Leather upholstery

cwcad

cwcad

New Normal
Have been toying with the idea of getting leather installed in the Black truck. Have searched the internet a few times and really have only found upper end shops that are in California or Florida. I am in Texas. What I liked about these sites is there price. What I did not like was that I would have to install the seat covers myself. I am sure that I could get them installed but I feel that installation by me would be a little suspect at best. Most likely it would be a botched job that I would have to live with. This does not entice me to continue on this line of action.

I did contact a local installer of leather car seats just the other day. Yet after searching the internet I am a little suspect of his prices. Since I have seen prices of leather seats for about 650 dollars I am reticent to purchase from this particular leather seat installer because he wants $1000.00 to install
them in my vehicle. I think that a four hour installation time and a $1000.00 is a bit steep. He will not dicker at all and wants half down before he will order a leather seat set to install.

I am interested in opinions here. ANYONE have any? Help me in my decision making process. Thanks in advance!!
 
Kirk,
talk to this guy... He is local,

"Auto Upholstery Center"
Billy Barrett
21 North Park
Killeen, Tx.
254-634-5272
FAX- 254-634-1165

I met him a few months back when I was picking up my Daughter from Gymnastics. I picked up a few of his cards. I was talking to him about carpet padding for autos.
His card says:
*Convertable & Vinyl tops
*Custom Interiors
*Original Materials Available
*Carpets

Worth giving him a call to see....
 
TexasTB said:
Kirk,
talk to this guy... He is local,

"Auto Upholstery Center"
Billy Barrett
21 North Park
Killeen, Tx.
254-634-5272
FAX- 254-634-1165

I met him a few months back when I was picking up my Daughter from Gymnastics. I picked up a few of his cards. I was talking to him about carpet padding for autos.
His card says:
*Convertable & Vinyl tops
*Custom Interiors
*Original Materials Available
*Carpets

Worth giving him a call to see....
Click to expand...

thanks Chris!!!

Will give him a call later in the day. I am very much appreciative of this information.
 
Hi cwcad, I wasn't sure whether you wanted help in getting a good installer, or care of the seats afterwards. You've receive help on the former from TexasTB, so I'll give you my experience on the latter.

I've now had two cars with leather seats. The first was a beater that I bought near the end of its useful life. The previous owners (there were at least 2) took very good care of the seats. However, I never cleaned them for the 2 years that I had the car. (The car was a 1987 Grand Marquis with factory-installed seats). Even with my abuse, they held up well and never tore.

My '04 Grand Marq has leather seats. I maintain them with leather cleaners and leather protectors. These products keep the seats smooth and easy to manuever my big 550-lb rear. Regardless of whether the seats begin to look dirty or not, when they feel rough to slide in and out of, I clean and protect them to regain the smoothness.

Bet that was more info than ANYone wanted to know.

Charles
(hahahahaha)
 
cwcad said:
Have been toying with the idea of getting leather installed in the Black truck. Have searched the internet a few times and really have only found upper end shops that are in California or Florida. I am in Texas. What I liked about these sites is there price. What I did not like was that I would have to install the seat covers myself. I am sure that I could get them installed but I feel that installation by me would be a little suspect at best. Most likely it would be a botched job that I would have to live with. This does not entice me to continue on this line of action.

I did contact a local installer of leather car seats just the other day. Yet after searching the internet I am a little suspect of his prices. Since I have seen prices of leather seats for about 650 dollars I am reticent to purchase from this particular leather seat installer because he wants $1000.00 to install
them in my vehicle. I think that a four hour installation time and a $1000.00 is a bit steep. He will not dicker at all and wants half down before he will order a leather seat set to install.

I am interested in opinions here. ANYONE have any? Help me in my decision making process. Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...


If the guy that TexasTB doesn't work out for you. I would call your local dealership and ask who they use for this. When I brought my Murano it had cloth and I wanted leather, they had a national company come in and do the leather, I will have a look and get the name for you if you are interested...The leather is real decent quality, as it show little signs of wear, unlike some newer cars that I have done and you can see where the color is wearing off from rubbing...

Looked at the car just now and here is the link to the site of Classic SoftTrim

Classic Soft Trim
 
Beemerboy said:
If the guy that TexasTB doesn't work out for you. I would call your local dealership and ask who they use for this. When I brought my Murano it had cloth and I wanted leather, they had a national company come in and do the leather, I will have a look and get the name for you if you are interested...The leather is real decent quality, as it show little signs of wear, unlike some newer cars that I have done and you can see where the color is wearing off from rubbing...

Looked at the car just now and here is the link to the site of Classic SoftTrim

Classic Soft Trim
Click to expand...

Thanks Beemerboy!!! The fellow that I first contacted is recommennded by the Chevrolet dealer where I purchased the vehicle. I am a little suspect of his business dealings. He works out of his van. He does not have a brick and mortar store. Wants half down before he orders the pre-made leather seat covers. I honestly thinks he wants to much for installation. After seeing prices on some sites on the net I am pretty sure he he is awfully proud of his work.
 
crobinso said:
Hi cwcad, I wasn't sure whether you wanted help in getting a good installer, or care of the seats afterwards. You've receive help on the former from TexasTB, so I'll give you my experience on the latter.

I've now had two cars with leather seats. The first was a beater that I bought near the end of its useful life. The previous owners (there were at least 2) took very good care of the seats. However, I never cleaned them for the 2 years that I had the car. (The car was a 1987 Grand Marquis with factory-installed seats). Even with my abuse, they held up well and never tore.

