Hiring an Upholstery Shop With Renowned Automotive Craftmanship

The process of restoring a classic car or rebuilding a vintage hot rod is no easy feat and for those who opt to do much of the body and engine work themselves, the process can take many years and a pretty penny. And yet all too often when the project nears completion, hot rod owners forget one of the most important components of restoration: the upholstery.

Naturally, being that the interior is the last task, it's understandable why some try to take shortcuts with low-quality materials and no assistance. After all, after so much work and money spent on installing an improved engine, suspension, etc. and extensive bodywork, it's understandable to want to just hurry on over this final step. However, hiring a professional upholstery shop that will provide you with the highest level of automotive craftsmanship is a key component to a well-finished vehicle. Here are a few tips for getting interior work done and finding the right upholstery shop to do it:

Tips for Hiring an Upholstery Shop With Renowned Automotive Craftsmanship

Plan and Budget Early

First off, while the upholstery might be the last thing you do, it should be among the first things you start planning for. Not only will this ensure that you have the right idea on what a good upholstery job will cost and entail, but additionally getting a good idea on what you want stylistically on the interior can help inform how you want paintwork, body fabrication, and other exterior accents to look.

Seek Shops with Specialized Staff

There are plenty of auto shops that claim they do upholstery but when you look at their crew, you don't see any that specialize in just interior upholstery. At Customs & Hot Rods of Andice, we're proud to have the very talented and very experienced Jay on our team. Jay has over 35 years of experience in automotive trim and upholstery, including two years of teaching and five exclusively on our team. He's seen it all and is adept at taking the idea clients have in mind and putting it into their car's reality. He always does so with the highest standards of automotive craftsmanship.

Check References and Portfolios

Never hire a mechanic or upholsterer who won't give you references or show you any examples of their previous work. When you meet with prospective shops and automotive trimmers or upholsterers, be sure to ask not only for general examples of previous work but also specifically for examples of handiwork similar to what you want on vehicles of a similar make or model as you. Additionally, ask for references to gauge how well that work held up and how well a client was satisfied with the work over time. If possible, you might also ask to see works in progress.

See Our In-Progress Work in Andice

Come meet Jay and see the outstanding upholstery work he's in the process of by visiting us at CHRA!