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new upholstery fabric

Started by Mike Simmons 938, December 11, 2009, 08:04:10 PM

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Mike Simmons 938


Yesterday, ":Lt Colonel"  Skorzeny  was contributing to a discussion of sources that might reupholster sun visors. He mentioned SMS. a company that has been supplying copies of factory fabric for at least 15 or more  years (I believe).   I wondered if any members have had any problems with their material?
Sometime in the 90s. I purchased seat material for a 1955 Olds, but it was never installed and went with the car when it was sold. About   seven years ago, I purchased enough Vinyl to redo the front bucket seat in a 1966 Ford Fairlane .  Although the car was  never licensed, and thus barely used, two seams let go. I blamed this on the old upholsterer who retired a year after doing the work. More recently, I noticed that quarter- sized areas in the middle of seat back panels were just disintegrating- again, with no one using the car. Since all the original upholstery is unaffected, I believe it must be some flaw in the composition of the material. Is this a unique experience? Or have any other members had similar problems?? Mike

Otto Skorzeny

#1
Although technically equivalent to the Army rank of Lieutenant Colonel, I prefer the correct SS title of Obersturmbannfuhrer.  ;-)

I have only used SMS once for a 1964 Galaxie. It has been upholstered since the mid 1990s and I have had no problems with quality or deterioration.

fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

Steve Passmore

I trimmed the seats of my 59 coupe three years ago with gold thread cloth from SMS, it was and is magnificent, the car has been used a fair amount but its as good as the day I fitted it.
I very much dour SMS would make the material themselves but rather source different mills who would not normally make it. I suppose the vinyl may have had a manufacturing fault but I have never had any disintegrate on me during the 27 I have been trimming cars.  Contact them Mike and see what they say, they may have had a problem with some materials back then and can only react when someone contacts them.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

TonyZappone #2624

#3
SMS made the new carpets for my 58 convertible.  The workmanship and carpet material were excellent.  Moreover, I asked for some interior samples:  off white elascofab,  black and off white leather.  All samples were exactly the same as the original material in te car.  They have a great reputation for a lot of years.
Tony Zappone, #2624
1936 Pierce-Arrow conv sed
1947 Cadillac Conv cpe
1958 Cadillac conv
2016 Cadillac CT6 Platinum
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

David Greenburg

I had the front seat of my '59 60S reupholstered several years ago using SMS fabric (black Colony Cloth), and am pretty disappointed.  The car, which is otherwise always garaged spent about 7 weeks outside while undergoing a transmission rebuild a couple of years later, and the front seat is now noticeably faded, almost to a gray color.  The original rear seat, which is pretty shot, is noticeably blacker, despite having spent many hundreds, if not thousands of more days in the sun over the last 50 years. Other than the  fading, the fabric has held up well (no wear/rips or tears, although this is a weekend crusier and doesn't get a lot of use. 
David Greenburg
'60 Eldorado Seville
'61 Fleetwood Sixty Special

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

The fabric and vinyl [3 different lots] that I have bought from SMS have all been good, but I'm afraid that I can't say the same for their service or politeness.
Phil

Greg McDonnell

#6
Quote from: PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192 on December 19, 2009, 04:27:54 AM
The fabric and vinyl [3 different lots] that I have bought from SMS have all been good, but I'm afraid that I can't say the same for their service or politeness.
Phil

Nor can I, Phil.  I paid SMS a good bit of money to fabricate a replacement vinyl top for me out of NOS vinyl they claimed to have.  After a rather long wait, I received the top.  It had been fabricated out of part NOS vinyl and part reproduction vinyl.  I called to let them know the top was two-toned and was not acceptable due to how it had been constructed.  Never an apology, only cool indifference from the woman who answered the phone.  It took TWO more tries before I finally received the top in NOS vinyl as I had been promised originally!  The second top was constructed out of all reproduction vinyl!!!!!!!!  Again, never an apology, not even an admission they had screwed up!  I fired off an angry email to the owner and that is how I got the correct top.  He asked me to give them one more shot at getting it right.  But, to this day, never an admission of their mistake or a word of an apology for all the inconvenience they caused from anyone in the organization.  I guess I should just be grateful I finally received the top I piad for!  If I ran my business like that, I would lose customers right and left!  I'd be out of business is what I'd be!


Greg McDonnell
CLC #20841
Greg McDonnell
CLC #20841

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

Hi Greg,
I have bought from them a few times and they were always slow, but when I ordered and paid up-front for my door panels it really went wrong. I really had to press them to get them done and then was told by Doug Pollock [the owner] that I was a difficult customer [I received the panels over a year after ordering them !]. Like you , I too, run my own business [repro vintage clothing] and would never treat my customers like that. I have no complaint with the quality, but it would really hurt if I had to use them again. Unfortunately no one else is reproducing these fabrics [to my knowledge Jenkins buy from SMS]. I love those interior fabrics on the closed 50's cars, I've always found the convertible interiors of this period a bit of a let down [especially the single tone ones], all a question of personal taste though.
Phil

Greg McDonnell

Phil and others needing NOS auto fabric and vinyl (not leather):
 
Don't forget about Original Auto Interiors in Michigan.  I've bought from them in the past and they could not have been nicer or faster.  I regret not buying the vinyl from them for my '72 Fleetwood's replacement top.  The upholstery shop I use suggested I get SMS to do it because of the French seams he could not reproduce.  Original Auto Interiors had the vinyl I needed but I believe there was a problem regarding making the top the way the factory did.  Later, I ordered NOS vinyl (Antique Parchment) for my '66 Toronado.  They had what I needed and the interior looks NEW! 

Greg
Greg McDonnell
CLC #20841

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

Greg, unfortunately Original Auto Interiors never had any of the fabric I needed, I always try them first as I would rather go the original route than repro. I used to travel to Atlanta Ga a lot and there was a great upholstery shop in Hapeville by the airport - Bannister Upholstery and they had a lot of NOS fabric. I don't know if they are still in business, but they were a large concern doing auto, marine and furniture.
Phil