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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Upholstery Kits

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Upholstery Kits -- page: 1 2     robertiford 02-04-2015 @ 8:19 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 6 Joined: Feb 2015 Does anyone have a recommendation as to which kit is best for the money. I going to redo the entire interior of a 47 tudor. kubes40 02-04-2015 @ 8:33 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3394 Joined: Oct 2009 The "best kit for the money" is very subjective. The best kit? LeBaron Bonney without question. woodiewagon46 02-04-2015 @ 10:05 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 698 Joined: Nov 2012 X2, I have LeBaron kits in my '32 and '46 and can't beat them for price and service. Old Henry 02-04-2015 @ 3:52 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 No question LeBaron Bonney has the highest quality but it comes at what I thought was a very high price. I went with Cartouche of Mac's and got plenty good for half the price. Did my whole 47 fordor. Here's the link to their site showing the upholstery I put in my car installed in a car just like mine: http://www.macsautoparts.com/store/1946-ford-fordor-sedan-interior This message was edited by Old Henry on 2-4-15 @ 4:04 PM Old Henry 02-04-2015 @ 4:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 738 Joined: Apr 2010 Here's the picture of the Cartouche upholstery in a car like mine. TomO 02-05-2015 @ 7:17 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 Contact both vendors and ask for a sample of the material used in the kit. Examine the difference and decide which is better for your use. Tom kubes40 02-05-2015 @ 9:25 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3394 Joined: Oct 2009 With all due respect, there is more to consider than simply the material (appearance) of any interior kit. Such as: color fastness, durability, fit, etc. I have only heard that Cartouche is decent when considering cost. I have also heard from numerous folks that their installation instructions are quite lacking. If cost is a major consideration, then Cartouche is probably the best choice. Me? I always figure "do it once - do it correctly". TomO 02-05-2015 @ 10:39 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 Mike, you are correct about the things to be considered, but he still needs a sample of the material to help him decide the color fastness, durability, feel and looks of the material in the kits. Pictures of an interior, tell very little about the quality or how hard a kit is to install. Tom flatheadfan 02-06-2015 @ 5:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 450 Joined: Oct 2009 I have used car interiors from both suppliers (L-B and Cartouche). The L-B went into a '35 coupe and a '36 cabriolet. In both cases, nothing fit right. With the'35 I had to remake each panel and send back both door panels of the '35 to be re-made (they had a "rib" where the door pull should go). In each case L-B corrected the problem BUT, I had to pay for the return shipping and of course I lost installation time. The last '35 "repaired" item I received back from L-B had a covering that was a different shade and thickness than what they previously had sent me. I called them about the difference and they said they had changed suppliers and they were no longer stocking the "old" material. Needless-to-say, I wasn't a happy camper. With the '36 I had even more problems than I had with the '35. I finally, gave up and took the car to a local upholstery shop that had done many old car interior restorations. The shop also had a LOT of trouble (primarily poor sewing)and returned two pieces to L-B for complete remakes (pictures were taken prior to the return). L-B agreed the returned items were not of good quality. The remakes were made at no cost. When it came to my next car ('31 coupe), I decided to give Cartouche a try after my L-B experiences. The price was much cheaper than a comparable L-B kit. The result- everything fit like a glove! No installation difficulties, instructions were clear and nothing had to be re-made. The only "problem" I had was a "screw-up" on my part where I messed up a panel. I called Cartouche (talked to Dave) and explained my problem and was honest about the situation. Two days later I had a new panel expressed mailed to me at NO COST! Can't ask for better service than that! Obviously, I can only speak from my limited experience but I would have no hesitation about using Cartouche in the future. One more thing. I went with their optional synthetic materials (looks and feels like original material). The stuff wears like iron. (MHO) Tom trjford8 02-07-2015 @ 2:52 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4214 Joined: Oct 2009 I once had all the samples of Cartouche material and when compared to Lebaron-Bonney at that time the material was the same. That was 4 years ago, so it's possible that it is no longer the case. It would pay to get samples from both companies before you buy a kit. Like flatheadfan I too have had problems with LB's panels not fitting correctly and some of their instructions leave a little to be desired. I have not had experience with installing Cartouche.

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