating a source for duplicating its original interior.

Mr. Brown's search eventually led him to the "LeBaron Bonney" in Amesbury Massachusetts, a company that was well known in the antique car circles for interior kits for Ford 1928-1954 cars and trucks as well as its stock of hard to find automobile upholstery materials and interior trim products. While LeBaron Bonney did have an extensive offering of interior kits for Fords, it was unable to help Mr. Brown with his Chevrolet. However, during his visits to LeBaron Bonney, Mr. Brown developed a friendship with Lee Atherton, the co-owner and founder of LeBaron Bonney , who encouraged Mr. Brown to establish a similar enterprise that would cater to antique Chevrolets and other general Motors vehicles.



With help and guidance from Mr. Atherton, Mr. Brown quickly embarked on the new venture which he named "Hampton Coach".

He began his operation in the town of Hampton, NH after taking some space in the historic Greenman Building...which would be their home until 1994 . He then recruited a team of craftspeople, including a patternmaker, an upholsterer and a stitcher, all from local footwear manufacturers.

Mr. Brown then set out to create patterns of original interiors of more than 100 different models of Chevrolets manufactured between 1928-1940. (Hampton Coach currently has patterns for over 400 models between 1916-1954). As you can expect this was no small undertaking as each set of patterns required an original vehicle in reasonable condition. The second part of the problem was to locate original type materials including trims , upholstery material , carpets and top material for each model developed. This second problem was partially solved with Hampton Coach's ability to purchase many of these materials in small quantities from LeBaron Bonney Co, who over the years had developed extensive sources and inventories of these materials.

Thru local contacts and a national advertising campaign Hampton Coach continued to add new models to their ever growing list.

The campaign was a tremendous success and in a relatively short time Hampton Coach possessed the most comprehensive collection of antique Chevrolet interior patterns in the world.

Thru direct mail to antique Chevrolet owners, magazine advertising, and attending antique auto shows. ..Mr Brown began to aggressively market Hampton Coach products and services. While "In Shop" installation was limited due to geographic distance of many customers, the company's reproduction interior kit sales proved to be a winner as hundreds of its kits were being purchased throughout the US , Canada and Europe. ...similar to the success enjoyed by the Ford counterpart company "LeBaron Bonney".

As its business flourished the company continued to expand its collection of interior patterns to include Chevrolets manufactured between 1916-1954.

In 1984 Mr. Brown decided to sell Hampton Coach and devote his time to selling antique cars and parts. He sold Hampton Coach to a local investor a Mr. William Vickers.

Thru a series of operational changes, which Mr. Vickers instituted , Hampton Coach continued to grow and expand its model offerings. In 1987 Mr. Vickers decided to move on to other areas of personal and professional interest and sold Hampton Coach to Mr. and Mrs. James A. Roll. Under their guidance Hampton Coach continued to grow, expanding their market worldwide and adding an extensive line of Buick kits (70) and certain models of Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac and LaSalle vehicles. Total kit offerings now stood at over 400 models. With its growing reputation for quality work , attention to detail and originality at reasonable prices...Hampton Coach's sales and orders reached all time highs.






In January of 1995 after extensive negotiations, Hampton Coach was sold to the "LeBaron Bonney" and moved "lock stock and barrel" including all its employees, to LeBaron Bonney's 50,000 sq ft plant 15 miles to the south in Amesbury, Massachusetts. The Rolls had decided to move on to other pursuits. LeBaron Bonney had been exploring various avenues of expanding its business and the purchase of Hampton Coach seemed a natural.



As a "division of LeBaron Bonney", "Hampton Coach" operates in the same facility as LeBaron Bonney and the two companies share their combined 61 years experience and expertise that both companies have accumulated.

Thank God for VCCA