I just received a quote of $4,800 from a local resto shop to reupholster my seats (front & back bench including building foam), replace the windless (4 door) and redo the headliner, all using SMS fabrics of the correct color and pattern for my 65' New Yorker. This isn't doing anything else like carpet/dash/door panels/etc. Does this sound like a decent ball park price? I was expecting $2-3,000. I'm in North Carolina FYI.
Upholstry prices
- Thread starter BigblueC
- Start date
Pete Kaczmarski
Senior Member
I would compare to another upholster that your can see his/her work and get 2-3 references. Also remember time to complete the job, where the car will be stored etc. About 12 plus years ago I paid 1k for a headliner on my '70 Fury Pursuit, he supplied everything. His price does not sound bad. If your carpet is marginal or worse shape ask him to throw in carpet to get the job.
MarPar
Meat Man with a Hat
I just had the headliner done in my Newport and they charged me $750. and I supplied the headliner.
Im with Pete on this one, get a couple quotes and go from there...
Im with Pete on this one, get a couple quotes and go from there...
rexus31
Senior Member
Here's a breakdown of my front and rear seats from my '65 300 'vert. I took them the seats out of the car and reinstalled them myself.
Legendary front covers (buckets): $590
Legendary rear cover: $433
Front Seat Foam: $194
Seats covered by a local upholstery shop: $800
Total for just the seats: $2,017
I'd call Legendary and see what they would charge you to stitch up new covers using the SMS material and your old covers as a guide. Then had a local upholstery shop stuff them and put them on.
Legendary front covers (buckets): $590
Legendary rear cover: $433
Front Seat Foam: $194
Seats covered by a local upholstery shop: $800
Total for just the seats: $2,017
I'd call Legendary and see what they would charge you to stitch up new covers using the SMS material and your old covers as a guide. Then had a local upholstery shop stuff them and put them on.
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
I'm in the wrong line of work
pomonamissel
Senior Member
hey it cost me 125 on a deal for this seat to be done . foam is the most costly , it was half the cost . and the 63's cost a grand on a deal , cash n carry . oh and these were done 15 years ago .
The cost break down that rexus posted is pretty much what I expected taking into account this is an odd ball car which parts aren't readily available for. I'm going to ask him to break down the cost for me and I need to look for another quote or two but finding reputable shops within an hour drive has been a challenge. At these prices i'll have to put Chevy seats in 
MarPar
Meat Man with a Hat
pomonamissel
Senior Member
you got to find the cars that have been done , and judge work more then price . and new interior is great , and hopefully only do it once in each car . i have converts so its a time thing for mine . layout a couple of grand over n over again . but nothing like new stuff , right .
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Call Harrison's Upholstry in Wake Forest. I've never had any upholstry work done by them but have heard good things. Can't hurt to call & ask. They are on hwy 98 a few mikes out side of town.The cost break down that rexus posted is pretty much what I expected taking into account this is an odd ball car which parts aren't readily available for. I'm going to ask him to break down the cost for me and I need to look for another quote or two but finding reputable shops within an hour drive has been a challenge. At these prices i'll have to put Chevy seats in
Pete Kaczmarski
Senior Member
O.K. I got out my invoice on the '62 Chrysler 300 convert seen on this website from May 2016. He has done this work for 30 plus years and has four other full time employees. He replaced the leather and vinyl of complete front seat. We re-used the black cloth original inserts. This was front and back of anything that was red leather and vinyl. The top of the rear seat in new red vinyl. He also made new foam for the front seats. The trunk was also recarpeted. A grand total of parts (from SMS) and labor and tax was $2504.51
Yet I can have a full Katzkin Leather interior installed on a new Ram 1500 for $1400 CDN plus $500 for heated seats 
saylor
Senior Member
if the weather holds up for me, I'm going to 2 places tomorrow in the DFW - so ill have some numbers to compare with.
- saylor
- saylor
monaco75
Senior Member
Took my old Córdoba up to a local guy here in orange park last summer. He wanted $3500-$4000 to redo the front seats. That was with "90's" fabric too... the terrible grey with colored specs on them, like you would see in a lates 90's ram.
Needless to say it never happened lol. I kept telling the guy I wanted original green material, but he wanted nothing to do with that.
Needless to say it never happened lol. I kept telling the guy I wanted original green material, but he wanted nothing to do with that.
azblackhemi
Old Man with a Hat
I paid $1100 for front buckets, arm rest and rear seat. That was labor & material.
These are prices more in line with what I expected. I'm going to do some calling next week after New Years and see what I can come up with. Quality is my #1 priority, but price is a strong #2.
I ran into something like this a few years ago when I first looked into getting the inserts redone by a local shop that had a good reputation. I told the guy that I wanted the original material and color, he dug through some samples and pulled out a material that looked like damn blue pajama pants and said that was his best. Needless to say that shop was struck from the list. About a year later I heard a story about that shop running screws through the door skin of a 30-31 ford that had recently been restored, and the owner was understandably livid.
mr. fix it
Old Man with a Hat
No your not...C Body Bob
This is a difficult business to master
And as always, "you get what you pay for..."
I'm nor defending the skyrocketing prices but I would be willing to pay for a top notch job and get the seats looking great than pay a discounted price and not be happy with the results...
In the Niagara area recently, I have tried 2 and both were worth what I paid. not much....Last one that did my headrests was better but not perfect.
I'm picky when it comes to interior upholstry.
It's something we all see when cruising the car shows right?
a shows out like a sore thumb...
Pete Kaczmarski
Senior Member
There is a reason there are more Auto Body shops out there than Upholstery shops....its more difficult.
saylor
Senior Member
ya, well, I went to 2 places local in the DFW today - tops auto trim and mr C - both in garland.
tops was closed . . .so no quote from there.
mr C wants about $2500 eyeball estimate. that's all 4 door panels, front + rear bench seats, carpet, headliner.
it wont be 'stock' looking - will be custom looking of course - he said they would stitch some basic pattern so its not 'taxi cab' seats...
but ya - not $4800.
keep shoppin.
- saylor
tops was closed . . .so no quote from there.
mr C wants about $2500 eyeball estimate. that's all 4 door panels, front + rear bench seats, carpet, headliner.
it wont be 'stock' looking - will be custom looking of course - he said they would stitch some basic pattern so its not 'taxi cab' seats...
but ya - not $4800.
keep shoppin.
- saylor
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