Upholstery Dam Expensive try this!

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

My Cordoba has a nice blue interior and I have been looking at ways to get it looking tidy, the material has gone hard and every time I sit on it splits appear, its starting to look like someone has taking to it with a knife at the moment. Asking around here I was shocked when the quotes come in at $2000, this left me with a couple options, do it myself (which I have never done before) leave it alone, get some seat covers which to me always look not as good as they never seem to fit right. Then while surfing the net looking for material that would suit my car I came across a place that make custom made seat covers to suit our cars! These are not a cheap option but still come in at a 3rd the price of getting the upholstery redone, I plan to take all my upholstery off and fit these covers on as if it was upholstered.

I have ordered some Scottsdale Navy Blue front and back seat covers. When done I will post pics, if it doesn't work out I have some pretty expensive material

Scottsdale Seat Covers | Seat Covers Unlimited

 

[Aspen500]

Yes, custom upholstery is expensive. There's an art to it that when done right, has amazing results.
Good upholstery isn't cheap and cheap upholstery isn't good.

There's a guy around here (actually more than just one.......) but he is a magician. I've seen his work and there's not a stitch out of place, a single wrinkle,,,,,,it's just plain perfect and yes, he charges accordingly and justifiably so.

 

[Bruceynz]

Well I will try these seat covers out, they do look smart and made for a good fit! What ever way they have to look better than split and faded material.

 

[Cordoba1]

I believe you are going to be pleased. I have had great results with the custom fit units. I'm not a fan of putting covers on new seats, but I'd much rather look at un-torn seat covers over yellow stuffing oozing out of ripped originals! Post pics!

 

[Justwondering]

Brucey --
Every time I look at the pictures of your seat in this thread it reminds me of something. Couldn't figure out what. But that fabric and print.
Just out of reach in my brain.
Til just now.

I would swear that in the 80's my dad had a recliner with that same fabric.

Of course, you'd have to pry it from his cold dead hands before he would give up that recliner.
Fact is, all us kids have threatened to bury him and his recliner together.

 

[Bruceynz]

I guess he will be happy to be buried with it! My Cordoba well not being fully restored will have had one hell of a maker over! It won't be a show car but will look smart after all the body work and interior is complete!

 

[Justwondering]

I'm glad you found a solution that works for you.
I do admire your persistence!

 

[Bruceynz]

I don't have many options, USA cars were not sold in NZ, I paid $3000 for my car and by the time I shipped it here, pay all the duty and tax on it she cost $10,000NZD so would you guys pay $10,000 for a Cordoba, I think you would say "you out of your mind" but what do you do when your half way around the world and like USA cars! I choose the Cordoba as it was the last of the 2 door mopars with the muscle car error running gear and it was priced nice, tell me what other 2 door mopars are such good bang for buck! $3000 would likely me buy a rotten duster, the doba is rust free! Hind sight I would of bought a cordoba that had a 360 and 8.25" in it already as its cost me a small fortune to change it over having to paying a couple grand in freight for engine and rear end! Plus taxes and clearance and all the other gov departments that clip the ticket on the way here

 

[Bruceynz]

Oh btw I dunno what I am doing, I just look on the net at exploded diagrams and hope for the best

 

[Justwondering]

I'm in the same boat, just different part of the pond.
I have all that optimism and after the fact reality of just how time consuming or expensive that 'one last thing' is that I want to complete.

Like other have said, its never completed, there is always one more thing to tweek.

 

[kkritsilas]

For $3000 Canadian ($2400 US), locally there are first generation Cordobas, including a big block, and a two tone with T-Top 1979 (you would have to deal with the stacked headlight look, though), Miradas, and as has been posted here, multiple two door M bodies. Not looking to rain on your parade, but a second gen Cordoba, while it is very nice car (which is why I have one as well) is by far not the only $3000 Mopar car with muscle car type running gear. And all of them have the same mechanicals as your car. To be honest, the first gen Cordobas are probably the easiest to get parts for, being B Bodies, a chassis that was in production from 1964-1979. It also has the "classic" Torsion bar front suspension, not the transverse torsion bar front end of our (Fs/Ms/Js) cars. Many, many more high performance suspension pieces for that type of front end, especially in light of its commonality with the "holy grail" B Body Chargers, Coronets, Satellites and Road Runners.

