I see many restored vehicles. The ones that are done by the owner or the owner’s mechanic nearly always have poor quality trim work. The seat covers don’t fit properly, and the rebuilding of the internals is so poor as to not supply proper support.
Many owners of classic vehicles see no purpose in paying for quality workmanship when installing interior trim. This is extraordinary in that the area of the car that you see the most is where you sit.
I remember many years ago when I went to see a Corvette which the owner had paid a mechanic to restore, it had brand new seat covers installed but the internals of the seat were left with fill material as old as the car. The mechanic had been the only person to sit in the seat and the seat was only a couple of weeks old but the leather was already distorted. When I mentioned this to the mechanic, he told me that the owner of the car was fat and that it would make no difference. When I pointed this out to the owner, he was not amused.
When I was in the Rolls-Royce restoration business, I was lucky enough to have a European craftsman in trim work close to my shop. His interiors were built to last 30 years, and look good for the entire period. Fat or thin made no difference.
LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons
Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.
