Congratulations to Kyle Caswell of South Hoosier Hot Rods in Madison, Indiana for winning The Hog Ring‘s contest for “Comment of the Week“. Kyle takes home this week’s prize: 25 yards of black Naugahyde fabric and an 8 oz spool of 270 contrast thread!
Kyle wins for the following comment he left on the article “Is Auto Upholstery an Under-Appreciated Craft”…
It amazes me how well a vehicle is thought out. The drivetrain, the suspension, the stance, the colors, bodywork. Usually the interior is never given a thought. The customer just shows up and gives the standard; “let’s just do some tuck and roll”.
I’ve dealt with many who consider a $1000.00 or $1500.00 total bill should be getting an outstanding one off unique interior. They act like they’re in shock when I say I can’t even buy supplies for that. Time frame is another problem too. Most times a guy has gone over budget and time in the body shop so the car shows up under tight deadlines, so they can make this certain show or cruise. Again quite a shock when it’s learned I can’t knock out an interior in less than a week plus it will need to be scheduled because there’s others waiting.
I’ve educated many on future builds to include me earlier in the process and to plan for plenty of money and time for the process. You wouldn’t rush a top notch painter laying down a custom Kandy paint, the same goes for the one stitching some high dollar materials in your car!
While Kyle’s frustrations with feeling under-appreciated are shared by many auto upholstery shops, the steps he’s taken to remedy the problem are clever.
Kyle says that he educates builders on the importance (and expense) of interior fabrication, and encourages them to include him early in the design process. This way, his customers get the best interiors possible, and he’s given plenty of time and resources to do a top-notch job.
We applaud Kyle for being so forward thinking. It’s a great plan of action to take – especially if your shop is active in the auto show and car club circuit where most builders reside.
Thanks Kyle for sharing this clever tip with us! We hope that winning this week’s prize for “Comment of the Week” will help you feel a bit more appreciated.
To those that did not win – please continue posting comments. DLT Upholstery Supply has generously given us another week’s worth of prizes to give away! We’ll be announcing another winner next Monday.
The rules are simple. Read any article (new or old) on The Hog Ring and leave a comment. At the end of the week our editors will choose the best comment and send the person who wrote it their prize!
Special thanks to DLT Upholstery Supply for sponsoring the week’s contest. Check them out for all your auto upholstery shop’s needs.
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