 

[Bruceynz]

Ok, I have managed to get sway bars, gas shocks, solid body isolators, top A arms with more caster, urethane spring pads, heavy feel steering gear and suspension bushes all out of the USA quite easily.

 

[High Speed Pursuit]

I don't have many options, USA cars were not sold in NZ, I paid $3000 for my car and by the time I shipped it here, pay all the duty and tax on it she cost $10,000NZD so would you guys pay $10,000 for a Cordoba, I think you would say "you out of your mind" but what do you do when your half way around the world and like USA cars! I choose the Cordoba as it was the last of the 2 door mopars with the muscle car error running gear and it was priced nice, tell me what other 2 door mopars are such good bang for buck! $3000 would likely me buy a rotten duster, the doba is rust free! Hind sight I would of bought a cordoba that had a 360 and 8.25" in it already as its cost me a small fortune to change it over having to paying a couple grand in freight for engine and rear end! Plus taxes and clearance and all the other gov departments that clip the ticket on the way here

Very admirable of you to go to that extent. If it makes u feel any better, I'll likely have $15,000 (US) in mine if and when it ever gets done...and we already know how much the insurance companies value our cars...not much. If u love your car, it just doesn't matter about the cost of some things...be sure to post photos of the seat covers...we've all got the same problem

 

[Aspen500]

High Speed,,,,,,,,,,,insurance. Two words: Grundy Worldwide

 

[Bruceynz]

In NZ we have places that offer old car insurance, you tell them how much within reason of course and if its a write off they pay you that much out, the premium is priced accordingly of course, I pay $130NZD for $12,000 value and I have a limit of 3000miles a year to get that rate, its a sort of insurance where it is your hobby car and not your daily driver, if you go over 3000miles a year you need to change to a full policy at about $600 a year.

 

[High Speed Pursuit]

High Speed,,,,,,,,,,,insurance. Two words: Grundy Worldwide

Thanks for the lead...I had called Haggerty and they said my 80 Mirada wasn't old enough, so i called my agent at State Farm and he said it was just old...max coverage $4,900. I'll definitely call Grundy...thx

 

[shadango]

Thanks for the lead...I had called Haggerty and they said my 80 Mirada wasn't old enough, so i called my agent at State Farm and he said it was just old...max coverage $4,900. I'll definitely call Grundy...thx

For anyone researching the insurance topic, JC Taylor also offers agreed value coverage.

 

[Poly]

Those are sharp looking covers. Best of luck.

I've done it once before. Here comes the free advice.

Used muslin over the seat foam so the new covers would slide around easier than foam against foam. Others use the thin plastic from the dry cleaners.

The new covers did not include new listing rods so 10 gauge solid THHN wire was used and locked in onto each end of the listing rod pocket.

There was alot of moving the new covers around, adjusting here and there, trim some foam, add some foam, etc., so ty wraps were used to achieve the correct postion of the seat cover, gradually tightening the ty wraps before the hog rings were installed. It was a learning experience.

I'll be looking for your photos of the new covers.

 

[Duke5A]

Thanks for the lead...I had called Haggerty and they said my 80 Mirada wasn't old enough, so i called my agent at State Farm and he said it was just old...max coverage $4,900. I'll definitely call Grundy...thx

Screw Haggerty. I had my 87 insured with them for two years for an agreed value of $6500. Each year the price went up 30% or so, from an original quote of $350 a year to the last one being $580. Nothing ever changed in the policy, nor did I make any claims. I called them to bitch and was basically told to sit and spin. I can only surmise that they were intentionally trying to bleed off customers with 80's cars or something.

Been with Grundy for four years now. $10k agreed value and $350k liability coverage (twice that of Hagerty) for $330 a year. Cost hasn't increased one iota since I became a customer of theirs.

More on topic: when I had the interior done on my car I just had the headliner, pillars and sails done - it cost me $750. And this was from a private individual. Guy did a stellar job and five years later it still looks great. Getting seats done would have added almost $3k to the price since they are leather. Still haven't done it yet... I'll swap to SRT seats or something before I have that done.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

I've had Haggerty for a long time.
Only thing is nickel/dime price hikes when the government says insurance rates are dropping.
From $120 to $126 with $9600 agreed value coverage and a million liability.