Upholstery Shop Recommendation Needed

[Dr_rich]

I need to have my door panel skins, headliner and headliner trim installed. Does anyone know anybody in the Portland, OR area that they have used and/or reccommend?

Any help with this would be very much apprectiated!

[Arne]

In Eugene, all the dealers farm out their headliner work to "The Top Shop" on Centennial Loop near Autzen Stadium. I've had them do other upholstery work for me in the past, always with excellent results. Last experience was a set of 25 year old Recaros for an old BMW, they did those for me about 5 years ago.

[EScanlon]

Rodger's Auto Upholstery on Highway 99 in Vancouver, just behind Bob's Paintland, 360-573-7171.

Getting there is slightly tricky:

Take exit 7 on I-5 N (99th St), go right (East).

Take the first entrance to the WINCO parking lot (first right hand driveway (South)) go to the opposite end of the parking lot passing in front of WINCO. Turn Left (East)towards the light at the exit to the parking lot.

At the light (Hwy 99) turn left (North) but get in the right hand lane right away. Rodger's is on the right hand side between Bob's Paintland and the used car lot there (Name tends to change every few months).

If you miss the entrance to the WINCO Parking lot, you can get back via the Walgreen's parking lot, but if you pass Walgreen's, then you can try turning right onto Hwy 99 (South) and getting into the left lane to turn left into

Rodger's parking lot, but you will be extremely frustrated after waiting for traffic to clear to allow you to turn.

The examples of Rodger's work that I have seen are excellent. The prices I have heard about are also very reasonable.

FWIW

Enrique

[Dr_rich]

Thanks Guys!

I will give them a call.

~Richard

[Kerrigan]

Thanks Guys!

I will give them a call.

~Richard

Realizing this is an old post, did you go to Rodger's Upholstry to get the work done and how did it turn out if you did?  I need to get two 240Z seats reupholstered .... thanks!

[SteveJ]

The seats aren't too bad to DIY. I've done a couple of sets myself. You can get foam and covers from Classic Datsun Motorsports.

[Kerrigan]

I've the foam, webbing, and seat cover set from Motorsports but I'm no way qualified to do this work without hosing it up.  And I don't have the "hogrings, or tools for it"  A man's gotta know his limitations :-)

No instructions came with it so I'm not even sure where one would begin.  I'm also concerned that if I start and screw it up an upholstery shop isn't going to touch it.

[SteveJ]

Be brave. There is at least one good write up here. I bet there are people close to you with spare hog rings. If not, I have a bunch. I used slip joint pliers and tongue & groove pliers to squeeze down the hog rings. I only lost one finger during the process, so it can't be THAT dangerous.  

[zKars]

You CAN do it. Harbour frieght I bet has hog ring pliers and rings cheap. The post that Steve mentions seems very detailed if I remember it right.

Saw what seems like a great trick on CatSkinz site a couple of weeks ago about pulling new upholstery over the sticky new seat foam. Guy said put a trash bag on it to make a slippery condom then just tear it out/off once the cover is on. Seems like a great idea! Never tried it. good luck!

[SteveJ]

I did wrap the headrest part in Saran Wrap before pulling the seat cover over it. That kept the top part of the foam in place nicely. I also used this type of pliers, http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-jaw-straight-sheet-metal-seamer-98728.html, to pull on the center flap in the seat bottom after I ran the wire through. I'm sure there are lots of other little tips & tricks around.

 

I just like being able to do as much as possible on my own. It makes the car seem more like mine than when I pay someone to do it for me.

 

Edit: Here's a link to the thread on recovering the seats: http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/44331-diy-how-to-recover-your-z-seats-lots-of-pictures/.

[Kerrigan]

Okay, you-all have convinced me to give it a try.  I like the garbage trick.  Friend said that's the hardest part, getting the skin over the foam.

[SteveJ]

A blow dryer can help, too. Use it to warm up the vinyl. The cover will stretch a little better then.