Our article ”5 Ways to Make Your Trim Shop More Convenient” was featured on Hotrod & Restoration Magazine‘s website and e-newsletter. Cunning business owners know that the easier you are to purchase from, the more money you’ll make. Check out these five tips to make your auto upholstery shop more convenient.
Attention auto upholstery shops interested in purchasing back-issue Detroit and Deleo fabric sample books: Larry Dennis Company has announced that it has a limited quantity of books dating as far back as 1987 available for sale. These books are priced as low as $50 each and will sell fast.
Speaking of convertibles, have you seen the 2011 Ford Mustang hardtop convertible that Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) created? If you recall, GAS is the company that pioneered the conversion van in the 1960s, and later replaced West Coast Customs on the hit MTV show Pimp My Ride.
For a lot of auto trimmers, convertible top season is the busiest and most stress-inducing time of the year. Long hours, searing heat and impatient customers combine to create a perfect storm of frustration that often leave us wondering why we even bother. Well, that’s how it goes in our shop anyway…
If you can spare a few minutes, check out Popular Mechanics latest pictorial: “The Evolution of the Convertible”. It won’t make fitting a stubborn top any easier, but it will help put things in perspective.
Are you an out-of-work auto trimmer? Fear not. We’ve scoured the internet for the latest employment opportunities in the field of auto upholstery and posted them on our jobs page. Best of all, we’ll continue to do so – so check back often!
I used to think that paying upwards of $300K for an automobile was outrageous – that is until I had the opportunity to test-drive a Rolls-Royce Phantom and see for myself what all the fuss is about. That experience showed me that when it comes to car interiors, you really do get what you pay for.
Hotrod & Restoration Magazine recently published an interesting article by Ace Eckleberry of ACE Custom Upholstery & Rod Shop in which he discusses the benefits of offering customers service packages priced according to tier. The piece makes for an interesting read – especially for shops looking to simplify the process through which they give estimates.
When the temperature outside hits 95°F, a car’s interior transforms into an oven – reaching as high as 200°F. For auto trimmers, who spend a large portion of the day stuck working inside cars, it can feel like we’re being baked alive.
Today, though, I refuse to let the sun get the best of me. If I’m going to have to suffer heat exhaustion and the embarrassment of a farmer’s tan, then I might as well get something out of it too. That’s why I’m trying my hand at baking dashboard cookies.
Nothing sets off a hot rod’s interior quite like stainless steel trim and accessories. For me, it’s the contrast of leather next to the polished metal that catches my eye. For others, the stainless steel bears proof that no expense was spared on their vehicle’s interior.
But not all stainless steel accessories need to break the bank. Take, for example, cup holders – a must have when building custom consoles. Did you know that you can purchase an entire box of steel cup holders for about the same price as what most retailers charge for one?
Fabricating interior panels from fiberglass is a skill that auto trimmers often overlook or underutilize. The benefits, however, should not be ignored – as working with this medium allows you to create shapes and structures that cannot be easily done with wood and panel board alone.
