At some point, nearly every classic car suffers a cracked dash. But finding reproduction or pristine original parts for rare cars can be extremely difficult. What’s more, repairing and recovering dashes can be a challenge for even the most experienced trimmers because of the complex curves and sharp edges.
Thankfully, there are folks like Roy Keith of Roy Keith Classics in Hot Springs, South Dakota to teach us how.
Remember the Nauga – that mythical creature from which Naugahyde supposedly comes from? In the 1960′s and 1970′s you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing one. Today, they’re still spearheading marketing campaigns for the all-American brand of artificial leather. In fact, you can even adopt a Nauga through Naugahyde‘s website.
Cheaper imports have made it so that Naugahyde no longer dominates the market for faux leather, but customers who pride themselves on buying American still ask for it. So why not read up on a bit of its history? It may come in handy during a sales pitch.
Dan Krawczyk of Three Rivers Supply Company recently sent a letter to all of his customers explaining a new regulation created by the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) that affects nearly all trim shops on the East Coast. Shops that don’t adhere to the new regulation may face legal penalties.
Two “Hall of Shame” posts in a single week? I wish it wasn’t so – but how else would you categorize the following story?
According to local reports in Adelaide, Australia, some bonehead left the top down on his Rolls-Royce Phantom as he ran into a nearby cafe to escape the rain – causing up to $100,000 in damage to its interior.
We’re excited to present to you the second installment in our “10 Questions” series – where we pose 10 questions to a master, innovator or business leader in the field of auto upholstery who we believe our community of auto trimmers can learn from or be inspired by.
Tracy Weaver of Recovery Room Hot Rod Interiors in Plattsmouth, Nebraska is all three. A trendsetter in the field of automotive upholstery, his designs have inspired both car enthusiasts and builders alike. In fact, many of the design elements and build techniques seen in today’s hottest custom cruisers were pioneered by him.
No blog is complete without a bit of scandal – which is why we’re introducing a new article category: “Hall of Shame”. While we hope our industry doesn’t produce enough news for us to regularly update this series, rest assure that when it does, we’ll feature it here.
Case in point: auto trimmers/con-artists Joseph and Jennie Fusco
The way car companies manufacture car seats and seat covers is becoming increasingly complex. Gone are the days when automakers hired professional fabricators and upholsterers to design, pattern and sew vehicle seat covers. Today, all a company needs is an engineer and a computer.
Case in point: Vistagy – a leading provider of specialized engineering software that’s determined to revolutionize the auto trim industry with a computer program called Seat Design Environment (SDE).
This is seriously cool – Philips and German chemical giant BASF have teamed up to create a state-of-the-art roof for vehicle cabins. SmartPlanet says it looks like “a futuristic dentists chair, or perhaps even a new millennium toilet”. We think it looks and sounds amazing. You be the judge.
We auto upholsterers have seen it all – from customers’ makeshift gadgets to duct tape repairs and even DIY projects gone horribly wrong. However, every once in a while we get a job request that floors us with how ridiculous it is. You know the type: you want to do the job because it’s fun and pays well, but at the same time don’t want your shop’s name attached to it.
Below are photos of 10 such projects. They range from the tasteless to the absolutely bizarre. We didn’t do the work ourselves, but found the pictures online. If you’ve worked on a similar project and want to feature it on The Hog Ring, feel free to email us pictures. If you’d prefer we not publish your shop’s name, we completely understand…
If you’re a regular reader of The Hog Ring, then you’re aware of the fashion industry’s growing fascination with car interiors. Not only are independent designers fashioning leather jackets, purses and other clothing out of new and used automotive fabrics, but fashion powerhouses like Gucci (Fiat 500) and Versace (Lamborghini) are teaming up with automakers to design some really creative cabins.
Now fashion giants Celine and Prada are cashing in on the trend – launching 2012 spring collections inspired by cars.
