Folks Of Interest I have freaking had it! A rant about people not following through

So, after 2.5 months, my upholstery guy sends me pics of the panels he was doing for the Resurrection Roadster.

Now, let me preface this with I built my own panels and drilled them in, installed the fasteners, laid out the pattern I wanted on the panels for reference, took pictures of what I wanted the tuck and roll to look like.

I get a pic of a pleated panel with foam sewn to the back of it.


I showed him a pic of real tuck and roll and he said that I didn't know what I was looking at.



I spent 30 minutes with him discussing the layout, the foam thickness etc. It was supposed to be a traditional tuck and roll to look period correct in the roadster. I even sent him pics of the car, so he could understand the look and the layout.

He had originally quoted me a price and said it would take him 3 weeks. I told him I really wanted it done by the Gathering at the Roc. Well that came and went. I dropped it off on Sept 16. I dropped in today and he had done one kick panel and it was wrong. He tells me that doing it the way I want it would double the cost.

I have never had so many frustrations with any other profession. Drywallers are a close second.
I guess I am going to have to buy a freaking machine and learn to do my own. Like I have time to learn a new craft.

He just got behind and wanted me to go away. Well, I did. Problem solved.

I don't know how folks stay in business doing crap like this.

 

That is frustrating! I know of 3 or 4 builds where the owner had to take the car to at least 2 different places just to get the interior finished right. Body work seems to fall in that same category.
My take away has been that a job order must be filled out when I drop something off.


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I understand. Went thru it with engines ,transmissions and seats. I will learn what I don't know.

 

The guy did the Produce Truck and it was fine. He did the Okie Apache seat and was quick.

He is a Mexican guy and had probably 6 low riders in the shop, all looked like complete interiors. He just didn't act like he cared if I took my crap and left. He has enough work with the low rider crowd I guess.

 

I wish I had someone local, from the hamb.

Is the hamb-o-dex searchable by state?

 

Here’s what I did!








Bones

 

Not to excuse him but the way he did it, which is technically a blind stitched pleat, seems to have become the modern version of tuck and roll. I see very few people (I follow a bunch of upholsters on social media)actually doing the traditional style tuck and roll anymore and when it is done it seems to be a pretty big deal. The mistake on the style may just be a confusion on terminology.

 

probably better off that he was a flake. what sort of upholstery guy does not know what tuck and roll is?

 

Your spot on. He did that on my other truck. He got behind the power curve and he figured he would send me a pic and see if I bit. He must have had a feeling or he would have just knocked it out. It's only 6 pieces and 2 small bucket seats. Think Model A small......

He knows exactly what it is. He's a third generation upholstery guy. He's just lazy and figured he under bid the job.

 

It's hard to see in the picture but I don't think it's a top stitched pleat, it looks like a blind stitched pleat. You top stitch it then fold it over and stitch it again from the back. That is generally what is seen as tuck and roll these days not individually stuffed pleats.

 

We have one of the best around just up the road...Aaron Lawrence in Bartlesville.

 

I forgot about him. I wonder if he would be up for it?

It's a blind stitch.

 

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Couldn’t hurt to ask. He stays pretty backed up typically though.

 

At this point I have all winter.

 

The new normal attitude with service people nowadays seems to be "take it or leave it".
Lucky for you, you took it before more work had been done (wrong).
Sounds like a win-win.

 

Seems he was clear in his description on what he was after..either upholsterer dude didn't understand, or ignored instruction, and did it the way he wanted to/or was capable of.
A shame, I've been thru the upholsterer/s Hell myself.
I've also thought of teaching myself the craft, buying the machine, but so far haven't done it.
I do almost everything myself, by myself, on my builds, it makes life easier to take.
Good luck.

 

I did my own crappy upholstery work on the T last summer....pretty bad job, but it's just a T. The only work I farmed out was cutting door glass, which took too long and it came back with mostly unfinished edges, and was a big pain.

Getting work done these days is tough. You have my empathy.

 

I'm not trying to stereotype your upholstery guy but you said he was of Mexican decent and being a upholsterer he should be well versed at the correct way to do the job or as it's called South of the Border, Tijuana tuck & roll. HRP

 

The good news is - at least he checked with you before doing the job.

 

in general, miscommunication is a big problem - each other assuming the other knows what they are talking about - now ads list cars from the 90's as Classics - any good shop that does upholstery, etc is going to be busy - if you find a good shop with references from people you know then put your name on the list with a deposit - too often people try to cut in line because their project is important - once work ready to get started go back over everything one more time - if there is any work, or parts chasing , that you can do let shop know

 

I bought a sewing machine and lucky needle videos. First night playing around using 1/2” sew foam. Haven’t got to the stuffed pleats yet but that looks like fun.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Honestly, I don't think there was any miscommunication. When I was checking with him weekly before the Gathering, he told me that he had a complete upholstery that was eating his lunch. I think he got behind on his schedule and rather than man up and tell me he didn't want to do it anymore, he just pussed out. It was the smallest panel on the car (kick panel). I think he was intentionally baiting me.

 

Glad he warned you in his ''back door' way instead of sticking you with a complete job you didn't ask for.

 

I havn't sewn on a machine since I was 11 or 12. but pleats are not Tuck-n-Roll.. It's just time and a little more material; it's the piping and hiding the seams that made me quit.

 

Your comment about buying your own machine is exactly what I did 30 years ago when an upholsterer told me he'd make a top for my chopped '56 Cadillac convert for $500. I took him the car at the appointed date and he scuffed the dirt with his toe, hemmed and hawed and told me it'd be $2500 and it might take 3 months. This after waiting 4 months to take him the car. I went right home and ordered a "Sail-Rite" from a little ad in the back of "Street Rodder" and have never looked back. I've done half a dozen interiors, made that top, and two other ones, lent out the machine to friends for their projects, made carpets, headliners, the stuff I'd have hired out. Best $400 I ever spent.

All the work you did for prep for him is harder than actually doing the sewing. Do it. View attachment 4896290 View attachment 4896290 View attachment 4896290

 

I may have to look into this.