Technical Upolstery question - Am I THAT out of touch?

Ok, here's the story. Got quoted a price of $3,200.00 for recovering the front and rear seats for my 56 Chevy, along with the rear quarter panel arm rest's. Needless to say, I damn near shit myself! The seat frames and accompanying sheet metal have been sand blasted and painted and the seat shell's and arm rest bases have had the tackstrip's replaced also, so all the "Bullwork" has been done as far as clean up goes, they're starting with a clean slate. ALSO... I am supplying the seat cover's and foam padding, the seat shell material, and the rear armrest cover's. This company has an excellent reputation, but I feel that's a touch on the high side for labor. Am I Nutz, or does that sound about right?
If any of you Northern Illinois HAMBER'S know of a good shop that's cheaper, I would appreciate some contact info. I would send it ALL to Ashley at Wicked Stitch but the freight there and back would probably put me back at square one! LOL!!! So... All that being said, what's your opinion guys? Are they gouging or not? All opinion's are appreciated. Thanks, Jedd

 

And they'll do it this year? You're lucky!

 

I took two bucket seats that had the tracks removed, bases cleaned and painted to a local guy. I also provided plenty of material for him to do the job. Went to pick them up and was charged $800. I thought that was also off the mark, especially for SE Kansas.

But they look really nice.

.bjb

 

So your just installing seat covers? Buy a couple sets of good hog ring pliers and do it yourself. It is not that hard. Just keep your seams straight. The edge seam needs to be on the edge, ect. I have done a few. The hardest part is getting enough clean space in the garage to do it.

 

If they're stock seats and you have stock reproduction covers, that's a do-it-yourself type job. There's some great tutorials on Youtube you can watch. I've done lots of them and it's not super hard.

Upholstery shops are all booked out forever and can charge whatever they want, just like good body shops, chromers and engine builders. So they're not competing for customers, you're competing for them. I wouldn't pay that, but I can guarantee you, they've got a list of customers who are.

 

Yup... 4 week turn around.

 

I had front and rear seats done last year. 54 chevy car. cost was $1500. mid mo. 2 week turn around

 

I'd be happier than a pig in shit for 800 bucks!

 

Yeah, that's basically the situation, but I know my limitation's and my patience level, if you know what I mean...

 

Now that I could definately live with!

 

I agree whole heartedly! I just know how I am, though.

 

Well...l'm not sure what to say about it, but I have something to say about it. That number they quoted, it's called gouging. $3200? Lets look at that in terms of hours. At a$100 an hour that's 32 hours. Then ask yourself, what you think you could accomplish if you knew what you were doing as the supposed expert, and capable of doing in an hour if you were trying to make a buck not having someone pay for the pleasure of you whistling while you work. Then tell me if after three days you wouldn't have that and more done.

 

^^ AGREED^^

Price gouging at its finest. Welcome to the new normal....

...

 

Do you want it to look like you did it, or like someone who knows what they're doing did it? It might be worth it to you, it might not.

I only know one guy in IL who does upholstery, and last time I talked to him about it many years ago, he was getting 10k or so for complete jobs. He did my 55 when he lived here 25 years ago, it was close to 3k, but that was for everything.

 

I recently collected the interior for my 46 Olds from a trimmer who has had it for 3yrs, NOTHING was done.
It was to be completed to coincide with the body being painted circa Christmas 2021. Reassembly time frame has now blown out.
I was fortunate to locate another trimmer at short notice who did a few cars belonging to others I know and am leaving home now to deliver everything to him. The car will still need to go there for flooring and hoodlining and minor fit up. Hopefully this time around I'll have success, from what I've seen of his work I won't be disappointed and since I've provided the actual material it'll be a financially viable solution.
Fortunately I was able to source the complete OEM interior from Hampton Coach (GM division of Le Baron Bonney) before it recently folded. It's almost impossible now to locate the original cloth interior material.

 

Forgot to mention they supplied all the materials. Here is their website. https://www.aandbautotrim.com/ They are about 7 hours away from you.

 

That's EXACTLY what I was Thinking!!!

 

I could see paying 3,200 if they were sewing the cover's, but when I'm supplying everything but the ancillaries, I have a tough time chewing that one up!

 

yep, shop around for another shop or try it yourself - might be someone that does work out of their home garage - check with friends, Hot Rod shops, etc - some shops are busy and really do not need any more customers right now unless willing to pay big - some shops only work on high end rides have high end rates - some shops do not want to use stuff supplied by customers, common when it comes to paint work - if you have someone else do the work get everything in writing and do not pay the full price up front and take pics of everything that you leave at shop

 

It's a they don't want your business quote or "I will probably have to rework all the pre-bought stuff to bring it up to my standards price." Most upholsters that I follow on Instagram hate using supplied foam. They all say it is crap but no customer ever wants to hear it especially after they have already bought it. Probably don't like the idea of using premade covers either because if they are not up to the quality they want to be associated with then they are stuck having to put out "work" that is not up to their standard. It's just like painters not wanting to paint over someone else's work. It's their reputation that is on the line as even if you tell people "they were pre bought covers" all anyone looking at it will hear is who did the work.

 

HOLY SHIT!!!! a front and rear seat, including the cleanup and painting the frames, has averaged $1500 here. That's material and labor, making the covers. Only thing that makes a difference to Ashley is the pattern. Diamonds take longer, 1" pleats take longer, etc... she's done quite a few "install covers from a restoration supply", it's $40 hr. 2 days will cover everything. That's $640, and that includes any materials. Only thing is she can't guarantee somebody else's covers. But yeah, right around $650.

 

If you draw a line from Kankakee , to dekaslb to Rockford ,& stay southwest of that line ,I'd bet your costs would drop considerably ,follow the Illinois river as that is where most " from scratch" upholstery work occurs there ! Back in the day @ dealership shops I swapped a lot of upholstery , but the foundation & padding were already done . I doubt my hands are strong enough any ,more to stretch the panels & hog ring them . you're up near the wis state line , lot of boats north of you , ask around .

 

Doing a 32 Sedan with front seat only. I'm furnishing the upholstered Teas seat and all the leather. He's doing the front and rear flat panels, headliner, carpeting and covering the Walden top insert with Hartz topping and the final bill will be around 5K. He's retired and has done about 10 cars for me and is very good. Job will take about 2 months after I get it into his backyard shop.

 

I know many of the guys who have had their 40 Willy's or a 32 Ford interiors done, including the truck area for between $10,000 and $14,000 dollars and yes it looked beautiful, but I thought that was a lot of money to pay.

Jimbo

 

Will you guys please move to California so Ashley can do my interior? Patiently waiting......

 

One of my best friends works for Cal Fire, he retires in 3 years, he's looking to buy a house and move here lol...

 

I was thinking that also... "I don't really need your business, but if you want me to work on your crap, it'll cost way more than it should" type of attitude.

 

Well they are upholsters not installers. Their business reputation is on the line so installing some unknown covers over unknown foam does nothing for them so they better get paid well to do it. It's kind of the equivalent to them as you showing up to a restaurant with your own steak and asking them to cook it.

 

Damn Brother that's cheap!!! Momma needs to charge more!!! LOL!!! Don't tell anybody here that I said that though...

 

Wrong part of the country man. Rather get stuff to do and make some money, rather than price it high and sit around doing nothing! Lmao! Prices will adjust after a couple of years, the experience she's getting is worth a fortune.