Thread: what should I expect $$$$ to have the interior done in my '39 coupe????

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hey guys, couldn't get my interior done before the nats, so a week after the nats, I will be dropping my 39 chevy coupe off to have the interior done & trunk area, I am going to have them use high grade vinyl. I have already insulated the car, done all the wiring. I am going after a simple classy look. I realize that cost vary at differnt shops, but what is the going average to do a headliner, carpet, door panels, recover front buckets, & rear seat & finish the trunk area in a coupe? I am having a gentleman in mitchell, indiana do the work, & I have liked all of his work a have seen, just want to have a idea of what I should expect for $$$ to have it done
thanks!!!

I'm going to give this a little bump so the morning crowd can see it. Wish I had an answer for you, but I have never had a full sized interior done. To give you some idea, I had the interior of my T bucket done and got a deal at $ 900. It is not perfect and has some gaps I am not nuts about, but it is at least serviceable, and since the car is a driver I don't mind getting it wet, etc.

If I had to guess, I would think a proper interior as you describe could run anywhere from $ 2500 to maybe $ 5000, depending on who does it and what they use. I know the materials alone are not cheap. There have been some posts on the HAMB about guys going to Tijuana Mexico for a complete interior, and the prices were reported to be very low. However, going to Mexico is not like going downtown here, there are some dangers, like crime, getting your car stolen, and not getting the upholstery material you thought you were going to get.

We'll see what the morning crowd thinks, I could be way off in my estimates.

Don

i just got a quote from hampton coach for a all orginal interior shipped by the brown truck for three to four grand. 1300 for panels 14 for seat covers & 5oo for headliner etc. etc. but you install it your self. i've been looking a different ways to get them done , nothing short of buying a sewing machine. this was for a 1936 chevy sedan. jonathan

Well I was in the same situation when i had some upholstery done.Payed $700 for the front seat to be done in full leather.The rest of the truck I had also done the wiring, insulation and door panels fitted.$2500 total with headliner and leather door panels and floor etc.Hope this helps.

Might help to break it up over time.

I had the carpets done in my 32 roadster, then the side panels and finally the seat.

Really glad I did it that way because after the side panels were done - tan vinyl - I found you couldn't touch them after they sat in the Central California morning sun for an hour.

I was going for a vinyl seat, but ended up going to a velour like material instead.
It's worked well.

A friend tells me that leather - even black like his roadster has - doesn't get overly hot in sunshine.


I liked having my roadster done in three separate deals.
The car only had to stay at the shop during the day.

I didn't care for leaving a a rolling, drivable, expensive collection of easily fenced parts in a ramshackle, poorly secured building for a week or so.

Helps to know who you're dealing with
One guy that came highly recommended ran with a group of druggies and had a poorly secured shop.

Plus, he had a 34 in the shop that had been there for six months and the only things completed were the side panels and rear seat.

Make sure the guy you're gonna use is someone who'll work when they should and not drop everything for party-time.

Showing up at the designated opening time can tell you a lot.
The guy noted above was never there at the 0800 opening time and when I asked the guys at the adjacent shop where he was, they just laughed at said he doesn't get in tlll noon or so.

There are a lot of good upholterers out there, it behooves you to find one for your car....

My '31 included the top cover on my LeBaron Bonney irons and with my back window. The upholsterer did the car while unpainted so as to not gouge up my paint, stripped it out and will reinstall the passenger compartment and trunk panels and seats next month (if I'm done). His quoted price was $3500 but we did some material upgrades for the carpet and top fabric plus used an extremely high grade of marine vinyl so have bumped to $4000. I'll be asking him for another below dash filler piece so will expect to end up at ~$4500/4800. This is in-progress:

My '32 ran me $3400 mostly ultra leather. Since then I have done 3 trucks in house used ABS plastic and covered in Ultra leather/and leather I got at a swap meet. None have more than $600 in them plus seats that I also picked up.
roddoors.com can give you an idea of what can be done using this method

I had the 34 Coupe done for 1200.00 dol. in ultra leather.The fellow worked out of his garage.I feel like I got a heck of a deal.Full leather was going to be 1800.00 dol.

I would suggest using someone that has a good record and look at their work.A person who works at their home is going to be the best price IMO.

I got this fellow off of craigs list .I was impressed with his work and prices..Shop,Shop,Shop

I did my own design and he was very cooperative in using it.Check it out in my Gallery or link.

Did you get a price from your guy before you decided on the work?? Most interior people can give you a pretty close estimate of the cost of the work. They know what the fabric costs, and all of the incidentals and their labor. Depending on the size of the car, what you want covered, what fabric and special stitching, etc, etc, etc, the price could run from about $1200 to as much as $6,000.

Considering what you want done, it will probably be in the range of $2000 to $4500. Of course the price could vary a lot depending on the availability of time and materials from the interior shop. If they are running slow in work, you could get a bargain rate. If they are loaded with work, likely not.

My 57 Olds had nearly a $1000 in materials alone and that was just carpet and tweed. The good thing for me was the labor, which was free.

Hope this helps but, before I bought the Abone, I was looking to buy a 1938 Chevy Master Sedan from friend that was about 90% complete with seats. (Needed interior) I got an estimate from a reputable interior guy here in Rochester and he said he would be able to do the carpet, headline, door panels, trunk panels and trim for around $3700.00. That was about 4 years ago.

I am nearing a similar stage with a Model A roadster and I have shopped at two places where I have seen excellent work. The hitch is that one shop charges $70/hour and the other $50/hour making the total open-ended. I already have a velour seat from a Dodge van ($15) that looks really good so that should should save on the total and solve the "hot seat" problem. I am putting $2000 in a savings account for the day I actually get the car wired and maybe accumulating 3% interest in the meantime. The $50/hour shop recently finished a restorers 1934 Dodge roadster for about $2800 including covering the seat and making a top. Assuming I use my velour seat as is and keep the rest simple I may be able to do the job including the top for the $2000 but who knows what the actual total will be? I favor the $50/hour shop because although both shops do beautiful work I am approaching my budget limit so basically I will try to get what I can in the 40 hour range.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

thanks guys, well I guy I am using has been doing interiors here in indiana for a very long time, I didn't list the shop name , it is "interiors by ed" all his work I have seen is great. there has been a few cars in the mags, with his interiors. everyone I have asked loved the work he did on there cars. Ed doesn't want to give me a firm price until he has been able to look at the car, & the types of materials have been picked. but he siad that I would most likely be in the 2,500- 3,500 range.
mY next ?...........
my coupe is a purpleish- blue color, GM call's "laser Blue", used on the new impalas & other cars & trucks for the past 2 years, to give you a idea of the color I used. I am really leaning towards using " buckskin "or "saddle" color for the interior, what do you guys think about that? what colors might you guy's suggest?

Boy you guys are getting a great deal. In So. Cal. you can't get anything nice for those prices.
Ken

Originally Posted by hottrodd57

.................. I am really leaning towards using " buckskin "or "saddle" color for the interior, what do you guys think about that? what colors might you guy's suggest?

With the buckskin/saddle colors - you can do almost any color body you want tho I would probably do it in a slate/light graphite with that exterior color you are using

The price estimate you got sounds excellent, better than most that I have experience with. Buckskin or a silverish grey would work well. If you've got clean habits and clean friends, white would work real well with "laser blue" as well.