Interior options in 2023

N

NH-A

Member
Since LB and Cartouche are gone, that leaves Classtique .

The current wait time for a full interior from them is one year out.

Are there any other options for interiors? I've seen Hirsch Auto sells mohair... have any of you used a local upholstery shop to do the work or is it best to wait for Classtique?
 
There is also a company in Canada called "Dixie". I don't have any personal experience. Someone last week posted there name so I visited their site. They make kits for the common cars - tudor fordor, coupe etc...
Maybe someone who has used them can chime in
 
NH-A said:
Since LB and Cartouche are gone, that leaves Classtique .

The current wait time for a full interior from them is one year out.

Are there any other options for interiors? I've seen Hirsch Auto sells mohair... have any of you used a local upholstery shop to do the work or is it best to wait for Classtique?
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IMO, the answer to your question is best answered by you first by telling us what your expectations are. If you do not care about authenticity, then have someone local sew you what you think looks right. You, -or your local shop can purchase the piece-goods directly from Mike at Classtique so at least the materials look correct if you are having sewn & installed locally.
 
Have your interior guy follow the judging guidelines. I've thought a regular sofa upholstery shop would do a better job since the Model A seat material aligns more with an old couch than a modern foam seat.

I'm changing the seat in my Coupe to make more room. I didn't want to ruin my nicely done original seat in case the next owner want's it stock. I bought material from Classtique and now I'm looking for someone local I trust to stitch it up.
https://www.glideengineering.com/
 
I'm looking for as authentic as possible, and it looks like I'll just have to wait. Dixie, from what I saw in some somewhat recent threads, is 1-2 years out. Crazy how much demand there is.

Thanks for your replies everyone. Doesn't look like any more options have opened up
 
ModelA29 said:
Have your interior guy follow the judging guidelines. I've thought a regular sofa upholstery shop would do a better job since the Model A seat material aligns more with an old couch than a modern foam seat.

I'm changing the seat in my Coupe to make more room. I didn't want to ruin my nicely done original seat in case the next owner want's it stock. I bought material from Classtique and now I'm looking for someone local I trust to stitch it up.
https://www.glideengineering.com/
Click to expand...

What resource has upholstery information? I don’t believe the judging standards goes into much detail.
 
I'm just curious, how much more would it cost just to take a car to an upholstery shop?

Also, what is that board the flexes a bit under the panels in the interior?
 
Gene F said:
I'm just curious, how much more would it cost just to take a car to an upholstery shop?

Also, what is that board the flexes a bit under the panels in the interior?
Click to expand...

Every shop is different, but lets say the labor to sew the the interior is the same time (Classtique vs. local shop), so comparing the install (depending on familiarity) and how nice of a job is taken by the craftsman fitting trim panels, then generally anywhere from 40-50 hours to install headliner, seat covers, wrap the seat frame, install trim panels, door panels, cowl panels, etc. If the local trim shop's hourly rate is $100 per man-hour, that gives you some type of idea. If a shop has no patterns or templates to work with, then likely add another 20-25 hours -plus materials.

( What many do not realize is that costs to operate a business have really inflated where a one-man shop now needs $100.00 an hour in most areas to be able to make a wage by the time his overhead is paid. )



The panels you are asking for are called Cowlboard in the industry. You only want to use the waterproof boards. The panel boards I order come in 32"x48" and will run about $20 a piece by the time you have them delivered.
 
What baffles me is why Eckler's bought Classtique only to shut them down? The only rational reason is that they bought a pig in a poke and they weren't profitable.
 
mhsprecher said:
What baffles me is why Eckler's bought Classtique only to shut them down? The only rational reason is that they bought a pig in a poke and they weren't profitable.
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I agree, you'd think they'd at least pump out some mediocre cheap interior kits to satisfy some demand!

By chance, since I am still waiting for my judging guide, does anyone happen to know what the correct color carpet should be for a 1931 deluxe fordor slant? Mine originally had/has a very dark brown mohair seat covers, interior panels, and pocket less door cards. The carpet present on the doors and floor appears to be a mid dirty color tan. It's very dried out and worn. Mike sent a sample set with a dark gray brown mohair which is close enough, but none of the carpet samples are spot on. I'm guessing it's just dirty and faded. Did Ford offer options for carpet colors? Or would my A with the dark brown mohair have came with a certain color? Mike sent a tan color, light brown, and a dark chocolate brown sample. I can see it being chocolate brown originally and faded over time?
 
Ecklers didn't buy Clastique,completely different entity.Clastique is the one still going strong. Ecklers bought Macs,and Cartouche was part of that.
 
mhsprecher said:
What baffles me is why Eckler's bought Classtique only to shut them down? The only rational reason is that they bought a pig in a poke and they weren't profitable.
Click to expand...

Milford, the proverbial 'pig in a poke' was LeBaron Bonney after Paul Case had his go at it.

Each and every one of us needs to hug Mike Francis' neck every time we see him for all that he has done for this hobby! The amount of cash outlay it has taken by Mike to have each of the fabrics reproduced is almost mind-boggling. Not only the fabrics but he is reproducing the hardware also.

Cartouche under the direction of Dave Trank was working on getting funding from the parent company in a tough economic time, but after the sale, the ROI was going to be too far down the road to make Turn5 happy. Again, while waiting one year may seem like an inconvenience for some, you folks have no clue what it is like to have no one manufacturing the materials nor the kit. Ask the Ford Early V8 crowd how they are doing right now!! ;)
 
The folks that build their companies up from scratch, love their work or they would have never made the grade. When these folks retire or pass on, corporate interests usually purchase their business interests to build up on their own empires. They don't always care about the customers as much as they care about making more money.

Eckler's purchased the Mack's company interests to expand into the earlier auto parts business. They then purchased what was left of Lebaron Bonney out of bankruptcy court. This all happened during one of the worst economic downturns since the 1929 crash. It likely put them over the edge of economic recovery. Expanding too far and too fast at the wrong time has killed off more than a few companies. Some part of it may make a comeback but it likely won't ever be what it once was.
 
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