[70ra455]

Can I get opinions from experience on who makes the best quality, fit, color interiors? I looked at Legendary but they don't seem to offer for the full size cars ...

Greatly appreciated

Need Turquoise interior for '66 GP with buckets ...

[tharkun8]

Harry Samuel used to be THE guy to go to.. but I hear he has finally
RETIRED retired ( no he REALLY means it this time) etc

I dont think anyone makes prefab'd interiors for most B bodies.. legendary etal
just do it for A bodies.. and I am fairly certain that they are not interchangeable.

Your best bet is to use a local auto upholstery guy that has a good rep.. and as for the
material itself, it depends on the colors.. if they are common GM colors from the
time.. then the Shop itself should be able to get it without too much trouble..from
normal suppliers.

If you have a rare color ( like the Saddle bronze color in my 64 Bonneville ) then
SMS out of Oregon would be the source for it. I think SMS also does things like
new door inner panels and such.. but Ive heard mixed reviews about their customer service
and their prices. I have not gotten to the upholstery stage yet in either of my cars so
I cant claim direct knowledge.

My plan is to buy the bulk fabric from SMS for my 64 but have a local auto Uphols
shop actually do the work.

John

[Stuart]

I assume you're talking vinyl (GPs were available with cloth interiors but I've never seen one personally.) SMS is a good source. In my experience, ordering the raw material by the yard is usually pretty quick, it's when you're having them fabricate door panels that it takes them forever. The quality is very good but you have to be very patient.

As for the seat kits from Harry - I think (but am not totally sure) that he actually farmed out the fabrication and sewing to some third party, he'd just supply the raw vinyl or cloth as required. However, I don't know how you'd find out just who or what company did the work.

[Poncho60]

Jeez...I don't know. How about Ames...the site you are on! Seat and door panel kits for 66 GP listed in the catalog I just got.

[tharkun8]

Ive seen those kits.. I think those are the Legendary kits he was talking about..
he was asking for something different..

and yeah.. I was talking the vinyl specifically.. Ive never had a cloth interior
to find replacements for so I cant speak to the actual cloth part..

[70ra455]

actually tharkun8 I hear Legendary is the best but they don't make any upholstery for our car ... according to their website and their phone rep.

So it's not that I don't want to buy it from Ames ... I want to get the best quality available and that's what I'm asking for ... opinions on which company does the best job.

I emails SMS for samples ... I'll do the same through Ames and compare.

I also have a vinyl warehouse local with over 1 million yards of materials and I may just go there and bring my old vinyl so he can see if he has the exact NOS material(s).

[Engine-Ear]

If you are up for deviation from factory (per your paint thread), maybe a talented local trim shop can do something with perforated and/or fabric inserts for better sweat control on those trips to Norwalk...

[tharkun8]

Originally Posted by 70ra455

actually tharkun8 I hear Legendary is the best but they don't make any upholstery for our car ... according to their website and their phone rep.

So it's not that I don't want to buy it from Ames ... I want to get the best quality available and that's what I'm asking for ... opinions on which company does the best job.

I emails SMS for samples ... I'll do the same through Ames and compare.

I also have a vinyl warehouse local with over 1 million yards of materials and I may just go there and bring my old vinyl so he can see if he has the exact NOS material(s).

Thanks for the correction.. I had a brain fart there..

Forgot that PUI covers are the ones in the Ames cat.
I think I also contacted Legendary 3 or 4 years ago
now that I think about it and they were not interested
in B bodies at all.. at least then IIRC..

I have a local upholstery shop that has a good rep and
I had them put a new vert top on the Bonneville and
they did a nice job so I will use them again..

Ive talked to the shop owner about both of my interiors..
the 66 Ventura is medium blue all vinyl and he can
find that no problem.. but i mentioned SMS to him
and he said that hes had problems dealing with SMS
before and didnt really want to deal with them directly
but if I get the bulk supplies he can do a great job.

My 64 Bonneville has that Saddle bronze - which from
what i understand was a 1 year only color though I havent
verified that..

Either way, finding that saddle bronze vinyl was
a huge pain in the rear until i finally called SMS and they had a
perfect match sample sent.. I actually called Harry
Samuel around 2009 or so about that same bronze and he
had every 1964 color in stock except mine.. figures.

The uphols in the Bonneville is vinyl with
Leather inserts.. and from what Harry said you cant
find/make that leather anymore. It was originally
chem treated to give it a metallic sheen which is nice..
but you cant use those chemicals anymore because
they were outlawed by the EPA.. so ill have to
find the closest match I can and deal with it.

Personally Id stick with the turquoise.. I frankly get
tired of seeing the same models in the same colors..
but thats just me

John

[71GP76TA]

How bad is your interior? Is it wasted??? or does it just need a couple of panels??? The repop interiors do not have the same look and feel as original.

[nuxoll17]

my front seat bench seat for my 64 bonneville was torn and not able to be repaired, I went to a local shop and color matched and they made 2 new panels for it.

[70ra455]

71 GP here is my conundrum ... the rear seat is almost mint. The passenger bucket is in good shape ... like always it's always the driver's bucket that has cracks and separations etc.