My '04 Grand Marq has leather seats. I maintain them with leather cleaners and leather protectors. These products keep the seats smooth and easy to manuever my big 550-lb rear. Regardless of whether the seats begin to look dirty or not, when they feel rough to slide in and out of, I clean and protect them to regain the smoothness.

Bet that was more info than ANYone wanted to know.

Charles
(hahahahaha)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, Charles!! Can never have enough information to make decisions of this type. At the price of the Dealer's representative it is a major decision, in my mind, at least
 
cwcad said:
Thanks Beemerboy!!! The fellow that I first contacted is recommennded by the Chevrolet dealer where I purchased the vehicle. I am a little suspect of his business dealings. He works out of his van. He does not have a brick and mortar store. Wants half down before he orders the pre-made leather seat covers. I honestly thinks he wants to much for installation. After seeing prices on some sites on the net I am pretty sure he he is awfully proud of his work.
Click to expand...

Working out of his van wouldn't scare me but the fact the he needs the cash to get the covers, sounds like he is a shoe string operation...is that bad, don't know, maybe you could ask for some references or to see some of his work.

The link that I posted I think that they are real good and would be competitive in pricing
 
Beemerboy. I have seen his work. The quality of the work as well as the materials is not in question. I think that the price is more the worry that I have. I have not found a site that prices these seats. Will call in the morning on the site that you listed. I think that the guy is asking an awful lot for his craft at this time. I may be wrong and will say so if I find it to be the case. Until then the little bit of Scotch that I have in me is flairing up at this moment. I just want value for my money spent.

IF the seat covers cost 650 dollars then he is getting a 1000 dollars for the labor. Which he says is between 3 and 4 hours. I think 250 dollars an hour is a bit pricey for me. Even if it is quality work.
 
cwcad said:
Beemerboy. I have seen his work. The quality of the work as well as the materials is not in question. I think that the price is more the worry that I have. I have not found a site that prices these seats. Will call in the morning on the site that you listed. I think that the guy is asking an awful lot for his craft at this time. I may be wrong and will say so if I find it to be the case. Until then the little bit of Scotch that I have in me is flairing up at this moment. I just want value for my money spent.

IF the seat covers cost 650 dollars then he is getting a 1000 dollars for the labor. Which he says is between 3 and 4 hours. I think 250 dollars an hour is a bit pricey for me. Even if it is quality work.
Click to expand...

$250 an hour I know Doctors that are not making that much...that's insane and I don't blame you!

I would say $1000 total materials included
 
Just as I had thought, Beemerboy. He is trying to sell an upgrade of the leather with the price that I had mentioned. The 1000 dollar leather is like the leather in my wife's car a 300 Touring. Kind of hard. The 1600 dollar leather is like the leather in an Escalade.
 
cwcad said:
Just as I had thought, Beemerboy. He is trying to sell an upgrade of the leather with the price that I had mentioned. The 1000 dollar leather is like the leather in my wife's car a 300 Touring. Kind of hard. The 1600 dollar leather is like the leather in an Escalade.
Click to expand...

The leather that I have in my Murano is OK not the best but really its good enough for me, I take real good care of it and after 3 years its still looking like the day it was installed...on that note I have done some newer cars that have had plenty if wear marks, one 05 F150 that I did had some real bad wear marks on the drivers seat, I told the owner to take it back for a replacement
 
Kirk:
Have you considered trying to pick up some leather seats from a salvage yard?
I'm not much into pickups, but I would almost bet that many GM seats would fit your truck. Chevy, GMC seats are probably interchangeable and it's very likely that several years would interchange.
The Yukon, Tahoe, Escalade seats might even work.

Charles
 
Thanks to everyone that has sent links. I have looked at everyone of them. All of them require a phone call for pricing(drat!!). Come Monday I will dutifully call them. But it has been my experience with online vendors that if you have to call it is very expensive. It would appear that I have high roller tastes with a tap water budget.

Charles...Always with the practical look at things. To be honest I had not even thought of a junk yard. Rest assured that I will be doing some searching in this area for local junk yards. Isn't Texas the truck capital of the world? Make sense to me. Thanks very much, Charles
 
Kirk,
I know they just opened a new Junk Yard on the way to Temple. I believe it to be off I-35. The name of it is on the tip of my tongue, but I cannot spit it out.
I know it is on the right side while heading to Temple. I will try to run past it tomorrow and get a name and number for you. No promises though, I have 2 details tomorrow and an overnighter....... long day

EDIT....it is a pick your own part junk yard...
 
TexasTB said:
Kirk,
I know they just opened a new Junk Yard on the way to Temple. I believe it to be off I-35. The name of it is on the tip of my tongue, but I cannot spit it out.
I know it is on the right side while heading to Temple. I will try to run past it tomorrow and get a name and number for you. No promises though, I have 2 details tomorrow and an overnighter....... long day
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris!! Take your time. It is going to be a long winter. Do your work. Then maybe one day when it rains and we can take the boys with us to the junk yard. We can stop at Mc Donalds on the way.

Nothing is going to happen until after Christmas on this, anyway.
 
Sounds like a plan! I'm sure my son will get a kick out of a bunch of smashed up cars all in a line! He loves anything and everything cars. Tonight, we were watching a show called "when stunts go bad", and was saying "wow" and "ouch" lol...and "that car is crashed now" haha...
 
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