[Poncho60]

Anyone have a set of the 62-65 style full size bucket seats re-upholstered from scratch (not with a kit) or have them custom upholstered? If so, what was the cost if you don't mind. I had a quote for about $1600 for a pair, which seems high, but then there are good and not-so-good upholsterers.

Thx for any feedback. See pics for bucket seat style I'm referring to.

[BVR421]

Ypu mean 1600 for a pair of cars right including headliners?

[tom s]

price depends if the seat has to be rebuilt with springs etc.Also what material.If you get correct material from someone like SMS it can run very high.Tom

[66Bonne4spd]

Poncho60
I Had mine done in a soft black leather. Came out GREAT.
My back seat is original & looks good.
I was afraid to ask what he would want for that also.
Cost me a little over a grand plus a brake service for his BMW.

[61-63]

I had a '63 Catalina with the Ventura interior redone to install new center white stripes and convert it from a bench seat to bucket seats. I bought four of the white center stripes with the embossed arrowheads from SMS and they were $260 I believe it was. Then I had to buy three yards of the morrokide and that was $169 from SMS. Then the upholsterer's charge was $725 and he took the rear upper seat apart and restitched it to install the new white strip and basically completely redid the two front bucket seats. I had removed the covers from the front bench seat myself, and cleaned up and primed the bucket seat frames and springs. So my total investment was $1154.

[62 bv]

i think mine were about 1200 front buckets and rear seat on my 62 convert 500 for sms so 1700 there are some picks under its a live the trim shop made the covers from scratch and used leather

[Poncho60]

Thx for the replies. I'm thinking my estimate was high, especially since it did not include cleaning / painting the frames or the cost of additional materials. On the other hand, the guy I went to is pretty d$%mn good, I'm sure of that. He's an older guy, but he had his own street rod in the shop while we were talking....the interior was really gorgeous! Think I'll shop around a little more....the path I was pursuing was similar to what you did 61-63...converting a bench to buckets using mostly existing material.

[61-63]

My upholstery shop turned out to be what I consider "average". They did a pretty good job but it could have turned out better. I wish I had known before I took the seats in what I know now and had had another option as I would have gladly paid more to have had it done better. Houston is about 85 miles from here and I now know of what is reportedly a very good upholsterer over there and in talking to him I think he would have done the job for probably $1,000. I will go to him next time. One problem with this hobby I think is that there are lots of things most of us get done only once and we therefore do not know where to take things, and recommendations from other people are sometimes so all over the board that they do not help in making a decision.

[Poncho60]

61-63.......I know what you mean. I'm pretty sure the guy I got the estimate from knows his stuff....just was hoping for around a grand. I have to consider my overall situation and I'm not sure I want to spend that much....I'm not loaded..not to mention the cr%&p I might get from the "war department"!

[Ragtop Man]

Before you give anyone a penny, go look at the shop, the work, and meet the guys who will be doing it for you.

You will get much more that way -- making a personal connection is invaluable in the hobby. Do a little internet research, too. I found a guy with incredible pics in Chicago who put an aftermarket kit in a GTO and it looked better than Fisher Body, seams straight as a rifle shot, carpet perfectly smooth, not a stray thread. Whatever it cost is was worth twice that much.

[Poncho60]

Ragtop Man....do have the name of the guy in Chicago and / or care to share it?

[pontiaclady]

61-63 - do you have the name of the Houston Upholstery guy. Not ready at the moment, but we will need to do some work on the GTO and the 63 Tempest some time in the future.

[Stuart]

PY sells seat covers for some models, which model and year exactly do you have? Assuming the seats and foam are in decent shape, it's not terribly difficult to install the covers on your own. You need a set of hog ring pliers and a bag of hog rings, but if you pay attention to how the old covers come off it's mostly a matter of installing the new ones the same way.

[61-63]

Originally Posted by pontiaclady

61-63 - do you have the name of the Houston Upholstery guy. Not ready at the moment, but we will need to do some work on the GTO and the 63 Tempest some time in the future.

I sent you a PM.

[Engine-Ear]

Another interesting interior "thread" (sorry, couldn't help myself)

I had the buckets in my '62 GP redone about 15 y ago and I asked the shop to save as much of the OEM stuff as possible (SMS was not in the picture for me at the time) ... he replaced a couple of split side panels, re-stuffed them with new foam and replaced any broken springs for about $300. Result was 'driver'-level.

If you plan to enjoy the car on the road, I would encourage you to get the right work done so the seats are comfortable AND good looking; I wouldn't look for a bargain because you may end up with neither!

Also, as a minor point of clarification, I believe the buckets pictured cover 62 - 64, with the design changing in '65.

[Poncho60]

From what I know, the 65 seats are basically the same, except........62-64 tilt forward at an angle and of course the chrome trim then has to be different. Thx for all the replies.

[Mark66]

Chief Ponti-yacker - I would also like to have contact info of Houston upholstery guy. I have a 1966 4 dr Bonniville which needs a complete re-do. I will need about 2 acres of material but what the heck.

[Engine-Ear]

Slightly off-topic: Mark66, keep your eyes open in Hemmings, Smoke Signals and the classifieds here...you may score someone parting out one like yours and you'll be able to score the soft parts cheap! ...maybe also post a wanted ad in the above ideas??

[Ragtop Man]

Another thing -- most of my scans are done, will send you a DVD eventually, got kinda busy around the house for the last few weeks.

One other idea: instead of looking for the brocades, see if there is a nice Mercedes/Cadillac quality perforated leather for the inserts (which they should have offered, anyway).

BOB

[Deadhead]

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

Another thing -- most of my scans are done, will send you a DVD eventually, got kinda busy around the house for the last few weeks.

One other idea: instead of looking for the brocades, see if there is a nice Mercedes/Cadillac quality perforated leather for the inserts (which they should have offered, anyway).

BOB

80's Benz's had this if you need a place to start. 300-560 series.