The door panels are in excellent shape other than the carpet ... the rear armrest/panel are nice and could use some regluing of the vinyl to the side. The headliner is MINT.

So as it's a frame off restoration I've been kind of wafing back and forth as to how much I should actually restore.

What I'll do is take some pictures and then maybe you guys can help in how to proceed.

Thanks for all the advice

P.S. If I run up to the warehouse with over 1million yards of looms ... I would be willing to check on specialty / low volume stuff that you may be looking for ... all I would ask if that you send me CLEAR pictures of examples or brochure pics etc etc. Sound fair?

[tharkun8]

Originally Posted by nuxoll17

my front seat bench seat for my 64 bonneville was torn and not able to be repaired, I went to a local shop and color matched and they made 2 new panels for it.
Attachment 397127

Attachment 397128

Thats great.. . I hope what I stated IS wrong... I was just
repeating what Harry Samuel ( who was pretty well
known as a pontiac interior expert ) told me
about the leather and its treating..

If a shop is good enough to replicate,simulate and/or fake
a close enough match that would be great news
for me.. I'll find out soon enough..

BTW.. like that seat color

John

[mviker]

Harry's still running ads in Smoke Signals, so I'd imagine he's still hanging in there. He's been wanting to retire since I spoke with him back in 2007. lol

I'd say at least give him a call and see what he says. He's a talker and I would bet you'd at least get your money's worth in good conversation if you don't walk away with an interior as well!

I seem to recall him saying he's got a warehouse full of NOS upholstery too. Not just Pontiac, but many makes. Vinyl, cloth, etc...

[tharkun8]

Originally Posted by mviker

Harry's still running ads in Smoke Signals, so I'd imagine he's still hanging in there. He's been wanting to retire since I spoke with him back in 2007. lol

I'd say at least give him a call and see what he says. He's a talker and I would bet you'd at least get your money's worth in good conversation if you don't walk away with an interior as well!

I seem to recall him saying he's got a warehouse full of NOS upholstery too. Not just Pontiac, but many makes. Vinyl, cloth, etc...

Thanks for posting that ad.. I havent seen a Smoke Signals in quite some time.. and I had heard his wife had
long been trying to get him to retire and I'd heard he'd finally bit the bullet.. but if people keep throwing money
at him.. it's hard to keep a good man down

I notice for 64 hes got Saddle showing for GPs but does not list the Bonneville.. does the 64 GP
have any type of cloth or leather insert or was it all vinyl ?

The Bonneville might not be listed due to the issue with the leather insterts I mentioned before. Im not that
worried about it being the exact correct leather.. as long as it can be close..

When I get to the Bonnie seats Ill prob see if Harry is still kicking.. but the
Ventura seats are first in line and I know my local guy can handle that easily.

John

P.S. Hope this isnt considered thread hijacking.. apologies if it is

[mviker]

Tharkun8,

I don't think you could get cloth in the GP's, but I've been known to be wrong before. As much as I like GP's, it's a little disappointing they didn't come with the more colorful interiors other models had. My guess would be only vinyl and maybe some upgrades with leather, but I've never personally seen a GP with leather interior.

70ra455, I just noticed Harry has nothing listed for 66. His listings are stuff he has in stock, but it's entirely possible he may have materials you're looking for. I'd still give him a call. He may also have something hidden away he forgot about. Ya never know...

[mviker]

One other place might be noteworthy... I heard scuttlebutt a year or so ago that Just Dashes was doing some interior stuff besides dashes. I never investigated to find out if it was true or not, but they may be worth a call. Downside is their dashes are out of this world cost-wise. I'm sure any other products would be similarly priced.

edit; I just looked them up. They offer door panels and some other stuff now. I don't see seat upholstery, but they do have more than dashes for our cars now. A decent selection through the years and models. Might be worth checking them out.

http://www.justdashes.com/index.html

[nuxoll17]

Originally Posted by tharkun8

Thats great.. . I hope what I stated IS wrong... I was just
repeating what Harry Samuel ( who was pretty well
known as a pontiac interior expert ) told me
about the leather and its treating..

If a shop is good enough to replicate,simulate and/or fake
a close enough match that would be great news
for me.. I'll find out soon enough..

BTW.. like that seat color

John

Thanks, it's not exact, but it's close enough that no one can tell unless they are up on it, and for 260 out the door I'm not gonna complain.

[marxjunk]

better research sms..ive seen nothing but bad stuff about them lately..seems they have a prob with meeting schedules etc...its scared me enough i wouldnt use them

[Stuart]

Not sure about 1966, but cloth was an option in 1965 Grand Prixs.

I've been in Harry Samuel's warehouse, I stopped by there 25 or 30 years ago to pick up some carpet I bought from him. It's an amazing place, with rolls of upholstery and carpet piled up on racks to the ceiling. As mentioned, if he's still in business he will talk your leg off. He's a pretty good guy.

[70ra455]

Yes clothe was available in '66 ... I have a rear seat in black with clothe is anyone wants to buy it?